Chapter 261

Ava

Golden sunlight streamed through the enormous windows, shafts of warmth spreading across the large meeting hall. A fire crackled merrily in the hearth, and a long oak table had been placed at the center of the room. Soft piano music played from a human-made record player in the corner, and council members milled around with cups of tea and coffee in their hands.

Being here, back in Full Moon, was surreal. It was so… different now. So warm, so bright, so full of life. So beautiful, in its own ice-and-stone way.

Winston stood to greet us, a small bundle cradled in his arms as he strode across the room in long-legged strides. His shoes clicked loudly on the stone floors, but it didn’t echo ominously like before. His cloak, lined with rich bone-white fur, trailed elegantly behind him.

“Alpha Chris. True Luna Ava.” He bowed his head respectfully—a title and a gesture I still hadn’t gotten used to, although I had grown tired of telling people to just call me Ava. “Thank you for being willing to meet here. It’s not easy to make the trek out of New Moon with an infant.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the once-icy Alpha gently rocking his daughter. She was larger now, her eyes wide and wondrous at the world around her.

Seeing us, she cooed happily and reached one fat little hand out toward Chris, who murmured softly to her and let her clutch his index finger. Seeing it made me press my hand over my own swollen belly, a smile touching my lips.

“We’re more than happy to be here,” Chris replied, his free hand resting on the small of my back. “How are you finding fatherhood?”

Winston’s face lit up with a smile that transformed his usually stern features, and he bounced his little one in his arms. “Challenging, but incredibly rewarding. I never knew I could love someone so much.”

I beamed, turning to take in the vast room. “You’ve outdone yourself, Alpha Winston. The place is so—”

“Warm?” Winston chuckled. “After visiting Moonstone, I dare say I took a liking to the warmth. I came back here and realized how frigid it was. And of course, I couldn’t have visitors coming when it was cold enough to snap your fingers clean off.”

Chris and I exchanged amused glances at that. Oh, how the icy Alpha had changed over the past three months. But I supposed we had all changed.

As the other Alphas and their entourages filed in, Chris and I took the opportunity to mingle. Alpha Fabian approached us first, his arm linked with Betty’s.

Fabian wore a thick woolen sweater and trousers, and Betty wore a similar sweater with a tartan skirt and leather boots, her dark hair plaited around her head like a crown. But most notable was the diamond ring glinting on her finger.

“Ava, Chris,” Fabian greeted us, having grown too close for honorifics. “You two are positively glowing.”

“As are you,” I said, nodding toward the ring. “I take it we should prepare to make a trip to Moonshine for a wedding?”

Betty blushed deeply, and Fabian grinned. “Not until the spring. You’ll receive your invitations soon enough.”

Betty turned to me then, glancing at my belly. “And how are you feeling, Ava?”

I instinctively leaned against my mate. “I’m feeling great. I just had the first ultrasound—the baby is healthy as an ox.”

Chris beamed with pride, his arm snaking around my waist to pull me closer. “We couldn’t be happier.”

As we continued to make our way around the room, we came across Alpha Bernard next, who was deep in conversation with his daughter, Patricia.

“Ah, young Alpha Chris,” Bernard called out when he saw us, clapping an enormous hand on Chris’s shoulder. “I wanted to thank you again for the redwood seed. Patricia here has been nurturing the sprout herself.”

Patricia nodded enthusiastically, practically bouncing on her toes with excitement. “It’s already grown three inches!” she announced proudly, as if it were her own child.

Chris and I grinned widely. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a small baggie, which I held out to Patricia. “As promised,” I said, pressing the bag into her outstretched palm. “Orange seeds from my own garden.”

Patricia beamed, peering into the bag. Tears sparkled in her eyes as she poured the seeds out into her palm, feeling their smooth texture. “When spring comes, I’ll send along the rose seeds I promised.”

“You’d better. I’m waiting,” I teased.

Our final stop before the meeting was Alpha Edward, who was practically glowing with excitement. He had come to this council meeting alone—Lily was back home, watching over Moonrise. She was designated to take over as female Alpha in a year when Edward finally retired.

