#6 The Royal Legacy

Chapter 13: New Moon - Austyn

It was amazing the connection I felt towards the other leaders in this room. It wasn’t just the Alphas, it was the Lunas, too. I knew that the Alphas and I had ancestors in common, bloodlines that ran and twisted together like the vines of a tree, so their loyalty and familiarity I expected. But, the bond I felt towards the Lunas, wasn’t. I knew then that the Moon Goddess hand picked these ladies for this mission, to follow Leo and I’s lead and to be partners to their Alphas. The gifts each Luna possessed were assets to our cause and would surely help us win the war.

After some more shop talk, the tension finally began to leave the room and the Alphas told us about their prisoners, both the rogues and the elders. Leo and I asked to see them and they agreed with little issue.

What they did take issues with, however, were their Lunas who insisted on going down to the cells as well. I guess the testerone in the room was at an all time high and all the Alpha males possessively loomed over their mates. Everyone knew the truth, though, we were meant to do this together; Alphas and Lunas alike.

So, that’s how all eleven of us ended up squeezed into Blue Moon’s cells. There wasn’t enough room for our Betas or Gammas, so they were, begrudgingly, left top side to keep look out.

“There’s a reason a pack only has one Alpha.” Alpha Fox grumbled only to have one of the Alphas of Blue Moon clear his throat loudly, “Right, sorry Cameron.”

I was shocked to hear that Blue Moon had two Alphas, a werewolf and a siren. I didn’t know such a thing existed, sirens I mean. Then, to hear that sirens commonly had more than one mate and that siren Luna Navy took two? It was certainly a lot to digest.

“Even I can agree that there are too many roosters in this hen house, so to speak.” Alpha Knox, the other half of the duo Alphas, said.

“Let’s just get this over with.” Alpha August mumbled, sounding displeased.

“Boys, boys, play nice.” Luna Josie snickered, earning a round of giggles from the other Lunas.

Leo started to sniff the air and, like he suddenly caught a whiff of something familiar, he went rigid and wandered off. I ignored the bickering behind me and watched Leo closely, trying to figure out what he was sensing. He stepped up to a cell and narrowed his eyes. I quickly followed, desperate to see whatever had him on edge. Inside was a rogue with dark hair, dull eyes, and a swollen face. Except, he didn’t just smell like rogue, his pack scent lingered.

“Leo, what’s wrong?” I asked, earning Leo’s attention. Instead of answering me, he blocked my view of the cell. I frowned, but before I could argue, Jacks was shaking with rage beside me.

“That rogue is a traitor to our pack!” Jacks yelled, stepping in front of me and glaring at the rogue, “He reeks of rogue and Dark Moon.”

“He’s from Dark Moon?” I asked, my eyes pulling together curiously as I tried to look around Leo.

“Luna, stay away, please. He betrayed you, he doesn’t deserve to look at you.” Jacks snarled.

“You don’t know what happened.” I insisted.

“His name is Trever.” Alpha Knox spoke up then, “He told us the location of the elders’ hideout, he’s the reason we have four of them in custody. He helped us a great deal.” He said.

“He confessed right away. He knew what the Council did was wrong.” Alpha Fox added.

“He said he was afraid his pack was going to be run by a weak, omega Luna. He thought that made his Alpha weak, too. He was afraid of what the merging of two packs would look like, he thought you would exile all of Dark Moon.” Alpha Noah explained further.

“He wanted to leave the Council almost immediately, but they knew where he came from and about his family. They threatened to kill them if he left. That’s what they did to all the rogues who wanted to leave.” Alpha August was the last to speak.

“He still betrayed us. Our Luna and Alpha are not weak.” Jacks’ expression was still very angry.

“Let’s just finish what we came down here to do and deal with the rogue's fate later, okay?” Leo sighed, glancing sadly over at me.

We left so soon after dissolving Dark Moon and so much was left unfinished. We both felt guilty, like we had abandoned our duties to both packs. It was almost like the rogue, Trever, was right. I was starting to feel too weak to handle one pack, let alone two and whatever else came with this royal legacy stuff.

“Show us to the elders.” I demanded, my expression hardening again.

“Right this way.” Alpha Knox nodded, taking his pregnant mate’s hand and leading the way down the hall.

In four side-by-side cells were four elders, one of which I recognized as Elder Jacobs. The others were nameless to me.

“That’s Eliason, Cardinal, and Harvey. All Elders.” Alpha Knox made the introductions.

“All traitors.” I sneered, glaring at the white haired men.

“The only traitors are those who stand against the Council's laws.” The one named Eliason snapped. Leo pulled me protectively behind him.

“Then how come you’re the ones locked up?” Leo glared at him.

“As I said, you are all traitors.” Eliason slumped against the wall, unwilling to admit defeat.

