Embers In The North
14

Reyna cleared her throat, wondering why Decker would tell Bandos about that. It dawned on her that he might have assumed her father already knew. Bandos claimed Alphas recognized Lunas, so Decker knew Roth had knowledge of her identity as well.

“May we discuss this privately?” she asked Bandos.

“I need you to put their minds at ease. Clearly, the Alpha and Decker confuse your connection with the wise women’s lineage for something more,” Bandos responded. “I mean no disrespect to either of you, but you must admit, an Alpha would discern a Luna in every shadow if it meant quelling this strife for the title.”

As a gesture of respect for Roth, Bandos bowed his head slightly, placing his right arm over his heart.

Roth’s gaze bore into Bandos, his discontent simmering beneath the surface. With a slow head shake, he peeked at Reyna.

“You should know better than to ask questions like that, Bandos,” Roth’s tone was gruff with irritation. “Believe me, in all the ways I would prepare to quell this fray, this hardly makes the list.”

Decker, too, shook his head. “Questioning something this undisputed is pointless,” he added, his hand drifting towards the hilt of his blade. “I will tell you this: The Maynord, who spurned tradition by refusing the hero’s forge, left the great god Mimir no choice but to raise a Luna.”

An angry glance passed between Roth and Decker as Bandos grunted.

“I wonder if this is why you neglected to tell me that the Prime I sought countless times from you was of Moltenroar lineage.” Decker’s growl was accusatory.

Bandos said, “Unfortunately, I was unaware of this.”

“What does he mean by that, father?” Reyna asked.

Amidst the whirlwind accusations, Reyna caught a crucial detail. Roth claimed he had been invited by the North—an oddity indeed. The Maynord House was never invited. In fact, it had been a surprise to receive word from the Alpha himself, stating that he and his Omegas would be present at the solstice.

“You still have not told me what I need to know. Were you aware of it?” Bandos demanded.

She hung her hands on her waist, realizing she was equally culpable for withholding information from him. Guilt gnawed at her for accusing Bandos of the same only a few minutes ago.

Bandos sighed, concern etched across his face. “Reyna, you must understand the gravity of this. Being a Luna—”

“—I know what it means,” she interrupted.

“No you don’t! Do you have any idea what you’ve done by not revealing you were Luna on your sixteenth birthday? This isn’t a game, Reyna. The future of the kingdom is at stake!”

Bandos’s roar thundered through the hall, and Reyna instinctively shrank back from the force of his fury. When her father’s ire was directed at her, she felt compelled to keep her words to herself.

Roth’s calm voice sliced through the tension. “I doubt she knew, Bandos. Some things aren’t common knowledge for those below the Warmaster rank.”

I don’t need your help, Roth, Reyna thought with a sharp glance in his direction, knowing he could hear her thoughts.

Bandos took a deep breath, trying to regain some semblance of composure. “Tradition dictates that you should have been sent to the conclave of neutrality, to be with the Elders, shielded from any influences until the time came for you to take a mate. And yet, you’ve exposed yourself, leaving yourself vulnerable to any random and insignificant male!” He growled in frustration. “Now, you must step down from the order of Fangs and be bestowed with the title of Luna.”

Defiance blazed through Reyna’s eyes as she stormed up to meet her dad.“Absolutely not! You will not strip me of the title of Prime after all I did to earn it!” she retorted vehemently. “I have no desire to be Luna. If the title of Alpha is so important to them, then let them prove their worth in the hero’s forge.”

Bandos’s form towered over her, and his rage was out of control. “You think this has anything to do with what you want? As much as I admire and commend your defiance, there is no place for it here any more! We now need to send words to the Elders about this, and all three of you must wait in seclusion until they arrive here! Do you have any idea of the dangers that entails? Forcing the Elders of Aupheadia out of the conclave? Do you?”

“Father if you could just–” Reyna began, but Bandos turned away from her, storming out of the hall.

Left standing in the echoing silence, Reyna’s heart pounded with rage. With a deep breath, she turned to Roth.

“None of this would be happening if you had stayed where you belonged!” she accused him, her voice trembling with anger. Roth’s face hardened, his gaze locked on hers. He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off before he could get a word out. “There’s nothing you could possibly say to fix this,” she said.

