The news arrived at daybreak.
Elora had hardly slept at all, her head close to Tarinne's, when the loud sound of boots in the hall woke her up. Then came voices, they were quiet, strained, and focused. She quickly sat up, trying to clear her vision as one of Raydar's own guards stood in the doorway.
"They caught someone," he said simply, looking at the sleeping child, "The Alpha wants you there."
Elora didn't ask anything, She kissed Tarinne's head, quietly promised to come back soon, and walked after the guard into the yard.
The sun wasn't fully up yet, but the yard was already full of people, Fighters stood along the sides, Council members were standing close together near the tall stone stage And in the middle, on his knees, was a wolf Elora didn't know, thin, messy, and shaking.
Raydar was standing a few steps away, quiet, with a face like plain as stone.
People immediately started whispering,
"They say he admitted it."
"Found close to the kitchens,"
"Low ranking, hardly special,"
Elora stood right behind the people in front, grabbing her coat tightly, She didn't know what to expect, a questioning, a court case, something more official, but she didn't expect the man to look up and meet Raydar's eyes with empty ones.
"She was just a child," Raydar said, with his voice sharp and cold, "Why?"
The man swallowed hard, "I didn't know who she was, I was told she was just a brat, I got paid."
"By who?"
Silence.
Raydar's eyes got smaller, "Who gave the order?"
The man's lip shook, "I never saw their face, Just some silver coins and a list of things to do."
Raydar nodded once,
To his left, a fighter stepped forward, "Alpha?"
Raydar turned to the crowd, "This man tried to kill my daughter, It doesn't matter if he knew who she was or not."
A quiet sound went through the group,
Raydar's voice got louder, "From now on, anyone who threatens my family will face the full force of my rules."
The man then started begging, his voice breaking, "Please , I didn't know, I didn't, "
Raydar raised his hand.
The guards took the man by his arms and pulled him up to the stage,
Elora couldn't look away,
She knew what was going to happen, but her heart still beat fast in her chest like a drum, The crowd had become quiet, Even the birds in the trees nearby seemed to stop moving.
The killing was quick,
One hit from the fighter's sword, it was Clean and it was Done.
The man's body fell to the stage.
People gasped all over the yard, No one thought it would happen so fast, and so openly. The pack's rules about justice had always been formal, but this wasn't just justice.
This was anger, this was vengance.
Raydar stood there for another moment, his face was hard to read, then turned and walked away without saying anything, The crowd all moved aside quietly.
Elora didn't move, stuck to a spot, her body felt chilly even though the sun was starting to come up behind the trees.
It wasn't finished,
Not yet.
But now, everyone in the pack had seen what Raydar would do for his daughter,
And for Elora.
By the time night came, the stories had already begun.
Elora could hear them all around, quiet talks in the kitchens, quick looks from warriors walking past, and how the servants looked down when she went by.
"They are saying she's the real Luna"
"Raydar didn't even think twice, for her."
"Who else could make him do something like that?"
It moved as fast as a fire, And with every quiet word, the difference between fear and respect started to disappear, Some said she was strong, while Others said she was risky, But they all spoke about her quietly now, not like a servant or someone from elsewhere,
But like someone of power.
She tried not to pay attention, She wanted to focus on Tarinne, who had moved a little that afternoon, only saying something about frogs and soup before falling asleep again. The healers said she was doing okay now, There were no signs of getting sick again, Even so, Elora hadn't left her.
Until Raydar came back,
He came into the room without making a noise, his regular guards standing just outside, His face looked worn out, with more lines showing now more than before, but his eyes had the same fire she'd seen in the square that morning.
He didn't say anything at first, He just looked at Tarinne, and then at her.
"People are talking," Elora said quietly, without looking up at him, "About what you did."
"I understand."
"They are now calling me by the name Luna."
He did not say anything,
Elora changed her position to see him, "You killed him, You did it publicly."
"He was trying to murder my child," Raydar stated in a steady tone,
"And now everyone has the idea that we are.."
He came a bit closer to her, "They are free to assume whatever they wish."
"I didn't need you to keep me safe in that way."
"That's true," he said, "However, I still chose to do it."
The quietness between them seemed to last a long time.
Raydar got closer and was standing right next to her, His voice was now softer, it was deep and a bit rough, and not as commanding.
"Nobody will ever harm you again, Elora, Not while you're here and Not as long as I am alive."
Her throat became tight,
He went on, keeping his gaze fixed on hers, "You no longer need to keep watching out for danger, There's no need for you to run, I'll guarantee it."
"What if the danger comes from inside your own home?" she whispered, "What if it's someone you have faith in?"
His jaw tightened, which was the only sign of the intense anger he was trying to control, "Then I will destroy this home, piece by piece, until I find those people."
Elora had a desire to trust him,
But the worry was still present in her body, it was Not completely gone.
She glanced down at Tarinne, noting her daughter's little hand grasping the blanket tightly, and she felt a familiar sense of helplesness building up inside her.
"I am done with running away," she said, with her voice shaky, "I am worn out from constantly feeling scared."
Raydar moved forward, reducing the remaining distance between them.
"Then don't run," he said softly, "Stay here, Let me keep both of you safe."
Her eyes searched his face, seeking for a lie, a moment of doubt, or anything dishonest, But all that she could see was a man weighed down by guilt and anger, standing right in front of her with nothing left to keep secret.
"I can't promise to make everything okay," he added, "But I promise I will never let anyone hurt her again, Or you, either."
Elora's chest felt heavy because of it, the truth that she heard in his words, and the hope she felt from his presence.
She wanted to fight against it,
But a part of her gave way,
Just a little bit,
And when he reached his hand out, gently touching her hand with his fingers, she did not move away.