The lost mate

Chapter 134: Council in Chaos

"How could Blaze escape?" Damien’s voice was sharp, demanding answers from the council. His gaze moved from one council member to the next, seeking any sign of an explanation. But the faces of the Alphas were tight-lipped, their expressions grim. Cecilia, Maria, Daniel, Anton, and Marcus all remained quiet, the weight of their failure heavy in the air.

"This is exactly what I came here to discuss," Liana said, her eyes narrowing in frustration as she glanced around the table. "The council’s failures."

A few council members shifted uncomfortably in their seats, but Liana didn’t stop.

"You couldn’t stop Jackson from interfering in our pack," she continued, her voice rising. "And now this—Blaze is slipping through your fingers. If you can’t manage the rogues in your custody or keep a tyrant Alpha like Jackson in check, then what is the council even here for?"

Alpha Maria, who had been quiet, suddenly sat forward, her brow furrowing in irritation. "Liana, that’s uncalled for. Blaze is Richard’s brother and you family. Its your family matter. The council should not be blamed for personal disputes between pack members."

"Uncalled for?" Liana shot back, her tone sharp. "You’ve failed, Maria. You’ve all failed. This council was supposed to be the governing body to protect the packs and prevent situations like this. Instead, we’ve had to fend for ourselves. Do you know how close Jackson came to tearing our pack apart? And now Blaze is loose, and you have no answers."

The council members bristled at her words. Alpha Marcus glared across the table, his voice a low growl. "This isn’t just about your pack, Liana. You’ve always tried to dominate these meetings. You’ve been pushing your influence, trying to make decisions for the rest of us."

Liana’s eyes flashed, but before she could respond, Alpha Daniel spoke, his voice calm but accusatory. "Let’s not forget, Liana, that you’ve been known to take matters into your own hands without consulting us. You think because you’re a respected Luna that you can make demands, but this council is about balance, not dominance."

The council room, which should have been a place of solutions, was quickly descending into chaos. The other Alphas were throwing accusations, their words bouncing off the walls like arrows, and Liana wasn’t backing down.

"I don’t care about your accusations!" Liana shot back at Daniel, her voice rising in frustration.

"You all sit here, clinging to some notion of balance and governance, but when it comes down to it, you haven’t been able to protect us. How can any of us trust your leadership?"

Alpha Anton, usually the calmest of the council, raised a hand to silence the rising tide of voices, but it was too late. Alpha Marcus slammed his fist on the table. "You’ve overstepped, Liana. You’ve always been ambitious, but trying to undermine this council isn’t going to work."

"Undermine?" Liana scoffed. "If I were trying to undermine this council, I’d have done it a long time ago. No—this is about accountability. You failed us, and now you’re trying to cover it up by blaming me!"

Damien’s patience finally snapped. He stepped forward, his voice firm and cutting through the noise like a whip. "Enough!" His tone commanded attention, and the room fell silent as all eyes turned to him.

"There’s no point in arguing here," he continued, his voice steady but intense. "Blaze is out there right now, and he’s a threat to every pack. While you’re all busy trading blame and pointing fingers, he’s planning his next move."

Liana opened her mouth to speak, but Damien held up a hand to stop her. "Mother, this isn’t about Jackson or the council’s past failures. Right now, we need to focus on what matters—securing our pack."

Damien took a deep breath, calming his frustration as the Alphas seemed to finally refocus. "But there’s another reason I came here today," he continued, his voice steady but firm. "I want to discuss a proposal that I believe can benefit not just our pack but all the packs."

The council members, still shaken by the earlier argument, turned their attention to him.

"I want to organise a grand mating ceremony," Damien announced, his eyes sweeping the room, taking in each of the council members. "A large, unified event for all the packs, where our people can come together and find their true mates."

There was a brief silence, and then Alpha Maria tilted her head, intrigued. "A mating ceremony? That’s an interesting idea, Damien...But why now?"

Damien glanced at his mother before continuing. "This isn’t just about bringing our people together for the sake of finding mates. We’ve seen how divided the packs have become. This ceremony can be a way to bring unity. And beyond that, it gives us a chance to strengthen bonds between packs. Strengthen alliances."

Alpha Anton nodded slowly, his calm demeanour returning as he considered the proposal. "There’s merit in that. It could help stabilise things, especially in a time like this."

Alpha Cecilia, her voice calm but cautious, interjected. "But what if something goes wrong? What if, despite our precautions, Blaze uses this event as an opportunity to strike? Do we have a contingency plan?"

"We’ll make sure nothing goes wrong," Damien responded confidently. "We’ll have warriors on standby at every turn, with constant communication between the packs. If Blaze or anyone else dares to try something, we’ll be ready. And this time, we won’t let him slip away."

The council exchanged glances, clearly weighing the risks and rewards of such a bold move. Alpha Anton leant forward, his voice measured but thoughtful. "I think Damien’s right. We’ve spent too much time reacting to threats. It’s time we take the initiative. If we stand united now, we might just prevent further chaos from unfolding."

Liana folded her arms and glanced around the room, the fire in her eyes dimming as the council seemed to shift into a more productive discussion. "It’s settled, then. We will move forward with the grand mating ceremony."

The council nodded in agreement, the tension that had filled the room now replaced with determination.