Judgment Under Moonlight

The council chamber fell silent, the air thick with tension as Alpha Elijah Blackwood scanned the gathered wolves. His metallic gray eyes, immovable as the mountains that surrounded their domain, wandered slowly from one face to the next. The crackling hearth of the fire cast shadows across the room, emphasizing the scar on his jaw—a reminder of battles fought and won.

Before him knelt a terrified young wolf, head lowered in respect. Blood soaked his blouse, and his penance had already begun. The stink of fear combined with the heavy fragrance of dominance. Elijah's voice, powerful and commanding, fades into the nothingness.

"Do you understand what you've performed, Caleb?"

The little wolf winced, but nodded. "sure, Alpha."

"Transferring in public," Elijah persisted, pacing deliberately. Every footfall rang like a drumbeat, mirroring Caleb's speeding heartbeat. "Breaking p.c. law." What did you risk exposing every body for? "A moment of recklessness?"

"I—I didn't imply to," Caleb mumbled, his voice breaking. "It just occurred. The moon —"

"The moon does now not excuse you!" Elijah's voice raised, the roar of his wolf echoing through his words. "Do you believe the people you examined were capable of displaying mercy? They would hunt us like animals. "Is that what you need?"

"No, Alpha," Caleb said quietly, his shoulders shaking.

Elijah paused, standing tall and haughty. He exhaled forcefully, restraining the hurricane developing within. His role became to defend, but safety required sacrifice. The subject was necessary. The  packs couldn't afford to be weak.

"The regulation exists for a reason," he stated, referring to the council's relaxation. "Break it, and you jeopardize every life in this province. Caleb will endure ten lashes tonight to remind everyone that subculture is not negotiable."

A collective shiver spread over the room. Elijah made the very last choice. No one ventured to object, but a few exchanged anxious glances.

The child nodded mutely, his face pale as death. Elijah ignored him with a harsh gesture, his heart heavy despite his stern demeanor. He despised this aspect of being Alpha. Typically, duty comes first.

Before the dread could subside, the chamber doors burst open. A scout lurched in, chest heaving and eyes bright with concern. "Alpha! "There is a lone wolf at the Japanese border!"

The room was alive with murmuring. A lone wolf aiming to cause a nuisance. Elijah lifted his hand, silencing them immediately.

"Speak," he commanded.

The scout hesitated, clearly uneasy. "It's unique, Alpha. He is not like any other lone wolf I have seen. There's something special about him. He's requesting refuge.

Elijah's eyes narrowed. Sanctuary? A lone wolf with the ambition to methodically manage their bounds and meet their needs? His wolf moved uncomfortably, its instincts already on high alert.

"What else?" Elijah pressed.

The scout paused, then said, "He... smells like Omega."

That single word caused a shockwave throughout the council. Omegas were extremely rare, making their presence both desirable and dangerous. Elijah's pulse increased, but his expression remained unreadable. His wolf snarled deep in his chest, a mix of distrust and something he couldn't quite place.

"Convey him," Elijah said, his voice bloodless. "Now."

The scout nodded before darting out. The room erupted in whispers once more, but Elijah ignored them. His mind was already working, assessing the hazards. An Omega may wish to bring anarchy to the PC. Or worse—alternate.

As the muttering became louder, Elijah threw his fist against the hefty o.k.desk. "sufficient!" The room became silent once more. "The council adjourned. Prepare the chamber. "I need answers while he arrives."

The wait seemed endless. Elijah stood at the head of the chamber, his muscles as tense as a bowstring. He disliked surprises, and this one had knocked him off guard. His wolf paced inside him, restless and curious.

The doors opened once more, and two scouts led a man inside the room. Elijah's breath stopped for half a second, a transient response that he quickly repressed. The lone wolf grew younger and lighter, with silvery white hair that glittered in the firelight like freshly fallen snow. His violet eyes, brighter than any Elijah had ever seen, focused on the Alpha's with a tenacity bordering on defiance.

The stranger's presence became palpable, filling the space like a storm cloud. He wasn't cowering. He was not groveling. If anything, he gave the feeling of belonging.

"What's your call?" Elijah demanded, breaking the silence.

"Liam Silvermoon," the Omega replied, his voice silky but sharp. "and i'm now not right here to reason problem."

Elijah's wolf growled. This man—this Omega—has the nerve to talk so confidently in front of an Alpha. But something about him was fascinating, obvious and scary.

"You've crossed into my territory uninvited," Elijah said, his tone stern. "That by myself is trouble."

Liam raised an eyebrow, his violet eyes unflinching. "I came in search of sanctuary, now not battle."

Sanctuary. The phrase rang hollow, suggesting something deeper. Elijah ought to go through it. His instincts screamed for him to be cautious, to probe deeper.

"Why?" Elijah asked, coming closer. "What are you walking from?"

Liam's countenance clouded, a glimmer of grief crossing his face before he hid it behind an indifferent façade. "That's my business, not yours."

This is an erroneous response. Elijah closed the distance between them, his towering figure throwing a shadow over Liam. "In my territory, you don't get the posh of secrets and techniques."

Liam did not protest, despite the fact that his nervousness had become obvious. "I'll tell you what matters. My sister and I escaped because our Alpha attempted to coerce us into a bond. Because of this, we have been hounded ever since. "That is the truth."

Elijah watched him, looking for any signs of dishonesty. The ache in Liam's voice was genuine, but there was more he was not expressing. greater he was not prepared to percentage.

"And your sister?" Elijah requested.

"She's safe," Liam said, almost too quickly. "Explore outside your limits. "If I stay, she will become a part of me."

A spark of something—alleviation?—crossed Elijah's features, but it fled as quickly as it arrived. "You anticipate me to accept as true with you, to risk my percent, primarily based on not anything but your word?"

"I anticipate you doing what Alphas are supposed to do," Liam fired back, his tone harsh. "defend people who can't defend themselves."

The assignment, in his words, caused a wave of electricity throughout the room. Elijah's wolf bristled at the disrespect. Instead of wrath, Elijah experienced an unusual, unpleasant admiration. This Omega has the fortitude to make tons clean.

The council members shuffled uncomfortably, sensing the growing tension. Sage, the elderly healer, proceeded cautiously. "Alpha," she replied softly, "maybe we should hear him out. If he's being pursued, his adversaries may already be close by."

Elijah paused. He did not like this. Everything about Liam became a source of stress for him. However, rejecting Sage's knowledge would be foolish. He exhaled gently as his jaw tightened.

"Exceptional," he said at the end, his voice frigid. "You will live under monitoring. "One incorrect flow and you're out—or worse."

Liam nodded, his face inscrutable. "Understood."

Elijah had a sharp demeanor toward the scouts. "Take him to the guest quarters." "Publish guards."

As Liam was led away, Elijah felt the Omega's eyes rest on him. It was not fear. It wasn't a submission. It transformed into something else entirely, something that made Elijah's wolf uneasy.

While the doors closed behind them, the room remained heavy with unspoken phrases. Sage broke the hush with her low voice. "There's greater to him than meets the attention, Alpha."

"I know," Elijah responded, his tone gloomy. His gaze stayed locked on the door. "and i intend to discover what."

Outside, the moon hung low over the woodland, casting silver light across the shrubs. Liam cast a short glance up at it, his thoughts unreadable. Because the scouts took him to the quarters, he couldn't escape the impression that he'd just walked into something far more deadly than what he'd run from.

Unseen eyes in the shadows observed his every movement.

And somewhere deep in the woods, a wolf howled—a legitimate warning, or possibly a precursor to mayhem.