The Mooncrest packhouse loomed before them, its tall windows glowing with firelight. As they approached the familiar building, the air grew colder, but it wasn't the chill that made Selene's stomach twist. It was the weight of the tension that hung thick in the air, suffocating and heavy.
Warriors stood at the entrance, not just the usual guards but ranked officers, their faces grim and unreadable. They were silent, their eyes trained on the two of them, an unspoken question hanging in the air.
Kael's grip on Selene's hand tightened slightly, his fingers laced with hers as if he needed the contact to stay grounded. He didn't speak, but his presence seemed to radiate unease. Selene couldn't help but notice the slight tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw clenched as he faced the packhouse.
She followed his gaze to the front steps, where five figures stood, their robes flowing in the cold wind. The elders. The council.
They were waiting for them.
Watching.
The silence was deafening
.
Kael and Selene climbed the stairs slowly, their footsteps the only sound in the quiet night. Selene's heart hammered in her chest, a constant, steady rhythm that seemed too loud for the moment. Every step felt like a heavy weight. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of the scene before her. The council had never shown up at the packhouse unannounced, and certainly not like this. Not since the last Alpha had fallen.
She could feel their eyes on her. They weren't just watching Kael, but her, too. Her presence in Mooncrest had been met with whispers and sideways glances, but this was different. There was no hiding now. The council was here, and whatever they wanted — it would affect everything.
When they reached the top of the stairs, Kael didn't release her hand, though the grip had softened, as if he was offering her reassurance without saying a word. The elders didn't speak, but they didn't need to. Their eyes were sharp, searching, as they stood before Kael and Selene.
The oldest of the elders, a woman with purple hair and piercing eyes, stepped forward. Her gaze flicked briefly to Kael before landing on Selene.
"You've been summoned," she said, her voice soft but carrying a weight that made Selene's skin prickle.
"I know," Kael replied, his voice steady but tight.
The elder didn't respond to him, her attention now fully on Selene. Her gaze felt like a probe, as though she were peeling away the layers of Selene's thoughts and fears with a single look. Selene fought the urge to look away, to shrink back, but she stood tall.
"You've heard the council's demand," the elder continued, her words slow, deliberate. "To prove the bond between you and the Alpha."
Selene's stomach churned. She had heard the rumors. The council wanted proof that she and Kael were bonded — something that would satisfy their doubts, something that would quiet the whispers and solidify her place in Mooncrest. But she hadn't expected the demand to come so directly, so openly. The weight of their expectations pressed down on her.
Kael stepped forward, his voice cutting through the tension. "We understand the request."
"Do you?" The elder raised an eyebrow, her sharp gaze flicking between them. "Do you, Alpha Kael?"
Kael's jaw tightened, but he didn't flinch. "We will prove it."
The elder nodded slightly, as though satisfied with his response. She turned and motioned to one of the warriors standing at the entrance. "Prepare a room for the Alpha and his… mate," she said, her tone betraying no emotion.
The warrior nodded and quickly disappeared into the packhouse, leaving the two of them standing in an uncomfortable silence.
Selene felt Kael's hand still gripping hers, the touch not quite reassuring, not quite cold, but somewhere in between. She glanced up at him, but his eyes were fixed on the elder, his jaw clenched tightly.
"We'll do this," Kael murmured, his voice low, just for her. "Don't worry."
Selene opened her mouth to respond, but the words caught in her throat. What could she say? The truth was, she wasn't sure what "proof" meant to the council. Was it an act? A gesture? A claim made in front of everyone? The whole thing felt like a formality — a test of her worth in their eyes, one that she wasn't sure she was prepared for.
The room they were led to was small and simple, not much different from the others in the packhouse. But the moment they crossed the threshold, the weight of the council's demand seemed to settle in the air. Selene looked around, taking in the sparse furnishings, the dim light from the flickering fire in the hearth.
She turned back to Kael, her thoughts racing.
"I didn't expect this," she said quietly, her voice tinged with a mixture of uncertainty and anger. "The council's demand… it feels like a test, Kael. What do they want from us?"
Kael exhaled sharply, his eyes dark with frustration. "I don't know," he said honestly. "But we don't have a choice. We have to show them something, or this will go on forever."
Selene nodded, though her stomach still churned with unease. She wanted to ask him more — to press him on what it meant for them, for their future — but before she could, the door opened again.
A young warrior entered, bowing slightly before them. "The room is prepared," he said, his voice respectful but distant.
Without another word, the warrior stepped back, and Kael and Selene were left alone. The door clicked softly behind them, and the silence returned.
Selene sat on the edge of the bed, feeling the weight of the moment press down on her shoulders. The walls seemed to close in, the air thick with tension. She glanced over at Kael, who was standing by the window, staring out at the dark woods beyond.
The room felt too small. The air too tight.
She wasn't sure how to do this — how to prove something she wasn't sure existed. The bond. Her place in Mooncrest. What did it mean to Kael, truly? What did it mean to her?
She looked down at her hands, still trembling slightly from the pressure. Was this how it was always going to be?
The moment stretched out before them, filled with unspoken words. Neither of them moved.
Finally, Kael turned back to her, his expression unreadable. "We'll do what they want," he said, his voice firm, but there was a trace of doubt beneath it. "We'll prove the bond."
Selene nodded silently, though her heart wasn't as sure as her head.