Bound By Moonlight to My Mates (by Sofange Daye) novel Chapter 33

Chapter 33

The council chamber smells sour, like stale cigars and dying wolves. The light is too dim for my liking, throwing wild shadows across the walls. Thorne paces in my mind, still furious, but not about the rogue attack that happened just a few hours ago. His anger, and my own, stirs because Charlotte fucking disappeared into the night.

press my tongue to the back of my teeth, still tasting the blood of the rogues I tore to pieces. The irony flavor only fuels my ire. This isn’t supposed to happen. Not on Blackthorn territory. Not to my pack.

I can’t help but think Charlotte’s disappearance and the attack are related. My gut tells me they were looking for her, and that is not something I can let slide.

Elder Samson slams his palms onto the oak table, dragging me out of my thoughts. “I told you to find the ancient one,” he snarls weakly. “Now the curse is coming down upon us. It must be found. If not, there will be more attacks. You can be sure of that.”

I steel my gaze on the old man. He has tried to defy me at every turn, but I won’t be made to look like a fool in front of the council. “I found the ancient one, and YOU made me reject her.”

The other council members gasp, turning their eyes to Samson. His face pales, and he shakes his head back and forth. “No. She can’t be.”

“She is,” I snarl.

A sneer contorts his lips. “That girl is a curse. Chaos will follow wherever she goes. She must be the reason for the attack.”

I drag a hand down my face, hiding my fear for a moment. “We don’t know that she caused it.”

le one

It is a lie, and a feeble one at that. I don’t think anyone in this chamber believes it.

“Where is the girl now?” He demands to know.

“Gone.” My tone is clipped, not wanting to give him any more information than that.

Samson’s lip curls. “She disappears, we’re attacked, and you don’t think the two are related? She’s dangerous. She must be

dealt with.”

A snarl parts my lips. “What are you suggesting?”

His hands curl against the wood. “I wanted you to find the ancient one so you could kill it, not so you could mate with it. She is too dangerous to let live. It should be you who ends it.”

I leap to my feet, barely controlling Thorne. “Watch your mouth, Samson.”

The other elders shift uncomfortably. Elder Nia, older than all of us and known to not put up with our bullshit, clears her throat. “Samson has a point. She is unprecedented. A wolf like hers hasn’t walked in generations. We can’t ignore the prophecy.”

I raise my chin, trying to maintain an assemblance of control. “What is the prophecy?”

Elder Nia meets my gaze, unwavering and unafraid. “When the ancient one walks among us, death and sickness will follow. Wolves will become feral, losing themselves to the beasts that reside within.”

Thorne snarls. That isn’t the truth.

“She isn’t a prophecy.” I snap. “She’s one of us. A member of the Blackthorn Pack.”

Samson barks with laughter. “One of us? She has tangled four men in her bond. Not all wolves, either; a demon is at her side. Who knows how many more she will find and ensnare before it is too late?”

I cock my head to the side, studying Samson. “Who told you about her mates?”

He ignores my question. “Perhaps I have been too hasty. Maybe there is another way. Mark her and take her power. Or… kill her and be done.”

“Enough,” I scream, causing the elder council members to flinch.

Elder Maren speaks up, cutting through the tension in the room. “Or we could simply banish her from all packs. Let the rogues take care of this little problem for us.”

“No.” I am aware of how desperate my voice sounds as it carries through the chamber. “You’d condemn her to goddess knows what simply because you are afraid of what you don’t understand? I won’t be a part of this.”

Samson smirks, knowing he has backed me into a corner. “Are you willing to risk your pack for a girl you rejected?”

My claws dig into the wood, creating deep grooves in their wake. “She’s not just a girl. She’s the key to something none of us understands. If the rogues wanted her gone, they would have done so already. They want her too.”

The elders exchange suspicious glances.

Elder Nia tilts her head. “Then what do you propose, Alpha?”

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify