Chapter 101: Chapter 101: Moonveil’s Council
Estelle’s POV
“Oh,” Zayne said, his tone shifting to flat annoyance. “You’re still here.”
Jude rolled his eyes dramatically. “Yes, unfortunately for you, I am still here. And I have something interesting to tell you.”
Zayne frowned, his attention shifting fully to his friend. “What is it?”
“I noticed some uninvited guests earlier today,” Jude said, his playful demeanor dropping away. “They were trying to blend in, but I caught them during the security check.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Uninvited guests?”
“Who?” Zayne asked sharply.
Jude shrugged. “They introduced themselves as the Alpha and Luna of Moonveil.”
***
Third POV
The next day, back in Moonveil, Hazel rubbed her temples as she stared at the stack of documents spread across her desk. The numbers blurred together after hours of reviewing pack finances and territory agreements.
Nigel droned on about budget allocations, but she was finding it hard to focus.
“The security patrol costs have increased by fifteen percent,” Nigel said. “And the food supply budget needs to be adjusted for the winter months—”
A sharp knock interrupted him.
“Come in,” Hazel called, grateful for any distraction.
Kendra pushed through the door, her expression carefully neutral. But there was something cold in her eyes that made Hazel straighten in her chair.
“The council wants to see you,” Kendra said, not bothering to greet Hazel.
Hazel knew that Kendra didn’t like her. As a senior official in Moonveil, Kendra had grown used to Estelle’s way of leadership. She had been one of the many who voiced their displeasure when Hazel took over the role of Beta, and, thereafter, Luna.
Hazel blinked. “What?”
Kendra’s mouth tightened slightly. “The council is requesting your immediate presence.”
“Oh.” Hazel started to rise from her chair. “I’ll get Asher, and we’ll be right there—”
“No,” Kendra cut her off. “Just you, Hazel. The council wants to see you alone.”
Alarm bells rang in Hazel’s mind, but she tried to keep her expression calm. A meeting with the council without Asher present was unusual. It meant they wanted to discuss something they didn’t want the Alpha to hear.
This fact alone was so worrying that Hazel didn’t even care that Kendra hadn’t addressed her properly.
“I see,” Hazel said carefully. “Did they say what this was regarding?”
Kendra’s expression remained cold. “They’ll explain when you arrive.”
Nigel cleared his throat. “I’ll let Alpha Asher know about the meeting.”
Hazel nodded, though her stomach was churning with anxiety. She stood up, and right as she was about to walk past Nigel, she softly whispered, “Tell him to come as soon as he can.”
Nigel met her eyes and nodded.
She followed Kendra down the hallway toward the council chambers. Her heels clicked against the stone floor, the sound echoing in the quiet corridor. Other pack members they passed avoided eye contact, which only increased her unease.
Finally, when they’d arrived, Kendra knocked once, then pushed them open.
“Luna Hazel is here,” she announced, then stepped aside to let Hazel enter.
The chamber was dimly lit, with five council members seated at a curved table. Elder Benjamin Thompson sat in the center, his gray hair neatly combed and his expression stern. Elder Percy Roberts was to his right, along with three other council members Hazel recognized but rarely interacted with.
The moment Kendra left and the door closed with a heavy thud, the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
“Sit,” Benjamin said, gesturing to a single chair placed in front of the council table.
Hazel took the seat, her back straight and hands folded in her lap. “Good afternoon, Elders. You wanted to see me?”
Benjamin didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “I think we’re past the point of formalities. You need to leave Moonveil and give up your position as Luna.”
The words hit her like a physical blow. Hazel’s eyes widened in shock. “I’m sorry, what?”
“You heard correctly,” Percy added, his voice equally stern. “We’ve made our decision.”
Hazel’s mind raced. “I’m Asher’s fated mate. Finn’s birth mother. I have every right to be here with my family. My son will be the next Alpha of Moonveil!”
This wasn’t the world of humans. These elders couldn’t just demand that she leave, especially when she wasn’t Asher’s chosen mate but his fated mate. Fated bonds were sacred, and tearing two bonded fated mates apart was akin to declaring war against the Moon Goddess herself.
Benjamin said, “You are indeed Alpha Asher’s fated mate, and the birth mother of the heir.”
Relief flooded through Hazel for a brief moment.
“However,” Percy continued, “just because you have blood relations to the two, doesn’t mean that you yourself are fit to take on the role of Luna. The Luna isn’t just the Alpha’s wife and mate; it is also an important leadership role that will determine the future of the pack.”
“With that said,” another councilman added, “you have been deemed unfit for this important position.”
The relief evaporated instantly. “Unfit? I’ve been working day and night to keep this pack running!”
“Running it into the ground,” one of the other council members snapped. “Your leadership has been a disaster.”
“That’s not true!” Hazel protested, rising from her chair. “I’ve been cleaning up the mess Estelle left behind when she abandoned us!”
Benjamin’s eyes flashed with anger. “The mess you speak of was created by your own failures, not Estelle’s.”
“The Silverclaw Pack deal fell through because of your poor communication,” Percy added. “That was a significant source of income for this pack. Not to mention they would’ve been powerful allies.”
Hazel felt her palms turn clammy with sweat. “I was trying to negotiate better terms—”
“You were incompetent,” another council member interrupted. “And now we’ve lost one of our most important trade partnerships.”
“Even if I am deemed incompetent for the role of Luna, I am still Asher’s fated mate,” Hazel insisted through gritted teeth. “You cannot just ask me to leave Moonveil entirely!”
