The Rise Of The Omega Luna

CHAPTER 89

The council chamber smelled of smoke and damp wood. The fire in the hearth was weak, the kind that burned more for formality than warmth. Long tables stretched across the room, and the high-backed chairs creaked as the elders settled in. Their voices carried low at first, mutters and whispers, gossip clinging to every corner.

Everyone had seen what happened in the courtyard. Elise slapped Becky. Kai defended Becky. Luka smirked while whispers grew. It was the kind of scandal that didn’t die overnight.

Elder Everglade was already seated at the far end, shoulders straight, robes neat, his lips curved in the faintest smile as if he had already won something. He didn’t look shaken, didn’t look concerned. He looked smug.

Aunt Thea was late. When she finally entered, her steps were quick, her expression sharp. She didn’t sit right away. Her eyes found Everglade, and the tension was immediate.

Elder Kion, Kai’s grandfather, sat in the center chair. His face was old and weathered, but his eyes were sharp. He leaned back, hands folded on his cane, waiting for the noise to die down.

It didn’t.

“She humiliated the Alpha in front of the entire pack.”

“Elise should step down. She has no dignity left.”

“Poor Becky. To be struck like that—how shameful.”

“Luka said she didn’t even resist him. Makes you wonder…”

The gossip circled like vultures.

Thea slammed her hand on the table. “Enough.”

The voices cut off. Heads turned.

She stepped forward, voice steady but carrying fire underneath. “You all gossip like children while a girl’s life is being destroyed by lies. Do you not see what’s happening here?”

Elder Joren, one of the louder gossips, snorted. “What’s happening is obvious, Thea. Everyone saw it. Elise betrayed the Alpha, then slapped an innocent girl out of spite.”

“Innocent?” Thea’s voice cut like glass. “Becky is far from innocent. You all know it. You’ve seen how she works her way into things that don’t belong to her.”

Gasps followed. A few elders muttered, uncomfortable. Everglade’s smile twitched, but he didn’t speak yet.

Elder Maren, a gray-haired woman with a sharp tongue, leaned forward. “Be careful, Thea. You’re accusing Everglade’s daughter of scheming against the Alpha. That’s a heavy claim.”

“I don’t care how heavy it is,” Thea shot back. “I know Elise. I raised that girl when her own father looked away. She has her faults, but betrayal isn’t one of them. If you think she’s capable of lying with Luka behind Kai’s back, you don’t know her at all.”

Everglade finally stirred. His voice was smooth, deliberate, the kind that always drew attention. “Thea, your loyalty blinds you. I understand—you’ve grown attached to Elise. But facts are facts. My daughter brought proof. She saw it herself. She even showed Kai the recording. Elise humiliated herself and then attacked Becky like a wild child. What else do you call that?”

“Proof?” Thea barked a laugh. “A staged video and tears on command? Becky could fool half this room with her act, and apparently she has. But don’t you dare stand there and call that proof.”

Everglade’s eyes narrowed. “Are you calling my daughter a liar?”

“Yes,” Thea said without hesitation. “And I’ll say it again if I must. She’s lying. Luka is lying. And you’re helping them cover it.”

The room erupted with whispers again. Some elders leaned toward each other, whispering fast, thrilled by the scandal. Others shifted uncomfortably, eyes darting between Everglade and Thea.

Elder Kion finally raised his hand, and the noise fell. His voice was slow, deep. “Let us not tear each other apart before hearing everything. Thea, you claim Elise was framed. Everglade, you claim your daughter only told the truth. Then let us examine what we know.”

Everglade spread his hands. “We know Elise has a history. A scandal at her university years ago. Accusations of pushing another student to her death. Does that sound like someone reliable? Or does it sound like someone who knows how to play the victim?”

Thea’s face tightened, but she didn’t falter. “You dare bring that up here? That case was thrown out. She tried to save that girl, not kill her. You know nothing of it, but you spit it out like poison to stain her again.”

Elder Joren nodded at Everglade. “It does show a pattern.”

“A pattern of being attacked,” Thea snapped. “A pattern of being blamed by people who can’t stand to see her stand tall. You’d all rather believe a smug boy like Luka and a girl who smiles while being slapped than a young woman who has fought tooth and nail just to belong here.”