“The moontea trade has doubled in profits,” Edward informed us without so much as a ‘hello’. He grinned, clearly excited. “I’m planning to take Lily on a trip around the world before her coronation in the fall. Some much-needed father-daughter time, just the two of us.”

“As you should, Alpha Edward,” Chris said, clasping the Alpha’s forearm. “As you should.”

It was heartwarming to see how everyone seemed to be thriving. The bonds between the packs were stronger than ever, and there was a palpable sense of hope in the air.

Finally, it was time for the meeting to begin. We all gathered around the large table—Alphas, Lunas, Betas, Elders, and finally Ophelia, who was currently the only human emissary, although she had mentioned having some suggestions for potential candidates from the human world for the other packs.

As I took my seat next to Chris, I paused for a moment to marvel at how far we had come. Just a few months ago, we were fighting for our lives in a burning Packhouse. Now, here we were, all five packs united, ready to work together for a better future.

Winston cleared his throat, bringing the room to order.

“Thank you all for coming,” he said before launching into the formalities.

Over the next few minutes, all of the members of the council were introduced. Once that was over, Winston said, “As you know, our first order of business is to decide on the punishment for Olivia of Moonstone pack, who conspired to take down Moonstone and eventually take over all five packs.”

A heavy silence fell over the room. Over the past two months, Olivia had been questioned extensively, finally confessing to her crimes after a long stint in confinement.

The full extent of her plans had been shocking—not only did she intend to take over Moonstone, but all five packs. She had gathered mercenaries from each territory with the intent to assassinate all of the Alphas and their families using moonbite powder, planning to install herself as the supreme ruler of the werewolf world.

Alpha Fabian was the first to speak. “I propose exile to the human world. Our resident witch, Zara, has informed me that there are indeed ancient ways to strip one of their wolf. If the process succeeds, she will be human.”

“Ah. Too lenient, I say,” Alpha Edward countered. “She planned to murder us all. I say we sentence her to death.”

The debate continued, with various forms of punishment being suggested—some severe, others less so. I listened quietly, my heart growing heavier with each proposed sentence. Chris was silent, although I couldn’t tell if he was brooding or absorbing. Perhaps both.

“Ava? Chris?” Winston asked, turning to us. “Thoughts?”

I cleared my throat, giving Chris’s hand a squeeze under the table. “I propose we do nothing,” I said.

The table fell silent, looks of shock and confusion on every face. Even Chris stared at me, his eyes as wide as saucers. I hadn’t told him that I had been considering this for some time, that it had kept me up at night.

“Nothing?” Alpha Bernard echoed, incredulous. “After all she has done?”

I took a deep breath before continuing. “Let me rephrase. I believe we should make her serve a jail sentence, then after that, allow her to live out her days in Moonstone, under parole of course. Let her look at the faces of all she has wronged, let her rebuild with us, let her live and love and die there.”

Chris remained silent. Still. His hand was like iron around mine beneath the table.

“But why?” Winston asked, his brow furrowed. “Why not sentence her to death, or lifelong servitude, or banishment to the human world? Surely she deserves a harsher punishment than parole.”

I shook my head. “For all Olivia has done and conspired to do, no form of justice will ever be enough. I say we let guilt be the true punishment.”

The room erupted in murmurs of disbelief and disagreement. I waited for them to quiet down before continuing. Still, Chris was utterly motionless beside me. He wasn’t even looking at me anymore—just staring at the table, frozen.

I rose from my chair, releasing my grip on his hand. “Retribution may be the most satisfying way, but is it always the right way?” I asked.

There was no answer, so I continued, “If we seek revenge, we will always crave more. That high you get from vengeance will always come back doubled. When will we stop? When will we decide that it’s finally enough? When will we realize that by trying to get revenge on the thing we hate, we become that very thing in the end?”

My words hung in the air, heavy as leaden weights. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Finally, all eyes turned to Chris.

Alpha Edward spoke for the group. “At the end of the day, she is your sister, Chris. It is your choice.”

Chris remained silent, his face unreadable. The tension in the room was palpable as we all waited for his response.

Then, suddenly, he stood and walked out of the room without a word.