The council's meeting hall looked like something out of a gothic novel—stone walls, torches flickering in iron sconces, a long oak table carved with wolves chasing the moon. Ava stood beside Alexander, her boots clicking too loudly on the marble floor, and tried not to gawk.
Six figures sat at the table, all dressed in black, faces shadowed by hoods. The air smelled of incense and something sharper, like burnt sage.
"Alexander Blackwood," said the figure at the head, voice gravelly, genderless. "You've called an emergency session. Explain."
Alexander placed the rogue's pendant on the table. "Rogues are attacking humans near our territory. They're wearing our symbol. Someone's framing us."
A hooded woman to the left leaned forward. "And this… human?" Her gaze slid over Ava, cold as ice. "What does she have to do with this?"
"Everything." Alexander stepped aside, gesturing to Ava. "She's a descendant of Eleanor Blackwood. Her bloodline—"
"Eleanor's line died with her," snapped a man on the right. "You know the stories. The curse—"
"Is a lie." Alexander's voice boomed through the hall. "Eleanor had a child. A son. Who married a human. Who had a daughter. And so on, until Ava."
Silence. Then the head figure laughed, a dry, rasping sound. "You expect us to believe this? A human with Blackwood blood? Preposterous."
Ava stepped forward, heart pounding. "I have proof." She pulled out the lockets, placing them on the table. "Eleanor's. With my great-grandfather's name inside."
The hooded woman picked up a locket, examining it. "This could be forged."
"Check the DNA," Ava said. "Alexander's and mine. It'll match. I promise."
The head figure leaned back. "Even if this is true, what does it matter? A human with werewolf blood is a liability. A threat."
"Her blood calms rogues," Alexander said. "Stops them in their tracks. She could be the key to ending the attacks."
Lorenzo's voice echoed from the doorway. "Or she could be the one behind them."
He strolled in, hands in his pockets, smirking. "Hello, council. Fancy seeing you all here. Did Alex tell you how he's been keeping her locked up? Using her like a weapon?"
"Liar," Alexander snarled.
"Am I?" Lorenzo pulled out a phone, playing a video. It showed Alexander grabbing Ava in the woods, his face twisted with anger. "Looks pretty controlling to me."
The council murmured among themselves. The head figure held up a hand. "Enough. The girl stays here. For observation."
"Like hell she does," Alexander said.
"Or you'll what?" Lorenzo stepped closer, voice dripping with malice. "Fight the entire council? For a human?"
Ava placed a hand on Alexander's arm. "It's okay."
He turned to her, eyes wide. "No, it's not. They'll—"
"I can handle it." She met his gaze, silently begging him to trust her.
He sighed, jaw tight. "Fine. But if anything happens to her—"
"We know the drill, Alpha," said the head figure. "Now leave. Both of you."
Lorenzo winked at Ava as he left. Alexander mouthed be careful before following him.
The doors slammed shut.
The hooded woman stepped forward, pulling back her hood. She had silver hair, pale skin, and eyes like chips of ice. "I'm Victoria. Council mediator."
The man pulled back his hood too—dark skin, a scar across his cheek. "Marcus."
The head figure stayed hooded. "I am the Keeper. Now. Prove your bloodline."
Victoria held out a knife. "Cut your palm. Let it drop on this stone."
Ava hesitated, then took the knife, slicing her palm. She winced, squeezing her hand over a black stone on the table.
Her blood dripped onto the stone. For a second, nothing happened. Then—
The stone glowed, silver light spreading across the table, forming a wolf's head.
The council gasped.
"It's true," Marcus whispered.
The Keeper leaned forward. "Remarkable. Eleanor's gift… lives on."
Ava stared at her palm, which was already healing. "Gift?"
"Your blood," Victoria said. "It's not just calming. It's… purifying. Stops the madness in rogues. Could even cure them."
"Which is why someone's targeting you," Marcus said. "If word gets out, every pack will want you. To use you."
"Lorenzo," Ava said. "He's behind the attacks. He wants to discredit Alexander, take his place. And he wants me dead."
The Keeper nodded. "Lorenzo has been pushing for more power. This fits."
Victoria smiled faintly. "You're brave, for a human. And smart. We could use someone like you."
"Use me how?"
"Train you. To control your gift. To help us stop the attacks." The Keeper stood. "But first, you must pass a test. On the full moon."
Ava's stomach flipped. "What kind of test?"
"Prove you can control a pack. Without fear. Without hesitation."
She thought of the rogue, frozen under her gaze. Of the warmth in her chest. "Okay."
Victoria handed her a vial of silver liquid. "Drink this. It'll help with the pain. The first full moon is… intense."
Ava took the vial, hesitating. "What's in it?"
"Wolfsbane. Diluted. To strengthen your blood."
Alexander was right, she thought. This is crazy.
She drank it anyway. It burned going down, like fire and ice, but the warmth spread through her chest, familiar now.
The Keeper nodded. "You're dismissed. We'll send for you when the moon rises."
Ava left, Alexander waiting outside. "Well?"
"They believe me. Kinda." She told him about the test, the vial.
He ran a hand through his hair. "Wolfsbane? They're trying to kill you."
"Victoria said it's diluted."
"Still. It's dangerous. For humans, especially." He took her hand, examining her palm. "You shouldn't have agreed to the test."
"I had to. It's the only way to prove I'm not a threat." She squeezed his hand. "Stop worrying. I can handle it."
He laughed, but it didn't reach his eyes. "That's what scares me."
They walked to his car, the sun rising now, painting the sky pink.
"Stay with me," he said. "Until the full moon. Please."
Ava thought of her empty apartment, of Lorenzo lurking in the shadows. "Okay."
He opened the car door for her, and as she slid in, she noticed a mark on his neck—a faint bite, healing.
"Who did that?" she asked.
He touched it, wincing. "Lorenzo. When we were kids. A stupid fight over a girl."
Ava raised an eyebrow. "A girl?"
"Not important." He started the car. "Point is, he's always been a bastard. And he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants."
"Which is?"
"Power. And… me. Once, anyway."
Ava's breath hitched. "You and him…?"
He nodded, jaw tight. "A long time ago. Before I knew better."
She thought of Lorenzo's smirk, his comment about Alexander being hard for a human. It made sense now.
The car fell silent. Ava stared out the window, watching the city wake up.
Three days until the full moon. Three days until her test.
Whatever happened, she knew one thing—she wasn't alone.
And with Alexander by her side, she just might survive.