Get Back The Abandoned Luna (Scarlett and Alexander) novel Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Scarlett’s POV

as voucher.

Just as I expected, the news of Alexander’s sudden appearance had already traveled quickly. By the time Lucien and I returned from patrol, the corridors were filled with murmurs. Servants bowed their heads as I passed, but their eyes lingered, heavy with questions they dared not speak, thinking I wouldn’t notice their sneaking glances.

The mark on my skin pulsed faintly, as if mocking me for trying to resist, for attempting to break the bond that the Moon Goddess had bestowed upon us.

It was no longer burning intensely as it had that night, but the mark was still there. The scars were still there, an old wound disguised as flesh.

“I’m guessing he did this on purpose,” Lucien said, his voice low and his jaw clenched.

I nodded solemnly. “He surely did it on purpose–to make it seem like there are still ties between us, that Nightshade and Crescent Moon are seen together–looking as though we’re plotting something, forming an alliance.”

Lucien’s eyes darkened. “He certainly thinks ahead. Those who want to vote for you might hesitate now. After all, it looks like he’s still pursuing you–that both of you are in love and have formed an alliance between Nightshade and Crescent Moon to take over the other packs. He even implied we’re preparing for war.”

I gritted my teeth and cursed under my breath. “Damn that jerk! He won’t leave me in peace!”

“He can’t let you go. He wants to show everyone he wants you back and you’re the one refusing,” Lucien cursed as well.

We walked back to the main hall, and just then, Kathleen appeared, clutching a stack of reports tightly against her chest as she hurried toward us.

“Bad news?” I asked directly.

Kathleen took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes,” she replied quickly, “the council is assembled. They want to speak with you immediately. They’re alarmed.”

My stomach tightened. “At dawn? It’s that urgent?”

“That urgent,” she confirmed. “Alexander’s appearance at our border has already spread, especially his words. It’s alarmed the council, our allies–even our enemies. They requested your audience as soon as possible.”

Lucien shifted closer, his hand brushing mine–rough and steady. “Whatever they say, Scarlett, you won’t stand alone in that chamber.”

I forced my shoulders straight, though my chest ached. “I know. But if they see any weakness in me, even for a moment,

eyen they won’t just question me–they’ll question all of us. Nightshade can’t afford that.”

The silence was thick enough to choke on. Then Kathleen straightened, the moment gone, her voice once again measured.

“They’ll want answers,” she said. “Not from me. Not from Lucien. From you.”

I nodded, my pulse pounding in my throat. “Then I’ll give them answers.”

Ahead, the chamber doors rose tall, carved with Nightshade’s crest. As they swung open, the low murmur of voices spilled out–judgment, expectation, and the sharp scent of unease.

I drew a breath, lifted my chin, and stepped inside.

hamber of Nightshade was heavy with voices that morning. Torches flared against the carved stone walls, their

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Chapter 74

sharp light contrasting the thick tension in the air. I sat at the long oak table, Lucien on my right.

The elders of Nightshade ringed the table, their faces set in wary masks. Elders from other packs watched us closely, thou they kept their voices down.

Elder Rowan, Nightshade’s own elder, broke the silence. “Scarlett of Nightshade, once Luna of Crescent Moon Pack, the Highest Council is watching your actions and Alexander’s closely. They are the upper authorities, and you will meet them when your bill is finalized and ready to be voted on.”

He continued, “Your bill has already caused quite a stir. Yet rumors have reached us–rumors that Alexander himself was seen at our border. You must explain, for the trust of the packs. Some claim you welcomed him. Was it an alliance?”

I straightened in my seat. “Neither. My warriors and I were patrolling, as we have done since the rogues scarred our lands. We won’t allow that to happen again. Alexander crossed into my territory uninvited. He reached for me. I did not reach ou to him.”

A murmur rose among the elders, doubt heavy in the air.

Elder Mara of the Bloodwith Pack leaned forward, gaze sharp. “Convenient, isn’t it, that he appears right as you are patrolling? Do you not see how it looks to the other packs? The Alpha of Crescent Moon, crossing your borders? That does whisper protection, Scarlett–it screams alliance.”

My voice hardened. “Alliance? With the wolf who betrayed me? With the Alpha who paraded his mistress in the pack that was meant to be ours? No. What it truly shows is his desperation to ruin me further. He trespassed to cast suspicion, to weaken your faith in me before the Highest Council’s final vote.”

Elder Cromwell from another pack furrowed his brow, his tone dark. “Yet the bond remains. That’s what troubles us all. You cause might be noble, but many see it as self–serving. A Luna cast aside, now seeking to sever bonds that are sacred to all wolves.”

His words stung, but I remained firm. “Self–serving?” I leaned forward, letting my voice carry through the chamber. “If I wanted freedom only for myself, I wouldn’t have brought this bill to the Highest Council. I did it because there are others- wolves bound to cruelty, stuck in bonds they never chose. I will not be the only one–I will be the first to fight for change.”

The chamber quieted. For a moment, even the torches seemed stilled.

Then Mara’s voice cut through the silence like a knife. “And yet–what about your heart, Scarlett? Can you swear it does not betray you? That Alexander’s presence does not affect it? That you do not still.. love him?”

The question was pure poison, meant to trap me. My fists clenched against the table, but I answered quickly. “Love? Is there love in betrayal? In abandonment? In manipulation that uses me as a pawn to shake your faith? No. I do not love him. What I want is freedom–to dissolve the bond that ties us together.”

Mara tilted her head, studying me with cold eyes. “Then swear it here before your own council. Swear you are loyal only to this country. That if the Highest Council grants your bill, you will not falter or change your decision.”

I pressed my palm flush to the table, steady and unshaken. “I swear it. As long as no hand rises against me, I remain loyal to this land. But if any hand–Alexander’s or anyone else’s–tries to chain me again, I will not bow. Not to Crescent Moon. Not to him. Not to anyone.”

Still, unease lingered in the elders‘ eyes. They feared more than just me–they feared I might use Nightshade for my own purpose and push for war, just as the rumors suggested.

I knew they’d heard the rumor, but no one dared ask, especially with Lucien there. They feared that if Lucien declared it, no one would be able to stop him.

At least I felt some relief. The council members present were the ones who had said yes to my proposal, which explained their strong reaction–and their alarm that Alexander’s appearance might change my mind.

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