Chapter 121


    Two Months Later


    One deep breath, and then another. “Rx, Aurora.” Zayne’s t voice sounded from a few feet in front


    of me, icy eyes pivoting across the lounge to meet my own.


    Ever since his father’s d***h, there were moments where he seemed carved from ice. The only one


    able to thaw him was currently waiting along with the rest of the crowd. “Whether they know it or not,


    they’re looking for a leader, someone better to rece Marcus.


    Speak with confidence and they’ll listen.” “He isn’t wrong.” Brandon Fox shrugged. The only simrities


    between Jaspar and his eldest son were the piercing eyes andzy grin. Everything else, including the


    golden hair, came from his mother. “Still, she is not wrong to be worried.


    There are some that won’t be happy with this decision.” Isaiah chimed in, the voice of reason as he


    stood second in line. “What do you think?” I asked thest member of the High Table, who stood at the


    front of the line. Isabe Garcia was only two years older than me, from arge pack that took up most


    of New Mexico and Arizona.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Her warriors had been too far away to aid in the battle, but her pack had its own history with helping


    white wolves. As the sole child of an Alpha, she was beside herself when I sent the invitation. She


    swallowed heavily, eyes still wide and nervous. “I think if he wants to make up for his family’s mistakes,


    this is the best ce to do that.” Her voice was strong, her thick ent almost musical.


    “Alright, is everyone ready?” Carrie Heald, an event nner from Garrett’s pack barged into the room,


    her wheat hair pulled into a tight bun. He had hired her two months ago, when I decided to take my


    ce at the High Table. Sticking from the back of her bun was the pen she would continuously lose.


    Even with her frazzled state, she was utterly amazing at her job.


    Once the twin’s and our family decided on a safe location for the High Table’s headquarters, Carrie


    took control of orchestrating the entire event. The concert hall had been renovated just a year ago and


    was the perfect size. Our warriors scoured the building while Carrie transformed it.


    “Alright, Isabe you’re going to head out first. Count to thirty and then go.” Carrie grinned


    encouragingly, nudging her to the set of doors that lead downstairs and to the stage. “Aurora you’re


    last.” As Isabe descended the stairs, I took a steadying breath. “I hear your Luna ceremony is this


    weekend.” Brandon murmured over his shoulder, his grin mirroring Jaspar’s.


    His voice held an air of mock offense, “Is there any particr reason I didn’t receive an invite? Are we


    not friends, Aurora?” Isaiah followed soon after, my heart thundered with each step I took. “I didn’t


    know you’d want to go.” I snorted at him, feeling some of my nerves skitter away at his teasing voice.


    “I’m twenty-three and unmated,” He smirked, and I swallowed heavily as it was now Zayne’s turn. “Of


    course, I want to go.” “Consider yourself invited.” I said breathlessly, doing my best to return the


    encouraging smile he threw my way. As Brandon exited down to the stage, I headed towards the doors


    as well.


    “Deep breaths, Aurora.” Carrie sped my sweaty hand in her own. It wasn’t her words that gave me


    the strength to press forward and follow the other table members, but the confidence in her emotions.


    This woman I had met a handful of times, had spoken to only once during her task of setting everything


    up, believed in me wholeheartedly. I emerged through a set of double doors, squaring my shoulders as


    I was met with a small crowd of reporters. Velvet ropes and dark clothed warriors from all three of my


    packs served as the barrier between the reporters and me. Their questions thundered in my ears,


    almost as loud as my thundering heartbeat.


    Keep your head straight and answer no questions until you’re seated on stage. That’s what Carrie had


    told me, and I followed her advice as I lifted my chin and headed downstairs. I could feel several


    guards at my back. They were looming presences that felt a little overbearing at times, but the twin’s


    insisted they were a necessity. My stomach dropped as I descended the stairs, feeling the weight of the


    crowd and their emotions nearby. Tugging at the edges of my mind as they loomed closer and closer.


    The sound of my own heartbeat dulled, reced by silence so deafening my ears began to ring. My


    footsteps pattered against the smooth floor; the crowd grew quiet. White-hot lights were bright as they


    illuminated the stage, and I made my way across to stand at the center, lodged between Zayne and


    Brandon. A million thoughts were streaming through my head, the most concerning were the loudest.


    Could they see how frazzled I was? How entirely new this all felt? Did they know how desperately I


    wanted to fix things? That when the nightmares continued to im me, I’d stay up all night searching


    for solutions? ‘You look as calm as ever, doll.’ Alec’s smooth voice trickled into my thoughts, sanding


    down the harsh edges of my panic. ‘Like a natural born leader.’ ‘The only ones who can tell how you’re


    feeling is us.’


