The Alpha's Silent Bride: Seventh Time's The Charm novel Chapter 54

Chapter 54: 054: The Alpha’s Verdict

~ RONAN ~

Listening to the council sit there and talk down to Roselle doesn’t just make my blood boil... it makes me fucking livid.

Okay, I expected some resistance. I knew there would be objections, and I came here fully prepared to give them a piece of my mind.

Then Mom’s voice suddenly squeal through the gathering murmur.

"Perhaps," she says, her eyes fixed on me. "You should consider Mara instead. She’s articulate, well-spoken, and has proven herself quite capable of—"

"No."

The single word falls from my lips like a death knell.

First of all, it’s highly questionable what she was doing in Mara’s room the day I went looking for her. And if the two of them have been getting along ever since, then I have no idea whatever trifecta of lies Mara has been feeding her.

"Absolutely not. Mara attempted to have Roselle killed. She orchestrated kidnappings and torture. She has no place in this pack, let alone as its Luna."

The council members begin murmuring among themselves, their voices blending into a low buzz of discontent that spreads through the hall like poison.

Through our mindlink, Mom’s voice comes as a quiet warning.

Ronan, you’re making a mistake. The Council is not your enemy, but you’re treating them like one. Tread carefully, or they’ll turn against you completely.

I ignore her, focusing instead on the Council members who are now actively hostile, their postures shifted, their attention sharpening like wolves sensing weakness.

"The Council doesn’t get a vote," I say flatly, my tone brooking no argument. "I am Alpha of Black Shadow Pack. Whom I choose to bond with is my decision and mine alone. The Council’s job is to verify that my choice is sound, not to dictate whom I can and cannot marry based on outdated prejudices."

The room suddenly grows more tense. From the looks on their faces, I can tell they don’t appreciate being contradicted. After years of working with them, I know they’re used to having the final say, their word accepted without question, their judgment treated as absolute.

"And that is precisely our concern," Elder Matthias says sympathetically. "Your choice does not appear to be a sound one, my Lord. A woman who cannot speak. A woman without a wolf. How can we trust that you’re thinking clearly? How can we trust that this has nothing to do with outside influence?"

Beside me, I feel Roselle’s body go rigid.

I narrow my eyes at Elder Matthias. The older man strokes the scruff of his salt-and-pepper beard, his half-white, half-black hair framing a face that wears an expression of feigned concern.

Is he implying that Roselle has somehow bewitched me? That she’s using some sort of spell to cloud my judgment? The very thought is enough to make my blood boil.

"My Lord, please understand our concern," one of the younger Council members says, his voice almost pleading. "We are not your enemies. We are trying to protect you. We are trying to protect the pack."

The entire hall falls silent. The tension is so intense you could hear a pin drop. Not a single soul dares to speak as an oppressive silence settles over the chamber.

Elder Soren, the only woman on the council, rises to her feet. She clears her throat, the sound echoing through the silent hall before she begins.

"The Council has voted," she declares, her gaze sweeping across her fellow elders, each of whom nods in agreement. "We cannot approve this union. A wolfless woman serving as Luna has never been heard of. It is unprecedented. It is dangerous. And, frankly, it is irresponsible. The Elders of the Black Shadow Pack officially oppose this union."

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