Page 50 of Fat Forced Mate

I can’t help but look to her then. Luna's face shows no surprise—she must have already known some of this. But the rest of the pack murmurs in shock and disbelief.

"Why weren't we told this?" demands Elder Roberts.

"Because the pack wasn't ready to accept that witch magic had saved them," Victoria states bluntly. "Those of you old enough might remember the climate then—the fear of outside influences, the distrust of anything that wasn't pure shifter tradition. Not much has changed.”

I feel myself shudder slightly. Of course, I remember. I was one of the ones bullying a young Luna mere years later for her powers, her lack of shift.

Several older Council members shift uncomfortably. They remember, all right.

"So those boundary wards have been protecting us all this time?" Thomas asks.

Victoria nods gravely. "But they've been weakening, and they weren’t fully formed when the Morgans died. Without their progenitors to maintain them, the magic has slowly deteriorated. The Cheslem Pack has been testing, probing, looking for weaknesses in the defenses that held them back all those years ago.”

"And now they've found one," I conclude grimly. “Clearly.”

A chaotic eruption of voices fills the hall. Fear, anger, and confusion blend into a cacophony of shouted questions and demands.

"We should evacuate the young and elderly—"

"We need to attack first, catch them by surprise—"

"This is what happens when we allow—"

The last comment comes from somewhere in the back, triggering another wave of arguments. I slam my hand down on the podium.

"Enough!"The room quiets under my Alpha command. "This isn't helping."

Victoria's eyes meet mine across the room, and I know there's more she hasn't said. I nod slightly, giving her permission to continue.

"The wards can be repaired," she says carefully. "Strengthened again. But it requires someone with the rightmagical signature. It might not be the will of the pack, but it seems we need a witch."

Every head turns toward Luna.

A moment of tremulous silence hangs on the air, fragile as gossamer and yet unbroken. I pretend to myself that I can’t see her shaking as she rises slowly from her seat, her expression unreadable.

“You knew this all along," she says to Victoria, her voice cutting through the silence. "You knew what happened to my parents. What they were working on. What I might be capable of."

It's not a question, but Victoria nods anyway. "I suspected. I needed to be certain."

"So I'm meant to be, what? Your magical weapon against the Cheslem Pack?" Luna's voice remains steady, but I can see the tension in her shoulders, the slight tremor in her hands. She’s angry. I know that steel in her eyes. “Haven’t I already been asked for enough? First you want me to marry your Alpha, then—”

"You're meant to finish what your parents began," Victoria corrects gently. "If you're willing."

The implications hit me like a physical blow. If Luna attempts to repair the wards, she'll be exposing herself to the same threat that killed her parents. Making herself a target.

The thought sends my wolf into a frenzy of protective rage. I want to grab her, to hide her away somewhere safe until this threat is eliminated. The rational part of me knows that's neither possible nor what the pack needs right now.

What the pack needs is Luna's magic.

What Luna needs is protection.

One cannot coexist with the other.

The Council erupts into another round of arguments—some supporting the idea of using Luna's abilities, others vehemently opposed to relying on witch magic. Luna stands silent in the midst of the storm, her eyes meeting mine across the chaos.

Something passes between us—a question, perhaps, or a challenge. I can't read her expression fully, but there's determination there, the steel she’s always had, but most have never seen, perhaps never wanted to see.

"The pack house will serve as a secure base," I announce, cutting through the debate with Alpha authority. "All non-essential personnel will remain within Silvercreek’s inner grounds until further notice. Patrols will be doubled, with at least four wolves per rotation. No exceptions."

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