~ 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 The Council’s job is to verify that my choice is sound, not to dictate whom I can and cannot marry based on outdated prejudices."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."

My mother rises to her feet, her eyes narrows to mine for a second as though she’s muttering out an apology, that she would love to stand by me, but this isn’t the right time.

"The Council has spoken," she states, her tone leaving no room for argument. "If you proceed with this bonding, you do so against the explicit wishes of both the Council and your own family."

The words hang in the air like a guillotine blade.

I feel Roselle’s hand slip into mine, trembling slightly. When I look down at her, tears are streaming down her face. Her eyes are squeezed shut, her lips pressed together tightly, as if she’s trying not to make a sound, as if even her silence is an apology for her existence.

My teeth grind together so hard my jaw aches, and my nostrils flare. This is the last straw. With or without their approval, I am the Alpha. They are my subjects, and they will obey the laws I set.

I turn to face the council fully, huffing out a slow, foggy breath. The erratic pounding of my heart refuses to calm down even though she’s near me, I can feel Kael’s rage surging in sync with my own. He’s been unusually quiet because I’ve kept him suppressed, forcing him to stay beneath the surface.

But now... The fury we’ve both been holding back erupts a hundredfold.

"Then I will proceed without your approval," I say coldly, each word a statement of war.

"Then I will proceed without your approval," I say coldly, each word a declaration of war.

The hall erupts into shocked murmurs, but I raise my hand, and the room falls silent once more.

I step forward, pulling Roselle gently to my side, my arm wrapped protectively around her waist. She’s trembling, but she stands tall beside me.

That alone fuels the fire in my chest.

"As the Alpha of the Black Shadow Pack, I have bled for this pack. I have led us through wars, strengthened our borders, and built prosperity where there was once only weakness. No one—not even this Council—will dictate who I choose as my mate and Luna." I declare.

I look each Council member in the eye, daring them to challenge me further.

"She may be mute," I continue, my voice filling every corner of the hall, "but she has spoken more truth in her silence than most people speak in a lifetime. She may be wolfless, but her humanity, her strength, and her heart are worth more than any wolf form I have ever seen. And she will be Luna, not because the Council approves, but because I have chosen her, and my choice is final."

The silence that follows is absolute.

One by one, the elders begin to lower their heads. First the younger ones, then the more stubborn. Even Elder Soren eventually inclines her head in reluctant respect. My mother is the last, her eyes filled with a mixture of worry and pride as she finally bows her head as well.

I turn to Roselle, ignoring the rest of the room.

Cupping her tear-streaked face with both hands, I wipe her tears away with my thumbs and press a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead right there in front of everyone.

Kael rumbles with deep satisfaction inside me.

Finally. That’s how you do it, you stubborn fool.

I keep Roselle tucked against my side as I address the Council one last time.

"This meeting is over. The bonding ceremony will proceed as planned. Any further objections will be considered a direct challenge to your Alpha."

With those final words, I guide Roselle out of the hall, my hand never leaving her.