Page 39 of Shifted Fate (Broken Luna #1)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

T

he Agora was breathtaking. The clearing looked like a natural stone quarry, if that made any sense.

Rocks were staggered down toward the lower floor, like steps, and it was already filling up with the pack.

There was a path that circled down the side wall of the crater until it ended at the bottom, where a chair, or should I say, a throne, waited.

There was a smaller one to the side, which I could only assume it was for the Alpha and Luna.

As I stepped down with my father, I could feel the truth settle in my bones. This was the birthplace of our kind. You could feel the ancient roots wrap around you. The trees bowed outward, allowing the sun and moon to shine down on the people collected here.

This was where fates were decided.

My father and I reached the bottom, and he gestured for me to sit in the Luna’s chair and I nodded.

I settled and my father walked to the floor as everyone filed in.

I could see the wolves that knew the unspoken truth of what Agora held, each filled with a sense of pride.

And those that weren’t privy to the knowledge settle, but tremble with the power that wrapped around them.

Everyone was whispering and my father raised his hands, quieting everyone down. “File in, find a seat.”

“Alpha? What is this about?” A wolf called down from the back row. I looked to see who it was, but I missed them.

“I will answer all of your questions. But settle. Please.” My father waited for a few minutes.

He turned to me and nodded. He settled into his throne and raised his hands again.

The Agora went silent. “I called you all here for a specific reason. I need the Williams family to step down.” My father called out coldly.

I watched as Amanda and her family slowly walked to the pathway and headed down to the ground. They made their way in front of us and bowed. “Alpha? Why have you called my family down here?” Jay Williams, Amanda’s father, asked.

I scoffed as I glared at Amanda. “Do you feign ignorance as well, Amanda?”

Jay snapped his eyes to his daughter and then to me. “Amy. I don’t know what my daughter has done, but I swear I knew nothing about it.” Jay turned on Amanda. “What the fuck did you do?”

“Nothing!” she screamed and dropped to the ground. “Alpha, whatever was said about me was a lie.”

My dad stood and walked over to her, crouching and lifting her face. “Are you calling my daughter a liar?”

Tears fell from her eyes as she darted her eyes to look at me and then back to my father. “No Alpha.”

“So you admit to using your aura to make weaker wolves do your bidding with the she-wolves in your friend’s group?”

Jay and his wife, Sheila, drew in a breath, obviously hearing this for the first time. My father looked back at me as I stared at the pair.

They didn’t know. Nix’s voice rang through my head.

“How are you so sure?” I whispered back.

I commanded their wolves to tell me. Nix growled back and I felt her slam my aura out. The Williams all dropped to their knees and Jay bowed down to the ground. “Did you know?”

“No Alpha.” Jay’s voice trembled out as I released my aura, allowing them up. I looked at my father and nodded.

“Amanda?”

“They didn’t know. My father would have punished me.” She whispered and Nix let out a low growl, black fur rippled down my arms. “I swear it.” Amanda screamed as she looked at me. “They did not know.” Louder this time.

“Who did?” I growled out. I fought to control my anger, but something in the Agora was making it almost impossible to control myself or my wolves.

I closed my eyes to refocus, and Nix and Megan were trembling. “What’s wrong?”

The Agora is a place of power, and it is pulling us to come forward, to bond fully, to shift. Nix’s voice was ragged with her effort to stay back.

You will have to shift. Megan panted. It has to be Nix, or else I will be forced to shift. She needs to stop fighting. Soon. Or else we won’t have the choice of who comes forward.

“ Okay.” I shook my head, trying to clear it. My father looked back at me, and there was concern in his eyes. The fur pulled back a little as I reined it in. I glared down at Amanda and stood. I stalked down to her with my fur rippling with my anger. “Who knew, Amanda?”

Amanda shook as she tried to fight against the aura that was leaking out, but she failed. “Aurora.”

Jay and Sheila drew in another breath. “Amanda, why?”

“Because!” she snarled and rose up to glare at her parents. “You were weak. Both of you are so weak. I deserved to be a ranked wolf. I worked my ass off to become stronger, only to find myself stuck in the middle with you two.” She looked disgusted.

