Chapter 59

Ava

“A judge?” Chris asked almost incredulously, punctuating the question with a laugh. “No. You’re out of your mind if you think I would allow that.”

With that, Chris continued up the stairs and brushed past Olivia. I silently followed suit, giving her a wide berth—I wasn’t about to give her a chance to push me down the stairs and truly kill me this time. Although thankfully, she barely even seemed to notice me.

Olivia chased after Chris, her steps rapid in order to keep up with him as he strode down the hallway. “Why not?” she asked. “I think I have just as much of a right to participate as anyone else.”

“Olivia, you can’t really be serious.” Chris stopped in the doorway to his office and faced her, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “After everything you’ve pulled lately? The temper tantrums, attacking those Omegas? Attacking Ava? No. No way in hell. You’ll just try to sabotage this whole process!”

“Sabotage?” She feigned an expression of mock hurt, her delicate hand raising to her chest. “Why, Alpha, your words wound me. I would never dream of undermining my own pack!”

The mocking lilt in her tone was unmistakable. Honestly, a part of me wondered if she was merely doing this to antagonize Chris further. Their relationship had become so frayed, so contentious—maybe this little act of hers was just her latest ploy.

But before I could dwell further, Olivia barrelled on, following Chris into his office as he stormed away from her with his jaw clenched.

“If you’d be so kind as to recall, I am a daughter of this pack’s bloodline, same as you,” she snapped, straightening to her full height. “I have just as much stake in these matters as any. So if you intend to give up your role—your duty—as Alpha and allow an outsider to take over, I deserve a say.”

An uneasy silence fell, both pairs of eyes swiveling to me where I stood in the doorway as if quietly seeking my input. Clearing my throat, I shifted my weight and carefully considered my response.

“She’s… not wrong,” I said at length, holding up a placating hand at the outraged expression blooming on Chris’s face. “If we are to allow anyone to participate in this process, whether from Moonstone or beyond, it is only fair that Olivia be afforded the same opportunity.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of smug satisfaction crossing Olivia’s features before I pressed on.

“That being said, there is one logistical snag we would have to consider.” I paused, watching the look of realization slowly dawn on both of them. “We agreed on a balanced council of seven judges—Chris, myself, and the five Elders. If Olivia joins, that makes eight. An even number.”

“Which would mean that a tie in votes could be possible,” Chris said. I nodded.

Olivia was quicker on the uptake than I anticipated. “Then the easy solution would be for someone to step aside,” she interjected smoothly before turning to me. “The Acting Luna, perhaps?”

I bristled at the implied slight, nostrils flaring. Before Chris could unleash the scathing retort I could see building behind his thunderous expression, I cut him off.

“I don’t think so,” I said coolly, refusing to be cowed—especially not by a conniving woman ten years my junior. “You may not like it, but I was the Acting Luna of this pack for years before your brother ever returned. I earned my place at that council table just like everyone else.”

For a fleeting moment, Olivia's mask of haughty indifference slipped, replaced by a snippet of begrudging respect. But just as quickly as it disappeared, the brittle facade reasserted itself as she arched one perfectly groomed eyebrow and turned to face Chris.

“Well, then I suppose we’re at an impasse. What do you say, brother?”

The words hung heavy between us, a silent challenge. I could practically feel the tension radiating off Chris in waves; he looked about two seconds from physically removing Olivia from the premises.

Then, finally, he cleared his throat. “I respect Ava’s opinion, loathe as I am to comply,” he said, carefully straightening his tie. “But we’re not adding another judge to the panel to make it an odd number again, and we’re certainly not going to send any of the Elders packing.”

“So…?” Olivia crossed her slender arms over her chest and tilted her chin up at him, almost daring him to tell her ‘no’ again.

Drawing a fortifying breath, I spoke up again.

“There may be a way.” I paused until I had both of their attention once more. “We could simply institute a tiebreaker contingency. If our initial voting results in a stalemate, we move to a second round until a majority is reached.”

Another silence fell over the room for another long heartbeat as my suggestion sank in. Olivia’s penetrating stare was the first to shift as she considered the proposal, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. For the first time in a while, I saw what looked to be something other than condescension and anger cross her features.

Maybe she was beginning to realize that my words weren’t only as good as dirt?

“Well then. That’s… not a completely nonsensical solution, I suppose,” she mused at length, inclining her head a fraction. “Very well. I accept those terms.”

Her concession seemed to deflate some of the simmering hostility from Chris. His jaw unclenched minutely, although the hard line of his shoulders spoke volumes about his lingering reservations.

“What are your thoughts, Chris?” I prompted gently, ducking my head to meet his stormy gaze.

For a tense moment, it seemed as if he might outright reject the whole notion. But finally, slowly, he blew out a harsh breath and gave a terse nod.

“Fine,” he bit out, looking as though the word tasted like ash on his tongue. “Olivia can participate. As a judge.”

Those piercing green eyes bored into Olivia, and he continued quickly before she could muster a response. “But I’m warning you,” he said, crossing the room to her in two long strides, “any funny business, any attempts at sabotage or disrupting this process, and you’re done. Out on your ass before you can so much as blink. Understood?”

To her credit, Olivia didn’t even flinch, merely dipping her chin in assent. Chris seemed to tower over her in the space, but she didn’t waver. “Crystal clear, brother dearest. I would never dream of compromising the integrity of these…” She paused, glancing at me. “...Hallowed trials.”

The sarcasm on her tongue was almost palpable, but neither Chris nor I said another word. Then, with a final sickly sweet smile, Olivia turned on her heel and sauntered out of the office and back down the corridor without another word, leaving an uneasy tension in her wake.

“Well,” I said after a prolonged silence, aiming for a lightness I didn’t quite feel, “I certainly wasn’t expecting that turn of events.”

Chris exhaled a humorless snort, pinching the bridge of his nose as some of the rigidness finally seeped out of his shoulders. “You and me both,” he muttered.

When he dropped his hand, there was a weary resignation etched into the lines of his face, but his green eyes were practically burning as he looked over at me. “Ava, if this backfires… it’s both of our faults. You know that, right?”

I nodded and turned to look down the hall where Olivia had just disappeared.

“I know.”