Avenging Luna
Chapter 154: Facing The Council

Chapter 154: Facing The Council

Chase POV:

After explaining to my father about Damon and I imprinting on Ash, his reaction had been nothing short of fascination. He’d even gone as far as to speculate that the imprinting was tied to the vampiric lineage Ash inherited from Leila. While in his curiosity reassured me that Ash’s unique situation wouldn’t be seen as taboo in his eyes, it also fueled my resolve. The council could go screw themselves.

They’d lost whatever leverage they thought they had against my mate now that it was clear she wasn’t just a wolf, but also a vampire. Her lineage gave her every right to stand by my side. However, there was a catch—she wasn’t just a vampire. She was a hybrid of wolf and vampire, a rarity that would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the council. To make matters worse, her vampiric bloodline was tied to a family so reviled that they’d been erased from our history books.

The council’s hatred for the House of Black wasn’t well-documented, but my father’s revelations filled in the gaps. The Blacks had been painted as traitors, their existence reduced to whispers and warnings. Yet here Leila stood, living proof of their enduring legacy. I had no doubt that the council would try to use this against her, but I wasn’t going to give them the chance. She was mine—my beloved—and nothing they said or did would change that.

After leaving my father to rest, I escorted Leila and Ash back to my chambers. It was the safest place in the palace, fortified and unassailable, where no one could touch or question them. Ash, exhausted from the long journey and the emotional strain, quickly fell asleep in one of the plush armchairs. But Leila...

Leila looked like she was carrying the weight of a thousand lifetimes on her shoulders. Her usual fierce, confident demeanor was nowhere to be found. Instead, she sat on the edge of the bed, her face pale and her hands trembling slightly as they rested in her lap. She wasn’t just tired—she was crumbling.

It tore at me to see her like this. Leila was the strongest person I knew, yet here she was, looking fragile and lost. My chest tightened as I knelt in front of her, searching her face for some clue as to what was going through her mind.

"Leila," I said softly, reaching for her hand. She flinched slightly at my touch but didn’t pull away. "Talk to me. Whatever it is, you don’t have to face it alone."

She didn’t respond right away. Instead, she stared at the floor, her lips pressed into a thin line. The silence between us felt heavy, suffocating.

I knew something had happened to her, something that went far beyond the revelations about her bloodline. Before today, I’d chalked up her guarded nature and occasional bursts of pain to her wolf mate— Ash father. But after what my father had said, I suspected the wounds went deeper. They weren’t just about loss; they were about betrayal, rejection, and a past that had scarred her in ways I couldn’t yet understand.

Part of me knew I was invading her privacy by even considering digging into her past without her permission. But damn it, I wasn’t going to sit by and watch her unravel without doing something. If she wouldn’t tell me, I’d find out on my own. And when I did, I would unleash hell on whoever had caused her pain.

She was my mate, my beloved, the mother of my imprint. It wasn’t just my duty to protect her—it was my right. I would avenge her, even if it meant burning her entire past to the ground.

"Leila," I said again, my voice firmer this time. "You’re not alone anymore. Whatever it is that’s haunting you, I’m going to fix it. I’ll tear apart anyone who’s hurt you. You just have to trust me."

Her eyes finally met mine, and what I saw there made my heart ache. She wasn’t just broken—she was terrified. Not of me, but of her own memories, her own past.

"You don’t understand, Chase," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "There are things... things you can’t fix. Things that can’t be undone."

I squeezed her hand, my resolve hardening. "Watch me."

I would find out the truth. And when I did, nothing—not the council, not her past, not even her fears—would stand in my way. Leila was mine, and I would fight for her, no matter what it took.

After making sure Leila was comfortable and had everything she needed, I left her to rest. She had been through enough today, and the weight of everything she’d learned was clearly taking its toll. Her exhaustion and emotional turmoil had been written all over her face, and as much as it pained me to leave her side, there were matters I couldn’t put off any longer. The council was waiting, and as much as I despised dealing with their politics, I knew this meeting couldn’t be avoided.

Before leaving, I asked Damon to go ahead and inform the council I was coming. I’d made it clear they were to wait for me—whether they liked it or not. That message alone would have ruffled their feathers, and I couldn’t help but smirk at the thought of them sitting there, their impatience growing with every passing second. Let them stew.

As I made my way through the palace halls, my irritation grew. The council was nothing more than a group of self-serving, antiquated vampires clinging to power. They might have centuries of experience, but they lacked the vision to lead in a changing world. All they cared about was maintaining the status quo, and they would do anything to keep their claws firmly sunk into the kingdom.

