Rejected And Reborn As The Alpha King's Luna

Chapter 60: The Vampire Lord's Claim

POV: Luna

The vampire army was a nightmare made of flesh. I stood on the walls of Silver Moon pack territory, watching them assemble in the darkness beyond our borders. Hundreds of them, pale and beautiful and deadly. They moved with inhuman grace, their red eyes glowing in the moonlight like demons from ancient stories.

At their center stood their leader, and he was the most terrifying of all. Lord Erebus Ravencrest looked like a fallen angel. Silver hair fell past his shoulders, contrasting sharply with blood red eyes. He wore elegant black clothing that belonged in a palace, not a battlefield. But the power radiating from him made every wolf present instinctively step back.

Eight hundred years old, the whispers said. Ancient beyond measure, cruel beyond imagination.

"They're going to attack," Sage said beside me, her hand on her sword hilt. "We should prepare defenses."

"Defenses won't help," I replied quietly. "There are too many of them, and they're too strong. If they attack, we lose."

Sage's jaw tightened, but she didn't argue. She knew I was right.

Below us, the Wolf Council had assembled in the courtyard. All five Alphas, plus Xavier, Theo, and Thelma who'd been brought from her cell under heavy guard. The entire pack gathered around them, waiting to hear what would happen next.

A vampire stepped forward from Ravencrest's army, moving to the boundary line but not crossing. His voice carried with unnatural clarity.

"Lord Erebus Ravencrest, Master of the Northern Covens, seeks parley with the Wolf Council. He offers terms."

Alpha Celeste stepped forward, her ancient power meeting the vampire's challenge. "Speak your terms."

The vampire smiled, showing fangs. "Surrender the twins, Thelma and Theo Rivers, to our custody. They possess blood that belongs to vampire kind by ancient right. Give them to us, and we depart peacefully. Refuse, and we take them by force, along with the lives of every wolf in this territory."

Gasps rippled through the crowd. I felt cold dread settle in my stomach.

"What claim do you have on them?" Celeste demanded.

"Their Alpha bloodline stems from a vampire-wolf hybrid born five centuries ago. By ancient law and blood contract, all descendants of that union belong to the vampire covens. The twins must be surrendered for appropriate training and integration into vampire society."

Training and integration. Everyone knew what that really meant. Enslavement at best, death at worst. Vampires collected powerful supernatural beings like art pieces, using them as weapons or draining their power slowly over decades.

"That's insane," Theo shouted. "We're wolves, not vampires. We belong to no one."

"Your blood says otherwise," the vampire replied. "But Lord Ravencrest is willing to present evidence if the Council requires it."

Celeste turned to the other Council members. "We must convene immediately."

They moved into a tight circle, speaking in low urgent voices. I could see the divide forming already. Thorne kept glancing at the vampire army with barely concealed fear. Damien's expression was calculating, seeing opportunities in the chaos.

Xavier stood close to Thelma, his body angled protectively even as he argued with the Council. I couldn't hear his words from this distance, but his intent was clear. He would fight to keep Thelma safe. The Council broke apart, their decision made.

"We will hear Lord Ravencrest's evidence," Celeste announced. "But we make no promises."

The vampire smiled and retreated. Moments later, Lord Ravencrest himself approached the boundary. He stopped precisely at the line, neither crossing nor retreating, a predator observing prey.

"Honored Alphas," he said, his voice smooth as silk and cold as winter. "How delightful to meet you. It's been, what, two centuries since I last dealt with wolf packs? You've grown so numerous."

"State your claim," Celeste said coldly.

Ravencrest pulled a scroll from his coat, ancient parchment that looked ready to crumble. He unrolled it carefully.

"A blood contract, signed five hundred years ago by the hybrid known as Shadowfang and the Vampire Council of that era. It states clearly that any descendants of Shadowfang's line would be returned to vampire society for proper cultivation of their gifts."

He held up the scroll, and even from the walls, I could see the dark stains on it. Blood, used to seal the contract with magic that would last centuries.

Celeste's face went pale. "I knew Shadowfang. He fought beside me in the Great War. He chose wolf society, rejected his vampire heritage."

"And yet he signed this contract," Ravencrest replied. "Perhaps under duress, perhaps willingly. It matters not. The contract is binding."

"He's been dead for four hundred years," Theo said. "Why come for us now?"

Ravencrest's smile was chilling. "Because I only recently discovered you existed. Shadowfang hid his descendants well, scattered them among various packs, obscuring their lineage. But power like yours cannot stay hidden forever. When rumors reached me of twin Alphas with unprecedented strength, I investigated. And here we are."

He produced a small crystal vial. "If you doubt my claim, test their blood. It will show the vampire heritage mixed with wolf."

Celeste took the vial reluctantly. She turned to Thelma and Theo. "May I?"

Both twins nodded. Celeste pricked their fingers, letting a drop of blood from each fall into the vial. The crystal began to glow, showing swirling patterns of silver and red. Wolf and vampire, mixed in their veins.

The proof was undeniable.

"No," Xavier said flatly. "I don't care about ancient contracts or blood heritage. They're wolves. They belong here."

"The True Alpha speaks," Ravencrest said, his red eyes focusing on Xavier with interest. "How fascinating. I haven't seen one of your kind in three centuries. Tell me, young Alpha, do you truly think you can stand against eight hundred years of vampire power?"

"If I have to," Xavier replied.

Ravencrest laughed, a sound like breaking glass. "Admirable. Foolish, but admirable."

Thorne stepped forward, his voice sharp with barely controlled panic. "We cannot fight an army of vampires. The Council must be practical. Two lives against thousands, it's simple mathematics."

"You want to surrender them," Xavier said, disgusted in his voice.

"I want to save the pack," Thorne shot back. "What do you want, True Alpha? A glorious death defending criminals who were going to be executed anyway?"

The words hung in the air like poison. Several pack members murmured agreement. The logic was brutal but sound.