Her parents reeled back from the venom that was spewing from their daughter. “We loved you.” Sheila whispered, her voice trembling.

“What’s so wrong with being an unranked wolf?” Someone from the stands shouted.

“Yeah?” Another called down. Soon, the entire pack was riled up.

“Everything!” Amanda stood and whirled on the crowd. “You are weak. Unimportant. Poor. Pathetic wolves who are happy in your pathetic, insignificant lives. I deserve to be a Luna, I deserve to lead. I deserve-” She stomped her foot.

“Nothing.” My voice echoed around the clearing.

“You deserve nothing.” Amanda turned back to me with a glare.

“Being an Alpha, or Luna, isn’t something we deserve.

It isn’t even something we earn. We are born to lead.

We are born stronger, faster, bigger than normal wolves.

Not to lord over them, but to keep them safe.

You think being an Alpha is about power?

You are too ignorant to realize it’s about protection.

It’s about listening to everyone in your pack, even the lowest, and making them feel heard.

Loved.” My lip lifted in disgust. Amanda had missed the importance of the ranking.

“You think the Betas and Gammas lord over the pack, but their jobs are to support the Alpha and Luna. You know nothing of pack structure. Even less about pack dynamics. You would be a horrible Luna.”

“Well, we will see.” She smirked as she stared at my father.

“If you think Aurora is going to be my Luna, you are wrong. Her plan failed.” My father finally got back to his feet and pushed Amanda back to her knees. “Stay on your knees. The judged aren’t allowed to stand until sentencing.”

The gasp that went through the pack was deafening. “Judgement?” Sheila’s voice wavered as she dropped to her knees. “Please Alpha.”

“I’m sorry, Shiela, but she shows no signs of remorse.

She colluded with Aurora to deceive this pack.

” My father turned and settled back on his throne.

He patted the seat next to him and held out a hand.

But I couldn’t settle. My wolves were struggling to stay back.

Fur rippled farther up my arms and on to my chest.

“Dad?” I walked closer to him. I panted. “I can’t hold on for much longer.”

“It’s okay pup. I have you.” He weaved his fingers into mine, and I could feel my wolves settle a bit. He turned to face the crowd. He mind-linked Ronnie, but left it open, so that everyone heard. Bring Aurora to the Agora for her crimes.

There was silence on the other end. But then Ronnie’s voice called back. She’s gone, Beck is injured, but Aurora is gone. Everyone gasped as my father shot to his feet. He released my hand, which left me alone to struggle with my wolves.

“Doc, head to the pack house now. Save Beck.” My father called out as Amanda laughed.

“You thought you won? Aurora is smarter and stronger than all of you combined.” My father growled, but she kept mocking him. “She will take this pack and kill you all.” She laughed harder, but my father was focused on the pack.

“Calm down.” My father’s voice boomed through the Agora. “Warriors. I want you all back on the borders. Greyson, I need you to go scent the cell and track her. Let’s go, people.”

Amanda kept cackling, and I lost the tiny thread I had, and charged her, tackling her to the ground.

“You think this is funny? Are you so sure Aurora is going to win?” She smiled up at me and smiled.

“Why? Because of her magic?” I watched her freeze under me.

“I have a secret, Amanda.” I leaned over her and put my lips right against her ear and I whispered so only she could hear me.

“So do I. And I removed the spell she had on my father already.” She slammed back against the ground and stared up at me as I grinned down at her. “Don’t believe me?”

“You’re lying.”

“I burned my mother’s emerald wolf necklace, and the skin of my father’s right hand last night.” She paled as I whispered it.

“No.” She shook her head as I felt my teeth elongate.

My voice was barely a growl. “You picked the losing side, Amanda. And now, now you’re banished from this pack.”

“You can’t make that decision.” She screamed as she scrambled out from under me.

I stood on shaking legs, and I felt my first arm snap. I screamed my anger. “From this day forth, Amanda Williams is banished from the Silvermoon pack.” Sheila and Jay let out a cry.

But Amanda shrieked her anger. “You can’t do this.”

“I make this decree in front of the Moon Goddess herself. You have turned against your pack, and now you will suffer the consequences.” My voice rose, whipping around the Agora.

