The Pack Council chamber doors loomed before me, their polished oak surface gleaming under the harsh fluorescent lights. I could hear the murmur of voices inside—the monthly territory dispute meeting was already underway. My heart hammered against my ribs as I straightened my shoulders and reached for the handle.
*You can do this,* my wolf urged. *We deserve to be heard.*
I pushed the door open with more force than necessary, the sudden silence falling like a physical weight as every head turned toward me.
"Charlotte?" Oliver's voice carried a note of surprise that didn't reach his eyes. "What are you doing here?"
The council members—twelve of the pack's highest-ranking wolves—stared at me with expressions ranging from curiosity to outright disapproval. I recognized Marcus, my uncle and the eldest council member, sitting to Oliver's right. His face remained carefully neutral.
"I need to speak," I said, my voice stronger than I expected. "About the security breaches."
Oliver's smile didn't waver, but something cold flickered in his eyes. "This is a closed meeting, Luna. We're discussing sensitive territory matters."
"I found evidence," I continued, ignoring his dismissal. My fingers trembled slightly as I pulled the crumpled receipt from my pocket. "There's a rogue scent on your clothes, Oliver. And this—a bracelet you never gave me."
A ripple of whispers spread through the room. Oliver's expression shifted to one of pity so convincing that for a moment, I almost believed it myself.
"My poor Luna," he said softly, looking around at the council members. "She's been under so much stress lately. Her wolf has always been... unstable."
"I am not unstable," I snapped, my cheeks burning with humiliation. "I know what I smelled."
Oliver's eyes hardened. He nodded once to Jones, who had been standing by the wall behind me.
Before I could react, Jones' hand clamped down on my shoulder, his fingers digging painfully into my flesh. "That's enough, Luna," he hissed in my ear.
Oliver stood, his voice dropping into that artificial resonance that made my knees weak. "As your Alpha, I command you to be silent."
The stolen Alpha Command hit me like a physical blow. My throat closed, the words dying on my lips.
"Take her outside," Oliver ordered Jones. "The council has work to do."
Jones' grip tightened as he dragged me toward the door. I struggled against him, but his Beta strength was too much for me. As we reached the threshold, I caught a glimpse of Marcus's face—a flicker of concern quickly masked by diplomatic neutrality.
The door burst open as Jones shoved me through it. We emerged onto the steps of the Pack House, where dozens of pack members had gathered for the monthly meeting announcements.
"Look at your precious Luna," Jones announced, his voice carrying across the crowd. He released me suddenly, and I stumbled forward, falling to my knees in the dirt.
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the onlookers. I looked up to see Oliver watching from the window above, his expression cold and satisfied.
"She's been spreading lies about your Alpha," Jones continued, circling me like a predator. "Questioning his leadership. Threatening pack stability."
"No," I managed to whisper, though the Alpha Command still restricted my voice. "That's not true."
Jones grabbed my hair, yanking my head back so I was forced to look up at the window where Oliver stood. "Your Luna needs to learn her place."
With a final shove, he left me kneeling in the dirt as the crowd dispersed, their whispers following them like smoke.
I don't know how long I knelt there before finding the strength to stand. My legs shook as I made my way across the compound toward the Pack Hospital—a small, modern building where my father had lain unconscious for ten years.
The antiseptic smell hit me as I pushed open the door, but before I could take three steps, two massive wolves blocked my path. I recognized them immediately—Oliver's personal enforcers, Garrett and Liam.
"Luna Charlotte," Garrett said, not bothering to hide his contempt. "You're not allowed here."
"Not allowed?" I echoed incredulously. "That's my father."
"Acting Alpha Oliver has issued a new decree," Liam stated flatly. "You're considered a stressor to Alpha Robert's condition. No visitation permitted."
The floor seemed to tilt beneath me. "He can't do that."
"He's the Acting Alpha," Garrett replied with a shrug. "And he says your presence agitates Alpha Robert's wolf, hindering his recovery."
I stared at them in disbelief, then looked past them toward the hallway that led to my father's room. For ten years, I'd visited him daily. Now, like everything else in my life, that right had been stripped away.
"You're a prisoner in your own pack," Liam said quietly, almost as if he felt sorry for me.
As the hospital door closed in my face, I realized with startling clarity that he was right.
