Chapter 56
Chapter 56
Sometime ago
A young warrior hurriedly strode into the clearing where the Thanksgiving party was in full swing, nearly colliding with an expensive black Mercedes due to his own carelessness.
Thankfully, the brakes were pressed just in time preventing an accident. Scared to death, he looked at the person getting out of the car.
"I am incredibly sorry, Miss Ella!" he apologized in a panic as soon as Ella came into view.
"It's okay, just be more careful next time," she smiled sweetly as always, causing the young man to instantly blush.
"I will!" he exclaimed. Their future Luna was kind-hearted and perfect in every way! "Miss Ella, why are you so late to the party? Everyone has already toasted and thanked Alpha. You've missed a lot," he stated.
Ella raised her gaze to find that the Thanksgiving party had already started. She had gone to the Opal Moon Pack to have a Thanksgiving lunch with her uncle and pack members there. They held her for longer than expected, making her late for the Emerald Bright Pack's party. "It's okay, I will toast with Reuben now," she smiled then asked, "Why were you running? Is something the matter?" she questioned, noticing an envelope in his hand that he had been holding very carefully.
"Oh yes, just now I received these reports that I need to deliver to Beta Oran as soon as possible as he had instructed."
"Reports?" Ella raised an eyebrow, curiosity flashing in her eyes as to why Oran was so desperately waiting for them. "Give it to me. I am going to see him so I will pass the reports along for you," she said with a charming smile as she reached for the envelope.
After a moment of hesitation the man walked away unaware that instead of delivering the report to Oran Ella opened the envelope and read the unexpected and shocking contents.
"Willow...is taking heat preventive medication?"
Her eyes grew larger. Despite the progress of the last era and generation, the rules and regulations regarding she-wolves in the Emerald Bright Pack remained conservative.
She-wolves were not allowed access to birth control or an abortion behind their mate's back. Even having heat-prevention pills was seen as an unforgivable crime against one's soulmate. Women who engaged in such acts were either kicked out of the pack or outright rejected by their soulmate. If this evidence was submitted to the council, the she-wolf in question could be banished to life as a rogue or even killed.
Ella's eyes gleamed with a feverish light at the proof in her hand. It was the solution to all of her problems. It was evidence of Willow's insincerity and betrayal to Reuben! She just had to submit this evidence to Reuben then the council would remove Willow from Reuben's life. However, before she could fully comprehend it, a gust of wind whisked the letter from her hand.
Frowning, she looked up to see Walter reading the report. An amused look came over his face as he immediately understood Willow's use of heat-preventative pills with a single glance.
"What do you think you're doing? Give that back!" Ella demanded, her voice brimming with authority.
Walter's lips curled into a smile. "Why? So that you can harm Willow with some nonsense about heat? Seeing that you couldn't use me to sow discord between Willow and Reuben, and failed to break them up, you want to resort to this method?"
The corner of Ella's lips twitched bitterly at Walter so clearly seeing through her. He had already realized that Ella had intentionally mentioned Willow's welcome party in front of him, knowing he was interested in Willow.
"It's none of your business! Outsiders like you should stay out of our pack affairs. So return that report to me right away or.."
"Or what?" Walter asked.
"Or..." Ella's voice trailed off abruptly when Walter crumpled the paper in his hand and tossed it directly into his mouth.
Ella's mind went blank in shock, then turned red as she watched him chew the report right in front of her eyes. Without that evidence, there was no way she could prove to Reuben that Willow had betrayed him.
"You!" Burning with anger, she trembled all over, half-shifting. "I will kill you," she growled lowly, looking dangerous and frightening as her Alpha wolf was awakened by Walter.
"Well, well..." Walter spat out what remained of the paper from his mouth and pulled large silver daggers from his jacket, holding them in both hands. "Why are you stealing my line? It hurts my ego when it comes from a dog."
Willow
"Stop!" I shouted, stepping into the clearing and interrupting Ella and Walter before they could engage in a deadly fight that would only lead to a war between the powerful Abbot hunter family of Britain and the Opal Moon Pack if either of them were killed. Both of them looked Reuben and I but neither of them seemed to be inclined towards changing their mind.
"Walter, calm down," I walked closer to him knowing he would listen to me while Reuben stood calmly in the clearing, observing the unfolding scene in silence. "Why are you angry? What's going on..."
Just as I opened my mouth to ask Walter, Bix arrived at the worst time possible and was immediately triggered by the scene unfolding in front of him. In his eyes, Walter was clearly the villain. "How dare you threaten Ella?" Bix glared at Walter while shielding Ella.
