Chapter 52: Luna Or Slave

For several long seconds, the only sound inside the Hall of Ashes was the faint scrape of Elder Ravaryn’s staff against the black stone floor.

Then, an elderly woman seated three chairs from Ravaryn slowly rose. She was Silver-haired and stooped with age. Elder Maelis rested both palms upon the polished stone before speaking, "I remember it," She said, "The Forgotten Law was written during the Age of Fractured Thrones." Her eyes settled on Malachi. "It existed to prevent Alphas from claiming women while denying them a place. Either they were acknowledged before the world... or they remained only property. There was never meant to be anything between."

Another Elder nodded gravely, "It has not been invoked in over two hundred years."

"But it was never repealed," someone else finished.

A murmur swept through the chamber, one of agreement. There was not even a bit of reluctance in their tone, or body language.

Della felt every word like another stone being laid upon her chest. Her fingers had long since gone numb from how tightly she had clasped them together.

She couldn’t breathe properly.

She couldn’t think.

The room suddenly felt far too small, and her eyes drifted from face to face. Not one of them looked shocked anymore. Some looked thoughtful, and others watched her with a cold, vile curiosity that made her stomach twist.

As though she were no longer a person.

Only a decision waiting to be made.

"The law is obsolete," Malachi replied to them once again, and every head turned back toward him. "It belongs to an age this pack left behind generations ago."

"It belongs to our history," The old Elder corrected calmly. "History does not cease to exist because it grows old."

"It will not be enforced."

"Can Your Alpha repeal it alone?" Another elder asked.

No answer came, then he continued respectfully, "Not according to the Charter."

Malachi’s jaw tightened, and Della noticed even though it was almost an unnoticeable movement. It instantly told her that he had been caught between a rock and a hard place.

"The Charter requires unanimous agreement from the Council to erase an ancient statute."

One...two...three...

More Elders slowly inclined their heads.

"We cannot pretend it never existed." Ravaryn carried on, "We cannot choose which laws are convenient. If the Alpha himself ignores the Charter...what stops future Alphas from doing the same to not just old, but new laws?"

None of them had raised their voices or challenged him disrespectfully, yet every sentence added another invisible weight to the room.

Della looked toward Malachi. There was something dangerous flickering in his eyes, and at first she thought it was calculation...or even after.

Yes, Malachi had expected resistance when he had changed his mind about the sentence. He had expected it in many folds and many ways. But he had not expected this.

"My Alpha." Ravaryn stepped forward once more, "So long as this Council sits, we are guardians of the Charter before we are judges of any individual." He lowered his head briefly, "We cannot erase the Forgotten Law because the case before us is difficult. The Council therefore recognises that the statute remains binding."

One by one, the Elders began voicing their agreement.

"I concur."

"So do I."

"It remains law."

"I stand with the Charter."

Della’s heartbeat thundered in her ears. She barely heard the last few voices as her thoughts swarmed and buzz filled her ears.

Luna...

Or...

The other option.

Neither felt real, and neither felt survivable.

She felt sick to the core. The thought of Malachi agreeing to the second option made her seriously want to puke. She had only barely survived Garett putting his hands on her, and now...

"You would have me choose between two...extremes," Malachi stated, eyes still dangerously flickering.

"No," Ravaryn replied quietly, "The law already made the choice generations ago. It merely asks which path Your Alpha accepts."

Blue eyes met weathered grey ones, and neither man looked away. Finally, Ravaryn struck his staff once against the stone. "The Council will not force Your Alpha to answer today."

The declaration surprised everyone.

Including Della.

"You called this meeting; hence, you deserve time to consider the consequences." His gaze remained steady, "But understand this, Alpha." There was a way his voice slowed that made the tension in them room glow — not enough to make it feel like warning but just enough to make it stick, "The next time this Council reconvenes...we will require your answer."

Luna...or slave.

Without another word, Malachi moved forward and started to leave the hall.

"Moonfire."

She looked up automatically.