“You are no one. You can’t do this.” Amanda pushed at me, eyes wild.

“I am an Alpha.” I screamed as I lost the battle with Nix.

I stood on shaky paws, and I looked down at the girl between my feet. “What are you?”

“I already told you,” Nix growled out as she lowered our head to Amanda’s.

“I am an Alpha of this pack, and I have made my decree.” Nix lifted our muzzle to the sky and howled.

The loud lone call was matched with the shifted wolves of this pack.

The ones that were left bowed their heads to us. “Does anyone disagree?”

“No Alpha.” The call went out, even Jay and Sheila bowing their consent.

“Mom! Dad!” Amanda called out, but they turned their backs on her. As did the rest of the pack. She looked around as she stumbled to her feet.

She looked back to Nix. “From this day forth, Amanda Williams will be shunned by any of this pack. She will be joined by Aurora Williams once she is caught. We do not suffer betrayers in this pack.” Our voice rang out.

My fathers voice came from behind me. “You have until sundown to collect the belongings. You need to be off pack lands or else the warriors have permission to attack on sight.” My father walked up next to Nix and put his arm on our shoulder.

Amanda looked back and forth between me, my father, and her parents.

She screamed and stomped her foot, but Nix was over the situation and growled, showing her fangs, and getting in Amanda’s face.

“I would worry more about leaving than throwing another tantrum, girl. Before I lose my patience.” Amanda snapped her eyes to us and then ran from the Agora.

My father lifted his hands. “The rest of you are dismissed. Stay on guard and if you see anything, mind-link me immediately.” The pack bowed and left the Agora, leaving us trembling with rage. “It’s okay, Amy.” But he was facing Nix.

I was pushed to the back of my mind, sitting with Megan, watching as Nix controlled our body. It was a weird feeling, but she deserved the freedom even if she was holding on to her anger by a thread.

Once you shift more often, you can still be in control, even shifted. Megan purred. My fingers were running through her coat as we watched everything unfold.

“You both deserve a little freedom. I think I will keep it this way, unless something happens.” I threw out as she chortled next to me.

Nix turned to face my father, and he ran his fingers through our fur.

“You’re huge.” Nix lifted our lip, and he chuckled.

“Not a bad thing, pup. You are absolutely beautiful.” I felt her pride at his words.

His hands trailed up her face and over her forehead.

“Goddess blessed too.” He shook his head.

“How am I supposed to keep the male wolves away from you now?”

Nix chortled. She bumped his head with hers. “You will figure out a way.” Nix froze as a mind-link came through.

Aurora ran out of the border, but there were rogue scents all around. They cross into our land. What should I do? Should I go after Aurora or follow the rogue scents? Grayson’s voice rang through our head and Nix leapt into action.

“Nix! Wait!” My father called out to us, but she was too focused.

Nix, wait for dad. I called out to her, but she ignored even me. Nix! I called out again.

“There are rogues on our land. We need to protect our pack.” Nix’s voice blasted through the air and our minds.

My father’s growl came from behind us on the left side. Loki came bounding up next to us. “Never run from me again, pup. Especially not with rogues on the loose.”

“Well then, keep up with me, old man.” Nix growled out and kept running.

Once we breached the trees, we ran through the town towards where Greyson was, but before Nix made it back to the opposite tree line, we caught a scent only seconds after Loki.

We both veered off, following the trail.

Nix looked beside her “Father?” The question hung in the air.

Nix was waiting for our dad to make the decision.

“Stay close, stay alert.” He growled. We followed the scent for a minute before a scream rent the air.

“We are under attack.” His voice bellowed through the mind-link.

“Get to your positions, and protect the pack.” A howl went out, and then another.

More attacks were happening. We looked at each other, and I saw the moment he made his decision.

“Stay safe, pup. I won’t be able to live without you. ”

I nodded, and Nix allowed me to push forward.

We would fight together. I pushed to the forefront.

“Stay safe Daddy.” Then Nix and I veered off toward another howl.

We ran through the town to the next closest howl and rounded a corner to see two rogues cornering a family.

My vision turned red as I saw one dodge in toward the small pup.

And Nix and I put on a burst of speed. They wouldn’t hurt this family.