Valerie’s POV
The council hall stood at the center of the main house.
A place I had only ever entered once before.
And that ti...
I wasn’t allowed to lift my head.
I still rembered it clearly.
The cold marble floor beneath my knees.
The weight of their gazes.
The way my father stood alone in the center, surrounded by n who had already decided his fate before he spoke a single word.
My chest tightened with pain and grief.
However, I pushed the mory down.
Now was not the ti.
I stood at the entrance, my posture straight and my chin lifted.
The guard by the door glanced at briefly before pushing it open.
"Luna Valerie," he announced.
The title echoed inside the hall.
I wasn’t exactly proud of it. But I had to endure for now.
I stepped into the hall without hesitation. I wasn’t going to let them catch a weakness in .
The council hall was just as I rembered.
Large and imposing.
Designed to make anyone who entered feel small.
A long table stretched across the center, with five n seated behind it.
They were the elders of the council.
And also, the most powerful wolves in the pack after the alpha.
They were n who held power in this pack long before I existed.
And n who had abused it.
Their eyes turned toward the mont I entered.
Their eyes judged and assessed . The sa way they did to my father years ago.
It was the sa intimidating feeling.
However, this ti I didn’t bow nor did I kneel.
I didn’t even lower my gaze.
I walked forward steadily until I reached the center of the room before I stopped.
The room remained silent with all the elders in the room looking straight at .
I remained standing since I hadn’t been invited to sit.
I could tell that they were launching a psychological warfare, waiting for to break with their intentional silence.
However, I remained silent and calm. I couldn’t give them the satisfaction of breaking .
Finally, one of the elders spoke.
"So,"
It was Elder Marcus.
I recognized him instantly.
He had sharp eyes and a an deanor.
He had shouted the loudest during my father’s short trial.
"It seems our Luna has finally graced us with her presence."
His tone was polite.
But the mockery beneath it wasn’t hidden.
"I was summoned," I replied calmly. "So I ca."
A flicker of sothing passed through his eyes.
I could tell he was annoyed, but I couldn’t care less.
"Straight to the point," another elder, Elder Rowan murmured.
"Have a seat," he gestured.
A single chair sat at the opposite end of the table.
Sitting here would make feel as if I was facing a trial, but I didn’t flinch.
I walked toward it with a neutral expression and sat down without much ceremony.
My hands rested calmly on my lap.
Even though my pulse had quickened slightly and my instincts told this was not a friendly eting.
"Let’s not waste ti," Elder Marcus said. "We’ve heard about your... recent actions."
I didn’t respond and just waited for him to finish speaking.
I wanted to let them reveal their intentions.
"The mission into the forest," Elder Rowan added. "Quite... bold."
What was so bold about that? Mike, the alpha gave the order and I obeyed.
"It was an order from the alpha. I couldn’t refuse." I didn’t say much but stated the facts.
"That was reckless." Elder Rowan’s gaze sharpened when he said this.
They were probably looking to pin the charge of causing injuries to pack mbers on .
How original!
"Five pack mbers were missing," I said. "We brought them back alive."
"And at what cost?" Marcus pressed.
"There were so injuries," I replied calmly. "But no deaths."
Silence followed for a mont as if they were collecting themselves.
They probably hadn’t expected to fight back.
"You speak as if that’s an achievent," another elder, Victor scoffed.
His tone was dismissive as if bringing back those pack mbers alive had been a great sin.
"It is," I said.
His eyes narrowed.
"You think risking the lives of warriors is acceptable?"
"I think doing nothing would have cost more lives," I replied evenly.
Why were these people coming after ?
It was clearly Mike who issued the order. So, why were they trying so hard to pin charges on ?
They exchanged glances and I could tell they weren’t buying my explanation.
Neither were they dismissing it entirely.
"Interesting," Rowan murmured. "You speak like soone with experience."
I held his gaze.
"I speak like soone who understands consequences."
A flicker of tension passed through the room.
They looked at each other as if they had read a hidden aning in my words.
Honestly, I couldn’t understand them.
But after thinking about my father’s situation, I understood.
They thought I was talking about them and not just the mission.
About the past and what they had done.
Marcus leaned back slightly, studying .
"So, the slave has grown a backbone."
I shifted uncomfortably in my chair.
What kind of assessnt was that? Was he reminding that I would always be a slave?
"I was simply taking responsibility for the mission."
I said seriously.
His lips pressed into a thin line.
"Let’s be clear, Luna Valerie," he said slowly. "A single successful mission does not validate your position."
So, this was the whole point of this interrogation.
They wanted to put in my place and remind that I wasn’t qualified to be Luna.
"I’m not seeking validation," I said calmly.
"No?" Victor scoffed. "Then what are you seeking?"
Yes, what was I looking for? Was it respect, justice, truth?
In fact, I wanted all that, but not in Nightclaw pack.
However, I couldn’t say that out loud, so I remained silent.
"What? Cat got your tongue?" Elder Marcus mocked.
I took a deep breath and said the first word that popped in my mind.
"Stability."
Rowan leaned forward slightly.
"And you believe you can provide that?"
"Yes."
I wasn’t really feeling the confidence I answered the question with, but I couldn’t show weakness.
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