Chapter 233: Freed From His Shackles
The relief Alpha Thorton felt was nearly instant. It was evident in the way his back jolted upright again as he sucked in a deep breath of air, color returning to his face once the Oracles released their grip on him. He barely staggered up with Dahlia’s help, and with her supporting him, they returned to their table.
"Excellent, now we can get back to business," Alpha Burke said briskly.
Alpha Thorton wheezed weakly in response, shooting Alpha Burke a nasty stare, but the latter merely politely smiled in reply.
"Oh, don’t give me that look, Elrod," Alpha Burke said with good humor, as though they were bosom buddies. "We still need to decide who is going to take over Thunderstrike now that you’re..." he grinned, "retired."
"Who else is Daddy going to give it to?" Dahlia burst out. She had her nails clawed on the table surface, a red flush coloring her cheeks as she glared angrily at Alpha Burke. "Darach? He doesn’t even have a wolf!"
"And you don’t have any morals or respect for the Moon Goddess, so I’d pick Darach over you any day," Luna Cassidy retorted easily. "I daresay others might feel the same."
Dahlia’s face reddened at the insult, and she hurriedly got up to snarl at Luna Cassidy. "That’s impossible!"
"There’s only one way to find out," I said, turning to the oracles. "How should we go about voting?"
Three Oracles stood in the center of the clearing, their backs facing the bowl of moonwater which still reflected Darach and Nicole’s faces. The water vibrated every once in a while, their voices distorted and muffled with how far away they were from their bowl of water.
"Are the votes between Dahlia and Darach Elrod then?" a woman from a different pack asked, raising her hand to draw attention as she spoke. She sat at the far back, a sign that her pack was most likely a fairly small and new one compared to the others present.
"They are Thorton Elrod’s only children," Alpha Burke said pointedly.
"Unless he would like to announce any unnamed bastard heirs that he might’ve kept lying around?" Luna Cassidy added, raising an eyebrow.
"Nonsense," Alpha― no, Thorton Elrod spat out. He was no alpha any longer. "I have kept loyal to the Moon Goddess’s blessing. Dahlia and Darach are my only children."
"Interesting," Luna Cassidy hummed. "If only that was something you taught your children as well."
"Don’t you dare talk about my father that way," Dahlia snapped. "Regardless of whether or not it was the Moon Goddess’s intentions, Milo and I have never accepted the bond. We were unmated, and thus, I have every right to reject him as my mate. No one can force me to marry a man whom I do not love, not even the Moon Goddess."
Multiple different people sucked in a cold gasp of air at Dahlia’s words.
She wasn’t wrong― the mates that the Moon Goddess had prepared for werewolves were only a guiding force, not a necessary relationship that they had to follow. However, it was also the best match for both parties. Each person in the matched fated pair was supposed to teach the other and help them grow as a person and as a couple.
Because of that, and because of the trust werewolves had in the Goddess, it was rare to refuse such a match, especially when their bodies were built to crave the other. Dahlia’s rejection would have not been as bad if Milo hadn’t been interested in her as well. Unfortunately, it was quite the opposite. His devotion had only brought him a world of hurt.
"Except you knew that he was loyal to you the entire time," Luna Cassidy seethed. "My son had been prepared to accept the bond the Moon Goddess chose for him despite your atrocious reputation. He believed in the good of you, only to have his faith trampled in front of everyone."
"Mom..."
"You do not have respect for anyone, Dahlia Elrod," Luna Cassidy slowly said. "Not for the mate the Moon Goddess chose for you, not for the man you supposedly loved, and most certainly not for the Goddess herself, who was kind enough to give you someone who could help you grow when you are nothing but a heartless, soulless bitch―"
"Mom!" Milo’s voice pierced through Luna Cassidy’s rant, drawing all eyes on him. "That’s enough," he said, much softer this time.
I leaned in to Damon and Blaise, wincing.
"He’s still defending her?" I asked, making sure to keep my voice as soft as possible now that everyone had their sharp hearing back. "After everything?"
"He is a slave to the bond until he breaks it off from his end," Blaise muttered back with a sigh. "Before then, he would instinctively protect her. Maybe Dahlia knows this too, and is manipulating Milo to back her up."
"I am not sure about that," Damon said. "Look."
Milo had stood to his feet, and in a matter of seconds, he crossed the clearing and stopped only when he was right in front of Dahlia’s table.
"Milo!" Luna Cassidy hissed. "What are you doing? Get back here. Don’t stand too close to her. Who knows what disease you might catch!"
Everyone had to stifle a giggle at Luna Cassidy’s ridiculous accusations. There was no way Dahlia Elrod would have something so infectious, especially since she appeared at the peak of her health all through the night. Luna Cassidy’s intense dislike for this would-have-been daughter-in-law couldn’t be clearer.
"I’ve not given you a proper reply," Milo said, his voice ringing around us, crisp and clear. "And in between that time, despite the pull still active between us, you have shamelessly courted a man who had clearly refused you time and time again."
Damon merely snorted at his words. Dahlia, on the other hand, glared up at Milo from where she sat. She didn’t even bother to stand up.
"Get to the point," she snapped.
"You have your wish, Dahlia Elrod," Milo coldly said. "I accept your rejection. From now onwards, we hold no tethers of fate between us. You are set free, and so am I."
