LOVE ETERNAL

CHAPTER NINE-Lupus Regalis

Ethan nodded in agreement, he wasn’t surprised that such a comment would come from James, as he was always a wolf of sagacious bearing.

James Stanfield was a distinguished and erudite scholar, who was renowned for his extensive knowledge and profound insights across a range of disciplines. His deep understanding and scholarly rigor were widely recognized, and he was known to be exceptionally well-read.

Consequently, when he offered a suggestion, it was with the weight of considerable expertise and thoughtful consideration, and as such, his comments were welcomed with meticulous attention and respect, as his fellow elders valued his input highly and trusted his judgement to guide their decisions and discussions.

He was second only to Klaus Montfort, and owing to Klaus' reticence and withdrawal from worldly matters, he had always been the one to speak on behalf of the elders. Anytime they have an issue, they would always voice it out to James, to address the Alpha on their behalf.

“What penalties do you have in mind?” Ethan asked, encouraging him to continue.

James braced himself and voiced out “The penalty should be something quite severe, that would deter people from coming out to try their luck - something like exile. Anyone who does not pass the test will be exiled from the Pack.”

“Exiled on what grounds?” Arnold asked.

“On the grounds of deception. Anyone who claims to be a suitable candidate should be sure of her worth, as such,” James said. “I believe that would, to a great extent, sieve out the number of unqualified candidates, who would just want to apply and try their luck.”

“And what if someone who is sure of their worth - like you said, comes forward and still fails the test?” Arnold asked. He wasn’t comfortable with such a plan. There were so many loopholes that could be explored.

“Well,” James replied awkwardly. “I never said it was a perfect plan. But with the limited time we have and the urgency of the situation, it’s still worth considering.

“The loopholes…” Arnold reacted, but he was interrupted by Ethan.

“That’s enough!” he commanded. “He’s right. We don’t have much time, and we need to prevent further delays that could result from too many people applying.

He found it hilarious, that in the face of such crises, where they were looking for a way out, someone would manage to bring out a viable suggestion and people would be arguing about it - people who didn’t come up with any solution themselves.

This was not the time for Arnold to be showing his administrative prowess, or did he think that he wasn’t also well versed with the administration too? Time was of essence, they no longer had the luxury of meticulous brainstorming and adequate planning - impromptu measures were now their lot.

“Does anyone have any better suggestions?” Ethan asked.

The entire meeting hall became quiet. Not that some of them didn’t have other suggestions to make, but that was James Stanfield’s idea. Could they really dare to compete with his intelligence?

“A penalty would be included to checkmate excesses,” Ethan said. “That should be all, let’s go on with the preparations.”

Ethan was about to leave, when he noticed the inconclusive look on their faces, as if they were about to say something difficult but didn’t know how to start. Their eyes darted around, searching for the right words, but finding none. The silence hung heavy between them, filled with unspoken emotions and uncertainties.

“Is there anything else?” Ethan inquired, breaking the eerie silence and prompting them to air their thoughts.

James Stanfield got up once again, feeling the weight of the elders’ gaze upon him. Their eyes were fixed on him, propelling him forward, as if their collective stare would infuse him with the confidence he needed.

He understood that, in this moment, he was their mouthpiece, entrusted with the task of conveying their thoughts explicitly and without hesitation.

There is one more thing,” he said. “It’s about Adrienne - she should be exiled.”

He returned to his seat, and braced himself, for he knew that Ethan wasn’t going to take kindly to this opinion of theirs.

Ethan groaned inwardly. He knew it was going to get to this, but he didn’t picture it coming this fast.

“Is this the opinion of everybody?” Ethan asked, even though he knew that they were all saying the same thing in their minds. He just wanted to confirm his thoughts.

“Yes, our Alpha!” they all responded unanimously.

“Alpha, we do not have any grievance against Adrienne, we are just trying to be cautious. James added. “Since this curse was as a result of your intended union with her, we are afraid that her presence might still trigger some negative energy in the Pack.”

“I’ll think about it,” Ethan replied.

“We may not have the luxury of time. It is crucial that the verdict of her exile is announced concurrently with the briefing on the curse, along with a call for candidates to apply for the position of Luna.” James spoke cautiously.

He knew the Alpha was hurting already for having lost his fated Luna, and that his pressing on, would make him appear callous and insensitive. But he couldn't just let things slide, there was too much at stake already. It was a sensitive topic but one that needed to be addressed nonetheless.

Ethan looked at Arnold, and said with a straight face, devoid of any emotions, “So be it, include it.”

He may have poised a font of nonchalance, but deep down he was hurting. He felt very helpless. But he knew the elders were not wrong, this was a decision he knew had to be taken.

“Adrienne, I pray you forgive me someday,” he prayed inwardly. He knew it was a futile prayer, because if the case were to be reversed, he would find it difficult to do so. But he still had to say it nonetheless, it was better than doing nothing.

…

The representatives from each Clan of Grimstone Pack gathered outside the confines of the Royal Stronghold. No one dared to miss, as they were all consumed with curiosity. Ever since the emergence of the pandemic, there has been a prevalence of only two activities in the Pack: Quarantine regulations and rumours.

There had been so many versions of rumors circulating around, as everyone had their own speculations to make. That was why when they were all summoned for a meeting with the Alpha, they rushed over with welcoming hearts.

“Members of the Grimstone Packs, you’re welcome!” Ethan bellowed, his Alpha dominance sweeping over the entire crowd and bringing peace and quiet to the surroundings.

“You are all aware of the numerous changes in our Pack. And I’m sure this has incited a lot of questions among you. But fear not, for today, we are here to answer all your questions.”

He signaled on Arnold to come forward and addressed the crowd.

“Dear Grimstone citizens, the pandemic we faced was as a result of our Pack being inflicted with a curse. We were cursed because of a young lady named Adrienne, who tricked our dear Alpha, pretending to be his fated mate. The curse was a warning against our Alpha’s union with her, and it can only be cured with the union of our Alpha with his real fated Luna.”

"We have a Lupus Regalis to this effect,” Arnold proclaimed. “The first verdict; Adrienne is exiled from the Pack, for her treachery and deception towards the Pack, by tricking our dear Alpha, and pretending to be his fated mate”

He glanced over at Ethan, only to see a poker face. He nodded towards him without turning his face, urging him to continue.

“The second verdict; we need a candidate for the position of Luna of the Pack. The criteria is that she must be of pure heart, untainted purity, and have a selfless disposition towards the welfare of the Pack.”

These two verdicts will take effect immediately, but will commence tomorrow. Adrienne will be escorted out of the Pack tomorrow morning, never to return. And the test for the new Luna will equally begin tomorrow as well.

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