“Very well,” he said, folding his hands atop the desk carved from ancient oak. “If Alpha Nathanie raises no objection, the Healing Council will not stand in your way.”
Adriana inclined her head. “Thank you, Elder. I’ll speak to him. He’ll consent.”
She gathered the blood-sealed parchment and stepped out of the council chamber with measured composure.
The moment the heavy doors shut behind her, that composure cracked.
Her confidence had been easy to display in front of the elder. Convincing Nathanie would not be so simple. The full-moon ceremony that would formally bind them as Alpha and Luna was barely a month away. The pack had already begun preparations.
There had been a time when she had counted the days in anticipation.
Now she counted them like a prisoner marking a cell wall.
Just days ago, when she tried to discuss the ceremony, Nathanie had waved the subject aside.
“The territory is overwhelmed with rogue attacks and border disputes,” he had said flatly. “We don’t need a grand mating ritual. We’ll mark the bond quietly before the elders and be done with it. There’s no need for spectacle.”