"Yes," Malric said, his voice low and cold, "and I will not let my blood destroy what generations have bled to protect."
Theon's shoulders tensed, but he said nothing. He had done his part - spoken the truth. Now, the council had to decide if they were brave enough to face it.
A heavy silence fell. One elder cleared his throat. Another stared at the floor. Finally, Elder Inara, the only female elder and perhaps the wisest among them, leaned forward.
"We need Luna Reana. Without her alliance, the monsters will destroy us all. We cannot survive another war, not after what happened in the North." Her sharp eyes cut through the council. "Killian must step down."
Everyone knew that was the only solution, though nobody wanted to be the first to say it – a person with a defect cannot be an Alpha.
And Alpha Killian's defect wasn't one that could be overlooked – he had just one hand now.
