Page 30 of The Alpha's Lunar Crown

"I believe children come at their own time, and I'll not appreciate anyone putting my wife under the undue pressure to produce an heir. When the time is right, the Goddess will bless Blackwood with an heir. And if you have further arguments, take it up with nature," I add, sending the man who looks like he is gearing up to make a speech a silencing look.

"This will be the last time any of you will bring my family to the table to be discussed and probed. I will not stand for it."

"The situation with the alpha's family is always a subject of general pack concern," the first man points out. I have to dig my knuckles into my palms to keep my anger in check.

"Yes, it is, only when the situation is a hundred percent within my control."

Without missing a beat, he shoots back. "Are you saying you and the Luna are not capable of producing an heir?"

A deathly silence falls over the room the moment the words drop from his mouth, and I can see in his eyes that he just realized he had made a huge mistake.I level him with the most domineering and intense gaze I can muster. He takes a few steps back as if he can feel the heat from my eyes."This will be the last time any of you will raise this issue to my hearing. Not even in passing, and if I should hear any level of disrespect towards my wife, I'll make sure the culprit never gets the chance to say another word in their life." I take a deep breath, letting my gaze sweep through the room, lingering on each face. "Am I clear?"

"There's also the issue of your missing wolf and the security of the pack," a strong voice rings from the back. The silence that descends upon the court is almost palpable.

"If you would like to question my ability to protect my pack, you should be bold enough to show your face." I knew this day would come. I've been hearing little murmurs here and there. I didn't think any of them would be foolish enough to bring it up like this, but I never back down from a good challenge.

An older man with greying hair steps out of the gathering. "An alpha without his wolf is an impending danger. The least you can do is give the people an heir to look forward to."His voice is firm, and there's no sign of fear in his eyes. He's from one of those pure-blood families that have taken it upon themselves to stand for the interest of the pack.

I raise a brow at him after a brief assessment. "And how has my wolf's absence negatively impacted the pack?"

He opens his mouth to respond, but I don't give him the chance. If there's one thing I learned from my father, it's to never give your enemy an opening to manifest their strengths.

"As far as I know, my beta here ensures me they're patrolling at the border at all times. My wife, a capable Luna, has taken to training some women to defend themselves. Kids are able to go to school and return safely. Everyone is safe within the border, so what exactly do you speak of?"

He is wise not to give a reply, but I don't miss the angry tick on his lower jaw.I waste no time in dismissing the gathering before I am forced to make an example of one of them.As they shuffle out of the room, whispers echo around us. We sit in silence, Liam and I, as we watch each one of them. Once the last one was out the door, I turned to him, "Seriously, what is new?"He shakes his head, "The casualties this time are too many. We're keeping it low-key, but this is bound to come out soon."He looks like he wants to say more, probably asking how I felt about the confrontation, but decided against it.I'm grateful for his reluctance to bring this up in front of all of them, but still, I feel my chest tighten. The intention of the first elder was obvious. He wanted to shed extra light on the nature of my marriage with Selene while punching holes into my abilities.

I might not know the situation with my wolf. In the past five years, the healers have not been able to come up with a sustainable solution, only that he went away as a result of intense pain and desire to dissociate from me. Did I mention that the condition is equally a very rare one, and the best I can do is wait?Regardless, I'll not let some old man walk into my court and question my marriage and ability. I'll die before I see the day that happens. This is not the time for this. I already have pack elders questioning my ability to rule them, and now more bad news looms over us. I take a deep breath, my mind racing for a solution.I need to come up with something quickly. News like this is the shovel they need to bury me.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Aurora

I trail my fingers lightly over my son's face, watching him sleep. For years, it has been just us until Damon came into our lives.My mind drifts randomly to my run-in with Lucien earlier, and I sigh. The knots in my stomach tighten their grip and the warmth that usually accompanies the memories of him fill me.A warmth creeps up my thigh, a vivid reminder of our night on the rooftop. I shut my eyes, willing the thoughts away as I lean in to plant a kiss on Ronan's forehead.

I watch him a while longer before getting to my feet and heading out, making sure to leave the door slightly open.Now alone, my mind wanders for the umpteenth time to Lucien, and as I tuck away loose strands of hair behind my ears, I wonder how much of a mistake the night on the balcony was.

I had let myself give in to a moment of weakness, and the worst part is that, a part of me enjoyed it.But despite all of that, deep down, I know the depth of the hurt I have nursed all these years. I don't know how long I can deny my wolf the comfortable intimacy that comes from a mate.I collapse on my bed with a heavy sigh, searching blindly for my phone and knocking down a bedside lamp.

A low grunt of frustration slips from my mouth as I struggle to set it back in place, examining it briefly for any damage. There's none, as far as I can tell.

I turn my attention to my phone once again, scrolling through my contacts until I find Katherine's number.

I stare at it as it rings, my fingers toying with a lock of hair, a nervous habit of mine. When I found out Katherine, a human being, was mated to a shifter, and she accepted the bond, I was a little too excited to let her know I am part of the community.A human friend, who I could tell everything about the shifter world to without having to filter out the details really did wonders for my healing journey, and it helped me with moving on. We've come to trust each other for the most personal things without the need for secrets.She answers, although on the second ring, "Heyyy."

"I'm such a mess," I say almost immediately, rolling over to lay on my back.

"Is something wrong?" Her voice comes again, a hint of concern lacing her tone.

"I slept with Lucien." I find myself blurting out, then almost immediately, I feel the need to add, "I don't know what I was thinking, honestly."

The line is silent for a while, and the silence eats away at my conscience. I'm about to call out her name when her voice floats through the receiver again."Okay…" she hesitates a moment, her voice calm and void of judgment, "And Damon?"

I sigh again, "I like him, I really do. I'm just so confused. I don't want my son to get caught up in the middle of anything."

"What do you want?" she asks, her voice taking a serious tone now.I reach out and grab a pillow, tucking it between my legs and then resting my head on another, "From them or life in general?"

Katherine's low chuckle eases some of the tension I am feeling, "Okay, that was too vague. What do you want from them?"

Her rephrase of the question doesn't make it easier to answer. So, as I stare at the ceiling, my uncertainty as thick as a fog, I realize just how much I have been running away from providing answers to this very question."I don't know." My voice is barely a whisper now, but she doesn't seem to mind.

---