Chapter 218: The Moon Goddess’s Test
"Dahlia," Alpha Thorton immediately called out, holding a hand up as a sign to get her to stop. "We are all guests of the Oracles here at the Forest. Watch your behavior."
"But Father―"
"Watch," Alpha Thorton repeated, enunciating each and every word, "your behavior."
Dahlia huffed, stomping her feet with her hands clenched into fists by her side. She shot me a nasty glare before she sat back down, dropping to her seat as she folded her arms across her chest like a petulant child.
I snorted, watching the exchange as Blaise placed me back down on the ground. Now that there were others watching, having me in his arms would be a poor reflection of us and of Fangborne as a whole.
With Damon leading the way, we marched forward to where the table that was left open for us was. All three of us sat down, with Damon right in the center, Blaise on his right, and me sitting on Damon’s left.
Across us, Dahlia didn’t cease throwing daggers in my direction with her eyes. The heat of her hatred was known, and I soon found myself staring at the moon, hoping for the silvery color to shift to a darker shade as soon as possible. While I still might not be her match physically without her wolf, at least it wouldn’t be skewed too far to her advantage.
Right at the center of the clearing where all the tables could see was a silver-colored bowl placed on the pedestal. It had intricate carvings, and what stood out the most were the moon and stars etched into the sides. For the wolves who did not have their eyes on our exchange with Dahlia, they were staring right at it, almost as though they were waiting for a sign.
Soon enough, the sign that they were looking for arrived.
An Oracle — a different woman from the one who led us to the clearing — came forward. She held a similar bowl in her hands and stopped only when she was in front of it.
"What is happening?" I asked, keeping my words as soft as I could. While it wouldn’t make a difference for the keen ears of the wolves who sat near us, I didn’t wish for my voice to be heard by everyone present.
"The meeting is starting," Blaise explained, leaning over Damon to speak to me, his voice equally hushed. "When the lunar eclipse happens, the Oracles will pour the liquid― moonwater, they call it. It is said to reveal all matters which require discussion."
My lips parted to form an ’o’ as I turned my gaze to the sky. Right as I did, a shadow slowly engulfed the moon’s silvery radiant glow. It cast an eerie red hue across the landscape, drenching the world into the shade of blood. The moon was now an orb of red, the color reminiscent of a burning world.
All around me, I could feel strange huffs and groans coming from those who attended the meeting. Even Damon and Blaise seemed stressed and in pain, beads of perspiration pooling across their foreheads.
Damon’s hands were clenched tightly, resting on his knees as he gritted his teeth and took deep, heavy breaths. The strange glow that seemed to always be in his and Blaise’s eyes only increased, becoming small beacons of light in the darkness― they seemed to be brighter than the moon was now.
"Are you alright?" I softly asked, scanning those around us. They wore matching expressions, some hiding their pain a little worse than Damon and Blaise did.
"It’s the loss of connection," Damon said through gritted teeth. He groaned, exhaling loudly.
"It will get better shortly," Blaise finished.
True enough, it was just as Blaise said. It started with the two of them, but one by one, more and more werewolves sat a little straighter. Some leaned against the table in relief while others held their heads in their hands. But it was sure― their pain had dissipated. Even Dahlia and Alpha Thorton looked disheveled, holding the furniture for support.
I sat still, straight as a rod, for once glad that I had no wolf to lose.
"Does it always hurt this bad?"
"It’s akin to losing a body part," Damon said. "But being here in the Forest of Selene is said to amplify the pain."
"It’s a test the Moon Goddess has set for her wolves," Blaise continued. "Since everyone present is a leader in one way or another, only the strongest can survive. She needs to ensure that those here are worthy of leading."
Almost as though to prove what Blaise had said, there was a thud and a gasp towards the back. The tables were arranged in a circle, and the ones at the back were occupied by the smaller and less prominent packs. There was a middle-aged man who had toppled, lying unconscious across the table as the woman beside him tried to shake him awake. Unfortunately, he was unresponsive.
Two Oracles appeared from seemingly thin air, moving towards him. What stood out the most wasn’t the effortless steps that made them seem like they were floating across the snowy grass. Rather, their eyes were glowing in the dark like will-o’-the-wisps.
Without a word, they raised a hand and the man began to float, controlled by what seemed like magic. Instantly, the woman backed off, watching with wide eyes and tears still coating her cheeks as the man was led back into the woods.
She had no choice but to follow, leaving the crowd one last hasty look before disappearing with the Oracles and the unconscious man.
"That was the alpha of Whisperwind," Damon murmured. "One of the smaller neighboring packs."
"Very patriarchal," Blaise commented. His lips stretched as humor danced in his eyes. They gleamed like two glowing moonstones. "The woman is his luna. If anything, she had always been a more capable leader than he."
"But he never allowed her to touch the pack’s affairs," Damon finished. "His pride, and the pride of his fathers before him, is what prevents Whisperwind from greatness."
"He didn’t pass the Moon Goddess’s test, then?" I questioned, unsure.
"That would be correct," Blaise said. "He will not be forced to step down, but with this, every pack leader in North America now knows that he is an unworthy alpha for Whisperwind. If he knows any better, he would retire the position and pass it down to his heir."
"Or better yet, his wife," Damon said with a snort. "A reckless teenage boy would not be a fitting leader."
"Will he?" I wrinkled my nose. "If he is so prideful, then surely he wouldn’t give up the title of alpha so easily, especially to a woman."
"Knowing him, he probably wouldn’t," Blaise replied.
"But that will just make him a target," Damon said, "for every pack present now knows that Whisperwind is an easy target under his leadership. If he doesn’t relinquish the role, he will only be leading his pack to their death."
