Luna Everleigh's POV
***
The council chamber was dimly lit, the flickering torches casting long shadows across the wooden walls. The air was thick with tension, a silent war brewing beneath the surface.
I sat stiffly beside Rhydian, my hands clenched into fists beneath the heavy oak table. Across from us, five elders—his council—watched me with varying degrees of skepticism.
"She does not belong," one of them finally spoke, his voice rough like gravel. "A human in our midst? It is unheard of."
"She is not just a human," Rhydian said, his voice laced with quiet authority. "She is mine."
A murmur rippled through the room.
An older woman, her silver-streaked hair braided over one shoulder, narrowed her eyes at me. "We do not question the strength of a mate bond, Alpha. But if she is meant to be yours, why is she so… weak?"
I stiffened, the words like a slap to my pride.
"She has yet to awaken," Rhydian countered. "But she will."
The elders exchanged glances.
And then, the man at the head of the table—Kael—leaned forward.
His presence filled the space, dark and overbearing. "You say she is yours. That this bond is real." His gaze flickered to me. "Then let her prove it."
A beat of silence.
Rhydian tensed beside me. "Kael—"
"She will never be accepted unless she earns her place," Kael cut him off. "Unless she survives among us."
The challenge in his voice sent a cold shiver down my spine.
I knew what this meant.
This was not just about me being Rhydian's mate.
This was about me proving that I wasn't prey in a den of wolves.
—
To be continued...