85 – Decision
Mar 20, 2025
Nicolas POV
“It’s unbelievable that the council would even consider giving Zara to Alpha Noah,” Levi pouted in frustration. His blond hair stood in all directions, and his blue eyes had lost their sparkle. He appeared emotionally spent.
Although Levi had been relatively silent during the proceedings, I could tell that he was tense and that the situation was distressing for him. Since Zara is his best friend, and they had a long history together, I could see why.
“Everything will work out the way it should,” Kyle mused as he stroked Levi’s shoulder. “Just have faith.”
“It’s difficult to do so when the council could decide against them!” Levi let out a sigh. “All I can hope is that the council will see Alpha Nicholas as her fated mate and realize how much he cares for her. The two are good together. I have never seen Zara this happy before. They belong together.”
The side of my mouth curled into a gentle smile; I was pleased that Levi liked me.
Ronan noticed my smile.
“How are you taking this?” He asked. “Are you still in control?”
“I’m just very annoyed,” I stated, shifting my gaze toward where Noah stood. He was grinning broadly, as though he was already aware of how the meeting would turn out. “I find him unbearable. I…” I sighed. “I just want to ring his neck…”
“I am certain he has no intention of mating her,” Ronan commented. “He is just interested in the powers Luna Zara possesses.”
I scoffed and said, “I agree. I should have killed him when I had the chance.”
“Don’t beat yourself up,” my father said, and my attention shifted to him. He stood directly behind us. The council summoned him to the meeting, a move that certainly heightened my frustration.
“Some days I feel the same way you do,” my father went on.
I snarled under my breath. The thought that he had cheated on my mother, conceived a pup with a random she-wolf, and erased my memory was still difficult for me to go past; now he wanted to share in my frustrations!
“Why haven’t you?” Ronan suddenly became unafraid to question my father.
My father looked at Ronan and glared at him for a moment, as if he was irritated that Ronan, rather than me, had posed the question.
He sighed abruptly.
“Even though I don’t recognize him as my son, he is still my blood,” he replied.
“Well, compared to me, you are a better father to him. You haven’t attempted to ruin his life the way you destroyed mine,” I growled, indicating to Ronan that I was ready to go.
My eyes snapped back at my father as he grasped my arm, and I let out a low hiss.
“But that’s not the only reason,” he said, his eyes pleading, and I froze in place.
“Hear him out,” Ray spat, irritated. “Before I rearrange his face. He seems desperate enough.”
I rolled my eyes inwardly at Ray. I was getting worn out of hearing from someone who had betrayed my trust and annoyed that Ray kept on letting my father speak his mind.
“Then what is your main reason?” Ronan spit out. He seems to share my sentiments.
“I tried to protect you from the prophecy.”
I squinted at him as my annoyance grew progressively stronger.
My father released a deep breath, shifted his gaze down as he shook his head, and dropped his hands to his side.
“I tried to tell you earlier,” he said. “The Goddess’ daughter possesses the same amount of power as she did.”
“What is your point, old man?” I barked.
I heard enough. I had had enough of my father’s lies.
“I was afraid you would end up having the same fate as the goddess’s fated mate,” he responded. “It is dangerous how powerful she is. Her magic will dominate your mind…”
“So you decided it would be easier to make everyone believe she is cursed?” Ronan exploded.
“But she is cursed!” exclaimed my father. “She is destruction herself!”
“You are being ridiculous!” I lost my temper.
“Luna Zara’s powers go beyond our knowledge,” he stated. “With a single finger flick, she can make and destroy anything. I didn’t want that to destroy you.”
I glared at him.
“I am not the Goddess’ fated mate, and I will not follow that path,” I said. “You have treated me inhumanely. I will leave the Goddess to punish you!”
The wolf call, which announced the council’s return, interrupted my father.
I glanced at Ronan, and we headed for the door.
My father called after me, but I ignored him and continued toward the meeting room.
To my surprise, the council was sitting and waiting for us when I walked in.
“This was way too quick,” Ronan commented as we took our seats. “They seem to be in a hurry to get this over and done with!”
I looked at each senior on the council, searching for any sign of what the decision would be. The elderly, however, did not reveal anything by maintaining composed stances and expressionless faces.
Levi’s gaze shifted to Noah, and he squinted his eyes.
I followed right away to find out what he was looking at.
A chilly shiver went down my spine and iced my blood. The man seated next to Noah resembled the wolf in Beta John’s memories.
Was he the same wolf the Goddess killed?
Could it be?
Was that even possible?
“It might be,” Ray answered my thoughts. “The spirit world released his soul. Maybe he found a way to return to his body after the goddess and her mate left.”
What on earth could have kept him alive?
“I hope it’s not,” I replied, shaking the cold feeling off.
“Who is that?” Kyle asked, noticing Beta Levi staring at Noah.
“That is the Red Howl Pack’s former Alpha, Alpha Keiran,” Ronan hissed. He didn’t appear to like him. “He is Noah’s grandfather and typically a great pain in the *ss.”
Grandfather? Did I hear right?
Levi turned to face Ronan and asked the silent question.
“He usually gets his way with the council,” Ronan answered the unspoken question. “I am not sure how he does it….”
“Order, order!” The elder called us to order. “We have come to a decision…”
The chamber door suddenly slammed against the walls, startling and interrupting the elder.
The elder’s face whitened in terror as he froze behind the podium.
I turned to look at the door and saw Beta John walk in. I shivered in my seat as his light, frigid blue eyes looked straight through each council member, his face extremely stern and cold.
“B-beta John,” the elder stuttered anxiously. “W-what a surprise. We didn’t expect to see you here today. W—why did you come? Is there something I can do for you?”
Ignoring the elder, Beta John descended the stairs; his aura filled the room, causing some of the lower-ranked wolves to gasp for breath.
I watched with great curiosity as he kept his eyes fixed on the council.
“Why is your father here?” Kyle asked. He appeared a little uneasy with Beta John’s aura.
“I have no f*cking idea,” Levi said as if amused by his father’s arrival.
He must have been relieved that he wasn’t the target of that icy gaze.
“But I assure you, he is p*ssed beyond your understanding….” Levi went on.
Kyle nodded with wide eyes and gulped hard.
As he reached the bottom, Beta John stopped, looking from one council member to the next.
“Council,” he said to them, causing the elders to squirm in their chairs. “The Goddess has sent me with a message and each of you will listen.”
Everyone gasped; no one had expected the Goddess to step in. But Beta John’s expression remained hard and cold. Every word he spoke was sincere.
“Today’s decision would bring each of you great suffering….”
“Who the f*ck are you?!” Alpha Noah interrupted Beta John and leaped to his feet. “You have no right to come in here and tell the council…”
Beta John’s focus shifted toward Noah, silencing him. We all watched in great amusement as he sunk back into his chair.
“Interesting,” I said, with a mocking smile on my lips. “Will Alpha Noah dare challenge Beta John again?”
