Chapter 67

Ryan's POV

Dylan and Alyson had hardly entered my place, seeming far less secretive about approaching the outside, when Alyson threw her arms around me with a kiss. "Jacob should be finished now."

I held her tightly, "Really? What happened?"

"We proved it. It was all true about Diana… She even confessed to the Elders."

Dylan was looking off to the side. "Am I missing something?"

I leaned back from Alyson, and she slid from my embrace, clearly wanting to linger there, but she turned back to Dylan. "Yes, sorry dearest friend. I knew that his was happening, but I needed to confirm it. So, I invited you along with that purpose. It went better than I could have expected."

"Hmm," he said thoughtfully. "Well, it's all for good."

"It's for the good of everyone. We will stop this abuse."

He was nodding.

Within the hour, the elders called me. With plenty of kisses, I had to leave Alyson to join them at the council.

They all went silent when I stepped into a room tense with heated discussion,

"Ryan," Elder Fritz said. "We're glad you came quickly. This is very important."

"Yes, Jacob is no longer the Alpha, and we've voted on you to be the next Alpha." Another voice added.

"What? I'm honored, but this has happened so quickly. What will happen to Jacob?" I said, although I cared nothing for the previous Alpha. I could not wait to report back to Alyson.

"He has been thrown in prison till death. He violated our sacred pact, so that is his punishment." Elder Fritz said. "Do you accept the Alpha position? We have voted unanimously that it should be you. We will need to crown you this evening for the stability of the pack."

"Of course, I accept." I said, a little bewildered that they wanted to crown me the same day. I wondered about whether they would want me to have a Luna right away. I hoped that Alyson would be ready for it, and I thought of my promise to never pressure her. They confirmed my concerns when they spoke next.

"You will need to pick a Luna, or future Luna." One elder urged. "Will you take our Diana?"

"As I said before, I will not. I have found my future mate." I said, hoping that in the moment of truth, Alyson will accept me.

"Who is she?" They demanded.

"I will let her come forward of her own accord at the ceremony." I said.

"This is rather unconventional, Ryan," Elder Fritz warned.

"You will not be disappointed in her." I assured. "And she is my mate, my wolf knew it form our first meeting, so this is fate. It cannot be another way. I can attest that her blood is good as well, since that's important to you all."

Later that evening, everyone in the Pack attended the ceremony. I walked down the road, escorted by servants and guards walking in their wolf forms. The crowd cheered me on, and I could not believe that this had all happened so quickly. At the end of the road, I proceeded towards a platform where all the elders waited.

Flutists played music and danced around me. The air was full of sparkling confetti and strings of shiny paper. The delighted crowd was cheering my name the entire way down the main street.

I met the elders on the platform where everyone could see us, and they placed the golden crown on my head. I looked out at the crowd and saw the bitter face of my father watching me with an expression crossed between pride and disgust. He had never become Alpha, and the son he had cast out had. I was thrilled that he came to watch me, not because I cared for his approval, but because I wanted him to realize the error in how he treated me, and how he let everyone else banish me.

I was Alpha of Crowalt Pack. I could not believe that the Pack that had once cast me out and killed my mother now cheered for me, and I would rule them alongside the elders.

"Who is your Luna! Who is she?" The crowd chanted. I tried to reach out my hands to calm them, unsure if Alyson would present herself.

"You need a Luna!" They demanded.

To everyone's surprise, Alyson stepped up on the platform beside me in a gorgeous velvet purple dress to match her eyes.

The crowd grew quiet.

"I'm of Clan Clark," she said. "I will be the Luna." She slipped her hand in mine and squeezed.

"What?" The elders were questioning behind them. "We will need proof that she's Clan Clark." They were prepared with Alexanders who tested the blood at the annual games. They stepped forward to examine her.

My aggression was rising. I hated all those Alexander males surrounding her, I wanted to rip them all apart and tell them to back off of my mate. But I tempered Rupert inside me, knowing that this had to happen for Crowalt to accept her.

Calmly, she slit her wrist, and let them smell the quality of her blood. Everyone was in concurrence; she had very high-quality blood. The best they'd tested since Alissa Clark. And fortunately for everyone, they stepped away from her.

Elder Fritz announced, "And so she will be Alyson Clark Alexander, the Luna. We will see the wedding soon?" he looked back towards me for verification.

I was so happy. Alyson and I met each other's eyes. She was accepted by the elders and the crowd as my future Luna. We would be married at last. She was accepting me as her mate, and I could hardly believe it.

But I wasn't sure if I should answer for her. I leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am," she beamed up at me with a smile like I'd never seen on her before. She turned to the crowd and shouted for everyone to hear, "We will be married this week!"

And my heart melted in my chest. Her warmth and openness overwhelmed me.

"I love you," I said, not caring if the whole world heard it.

"And I love you," she whispered back with e coy rise of one shoulder. Then more quietly, she teased, "I guess the Moon Goddess gave me a choice to pick a mate without it being fated."

I laughed, and it felt amazing. I did not confess to her that for me, this was fated. She could have it any way that she wanted for herself. "I can't wait for our wedding."

Finally, Alyson would allow herself to be mine: body and soul, and she would be my mate. I wanted it to happen that very minute, but this week would have to be good enough.

Alyson's face grew pale as she stared out into the crowd. I followed her gaze to a particular she-wolf in a large formal gown made of black silk. It was the previous Luna in mourning for the loss of her status and imprisonment of her mate. Her murderous glare was directed at Alyson.

A low growl rumbled in my throat defensively. But Alyson placed a hand on my arm to calm me.

No one could hear her when she told me, "I will take deal with her. Don't worry about it."

"I'm sure that you will," I said. Both of us stared back out at Jennifer. She noticed that we were both glaring back at her. She turned away, and disappeared into the crowd.

I saw a vision, a glimpse of the previous Luna. She would know her sister, and Alyson needed that moment. As much as I wanted to protect Alyson, I knew that she could take care of herself, and had waited a long time for this confrontation.

I would not interfere.