Chapter 7.

The morning breeze carried a tense atmosphere. The sky above the northern region was filled with gray clouds, as if holding its breath in anticipation of something big. News of what had happened last night spread faster than wildfire. Every wolf they passed whispered, every step carrying the same anxiety: the young Alpha Kael had been found with a woman rejected by his own brother.

Laura hid behind Kael's tattered cloak, standing in the middle of the ceremony field, now filled with dozens of pairs of eyes. Everyone knew who she was. The girl from the beta family, the girl who had been expelled with disgrace, the girl who should have died at the border. But now she was standing again... beside the Alpha's younger brother.

Their stares pierced her heart, some with disgust, some with curiosity. Laura could hear the whispers that pierced her heart.

"She's the one who made the two Alpha brothers fight each other."

"She's not a true partner, just a bringer of bad luck."

"Kael must be crazy."

Kael stood before her, tall and silent. His shoulders were broad, but Laura knew how tense the man was from the way his fingers were clenched. In front of her, heavy footsteps echoed. Axel, the official Alpha, appeared with his bodyguards. The morning light illuminated his cold, stony face. His gaze was not just angry. There was pain, there was humiliation, and there was something Laura couldn't interpret.

"So it's true," Axel said, his voice heavy but calm, too calm. "You stole my partner."

The words stabbed like a sword.

Laura wanted to speak, but her throat was dry.

Kael stepped half a meter forward, blocking Laura from Alpha's reach.

"I didn't steal anyone," he replied, his voice hoarse but firm. "Laura chose to survive, and I chose to protect her. That's not stealing."

Several soldiers shifted awkwardly. The elders began to appear at the side of the field, their faces tense. A situation like this has never happened in the history of the pack. Two Alpha heirs stand facing each other, with a woman between them.

Axel smiled faintly. A smile more terrifying than anger. "You think I'll let you live after tarnishing our family name?"

"If protecting someone hurt by your policies is considered shameful," Kael replied, "then I am willing to bear that shame."

Laura bit her lip. Her heart pounded between fear and guilt that nearly paralyzed her. She knew that since Axel rejected the bond, their world had changed. But she never imagined that all this would happen, the entire pack staring at them as if witnessing the fall of two gods.

With one swift movement, Axel pulled Laura away from behind Kael. His grip was strong, leaving red marks on Laura's wrists. "Let the herd judge," he said harshly. "We'll take her before the elders. See if they still consider her worthy of breathing."

Kael gripped Axel's hand tightly, his veins bulging.

"Let him go, Axel."

Their voices echoed along with the horrified gasps of the crowd. For them, a battle between two Alpha bloods was no trivial matter. It could shake the balance of the entire region.

But Axel didn't budge. He stared at Kael, and for a moment, Laura saw something in the man's eyes: not just anger, but also deep sadness.

"I will not submit to you again," Kael finally said. "Not this time."

Axel's gaze became sharp.

"Then be prepared to face the consequences."

---

A few hours later, the large room was filled with elders and tribal representatives. The bonfire in the middle of the room flickered, illuminating the tense faces with orange light. Laura sat in the middle of the circle, her hands bound. Kael stood behind her, while Axel stared from across the room, his chest heaving with uncontrollable anger.

The eldest elder, Elandor, raised his wooden staff. "We are gathered here today to determine the fate of a woman named Laura, and to judge the actions of Alpha Kael, who has defied the hierarchy of the pack."

Whispers filled the room. An elder, his face covered in scars, spoke harshly. "That woman brings disaster. Since she returned, two Alpha brothers have nearly killed each other. We must get rid of her."

"No," said another. "We must punish Kael. Without discipline, the pack will collapse."

Laura bowed her head, her heart pounding. She could feel the heat and hatred radiating from every gaze. She didn't want Kael to get hurt because of her. She didn't want to be the cause of the pack's destruction.

"Enough!" Laura's voice suddenly echoed. Her hands trembled, but her eyes shone sharply. "If anyone is to blame, it's me. Not Kael."

All eyes were on her. Even the fire in the middle of the room seemed to tremble with invisible energy. Axel stepped forward. "You think those words will save him? You're only making things worse, Laura."

But something inside Laura changed. She didn't know where the strength came from, perhaps from the moon shining through the large glass window above them, perhaps from the pain that was too deep. Her body felt light, then a pale light flowed from her skin, soft but real.

Some of the wolves backed away in fear. The fire in the middle of the hall flickered, then grew larger. The air trembled.

"The light... the moon?" whispered one of the elders in horror. "Impossible. That's the sign of ancient blood."

Laura stood up slowly, the rope in her hands slipping away as if melted by the light emanating from her body. Her eyes reflected a silver color, staring at Axel, who now looked shocked.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," he said softly, but his voice echoed throughout the room. "But I also won't let anyone get hurt because of me."

Kael stood behind Laura, staring at her with a mixture of awe and fear. He knew the meaning of that mark. Blood of the Moon. Ancient blood that only appeared every few generations, blood that was said to be capable of burning or destroying an entire pack.

Axel stepped forward hesitantly. "Laura... what are you doing?"

Laura closed her eyes, and the light around her slowly dimmed, blending into the air. She looked tired, but her face was calm. "I'm just showing the truth," she said softly. "I'm not a curse, Axel. I am part of the same destiny that binds us all."

A long silence enveloped the room. No one dared to speak. Even the most vocal elders were silent. Axel stared at her deeply. Something had changed within him, something he couldn't accept but also couldn't reject.

Kael stepped forward, gently embracing Laura from behind. "You're not alone anymore," he whispered.

Laura stared at the flickering flames before them, then shifted her gaze to the crowd now watching with a mix of awe and fear. She knew, from this moment on, her life would never be the same again. But for the first time, she didn't feel like running away. She would stand here, among the crowd that had once hated her, and prove that destiny wasn't always determined by blood or status.