Three Alphas, Fated To One, Played By One, But Mated To One-Chapter 105: A Seat Among Wolves

Valerie’s POV

The council hall stood at the center of the main house.

A place I had only ever entered once before.

And that time...

I wasn’t allowed to lift my head.

I still remembered it clearly.

The cold marble floor beneath my knees.

The weight of their gazes.

The way my father stood alone in the center, surrounded by men who had already decided his fate before he spoke a single word.

My chest tightened with pain and grief.

However, I pushed the memory down.

Now was not the time.

I stood at the entrance, my posture straight and my chin lifted.

The guard by the door glanced at me briefly before pushing it open.

"Luna Valerie," he announced.

The title echoed inside the hall.

I wasn’t exactly proud of it. But I had to endure for now.

I stepped into the hall without hesitation. I wasn’t going to let them catch a weakness in me.

The council hall was just as I remembered.

Large and imposing.

Designed to make anyone who entered feel small.

A long table stretched across the center, with five men seated behind it.

They were the elders of the council.

And also, the most powerful wolves in the pack after the alpha.

They were men who held power in this pack long before I existed.

And men who had abused it.

Their eyes turned toward me the moment I entered.

Their eyes judged and assessed me. The same way they did to my father years ago.

It was the same intimidating feeling.

However, this time I didn’t bow nor did I kneel.

I didn’t even lower my gaze.

I walked forward steadily until I reached the center of the room before I stopped.

The room remained silent with all the elders in the room looking straight at me.

I remained standing since I hadn’t been invited to sit.

I could tell that they were launching a psychological warfare, waiting for me to break with their intentional silence.

However, I remained silent and calm. I couldn’t give them the satisfaction of breaking me.

Finally, one of the elders spoke.

"So,"

It was Elder Marcus.

I recognized him instantly.

He had sharp eyes and a mean demeanor.

He had shouted the loudest during my father’s short trial.

"It seems our Luna has finally graced us with her presence."

His tone was polite.

But the mockery beneath it wasn’t hidden.

"I was summoned," I replied calmly. "So I came."

A flicker of something passed through his eyes.

I could tell he was annoyed, but I couldn’t care less.

"Straight to the point," another elder, Elder Rowan murmured.

"Have a seat," he gestured.

A single chair sat at the opposite end of the table.

Sitting here would make me feel as if I was facing a trial, but I didn’t flinch.

I walked toward it with a neutral expression and sat down without much ceremony.

My hands rested calmly on my lap.

Even though my pulse had quickened slightly and my instincts told me this was not a friendly meeting.

"Let’s not waste time," Elder Marcus said. "We’ve heard about your... recent actions."

I didn’t respond and just waited for him to finish speaking.

I wanted to let them reveal their intentions.

"The mission into the forest," Elder Rowan added. "Quite... bold."

What was so bold about that? Mike, the alpha gave the order and I obeyed.

"It was an order from the alpha. I couldn’t refuse." I didn’t say much but stated the facts.

"That was reckless." Elder Rowan’s gaze sharpened when he said this.

They were probably looking to pin the charge of causing injuries to pack members on me.

How original!

"Five pack members were missing," I said. "We brought them back alive."

"And at what cost?" Marcus pressed.

"There were some injuries," I replied calmly. "But no deaths."

Silence followed for a moment as if they were collecting themselves.

They probably hadn’t expected me to fight back.

"You speak as if that’s an achievement," another elder, Victor scoffed.

His tone was dismissive as if me bringing back those pack members alive had been a great sin.

"It is," I said.

His eyes narrowed.

"You think risking the lives of warriors is acceptable?"

"I think doing nothing would have cost more lives," I replied evenly.

Why were these people coming after me?

It was clearly Mike who issued the order. So, why were they trying so hard to pin charges on me?

They exchanged glances and I could tell they weren’t buying my explanation.

Neither were they dismissing it entirely.

"Interesting," Rowan murmured. "You speak like someone with experience."

I held his gaze.

"I speak like someone who understands consequences."

A flicker of tension passed through the room.

They looked at each other as if they had read a hidden meaning in my words.

Honestly, I couldn’t understand them.

But after thinking about my father’s situation, I understood.

They thought I was talking about them and not just the mission.

About the past and what they had done.

Marcus leaned back slightly, studying me.

"So, the slave has grown a backbone."

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair.

What kind of assessment was that? Was he reminding me that I would always be a slave?

"I was simply taking responsibility for the mission."

I said seriously.

His lips pressed into a thin line.

"Let’s be clear, Luna Valerie," he said slowly. "A single successful mission does not validate your position."

So, this was the whole point of this interrogation.

They wanted to put me in my place and remind me that I wasn’t qualified to be Luna.

"I’m not seeking validation," I said calmly.

"No?" Victor scoffed. "Then what are you seeking?"

Yes, what was I looking for? Was it respect, justice, truth?

In fact, I wanted all that, but not in Nightclaw pack.

However, I couldn’t say that out loud, so I remained silent.

"What? Cat got your tongue?" Elder Marcus mocked.

I took a deep breath and said the first word that popped in my mind.

"Stability."

Rowan leaned forward slightly.

"And you believe you can provide that?"

"Yes."

I wasn’t really feeling the confidence I answered the question with, but I couldn’t show weakness.