When I arrived outside the council chamber, the guards stationed at the massive wooden doors immediately straightened, their gazes sharp and deferential. Without a word, they pushed the doors open, and I stepped inside, my boots echoing loudly against the polished marble floor.

The council members were seated around a long, ornately carved table, their expressions ranging from impatient to downright hostile. Damon was leaning casually against the wall near the head of the table, his arms crossed and a bored smirk on his face. He gave me a slight nod as I entered, a silent acknowledgment that he’d kept them from stirring up too much trouble in my absence.

"Finally," one of the elders, a wiry man named Gregor, muttered. His thin lips curled in disdain as his sharp eyes locked on me. "We’ve been waiting long enough, Your Highness."

"Then I suggest you work on your patience, Gregor," I shot back, my tone ice-cold. "Because I have more important things to deal with than your petty complaints."

Gregor bristled, but before he could respond, another elder—Mariana, one of the more level-headed members—raised a hand to cut him off. "Prince Chase," she said, her voice calm but firm, "we understand that you’ve been preoccupied, but there are matters that require your immediate attention. The council has concerns—"

"Concerns?" I interrupted, my voice rising slightly. I stalked toward the table, planting my hands on its smooth surface as I leaned forward to meet Mariana’s gaze. "Let me guess. Your ’concerns’ involve my beloved, don’t they?"

The room fell silent for a moment, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

"She’s a wolf," Gregor finally said, his voice dripping with contempt. "And now you expect us to accept her as your beloved? As the future queen?"

"Yes," I said simply, my crimson eyes flashing dangerously as I straightened to my full height. "And you’re going to respect her. Because whether you like it or not, Leila is my mate. She’s also a vampire—a fact you conveniently ignored when you decided to question her worth."

There was a murmur of surprise among the council members, their expressions shifting from disdain to confusion.

"A hybrid?" Mariana asked, her brow furrowing.

"That’s correct," I confirmed, folding my arms over my chest. "She’s the daughter of Alexander Black."

The reaction was immediate. Gregor and several others recoiled as if I’d just dropped a live grenade in the middle of the room. Whispers broke out, some incredulous, others outraged.

"This is unacceptable!" Gregor snapped, slamming a hand on the table. "The House of Black was banished for their crimes against the kingdom! To bring one of their descendants into the royal line is an affront to—"

"Enough!" I roared, my voice echoing through the chamber. The room fell silent again, every pair of eyes now fixed on me.

"Let me make this perfectly clear," I continued, my tone deadly calm. "Leila is my mate. She is the mother of my imprint. And she is under my protection. If any of you dare to insult her again, I’ll personally see to it that you regret it."

Damon, still leaning against the wall, let out a low chuckle. "You heard him," he drawled. "Keep your insults to yourselves, or you’ll be dealing with both of us."

Gregor looked like he was about to explode, but Mariana spoke up before he could say anything else. "Your Highness," she said, her voice carefully measured, "surely you understand the implications of this revelation. If Leila is truly a hybrid and a descendant of the Blacks, it will raise questions—about her loyalty, about the future of the kingdom. The council only seeks to ensure stability."

"Stability?" I repeated, narrowing my eyes. "You think the kingdom will be destabilized because of who my mate’s ancestors are? Or are you more concerned about losing your grip on power?"

Mariana flinched slightly but didn’t look away.

"Here’s what’s going to happen," I said, my voice cutting through the room like a blade. "Leila and Ash will stay in the palace, where they will be treated with the respect they deserve. The council will not interfere with their lives, nor will you spread any baseless rumors about her bloodline."

"And if we refuse?" Gregor challenged, his voice low and dangerous.

"Then you’ll find yourselves without a crown prince," I said flatly. "Because I have no intention of ruling a kingdom that doesn’t respect my mate."

The weight of my words hung heavily in the air. Gregor looked like he wanted to argue, but Mariana raised a hand, silencing him once again.

"We’ll discuss this further," she said carefully. "But for now, we’ll respect your wishes, Your Highness."

"See that you do," I said, turning on my heel. "Because I’m done playing your games."

As I walked out of the chamber, Damon fell into step beside me, a wide grin on his face.

"Nicely done," he said. "You really know how to put those old bastards in their place."

"They deserved it," I muttered, my thoughts already turning back to Leila.

He clapped a hand on my shoulder. "You handled it. Now go check on your mate. She’s the one who matters."

I nodded, grateful for his support. No matter what the council thought, I’d made my decision. Leila was my mate, and I’d fight anyone who dared to challenge that.