enjoyebooks Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Aria POV
The morning sun didn’t rise quietly. It blazed across the Blue Stone courtyard, lighting up the tension still hanging in the air like fog. Whispers spread before I even left the Luna quarters. The punch had been seen. Heard. Felt.
Matthew had struck Elias. And the pack had witnessed it.
By mid-morning, a council meeting was called. Not just the elders—everyone. Captains, trainers, patrol leaders. The warriors stood stiff against the walls of the council chamber, eyes alert, ears open. Something was about to shift.
I sat beside Matthew, heart pounding. He was tense, jaw locked, fingers gripping the arms of his chair. Elias stood alone across from us, blood crusted near his mouth, his chin held high. He didn’t look at anyone—just me.
Council Elder Naro was the first to speak.
“This pack has seen violence between its two highest-ranking males. In public. No explanation. No apology. What exactly happened last night?”
Matthew’s voice was sharp and steady. “I acted as Alpha. Elias crossed the line.”
Elias tilted his head. “Which one?”
Matthew ignored the comment. “I’ve been patient. I’ve given him space. But he’s been undermining me, challenging my leadership by going behind my back—questioning orders, influencing decisions, and using his closeness to my mate to sway the pack.”
Elias didn’t flinch. “That’s a bold way to say you’re jealous.”
A few gasps echoed around the room. Matthew slammed his hand on the table. “Don’t test me, Elias.”
“I’m not,” Elias replied coolly. “I’m just done pretending.”
He turned fully toward me now. His eyes were tired, but not defeated.
“I regret nothing.”
The room went dead silent. My breath caught. I could feel every gaze land on me—waiting for me to choose a side. To speak. To break.
I stood slowly, pressing my hands to the table.
“No,” I said, my voice loud and clear. “This isn’t about ranks. Or rivalry. This is about control.”
The room shifted. No one dared interrupt me.
“We are not toys,” I continued, looking at Matthew first, then Elias. “Neither of us. And I’m done being the battlefield between two egos.”
Matthew’s stare didn’t soften.
“Elias has been there for me when no one else was,” I said, voice shaking, “but he never tried to take your place.”
Matthew looked away.
“I begged you,” I said, softer now. “To stop seeing him as the enemy.”
“I can’t,” Matthew muttered, almost too low for anyone else to hear.
The council members leaned in, sensing the power slipping from his grip.
“You think this is love?” I asked him, tears building. “This constant fear of losing me? This need to prove I’m yours by tearing down everyone who gets close?”
He didn’t answer. The silence stretched.
Then Elder Naro turned to Matthew, carefully. “Alpha… what action will you take?”
Matthew stepped forward slowly. The room straightened. He didn’t look at me. He didn’t look at Elias. His voice was flat.
“As Alpha of the Blue Stone Pack,” he said, “I hereby strip Elias of his rank.”
Gasps shot through the room.
Matthew turned toward Elias, eyes unreadable.
“You are no longer Beta of this pack.”