The Alpha King And His Chosen Luna novel Chapter 228

The truth begins

The truth begins

(Isla)

I looked around the council chamber without drawing attention to myself. Seven members the High Council sat across from Caius and me, each carrying years of authority that coul be felt without a single word being spoken. Their attention returned to me often, though no of them looked openly hostile.

I rested my hand on the table, and a second later, Caius covered it with his own beneath th edge of the table where no one else could see. The simple touch settled the last of my

nerves. Whatever the Council had come to say, I wasn’t facing them alone.

The elder let the silence settle before speaking again. His eyes remained on Caius, but I ha the feeling every word that followed would affect me just as much.

“Before we begin,” he said, “I would like to introduce the members of the High Council.”

One by one, the seven gave their names.

I listened carefully, committing each one to memory. They had traveled across the Eastern Territories to see me, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that this meeting was about far more than confirming I was a Celestial. Something else had brought them to Wraithbone, and sooner or later, the truth would come out.

The elder folded his hands on the table before looking from Caius to me.

“My name is Elder Sorin,” he said. “I currently serve as First Chair of the High Council.”

The introductions continued until every member had spoken. Some offered polite smiles, while others remained impossible to read.

When the last name was given, Sorin looked at me once more.

“Luna Isla,” he said, “your appearance has changed many lives already. Today, we hope to understand the events that led to your awakening as the first Celestial seen in generations.”

The chamber fell silent again as everyone waited for the meeting to truly begin.

I looked at Caius for a brief moment before returning my attention to Elder Sorin. The calm expression on his face made him difficult to read, but years of authority showed in the way he carried himself. None of the other council members interrupted him. Even among equals, it was clear they expected him to lead the discussion.

“Before we ask our questions,” Sorin said, “we want you to understand that our purpose here

< The truth begins

is to establish the truth.”

I met his gaze without looking away.

“So do we.”

Elder Sorin gave a small nod, as though my answer was the one he had expected.

“Good,” he said. “Truth is the only reason we have traveled this far.”

He reached into the leather folder resting beside him and removed a single sheet of

parchment. He placed it carefully on the table before folding his hands once more.

“The High Council has reviewed every report sent from Wraithbone and Ashcrest,” he said “We have read the accounts, but written words can never replace hearing the truth from

those who lived it.”

His eyes settled on me.

“Luna Isla, would you tell us what happened?”

I looked at Caius for a brief moment before returning my attention to Elder Sorin.

“I’ll answer your questions,” I said. “But I can only tell you what I know.”

Elder Sorin inclined his head.

“That is all we ask, Luna Isla.”

I drew a breath before speaking.

“I was born in Ashcrest. For as long as I can remember, everyone believed I never received m wolf. My father told me it simply wasn’t my fate, and after enough years, I accepted it.”

I lowered my eyes for a moment before looking back at the Council.

“The day Alpha King Caius found me changed everything I thought I knew about my life.”

No one interrupted. The seven council members remained silent, waiting for me to continue.

“I spent years believing there was something wrong with me,” I said quietly. “I watched others celebrate their first shifts while nothing happened to me. Eventually, I stopped hoping.”

The memories were still painful, but I refused to let them control me.

“My father treated me like a disappointment. The rest of the pack followed his example because they believed what he told them.”

The truth begins

I glanced at Caius before looking back at the Council.

“Alpha King Caius came to Ashcrest, and my life has never been the same since.”

“I didn’t understand why he came,” I continued. “I had never met him before that day, and never expected the Alpha King to set foot in Ashcrest because of someone like me.”

I looked down at our joined hands before lifting my eyes again.

“When he found me, he didn’t ask whether I was worth saving. He didn’t question what everyone else believed.”

I smiled faintly.

“He broke my chains and brought me to Wraithbone. More than that, he gave me a choice.

“I chose to stay,” I said. “No one demanded it. No one forced me. The decision belonged to

me.”

My eyes met Caius’s for a brief moment before I looked back at the Council.

“Everything that happened after that happened because I was free to decide my own future

The chamber remained quiet.

“I found my wolf. I found my mate. I discovered that much of what I believed about my life

wasn’t true.”

I drew a careful breath.

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