Chapter 196

Chapter 196

ARIA

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The entire hall went silent. Every conversation stopped Every eye turned to the Ghost Council’s table, waiting for their response.

Bridget set down her fork with deliberate precision, her silver-white hair catching the candlelight as she turned to address the hall. “The Ghost Hunt is a possibilty,” she said, her voice carrying easily through the space. “We’re still conducting our assessment of pack realiness and determining whether such a competition would be appropriate given current circumstances p>

“However,” Kalicus added, his pale eyes sweeping across the cager faces, “if we do authorize the Hunt, there will be some modifications to the traditional format p>

“Modifications?” someone called out, confusion evident in their tone.

“Yes,” Kalicus confirmed. “For instance, we’ll be providing all participating teams with enhanced visibility equipment. Specialized glasses that improve night vision and depth perception. We want to avoid any…. injuries that might result from poor visibility during nighttime challenges p>

I saw it happen. Saw the moment when understanding rippled through certain sections of the pack. Saw grins break out, saw knowing glances exchanged, heard barely suppressed laughter from those who understood the reference to something that had clearly become pack legend.

And I watched as both Ivory’s and Kael’s faces went bright red, w

Ivory looked mortified, her head dropping slightly as if she could hide from the attention. Kael’s hand came up to rub the back of his neck-a gesture of embarrassment I’d never

seen from him before. And Nina-

with mirth as she

Nina was laughing so hard she nearly fell out of her chair, her whole body shakin gripped the table edge for support.

The rest of the pack joined in the laughter, the sound filling the hall with genuine amusement. Even some of the elders were smiling, clearly pleased that their subtle reference had landed exactly as intended.

I knew what they meant. Had heard the story from the male pack members earlier. About Ivory and Kael having sex during the overnight survival round. About her injury from “poor visibility” that was actually from aggressive positioning and inadequate preparation. About them being so consumed with each other that basic sense had gone out the window.

But I played ignorant. Turned to Kael with carefully constructed confusion and asked, “What do they mean? What injuries from poor visibility p>

Kael’s face somehow got even redder. He cleared his throat, not quite meeting my eyes. “It’s… there were some incidents during the last Hunt. Teams struggling with navigation in the dark. A few people took falls, sustained minor injuries. The elders are just making sure we have better equipment this time to prevent similar accidents p>

It was a complete deflection. A sanitized version that bore no resemblance to what had actually happened. But I pretended to accept it, nodding as if his explanation made perfect sense.

Another voice called out from the warrior section. “Will the reigning champions be required to compete? Traditionally, the winners defend their title. Give other teams the chance to challenge them directly p>

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Chapter 196

Finish

Bridget and Lunaris exchanged glances, some silent communication passing between them. Then Lunaris spoke, her melodic voice carrying easily.

“The traditional format would indeed have last Hunt’s champions competing to defend their title. However, given certain… changes in circumstances that weren’t present eight years ago, we’ve decided to modify the team selection process p>

She paused, letting that sink in. Changes in circumstances. Meaning me. Meaning Kael’s bond with me. instead of Ivory. Meaning the political complications that would arise from having them compete together

now.

“This year,” Mooris continued, his deep voice commanding attention, “we’ll be using a selection lottery. The names of all eligible pack members will be placed in slots. Five individuals will be randomly selected to serve as team captains. Those five will then draw partner names from the remaining pool. Whatever name they draw becomes their teammate for the duration of the Hunt p>

The hall erupted with mixed reactions. Some people were clearly unhappy with this change, their voices rising in protest.

“But that’s not fair to those who want to compete against Kael and Ivory directly p>

“We’ve been waiting eight years for a rematch p>

“The champions should defend their title properly p>

Others sounded more optimistic about the lottery system.

“If I got partnered with Ivory, we could actually win p>

“Imagine having her on your team-she probably has compounds that could give us insane advantages p>

“What if she made something that slows other teams down? Or plants that attack our opponents? We’d be unstoppable p>

That last comment caught the Ghost Council’s attention Kalicus raised one hand, and the hall quieted immediately.

“All performance-enhancing compounds, chemically transformed plants, or any other artificial advantages derived from Healer Ivory’s research are explicitly banned from Hunt competition,” he announced firmly.

“This is a test of natural wolf capabilities, training, and teamwork. Not a showcase for Ivory’s brilliant innovation p>

The groan that went through the hall was audible and collective. Like children being told they couldn’t play with their favorite toys. People who’d been excitedly planning strategies around Ivory’s abilities suddenly deflated, their dreams of victory dying before they’d fully formed.

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