"We’re leaving."

She followed without speaking, feeling the prickles of glares on her back till they were both out of the hall and moving down the corridor.

Malachi moved through the corridors one step at a time, but there was something different about it this time. His legs were large and long, and she struggled to keep up behind him.

She waited for some kind of emotion to choke the mate bond, but only silence answered her. It kept up for a while, till they were both standing in front of his chamber.

Still, nothing happened.

But then, one of his fingers twitched by his side, and she understood.

It’s not that he wasn’t feeling anything; rather, he was trying not to feel anything. It made sense, for if he had let himself feel anything...those council members wouldn’t even have the audacity to open their mouths in the first place.

They finally arrived in front of his chamber doors, and he stood before it without moving.

His shoulders were rigid.

His fists remained loose at his sides, but every tendon beneath his skin stood out sharply, as though every muscle in his body had locked itself into place.

Della had never seen him this still.

A servant rounded the corner carrying folded linens. The moment he spotted Malachi, she immediately froze, lowered his head, then backed away without daring to make a sound.

Neither of them acknowledged her.

Another minute passed before Malachi finally pushed the doors open.

He walked in, and Della followed behind quietly as the doors shut behind them.

The familiar warmth of the room wrapped around them, yet it did nothing to ease the chill lingering from the Hall of Ashes.

Malachi walked to the wide window that was closed and stopped there.

"You heard everything." His back remained turned to her. It wasn’t a question.

"Yes."

"They weren’t bluffing."

"I know."

Another stretch of silence settled between them, then Della lowered herself carefully onto the carpet, more because her aching ankle refused to support her any longer than because she wished to sit.

She stared at the floor, "I thought..." she began softly, "...that they wanted me dead."

"They did."

"And now..." She couldn’t finish.

"Now they’ve found something worse," Malachi answered for her.

Her stomach twisted painfully, and she wrapped her arms around herself without realising it.

"I don’t understand." Her voice barely rose above a whisper. "If they hate me so much... why not simply insist on the Iron Pits?"

"Because they aren’t just targeting you this time; they are targeting me, too."

"I... don’t understand."

"Two impossible choices. How cunning of them," Malachi smirked, his grip on the window tightening, "They’ve been looking forward to getting rid of you since I haven’t done it myself, and they believe living as an example is a greater punishment."

"I... still don’t understand."

He didn’t answer.

"So..." she managed. "This law..."

"It was forgotten for a reason." He said again, crossing the room slowly, "Old kingdoms were brutal. Back then, power was displayed through possession."

"And women..." Della whispered, "Were treated as trophies."

He nodded. "The Charter kept many ancient laws. It erased some, buried some... but not this one."

She searched his face desperately, "What are you going to do?"

His eyes met hers. They still remained as unreadable as they’d been back in that hall, and the mate bond was still silent.

She looked back at the floor and sighed to herself. Luna or slave. He’d have to choose the latter because there is no way in this life or any other life would he ever look at her — would anyone ever look at her and think she’s Luna material.

A Rotblood crowned as the Luna of the most powerful pack in existence would shake everything. It would question his authority, it would spark outrage and war.

Every single pack... would turn its back on Eclipse Crown, eventually bringing it down to its knees.

Meanwhile, claiming her as his slave wouldn’t affect anything. Except her.

She would be completely destroyed, mentally and physically.

"I don’t know." Malachi finally answered.

Those three words startled her more than anything else.

Della looked down at the slave collar around her neck, and her fingertips brushed the cold iron. "So..." A bitter smile touched her lips, "My life has become a choice between wearing a crown...or actual chains."

"No." His answer came instantly.

She looked up, and his blue eyes held hers with an intensity that stole her breath.

"You’ve become the battlefield."

Malachi suddenly fell over, holding his chest with a pained expression on his face. The very next second, he was vomiting foul, rotten blood all over the carpet.

Della panicked as she ran over to him.

Moonfire was still poisoning him! She’d totally forgotten about that!