The Rise Of The Betrayed Luna (Amorah and Holmes) novel Chapter 80

Chapter 80

CONRAD

The council chamber remained quiet after Bethany’s accusations spread across the Alpha channels, but the silence carried tension I could feel from every direction. I walked through the upper hall with my inner circe behind me while the gathered Alphas watched closely without tryingo hide it.

None of them bowed fully when I entered.

That alone told me enough.

Når

Holmes stood near the center platform dressed in dark formal clothing instead of battle wear, which meant he came prepared for politics rather than violence. His gaze stayed fixed on me as I took my place across from him beneath the council markings carved into the stone walls.

“You took your time arriving.” Holmes remarked.

“I arrived when the council officially opened,” I replied

Several Alphas exchanged glances at my response while others remained still beside their assigned guards. The atmosphere inside the chamber felt heavier than usual, and even the older wolves seemed cautious about where this gathering could lead.

Holmes folded his hands behind his back before speaking again.

“We are here because concerns have been raised about the stability of Supreme Alpha leadership,” he announced. “Those concerns involve your judgment, your handling of ritual conflicts, and your continued lack of an official successor.”

The words spread through the chamber immediately. No one interrupted him. No one defended me either.

I kept my expression neutral while studying the faces around the room, and that hesitation among them confirmed the situation had already shifted farther than I initially believed. Holmes had prepared this carefully before making his move public.

“You speak as if this council already reached a decision,” I stated.

Holmes tilted his head slightly before answering

f “I speak as someone addressing a problem before it damages every pack tied to this council,” he replied,

A low murmur moved through the chamber after that statement. I released part of my Alpha pressure without raising my voice, and the room fell silent almost immediately.

Holmes stiffened first.

Then several weaker Alphas lowered their

gales instinctively.

“My leadership remains intact,” I answered. “No territory under my authority has fallen, and every threat raised against this council has been handled”

Holmes did not step back.

“You speak about external threats be replied. “I am speaking about instability within your own bloodline”

The strain hit me harder after that

1/4

7:44 pm P P P P

Chapter 80-

started low in my chest before spreading sharply through my spine, but I kept my posture unchanged white widing th pressure in place. No one inside the chamber reacted except Holmes, whose eyes narrowed slightly as weakness.

I refused to give him one.

Pershady for

An older Alpha from the eastern territory finally stepped forward from his position beside the council weating

“The concern about succession is not entirely unreasonable,” he admitted carefudy. “The poution of Supreme Alpha requires continuity.”

“And continuity requires strength,” another Alpha added.

I looked toward both men slowly.

“Are either of you questioning my ability to lead?” I asked.

Neither answered immediately.

That hesitation irritated me more than open disrespect would have.

Holmes noticed it too.

“This is exactly the issue,” Holmes continued. “Your authority now depends on intimidation instead of stability”

“That coming from a man tied directly to Bethany’s actions is interesting.” I retorted.

The chamber shifted again after Bethany’s name entered the discussion. Holmes kept his expression calm, but the movement in his jaw told me the comment landed exactly where I intended.

“My connection to Bethany has already been addressed,” Holmes answered.

“No,” I replied. “It has been avoided.”

Silence followed again.

I stepped forward then, keeping my attention fixed on Holmes while my Alpha pressure spread farther across the chamber. Several guards lowered their heads immediately under the weight of it, and even some council members struggled to hold eye contact.

“If you intended to challenge my authority publicly,” I continued, “you should have arrived with proof stead of speculation.”

Holmes straightened slightly.

“And if you intended to silence legitimate concern,” he replied, “you should have secured an heir already“.

The strain worsened sharply after that.

Pain spread through my ribs fast enough that I had to lock my jaw to stop any visible reaction, and I could feel my wolf pushing harder beneath the surface than usual. The instability had been getting worse for weeks, but I refused to let Hrlines

see it here.

The meeting continued another hour after that.

Questions moved between territories while alliances quietly shifted across the chamber and I paid close attention to every

2/4

744 pm PP pp.

Chapter 29

Chestation and egy avoided response

Holmes never openly gained support, but he planted enough doubt to make the threat real.

That mattered more By theme the gathering ended, my control was already thhaning, I left before anyone could notice

The ride back to the territory remained quiet except for the sound of movement from the escort vehicles surrounding us. I sat near the rear window while trying to steady the pressure building beneath my skin without drawing attention from the wolves around me

Amorah noticed anyway.

She waited until we entered the inner grounds before approaching me directly,

“You pushed too hard in there,” she observed quietly

“I handled it,” I answered,

Her eyes stayed on me longer than necessary.

“That was not my question,” she replied.

I looked away briefly before walking deeper into the compound beside her. She did not push further after that, which somehow made her presence more noticeable instead of less.

The twins were already waiting near the lower courtyard when we arrived.

Kyra moved toward Amorah first.

“Were they trying to fight him?” she asked softly.

Amorah crouched slightly in front of her before answering.

“Not physically,” she replied. “Everything stayed under control”

Zane crossed his arms while leaning against the courtyard railing.

“That still sounds annoying.” he muttered.

I almost smiled at that.

Later that afternoon, Amorah requested permission to take the twins outside the inner grounds briefly under full protection detail. Several guards immediately objected to the idea, but I listened without interrupting her explanation.

“They need space away from these walls,” she stated. “Keeping them hidden constantly will only make things worse

I studied her quietly before answering

“You stay within protected territory,” I instructed. “No movement without assigned excons

“I understand,” she replied.

The park sar within the safest district under my direct control and every entrance had already been secured before Arañ arrived there with the twins. I remained farther back with additional guards while watching the three of them more through the open space together.

3/4

4 until we c

we culege

hard in the

ched too,

died it.

answered

yes s

ed on me par

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify