Chapter 180
Chapter 180
ARIA
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I woke to chaos.
Not the gradual awareness of morning sounds filtering through the windows, not Kael’s gentle kiss on my forehead before he left for early meetings. Just immediate, overwhelming chaos that penetrated even my exhausted sleep.
Voices shouting in the corridors. Heavy footsteps running past our chambers. The sharp, urgent tone of Nina barking orders that carried through the walls despite their thickness.
I sat up abruptly, my heart already racing with the instinctive panic that had become my default reaction to unexpected disturbances. Beside me, the bed was empty-Kael had already left, probably pulled into whatever crisis was unfolding.
Another crisis. Another emergency. Another day where any hope of normalcy was immediately crushed under the weight of pack drama and political complications.
I dressed quickly in practical clothes, not bothering with anything formal since I had no idea what I was walking into. As I finished, Celine burst through the door without knocking, her usually composed expression replaced by barely controlled anxiety.
“Luna Aria, I’m so sorry I’m late,” she said breathlessly, moving immediately to the wardrobe and pulling out formal attire with practiced efficiency. “There was a census this morning. Everyone had to register their names in the official books. It took longer than expected and I couldn’t leave until p>
“Celine, slow down,” I interrupted. “What’s happening? Why is everyone running around like the pack house is on fire p>
Celine paused in her frantic clothing selection, turning to face me with an expression that was equal parts fear and excitement. “The Ghost Council elders are coming. They’re already on their way. They’ll be here within the hour p>
I stared at her blankly. “The what council p>
“Ghost Council,” Celine repeated, as if saying it again would make it make sense. “The highest order in the hierarchy. The elders who decide whether an Alpha is suitable for their position. They visit packs randomly, without warning beyond a few hours’ notice, and assess everything -leadership, pack health, adherence to ancient laws. They have the authority to remove
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Alphas who they deem unfit p>
My stomach dropped. “They can remove Kael p>
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“They can remove any Alpha,” Celine confirmed. “Their authority supersedes pack councils, regional alliances, everything. When they declare something, it’s law. Absolute and unchallengeable p>
She returned to pulling out formal attire-the most elaborate Luna regalia we had. The ceremonial dress, the arm ring that marked my position, jewelry that I’d worn only once before during the mating ceremony.
“But I’ve never heard of them,” I protested, even as I began changing into the clothes she was laying out. “In Blackwood, in all my years there, no one ever mentioned a Ghost Council. Are you sure they’re real and not just… I don’t know, pack legend or something p>
“They’re very real,” Celine assured me. “But they don’t visit the Northern territories often. Some packs go generations without seeing them. There are even packs in the North who don’t believe they exist-who think they’re myths or bedtime stories told to keep young wolves in line p>
She fastened the elaborate dress with quick, practiced movements. “But here in the Southern territories, everyone knows they’re real. We’ve seen them. Experienced their authority firsthand. The last time they visited Shadowmere was eight years ago, before Alpha Kael’s curse. They came because of… because of an issue involving Healer Ivory’s parentage p>
Of course. Of course Ivory was connected to this too. Another way she was woven into the pack’s history in ways I never would be.
“What happened?” I asked, unable to help my curiosity despite the anxiety churning in my stomach.
Celine’s expression became more troubled as she helped me into the formal Luna necklace— the one Kael had given me during our mating ceremony, heavy with symbolic weight.
“They came demanding blood payment,” she said quietly. “I don’t know all the details—I was younger then, and much of what happened was kept private by pack leadership. But I know that one of the elders, Aryada, became critically ill during their visit. Healer Ivory saved her life using methods that no one had seen before. Compounds and treatments that shouldn’t
have worked but did p>
She adjusted the necklace, making sure it sat properly. “The elders were so impressed that they blessed Ivory. Said she was touched by the Moon Goddess herself. That her healing abilities were divine gifts. Some people say that’s why she’s such a prodigy-because the Ghost Council recognized and enhanced her natural talents p>
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Perfect. So not only was Ivory brilliant through her own merit, she’d also been blessed by these apparently god-like elders. Another way she was special, chosen, marked as exceptional by forces I couldn’t even comprehend.
“There are five of them,” Celine continued, moving to arrange my hair into something appropriately formal. “Bridget, Lunaris, Mooris, Kalicus, and Aryada. They’re said to receive orders directly from the Moon Goddess. Some people even revere them as minor deities. themselves, though they discourage that kind of worship p>
“And they’re coming here. Now. With no real warning.” I tried to process what this meant. “What are they assessing? What could make them remove Kael as Alpha p>
“Anything,” Celine said grimly. “Failure to protect the pack. Weakness in leadership. Violation of ancient laws. Inappropriate bonds or alliances. They examine everything-how the pack functions, how leadership makes decisions, whether the Alpha and Luna are suitable for their positions p>
My anxiety spiked sharply at that last part. “Whether the Luna is suitable p>
“They evaluate the entire leadership structure,” Celine confirmed. “But Luna Aria, you need to understand-these elders remember when Ivory was here. Remember their blessing of her. Remember that she was instrumental in saving Aryada’s life. And now they’re returning to find that Ivory isn’t Luna, that Alpha Kael bonded with someone else, someone they’ve never met or assessed p>
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