“Reyna,” Roth said quietly. “It’s time we confront the truth. This isn’t about me, you or Decker any more - it’s about Odin’s will.”

“No, this is about both your quarrels with Odin, and I won’t be a part of it.”

“But you are a part of it, Reyna. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here right now.” Roth’s tone changed now, devoid of affection. Almost as if that intimate moment a few hours ago never happened.

Decker stepped to Roth’s side, and her gaze followed him. Moments ago, it seemed impossible that they could stand side-by-side; now they were, completely oblivious to each other. With the pair standing together, their eyes locked on her, it was like facing an onslaught of mesmerizing stars.

Odin’s virtue! She couldn’t bear to be around them any longer. Their expectations gated on her nerves, making her feel suffocated, and she needed to escape it. She gulped against the dryness in her throat with a struggle.

Without another word, Reyna turned on her heels and started towards the exit, leaving the two powerful Alphas behind. She needed time to think, to process everything that had just transpired, and to figure out how to approach Bandos.

“You must realize you don’t have much of a choice in this,” Decker remarked coolly, bringing her to an abrupt halt. “This is the purpose for which you were born,” he added as she turned back to them.

“And am I to believe you will suddenly honour Mimir’s gift of a Luna now?” Reyna challenged.

“My lineage never conspired to wipe out the Luna line. You should take your quarrel to the Maynords,” Decker countered.

There was an air of command, an undisputed authority about Decker. It radiated from his every gesture, from the way he spoke to the fluid grace of his movements. His strong hand rested confidently on the hilt of a blade sheathed beneath his heavy black cloak. Whenever he addressed her, he met her gaze, offering a nuanced nod—a silent acknowledgment tinged with superiority.

A curiosity burned within her—a need to understand why Lunas were sent to live with the Elders, much like the descendants of the Alpha line. She imagined Roth and Decker might have crossed paths there, having lived in the conclave of neutrality since they were sixteen. Their lives intertwined until they were summoned by their respective fathers to succeed as Alpha and Warmaster.

“Do you share Roth and Bandos’ views?” Reyna asked to gauge Decker’s stance.

Decker’s penetrating gaze shifted momentarily to Roth, who responded with a sideways glance.

“You should know addressing the Alpha or Warmaster by their name is a grave atrocity.” Decker’s curious smile offset his reprimand.

Her eyes darted to Roth, who remained conspicuously silent. But his eyes were fixed on her as she looked between them, trying not to focus on any one set of captivating eyes.

Their last encounter unsettled him, and the aftermath of that rejection still lingered, casting awkwardness between them.

“It’s even more curious that you let it slide.” Decker turned to face Roth, their gazes locking as Roth faced him too. “You’re not hoping it’ll soften her up to sway, are you?”

Decker’s pointed remark to Roth made Reyna grin, and she was pleasantly surprised by Roth’s calm demeanor. It was as if they were old acquaintances with a lingering grudge, a silent tension simmering beneath the surface. Decker’s face was expressionless as he watched Roth carefully, his blue eyes narrowed in focus. Roth’s face remained neutral, though there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.

“Got nothing to say to me?” Decker’s voice held a sardonic edge.

Roth’s response was sharp. “Not particularly.” Before Decker could respond, he added. “If I knew I’d run into you here, I would have brought Lorelai along.”

The mention of Lorelai’s name ignited something in Decker. His eyes flared with rage and something deeper. Who was Lorelai and what was her connection to Decker and Roth. Could a female be the reason behind their animosity? She stayed quiet, watching Decker’s reaction as Lorelai’s name lingered in the air. He was clearly bothered by it, and she wondered what the story was.

“Who’s Lorelai?” she asked, giving in to her curiosity. Could she be one of Roth’s females?

The two turned their attention to her, their eyes filled with different expressions as she stood there, caught between their colourful gazes.

With an exasperated sigh, she decided to leave the question unanswered and replace her father. She had better things to do than get tangled in their unresolved history. She walked away, feeling their eyes follow her until she was out of the hall.

As she made her way through the corridors of Frostcall’s grand hall, Lance fell into step beside her. He had a concerned look on his face, and she knew he was eager to learn what had transpired in the meeting with Decker and Roth.

