The air in the Pack finally felt clear. The heavy, sick feeling was gone. For the first time in months, I didn’t wake up with a heavy heart. I woke up with Astor’s arm draped over my waist. The sun was shining through the window, and everything felt like it was going to be okay.
But then, I heard the sound of heavy engines.
I sat up in bed, pulling the silk sheets to my chest. Beside me, Astor opened his eyes.
“They’re here,” Astor said. His voice was a low rumble.
“The Council?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I felt a shiver of nerves. My wolf was worried because they came here to help but also throughout my interactions with the alpha King I got a feeling that they are very afraid of anything they can’t control. And right now, the thing they couldn’t control was me.
I got out of bed and dressed quickly and refreshed up. I chose a dress of pure white. It was simple, but it felt like armor. was the White Wolf, and I wasn’t hiding.
We walked towards the packhouse together. In the driveway, three large, black SUVS were parked. Six men stepped out. They were all Alphas from other territories. They were older men with gray hair and faces that looked like they were carved out of stone. The man in the lead was Alpha Thorne. He was the head of the Council. He was known for being very fair, but also very strict.
I don’t know why the alpha King didn’t come but I have questions for him which I guess won’t be answered today.
“Alpha Thorne,” Astor said. “Welcome to the Eternal Pack.”
Thorne didn’t smile. He looked at Astor, and then his eyes moved to me. I felt his gaze like a physical weight. He was trying to scent my power. He was trying to see if the stories were true.
“Alpha Astor,” Thorne said. His voice was deep and gravelly. “We received your message. You claim that Alpha Silas of the Shadow Moon Pack was practicing dark magic and trying to steal souls?”
“It’s true,” Astor said. “He’s in the dungeon. Along with his daughter, Annabella.”
Thorne narrowed his eyes. “And what about the reports of a massive explosion of white light? The reports of hundreds of wolf spirits flying through the sky?”
He looked at me again. This time, I didn’t look away. I looked him right in the eye.
“That was me,” I said. My voice was calm and steady.
“The White Wolf,” Thorne whispered. The other Alphas behind him started to mutter to each other. They looked uncomfortable. They were used to being the strongest people in any room. But standing in front of me, they felt small. I could see it in the way they shifted their feet.
“Let’s see the prisoners,” Thorne ordered.
We led them down to the dungeon. The bars were made of pure silver, which meant no werewolf could break out.
Inside the first cell was Silas. He looked even older than he did the night before. His skin was like paper, and his hair was thin and white. He was sitting on the floor, staring at nothing. When he saw the Council, he didn’t even move. He was a broken man.
In the second cell was Annabella. She was crying. Her red hair was messy, and her expensive gold dress was torn and dirty.
“Please!” she screamed when she saw us. “It was my father’s idea! I didn’t do anything! Faith is a monster! She attacked me!”
Thorne looked at her with disgust. He didn’t listen to her screams. He walked over to the table where we had put the broken pieces of the jars. Even though the glass was shattered, there was still a faint, dark energy around it.
“I don’t understand how you managed to break through the dark magic in here.” He said but I believe that actions speak louder than words.
So I let a little bit of my power show. My eyes flashed white, and a soft glow started to radiate from my skin. The air in the basement suddenly felt very cold. The Alphas stepped back. One of them actually put his hand on his chest as if he was having trouble breathing.
Thorne stopped at the front door. He looked at the crowd of wolves, and then he looked at me.
“We will take the prisoners,” Thorne said. “But Faith… the Council will be watching you. We will meet next month to discuss your status. We need to decide if a White Wolf is allowed to lead a pack without supervision.”
My heart dropped. Supervision? They wanted to treat me like a criminal just because I was strong.
“I am the Luna,” I said. “I don’t need a supervisor.”
“We will see,” Thorne said. He didn’t look angry he just looked scared. And a scared Alpha is a dangerous thing.
They got into their black cars and drove away, taking the darkness of Silas and Annabella with them. But they left a new kind of fear behind.
Astor wrapped his arms around me from behind. “Don’t listen to them, Faith. They are just old men who are afraid of change.”
“They’re going to try to take me away, Astor,” I whispered. “I can feel it.”
“They will never take you,” Astor promised. “I will burn the whole world down before I let them touch you.”
I leaned my head back against his shoulder.
Just then, Isabella and Marco came running out of the house. They didn’t care about the Council or the magic. They just wanted to play.
“Mommy! Look! I found a pretty stone!” Marco said, holding up a shiny pebble.
I knelt down and hugged them both. I looked at their innocent faces and I knew what I had to do. I had to be strong. Not just for Astor, and not just for the pack. I had to be strong so my children could grow up in a world where they didn’t have to be afraid of their own power.

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