    Kade chimed in, his voice a bit raspier than his brothers. I strained my eyes to peer out into the crowd,


    immediately finding where my family and mates sat. Much like in Marcus’s old council room, we divided


    the seating in the concert hall to fit the various packs that wished to attend. All the Alpha’s and Luna’s


    were seated towards the front. Each were given a microphone to speak, so that their voice could be


    heard as well. They would remain off while the five of us were speaking, but it was a way to give the


    smaller pack’s a voice. It was the twin’s dark stares that kept the sea of emotions from barreling over


    me.


    There were so many people, and nerves were still raw from the devastation and change that rocked the


    world. I stood tall, and braced myself against the torrents of wariness, indecision, and worry. A whisper


    of hostility hovered in the air, but the desperation for any semnce of peace was far more vicious ‘Will


    they revolt?’ Kade asked softly, his voice making the hairs on the back of my neck lift. I gave the barest


    shake of my head before stepping forward, leveling my eyes with the crowd like Carrie instructed. “I


    understand that many of you are wary.” I began, hardening my nerves until my voice came out steady


    and smooth.


    My expression was one ofpassion and understanding, something Marcus was incapable of


    showing. “I will not speak for Zayne Novak, but he does have the full support of the High Table. All I ask


    is that you listen to what he has to say.” “There is no apology I can make that will give back the lives


    lost, or the pain that has been endured. I am not here to ask for your forgiveness.” Zayne’s face was


    smooth granite, his voice heavy even though itcked the snowstorm of emotion he currently felt. I


    couldn’t help but zero in on where his eyes were straying, to the redhead in the front row. Something


    had happened recently between my best-friend and her mate.


    It sent Zayne’s emotional wall crumbling down, but still he hid the rawest and darkest parts of himself.


    He had fled back to his packst week, and Tori had been furious ever since. One thing I could feel for


    certain, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. He had fallen in love with my best-friend. “My fear


    condemned thousands of wolves, and it is a debt I’ll never be able to repay. Those I rescued behind


    Marcus’s back were a mere shadow of what I could have saved, should I have stood up to him.


    I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to fix the damage my family has wrought.” There was little sympathy


    for Zayne, but he hadn’t asked for any to begin with. The grim determination on his face followed by the


    dark shadows around his eyes soothed some, but others would prove harder to convince. The five of


    us spent the next hour discussing the changes that would be implemented immediately, both within our


    respective packs and throughout the country.


    It had taken us all a month to n and agree on our ns, but what we had produced was just the


    beginning. Before the new year, all the freed white wolves would be sessfully implemented into


    whatever pack they happened to choose. Children would enroll in schools; parents would receive jobs


    and educations. Houses will be filled, and families given the necessary aid to help them begin healing.


    It would never be enough, but their future generations will no longer fear the ghost of Marcus Novak.


    The five of us were opening our borders to all white wolves in search of a ce to call home. There


    were even a few that chose to remain in Zayne’s pack, those who sided more with Zayne and the


    difference he had made. My favorite change ofw, which happened to be one of thergest in our


    history, took time and nning.


    No longer would Luna’s be prohibited from taking a seat at the High Table. No longer would only


    daughters of Alpha’s forfeit their rights to their pack, the people they had been raised beside and taught


    to love. Garrett and Julian had broken that rule when first meeting me, because gender was not nearly


    as important as the wellbeing of their people. It had taken five minutes of convincing to sway Zayne,


    and the threat of Tori spazzing on him. There was no way she’d stay quiet if he voted no on this.


    Brandon agreed with a cheeky grin that made me roll my eyes, and Isaiah was more than happy to give


    strong Luna’s like Mera a chance at making history. Isabe gave the fifth vote, and thew was


    passed. Towards the end, we allowed the Alpha’s and Luna’s in attendance to ask questions. Some


    were sharp of tongue and narrow eyed, but none seemed in the mood to fight. Their questions were all


    based out of genuine concern. Even the packs that hid and cowered had a chance at speaking.


    One Luna in particr stood and spoke softly into her microphone. Her hair was cropped short and the


    fine lines on her face led me to assume she was in her early forties. Her eyes were a warm shade of


    brown, brimming with curiosity and hesitance. “Hello, Luna Aurora. I hope you take no offense to my


    question, but where are the previous members of the High Table? Sebastian Stan, Brayton Cliff, and


    Nico Deville? I am only asking because I do not see them in attendance tonight. It is not strange of me


    to wonder how these new packs grew in size, especially after the downfall of so manyrge houses.” I


    took a shallow breath, repeating the words of Alec and Kade as they trickled through my head.


    Their warm stares on my skin chased away the nerves, giving me the confidence to speak clearly.


    “Sebastian Stan was rumored to have fled hisnd due to an uprising. His remains were found two


    weeks ago, still within his pack’s territory.” My voice turned dark, and I remembered when his body had


    been found. His own people had torn him apart and scattered the remains. “Brayton Cliff and Nico


    Deville have both been removed from their position and are currently undergoing extensive


    investigations to ensure no white wolves are unwillingly living on theirnds.”