Rejected And Reborn As The Alpha King's Luna

Chapter 58: True Alpha Rising

POV: Theo

The entire pack was in chaos. I stood in the main hall, watching wolves rush past in panic and excitement. News of Xavier's True Alpha awakening had spread faster than wildfire. Everyone was talking about it, arguing about it, trying to understand what it meant.

"A True Alpha hasn't been seen in over a century," one elder muttered.

"It's impossible. He's not even Alpha born."

"But we all felt it. That power, it was real."

I pushed through the crowd, heading toward the Council chamber. Luna caught up with me, her face flushed from running.

"Theo, what's happening? I heard Xavier awakened as a True Alpha."

"He did. Right in front of everyone. When Damien tried to strike Thelma, something in Xavier just exploded. Power like I've never seen before."

Luna's eyes widened. "True Alphas are awakened through selfless sacrifice. Xavier was willing to die to protect her."

"Even though he doesn't remember loving her," I said. "His soul knows what his mind forgot."

We reached the Council chamber just as the emergency session was starting. Guards tried to stop us, but I pushed past them.

"I have a right to be here. My sister is the one on trial."

Alpha Celeste, seated at the head of the table, nodded. "Let them enter. This concerns them directly."

I took a position along the wall with Luna beside me. The five Council Alphas sat around the table, tension thick enough to cut. Xavier stood in the center, still radiating that impossible power. He'd shifted back to human form but the golden glow in his eyes remained.

Elder Thorne looked furious, his face red with barely controlled rage. Damien sat rigid, his expression unreadable.

"We are here to address an unprecedented situation," Celeste began, her ancient voice commanding silence. "Xavier Blackwood has awakened as a True Alpha. This changes everything."

"It changes nothing," Thorne snapped. "He's been compromised by dark magic. That's the only explanation for why he'd protect a murderer."

"She's not a murderer," Xavier said quietly, but his voice carried absolute authority. "The evidence against her is fabricated. The trial is political, designed to eliminate someone the Council sees as a threat."

"You don't even remember her," Damien said coldly. "You admitted your memories were taken. How can you defend someone you don't know?"

"Because I know justice when I see it. And this isn't justice."

Celeste studied Xavier with those ancient, knowing eyes. "A True Alpha awakening is sacred. It represents the purest form of our kind, power earned through selfless love and sacrifice. The fact that Xavier's wolf chose this moment, chose to awaken when protecting Thelma, speaks volumes."

"It speaks to dark magic manipulation," Thorne insisted.

"No," Celeste said firmly. "True Alpha awakenings cannot be forced or faked. The transformation only happens when someone is willing to give their life for another, with no thought of personal gain. Xavier's awakening is legitimate."

One of the other Council members, an older woman named Alpha Vera, spoke up. "If Xavier is truly a True Alpha, his judgment carries weight. If he believes Thelma is innocent, we must consider it."

"I vote for her immediate release," Celeste said.

"Absolutely not," Thorne countered. "I vote to continue the trial as planned."

"As do I," Damien added.

The other two Alphas exchanged glances. Alpha Vera nodded slowly. "I vote for release."

The fifth Alpha, a quiet man named Marcus Grey, frowned. "I abstain. I need more evidence before deciding."

"That's a deadlock," Celeste said. "Three for continued trial, two for release, one abstention."

"Then the trial continues," Thorne said, satisfaction in his voice.

Xavier's power flared, making the room tremble slightly. "If you continue this sham of justice, I'll leave Silver Moon pack. I'll form my own pack, and I'll take anyone who believes in actual fairness with me."

Damien stood abruptly. "You'd abandon your pack? Your family?"

"You're not my family," Xavier said quietly. "You admitted that yourself. And a pack that executes innocent wolves for politics isn't one I want to be part of."

The words hung in the air like a death sentence for Silver Moon pack. Losing a True Alpha would be devastating, both practically and symbolically.

"Return Thelma to her cell," Celeste ordered. "But treat her with respect. She is under a True Alpha's protection now. We reconvene tomorrow at dawn to continue deliberations."

Guards moved to escort Xavier out, but he shook them off and walked toward the prison building himself. I followed with Luna.

"That was brave," Luna said to Xavier. "Standing up to the Council like that."

"It wasn't bravery. It was a necessity." Xavier's jaw was tight. "Something is very wrong with this trial. I can feel it, even without my memories."

"What will you do if they find her guilty?" I asked.

Xavier stopped walking, turning to face me. His eyes still glowed with that golden light.

"I'll burn this pack to the ground before I let them execute an innocent woman."

The absolute certainty in his voice sent chills down my spine. This was what a True Alpha looked like. Not someone who ruled through fear or tradition, but someone who would sacrifice everything for what was right.

"I need to investigate Thorne," I said. "There's something off about him. The way he's pushing for Thelma's death, it's too personal."

"Do it," Xavier said. "Find anything you can. I'll stay with Thelma."

He walked toward the prison, leaving Luna and me alone.

"He loves her," Luna said softly. "Even without remembering, he loves her."

"I know. But love might not be enough to save her."

++++++

I spent the next hours digging through old pack records, searching for anything on Elder Thorne. Luna helped, her sharp eyes catching details I missed.

"Look at this," Luna said, pointing to financial records from several packs. "Thorne has been receiving payments from all of them. Large payments."

I leaned over her shoulder, studying the numbers. "That's not normal Council business. Those look like bribes."

"Or embezzlement." Luna flipped through more pages. "He's been siphoning money from pack funds for years. Small amounts from many packs, probably hoping no one would notice."

"If this got out, he'd be ruined. Removed from the Council, possibly executed."

Luna's eyes met mine. "That's why he wants Thelma dead so badly. She's not just a political threat. If she lives and gains power, she could expose all of this. She could destroy him."

Before I could respond, footsteps rushed into the room. A female warrior burst in, her face flushed with urgency. She was tall and fierce, with battle scars marking her arms.

"Luna, we have a problem," she said.

"Sage, what's wrong?"

So this was Sage, Luna's Beta. I'd heard about her, a legendary fighter who'd never lost a battle.