Chapter 51- Ember's Arrival
Meanwhile, the Ember Council had arrived. They entered through the front doors of Luna Café. The warmth of the hall seemed to dim instantly under their presence. The room fell silent. Mothers gathered their children close, Alphas braced themselves, tension thick in the air.
But Amber was nowhere to be seen.
Zachary stepped forward, his gaze sharp, his instincts screaming. He didn't need words. He could read the Council's thoughts as easily as one might read an open book. Danger oozed from their intentions. Without another question, he raced upstairs to Amber's chambers.
"Amber!" His voice tore through the empty room.
But only the open balcony window greeted him, the curtains swaying in the night breeze.
Amber was gone.
Panic crashed into him, but he forced himself down the hall, back toward the Council. His fury was barely restrained as he faced them. "Whatever reason you've come here, leave. Now. You won't succeed in your plans. Bring Amber back!"
Seer Malrik's eyes glimmered in the lantern light, cold and sharp, reflecting both calculation and quiet anger. "The Luna of the Northern Region... the forbidden bloodline," he murmured, each word heavy with disdain. His gaze swept the room, piercing, as if he could see through walls. "So she isn't here?" There was no question in his tone—only the weight of expectation and the promise of consequences if she appeared.
Zach's jaw tightened, teeth clenched so hard his muscles ached. Not them... not directly. Yet a cold certainty settled over him like ice—he was almost certain they were behind it. Every detail, every shadowed movement, every whisper in the streets pointed to the same conclusion. The Ember Council's reach was long, their schemes subtle, but their intent was clear: someone was orchestrating this, and Zach knew, deep down, that they were the puppeteers pulling the strings.
A surge of anger and frustration coursed through him, sharp and burning. He wanted to act, to strike, to protect—but the unseen hand behind it all made every move dangerous. Still, he couldn't ignore it. Not this time.
Lady Serapha's lips curved into a smile. "What a shame. We came all this way and will not even meet her."
"We did not come to sow chaos," Darius said smoothly, though his eyes betrayed his hunger for blood.
"Then why are you here at all?" Zach snapped. "Leave before I tear you apart."
Eldric stepped closer, his voice dripping with persuasion. "Zachary... the strongest Alpha of the North. Why resist us? We could make you ruler of all the territories. Join us. Together, we could reshape everything."
"You have no right," Zach growled. "Neither the North nor the South belongs to you. Our people deserve peace—freedom—not chains."
Malrik's snarl echoed through the chamber, sharp and filled with venom, cutting through the murmurs and shuffling footsteps. "You dare defy us?" His voice rose, each word laced with fury and disdain, reverberating off the walls like a whip. His eyes, dark and unyielding, locked onto his target, scorching with the weight of generations of judgment. "You—who carry the tainted legacy of your parents' foolish ideals! Do you think their mistakes were yours to correct? Do you think you have the right to challenge the Council? The weak-minded are always the ones who take the fall."
The room fell into a tense silence, the air thick with threat, as every council member felt the storm in his words.
"My parents wanted equality. They wanted wolves to live with dignity, free to choose their path. A freedom they deserve " Zach's voice thundered. "That is no weakness. That is strength."
Lady Serapha laughed, sharp and cruel. "And yet they died for it. Do you still not see? Principles will not save you. Fear will. Control will. We will." Then laughter echoed.
The hall erupted. Voices clashed, wolves growled, tension snapping like a bowstring pulled too tight.
Until it broke.
One of the younger wolves, Jonas—one of Amber's orphans—lunged recklessly toward Lady Serapha, teeth bared and claws ready. But before he could even reach her, Darius's hand shot out like a striking viper. His fingers curled around Jonas's throat with brutal precision, lifting the boy effortlessly into the air as if he were no more than a ragdoll. Jonas choked, his tiny body trembling violently, struggling for breath, completely powerless under Darius's iron grip.
"Release him!" Zach's roar shattered the tense air, raw and feral, vibrating through the chamber like rolling thunder. His anger ignited, spreading through every fiber of his being. Muscles bulged as his form began to shift, bones reshaping, fur erupting over his skin, eyes glowing with a fierce golden light. In an instant, he towered over everyone—a massive, dark Alpha wolf radiating uncontrollable power.
Without Amber to anchor him, his control teetered on the edge. Rage surged like wildfire, claws digging into the ground, teeth bared in a snarl that could crush stone. Every instinct screamed for destruction, for retaliation, for blood. Yet even amid the storm raging within him, he clung to her memory—the light she carried, the way her laughter could pierce the darkness—and he forced himself to focus.
With a deep, guttural growl, he advanced toward Darius, each step shaking the floor, each breath a warning. Shadows seemed to bend and retreat around him, and even the most seasoned council members took a cautious step back. Zach's fury was undeniable, but buried beneath it was purpose—a singular thought that guided his strength: protect her, survive for her, and fight for her, no matter the cost.
He lunged.
Darius released Jonas only to defend himself, shifting into a massive brown wolf, claws slashing, fangs snapping. The hall became chaos. Wolves shifted one by one, teeth bared, growls filling the air. Alphas in different territories clashed with the Ember Council, the ground shuddering beneath the violence.
Blood spattered across the polished floors, dark and glistening under the flickering lantern light. The warm glow wavered as shadows leapt and danced across the walls, giving the room a chaotic, almost otherworldly pulse.
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To be continued.