“Odin’s ruins, Reyna,” Lance cursed in a low whisper as the door closed behind her. “What the hell’s going on? The Warmaster just dispatched emissaries to the conclave.”

Reyna ran a hand through her hair, the tension in her shoulders finally starting to ease. Lance, her steadfast confidant, was blissfully unaware of her hidden identity. She knew that when he eventually discovered the truth, his trust in her might waver, and that thought gnawed at her.

The cord holding her long, black locks in place slipped through her fingers, allowing them to cascade freely down her back. It was a small, liberating gesture as she took a steadying breath.

“I need a drink. Come along,” she slurred.

Lance hesitated for a second, then shook his head. “Not right now. Warmaster Bandos ordered me to escort you to the War Room as soon as you stepped out of the hall. The Frostcall council awaits… except for Warmaster Ranael. He’s still out on patrol. We should get going.”

Then he took the lead, and they walked in silence towards the War Room. She wondered whether to tell him the truth before he found out. The news was bound to spread like wildfire in Frostcall once it was revealed to the council, and she couldn’t even fight Bandos about this.

As they turned into the corridor before the War Room, she called out, “Lance.”

However, when she saw Bandos standing at the door, she grunted. The way he looked didn’t show he was upset, but he was set in an attitude that said he didn’t have time for nonsense.

“Warmaster,” Lance said with a bow. “Reyna,” he whispered before moving away.

Bandos led her inside and closed the door. The familiar, stern gazes of the council members settled on her as she walked to the round table and took her place beside her father.

“Is this about the presence of both the Alpha and House Muninn?” Warmaster Weizen of the Chevine pack asked immediately.

“This doesn’t call for the Elders, and it doesn’t explain why the Prime is sitting in on council matters,” Alder, Warmaster of the Woborn pack chimed in.

“If you would shut up and let me speak, you might understand why I summoned the council,” Bandos said with a stern tone, silencing the grumbling Warmasters.

Reyna couldn’t help but smile as the room fell into an uneasy quiet.

“There’s been an unsettling revelation from the two Alpha Houses, and that’s why the Elders have been summoned,” Bandos explained, leaning forward. “Our Prime, Reyna, is an Icehlem Luna.”

A heavy silence settled over the room. Their eyes were fixed on her, wide with shock and disbelief.

Finally, Warmaster Alder broke the quiet. “An Icehlem Luna,” he muttered. “Is this some jest, Warmaster?”

Bandos looked at her and sighed as his eyes dimmed. “This is no joke, Alder. It is the truth.”

Warmaster Weizen exchanged a puzzled look with the others, his brows furrowing in contemplation. “But how is that possible? The Luna lineage has been dormant for generations.”

The atmosphere in the room was heavy with confusion and skepticism, and their collective scrutiny made her shift uncomfortably in her seat. The revelation blindsided them, and she couldn’t blame them for their incredulity. Keeping her abilities a secret suddenly seemed like a decision fraught with unforeseen consequences.

Uriel whispered, “She should have been secluded since she first shifted! The repercussions… Odin’s virtue! This puts the north in the middle of this power tussle!”

Bandos, worn with concern, exhaled heavily and leaned back in his seat. Reyna’s eyes darted to him, and for a moment, she considered reaching out to comfort him; she could feel the anguish radiating from him.

“What's the way forward?” Alder inquired. “She hasn’t been trained in the ways of the Luna.”

“That is precisely why the Elders have been summoned,” Bandos clarified.

Weizen leaned forward, his eyes locked on Reyna. “Did you know? Have you known all this time that you were Luna?”

Reyna’s throat tightened, and for a moment, she couldn’t replace her voice. She nodded slowly, her gaze fixed on Weizen’s understanding eyes. He let out a sympathetic sigh.

“We must name her at the apex of the solstice,” he declared and Bandos inclined his head in agreement. “I will make the preparations.”

As Weizen rose from his seat, the others followed, leaving the War Room in a solemn procession. Soon, it was just Reyna and her father, alone in the heavy silence. They exchanged a look, and Reyna glimpsed the unspoken understanding, worry, and acknowledgment in her father’s eyes.

“Father, I didn’t–”

He cut her off, the urgency in his voice clear as day. “We don’t have time for this. You, the Alpha, and Warmaster Decker must leave for the conclave at once.”

Confusion creased her brows. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words failed to come.