“Look, we know all about the royal werewolf kingdom and what the Council did to them. We know you massacred the entire royal family, or at least, you thought you did.” I sighed, tired of retelling the same tale over and over again.

“You don't know what you speak of, girl.” Harvey spit at me.

“Oh, actually, I know more than you do. I know that the royal family had a daughter, one that they didn’t announce publicly because they were afraid of a coo. That daughter survived with the children of the royal guard. Those children were spread across the country, to the four corners of the country specifically. Before you, you will see the heirs of those children in these four Alphas and the heir to the royal family in myself.” I spoke elegantly, like something else had taken control over me and was using my mouth to tell its tale.

The elders’ eyes went wide.

“Lies!” Cardinal shouted.

“The girl knows things that she shouldn’t.” Eliason nearly whispered.

“She couldn’t know such things unless….” Harvey started.

“Unless the Moon Goddess herself told me?” I smirked smugly, “Which she did.”

“You have no right to speak to my Luna, let alone look at her. You will answer our questions.” Leo growled.

“You will find that you cannot break us as easily as the daft rogues.” Eliason rolled his eyes.

“Maybe I can help.” Luna Evie stepped around the giant Alphas, despite her mate's protests, to join me at my side, “I have a way with words.” She smirked.

Alpha Noah quickly moved behind his mate, a hand protectively on her waist as he watched the elders with a fire behind his eyes.

“What do you mean, Luna Evie?” I asked, puzzled.

“It’s just Evie, to you, and I have a very, let’s say, persuasive Luna tone.” Her smile reached her sparkling eyes.

“Evie commanded vampires once.” Alpha Noah added nonchalantly and I felt my eyes bulged from my head. I said nothing else.

Evie stomped up to the cells so she was facing all four elders head on.

“You will answer Luna Austyn’s questions truthfully and without falter.” Her tone rattled the room, making something inside my chest vibrate. Even my wolf wanted to submit to her.

I stepped closer to the cells then, lowering my voice and testing my own Luna tone.

“How do you command the rogues?” I asked first.

“With fear. We threaten their families.” Eliason answered in a stolic voice.

“Why rogues?” I ask.

“No one would suspect they are being led by anyone. The packs just assume they are acting on their own feral instincts.” Jacobs replied.

“Why stand against the mate bond in the first place?” Luna Navy spoke up, her voice startling me from my focus. The Elders jolted away from her. Evie’s command didn’t extend to the others and they seemed to snap out of their daze when Navy spoke.

“The mate bond is sacred to wolves and wolves alone! Werewolves mating with other species is revolting!” Harvey replies, not needing Evie’s command to speak honestly. Luna Navy’s frown deepened,

“Your biases and pregisouses only make you weak.” She snapped in a harsh tone before slipping back into the darkness, hovering behind Alpha Knox.

“What did you do to the royal family?” I returned their focus to me. The tension in the room went heavy again as Evie’s command weighed on the Elders’ shoulders.

“We massacred them all.” Cardinal answered plainly, without emotion.

“There were many who stood against the royal family, not just those of us who now claim seats on the Council. Dozens of packs were involved in the coo.” Eliason explained further.

“You murdered chidren just to gain power?” I snarled. Elder Harvey simply shrugged before he answered,

“They were casualties of progress.”

“Progress!” Evie shouted, losing her cool, “What progress?”

“You overthrew a peaceful, merciful, benevolent government to push your own hateful prejudices on the people. How is that progress?” Luna Josie joined in on the conversation.

It felt like the earth was shaking beneath our feet, a surge of power flowing through the room. I glanced around and noticed that Luna Marigold’s eyes were glowing and her hands were feverishly shaking at her side. Alpha Fox was whispering in her ear, soothing her rage with his feather-like touch on her arm. Eventually, the earth settled.

“Benevolent? More like weak and childish.” Harvey snorted, hardly seeming to notice the surge of power.

“The Queen and King were bringing shame to our people! Then, the King died and left the Queen in charge all by herself. There were no demands for her to step aside for the King heir to take over. She was going to lead by herself.” Jacobs sounded applaud.

“Yes, and?” Alpha Knox looked fed up.

“A woman cannot lead an entire monarch alone.” Eliason said in a huff.

“A Luna cannot lead without an Alpha but an Alpha does not have the same constrictions.” Cardinal continued in a diplomatic tone.

I looked around at the others as the realization dawned on me. The King Alpha died and those who overthrew them were pissed because the Queen Luna was leading without a man. Here we are, a century later, without a single solo woman leader. No female Alphas, no Lunas leading without a man. I suddenly knew the first thing I would change if and when Leo and I took the throne.

“Yes, well, that will certainly change.” Leo voiced my thoughts for me. The others nodded and I was pleased to know that at least these four Alpha wolves agreed with me.

“Disgusting.” Eliason spat.