Page 219 of Moonlit Fate

Even Corin and Branan looked uncomfortable at his outburst. The circle shifted, unease spreading through them like wildfire. They could feel the shift in power, the inevitable tide turning toward us.

“You are not the rightful alpha. Aria’s time never ended,” Atticus said, his stance as immovable as mine. “It continues now, stronger than ever.”

“Atticus,” I whispered over the crackling tension. He nodded once, his ice-blue eyes never leaving the semi-circle as he stepped beside me.

“Elders,” he said in a low rumble that rolled through the clearing. “We stand before you not to ask permission but to affirm what is already evident. Aria has not only earned her title through trial and tribulation but through the unwavering strength and wisdom she has shown in protecting this pack.”

The elders shuffled on their feet, their discomfort plain. Miren sneered from his position. The others exchanged glances,silent conversations passing. Their reluctance to accept what stood before them was almost tangible.

Silas, the oldest among them, with a face like weathered leather and scars crisscrossing his muzzle, moved forward. His gruff voice broke the uneasy silence.

“Atticus Thorne, you know the ways of our governance. Power is not simply taken, it must be given, and Alpha Miren is right. Aria...” He stopped, eyes moving to mine before returning to Atticus. “Aria’s time has passed.”

Miren’s gloating stare penetrated my skin, and I felt a surge of anger at the old elder’s words, but I held it back, letting my stance speak for me. Beside me, Atticus’s face hardened, a visual chill spreading through his ice-blue stare. Without a word, shadows began to emanate from his form, swirling around him like dark tendrils reaching out into the twilight.

Silence stretched, a taut thread ready to snap. I locked gazes with each elder in turn, daring them to hold my gaze.

Atticus was still as stone beside me, the shadows clinging to him becoming more pronounced with every passing second. We didn’t need words; our presence alone was a challenge they could not ignore.

“Her time has not passed,” Atticus said, low and unwavering. “It was stolen. Now, it is restored. Not just by her right but by her might. You know the power we wield. It is not a threat, it is a reality.”

The shadows around him grew denser, almost pulsing with his every word. I stood beside him, feeling the shift in the air as the elders looked at each other with unease.

Silas’s eyes darted to mine, then to the ground, and back to Atticus. The rest followed suit, their discomfort clear. They knew what we could do, the raw force of nature we could unleash.

“Is there anything else you wish to question?” Atticus’s tone remained calm, but the potential behind it was palpable.

No one spoke. The balance of power was tipping, and they felt it.

Silas stepped forward, his eyes on the ground. They were beaten, and he knew it. “We acknowledge Aria’s claim.”

My spine straightened with triumph.

Miren moved to argue, but Silas simply shook his head, “Enough. He is right Miren. Aria is a powerful shifter in her own right, together… Together, they’re unstoppable. We fought to preserve the old ways, but the winds are shifting. Change is unavoidable, even traditions evolve. Let it go, Miren.” He turned to address the others gathered.

“Let it be known that Aria Winters leadership is reinstated, not out of tradition, but out of recognition of her strength and the power she wields alongside Atticus Thorne,” he continued.

The words were out there, floating in the clearing for all to hear. My chest swelled with pride, and I stared at each elder in turn. They looked away, one by one.

I took a step toward them. “I take on this mantle not to rule through terror, but to guide us to prosperity.” My voice carried across the clearing, strong and clear. “Let it be known, I will protect this pack with all the power at my disposal, from any threat, within or without.”

Silence followed my declaration. Then, almost as one, the elders nodded. The meeting was over. The future was mine, and ours.

As the last of the elders turned their backs to me, the rustling of leaves and hurried footsteps was all that filled the clearing. They couldn’t leave fast enough, their murmurs lost in the distance.

Atticus’s hand found mine, his grip firm yet reassuring. “They’re afraid of us.”

“Let them be,” I replied. The sight of their retreating forms etched into my memory. “If fear is what ensures the safety andunity of our pack, then let it be the flame that keeps the darkness at bay.”

We walked, the underbrush crunching beneath our steady strides. The trees arched above us, silent witnesses to the change that had just swept through our ranks.

“Are you ready for this?” Atticus asked, never looking away from the path ahead.

I glanced at him, feeling the tug of my new title with each step we took. “I was born ready.”

He smiled, a flash of white in the dim light. “That’s my girl.”

The canopy rustled as if in agreement, the leaves whispering secrets only they understood. Our hands remained locked, a tangible connection in the midst of so much uncertainty.

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