Maren leaned back, folding her arms. “You’re emotional, Thea. That clouds judgment.”

Thea shot her a glare. “And you’re spineless, Maren. That clouds justice.”

Gasps rang out again.

Kion’s cane tapped the floor once. The sound echoed. “Silence.”

The chamber stilled. Kion’s eyes turned to Everglade. “Your daughter claims she saw this with her own eyes. Did she not bring this matter to the council before? Why now, only when chaos has already broken out in public?”

Everglade’s smile returned. “Because she didn’t wish to shame Elise until it became impossible to stay silent. She thought of Kai first. Always. That is Becky’s nature—selfless, loyal.”

Thea laughed bitterly. “Selfless? That girl has clawed her way into every corner of Kai’s life since she was old enough to walk. Don’t twist her obsession into loyalty.”

Some elders murmured agreement, but quietly. No one wanted to say it too loud.

Everglade leaned forward. “Do not insult my daughter, Thea. You’re letting your emotions turn to slander.”

“And you’re letting your ambition turn to rot,” she fired back. “You’ve always wanted your children close to the Alpha’s seat. You think I don’t see it? Luka circling Elise, Becky circling Kai—it’s not subtle. You’ll use them like pawns until the Alpha bends.”

The room buzzed louder. Some nodded in agreement. Others shifted uncomfortably. Elder Kion’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing yet.

Everglade’s voice sharpened. “You accuse me, but you have no proof. What I have is evidence my daughter brought forward. What I have is the Alpha himself seeing betrayal with his own eyes. What I have is a pack that no longer trusts Elise.”

Thea slammed her hand on the table again. “You don’t need proof because you’ve spent years planting seeds. Every slip, every mistake Elise made, you’ve twisted and fed into whispers until she’s an easy target. And now you dare sit there and smile while her life burns.”

Everglade didn’t flinch. “Maybe because she set the fire herself.”

Thea moved before she realized it, half out of her chair, her voice rising. “You’re a snake, Everglade. And I will not let you destroy her.”

The elders broke into louder voices, some arguing, some whispering eagerly, like children at a play.

“Maybe Thea’s right…”

“But that video was clear.”

“Clear enough? Or staged?”

“Becky wouldn’t lie—would she?”

“Luka always was sly…”

Kion finally rose to his feet. The room quieted again. His cane hit the floor, sharp.

“Enough,” he said. “This council will not become a market square. I will not have screaming matches replace judgment. Thea has spoken her defense. Everglade has spoken his accusations. The pack has witnessed enough chaos already.”

Thea’s chest heaved. She forced her voice steady. “Kion, you know Elise’s heart. You’ve seen her fight for this pack. You’ve seen how Becky looks at Kai—not with respect, but with hunger. You’ve seen Luka—always lurking, always pushing where he doesn’t belong. You know this isn’t right.”

Kion looked at her for a long time, then shifted his gaze to Everglade. “And you—your children’s names are whispered more often in gossip than in praise. That troubles me.”

Everglade’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second, then returned. “Children are often misunderstood. But I will not apologize for raising them to be strong. If others whisper, it is because they envy. My daughter has only ever been honest. My son only ever eager to serve.”

Thea scoffed. “Serve himself.”

Kion raised a hand before she could continue. His eyes, heavy with age but sharp with wisdom, scanned the room. “This matter will not be decided in one night. But I will say this—truth has a way of surfacing, no matter how deeply it is buried. And when it does, all of us will bear the weight of which side we chose.”

Silence followed. Heavy, tense.

Everglade inclined his head, calm, confident. “Then let it surface. Until then, the Alpha has already seen with his own eyes. That is enough for me.”

Thea stared at him with fire in her eyes, but Kion tapped his cane again, signaling the discussion was over.

The elders rose slowly, some whispering still, others walking out quietly.

Thea stayed behind, her fists clenched at her sides, staring at Everglade. He met her gaze with a small, satisfied smile, then walked out without a word.

Kion lingered by the fire. He didn’t look at Thea, but his silence spoke louder than words. Doubt had been planted. But doubt wasn’t enough—not yet.

Thea straightened, her heart pounding. If no one else would fight for Elise, she would. Even if it meant standing against every elder in that chamber.