Wasn't he sick enough so that he hadn't even attended the party earlier? Then why was he suddenly here?!
"Do I really need a reason to slit that woman's throat?" Walter raised his eyebrows, triggered by Bix's attitude that was clearly spoiling for a fight.
"Yes, you need my permission," Bix growled, his wolf visible in his eyes.
What the hell! How did this confrontation escalate between Walter and Bix?
Bix had been provoked by Walter, before I could intervene Bix began to half-shift, ready to charge at Walter. However, Oran suddenly appeared in front of Bix, preventing him from fully shifting, "Bix." "What do you think you're doing?" Bix growled at Oran.
"Don't shift. You're not supposed to shift in this condition," Oran quietly stated, but I overheard him. What did he mean by "this condition"? What had happened to Bix? Why was he not supposed to shift?
Bix frowned at him for some reason then shoved him away, "Get out!"
"Why are you getting into a fight for Ella with the hunter?" Oran growled, inching closer to Bix.
"Because I want to! Get out of my way!" Bix warned.
"That's not happening," Oran shook his head.
"Oran!" Bix furiously grabbed his collar, only to be interrupted by Ella.
"Bix, it's my fight," she declared, circumspectly asking him to back down as she stepped forward and fixed her gaze on Walter. As an Alpha, once she made a decision no one should oppose it. Over the past six years Ella had won countless battles for her pack and was just as fearless as any male Alpha. That's how she had earned respect in the werewolf world.
She smiled at Walter, "I thought you were going to kill me, hunter. Why is it that now you are hiding behind a woman?" She provocatively taunted Walter.
Walter's expression darkened, this time I couldn't pretend that everything could be handled normally. "Ella, enough. You're still judging your enemy with your own mindset. I advise you to be careful or you'll lose face in front of others," I remarked.
Her beautiful smile dropped immediately as she clenched her fists at her sides, feeling offended by me. "You sound so high and mighty, Willow. I would love to be proven wrong then," she smiled, shifting her gaze to Walter.
"This dog," Walter chuckled under his breath as he swung his knife ready to charge at Ella. However, this time I grabbed his hand and pushed it down, stepping in front of him to face Ella.
"If you are so eager to fight them, I will fight you, Ella," I announced.
Oran and Bix's surprised eyes snapped to me, as Reuben's calm expression immediately turned serious.
"Willow, you should not..." Walter tried to stop me.
"Sure," Ella smiled, cutting him off, "just don't blame me if you get hurt because I am no longer the old Ella," she shifted into her wolf form and charged at me.
"What a coincidence," I smiled, racing at her in my human form, surprising everyone in the clearing as I spotted a shine in Ella's eyes. A human and an Alpha wolf were no match. She believed that she would defeat me in one move, "I am no longer the old Willow either." With that, I half-shifted in mid-run, raising my hand for her to pounce at, while simultaneously using it to grab her wolf's neck and slamming her down on the ground with all my might.
Her wolf's head was badly injured, unable to bear the pain she shifted back into her human form hissing in agony.
"Ella!" Bix stood there in shock, rooted to in place unable to move closer to help her because she was lying naked.
Walter was shocked at the sight of me in this form, a side of me that I had never disclosed to him. In his eyes, I was always a pretty petite she-wolf that had two children. Of course, Reuben's lips curled into a smile as he knew me better than anyone else.
When I accepted Ella's challenge, Reuben saw the confidence in my eyes and predicted my victory. After all, he had been teaching me how to fight since I was fourteen. Even though I had been living among humans for six years, I had not forgotten a thing and practiced in the woods so that I could protect my children.
I looked down at Ella, who lay at my feet. "You never change, Ella. You could never defeat me in the past, or now."
"Really?" Ella whispered, her lips suddenly curling into a victorious smile as she mouthed, "Let's break this chain then..."
I read her lips, unable to understand the meaning behind her words as a familiar male voice entered the clearing. "Alpha Reuben"
Reuben turned in the direction of the other side of the clearing where an old man stood in the royal robe.
"Elder Frank!" Reuben was surprised. "What are you doing here?"
A past encounter with that elder crossed my mind but this time a very bad feeling arose in my heart with the arrival of Elder Frank for some reason.Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.
"I am here with the imperial decree from the King for you," he smiled at Reuben.
"What imperial decree?" Reuben raised an eyebrow.
"The marriage contract you signed with Alpha Ella, it is time for it to finally come into effect."
Reuben's expression did a 180 degree change as my heart leapt into my throat, "What do you mean?" he asked.
"It is an imperial decree for your wedding date with Ella."
My eyes widened and I forgot to breathe. Reuben and Ella's wedding date?