<b>Chapter 181 </b>


    Conrad POV


    It’s been two weeks since I started having the chats with Arthur, and they are really helping. He helps me see problems in the pack and myself in a way I haven’t before.


    He was right about everything, which pissed me off at first, but he was logical about it. Everything I have done has been about protection. Including Lewana. It was when my safety and security were threatened that gave the shadows and chance to possess me.


    Not anymore.


    The hunter elders decided to follow the old ritual to enhance their powers. It was basically ingesting


    a mixture of blood from the original line with the moon flower essence.


    Ste, to her credit, wanted to do it like the picture. A big knife in the dark forest by a fire. Connor shut that down immediately and got Lewana to take some blood with a needle after she had been


    numbed with cream.


    It worked. The morning they woke up after the ritual, they could all see colours like Ste. A spectrum of aura colours to determine whether a wolf was a risk. They did a full survey of the pack and no ck. A few of the wolves were blue for various reasons, but were all sent to the head medic


    for counselling support.


    Lewana was annoyed that we didn’t send them to her, but Mary asked what advice she would give to a struggling mother, and she burst into tears thinking about it.


    I would be lost without Mary’s help with Lewana. She has started to stabilize a bit in her mood, but she still has moments. Serena’s instincts are what drive most of it. If she is remotely upset, it’s either tears or rage, and it is 100 times worse if she is hungry.


    Due to the hunter’s new power, we made some adjustments to our justice system. We had several meetings, Arthur and Liam included, to discuss the changes, and we are all in agreement. We will no longer house wolves who havemitted serious crimes and who can not be redeemed in our prison. Any wolf that <b>has </b>a ck aura will be sentenced to death by the hunters.


    Valerie has set up amunicationwork between the Alpha Council and other Alphas in their zones. They all agreed to this change inw.


    soon as it was agreed, the hunters went to the prison, and out of all the wolves there, only four were ck. We ran their trials quickly in the prison. I presented all the evidence of their crimes, and they could defend <b>each </b>crime if they could. After everything that has happened in this pack, we wanted any threat of our territory.


    We will deal with the other onester, but for now, we need to deal with these four. Tonight, the hunters will hunt. When word got out among the pack, wolves wanted to be involved as well. Most begged for a chance to avenge their family alongside the hunters, and we all decided it would help build the connection between the hunters.


    Valerie thought it was best to stream the sentencing on an encrypted site so wolves could understand the process better and so they would know the crimesmitted.


    The sun has just set, and night has fallen over the pack. A small stage has been erected for the prisoners to stand on, and a ramp at the back so they can have a ten–second head start in the forest. Lewana and I are in our regal attire, crowns and all, on a second stage behind the crowd of wolves to oversee the proceedings.


    As head of the Hunter Elders, Connor takes centre stage and addresses the crowd.


    “For 500 years, hunters have been charged with protecting the world from wolves who have lost their way. We have been blessed by the Moon Goddess, just as she has blessed wolves to protect this world. From working with the Alpha King and Luna Queen, we can enter a new era of security, knowing who is a threat to all of us.


    Tonight, the following wolves have been sentenced to death for crimes in the human and wolf world. Ebony from the Blood Moon pack. Her eldest son, Ivan, is from the Blood Moon pack. Anthony from the Shining Moon pack and Cordelia from the Shining Moon pack. Do you have any final words?“.


    All remain stoic and have epted their fate. They were likely expecting this to be the sentence


    anyway. Except one.


    Cordelia instantly burst into tears and started pleading directly to me.


    “Please, Alpha King. My only crime is loving you too much. I’m innocent“.


    Iugh with humour. “That was never love, Cordelia. That was maniption“. I pull Lewana gently to her feet and ce my hands on her belly while giving her a quick kiss on the lips. “This is what love


    is‘.


    I witness for the first time her wolf surging forward. Her eye turns a dark brown, and she startsughing.


    “You, weak, pathetic man. I was always destined to be Luna Queen. I was the only one great enough to have that power. This show is pitiful. I know you don’t have the stomach to kill. I mean, again“.


    I stand up and address the crowd. “You’re right. I did kill a man. I tortured and killed ke from the blood moon. I shouldn’t have done it, but I acknowledge that I should have waited for the proper trial to take ce, even though he was going to be sentenced to death as he confessed to his crimes. However, I can not change the past. I can only focus on the present and n for the future. And you’re also right that I’m not going to kill you. The hunters or wolves are. Doesn’t make me pathetic


    or less of a man. Or even less of your Alpha King. Means I have the power and only I decide how to use it. And tonight. I’m using that power to do nothing while the four of you die“.


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