Chapter 100
Her dark curls caught the light as she twisted mid-air, feet above the floor, the natural bronze highlights gleaming just as she dodged the boulder and landed in a smooth arch.
The boulder collided with the reinforced metal wall with a resounding blow that shook the whole mansion.
I caught the sounds of gasps when she shifted—almost easing off her wolf as she shifted back to her human form.
She stood straight, not flinching from the deafening sound of the impact behind her.
But it was not simply her agility and body control that made the entire room of council members shift forward in their seats—it was her ambiance. The way her back remained straight, her eyes forward, blank, her breathing controlled like that had not been the thirteenth boulder she had dodged like it was nothing.
She looked like a force, radiating a foreign energy that would make the hairs of any opponent stand erect.
But I had glimpsed this side of her before—not in the Umbra Realm. I had seen shots and videos of her in the Terra Realm.
Dressed not in black latex molded to every curve and angle of her body, but instead in her team’s loose uniform.
I’d watched her face opponents then, catching glimmers of what she was even then.
Now, she was simply sharpened. Especially since she’d found her wolf—it was expected that she would find her lycan flow as she had found her human one.
But her eyes—they had dimmed.
I forced my gaze away from the screen to see the reaction of the Concord. All of them had their eyes glued to the screen for the thirty minutes since the video began.
The montage had displayed just how much of a weapon Lilith had become. How far she’d come in such a short time.
Dmitri had done his job well. Perhaps too well.
Because now they saw what I saw.
Not a marked hybrid playing at being strong.
But a threat.
A force that could not be controlled, could not be predicted, could not be dismissed.
“Impressive,” Alpha Asken said finally, breaking the silence. His eyes remained fixed on the frozen image of Lilith, mid-dodge, body a perfect line of controlled power. “Very impressive p>
“Unprecedented,” Alpha Nasir added. “For a hybrid to achieve this level of combat proficiency in—what? Three weeks p>
“Two and a half,” I corrected, keeping my voice neutral.
Murmurs rippled through the room.
“And the wolf integration?” Alpha Yelena leaned forward. “She shifts seamlessly. No hesitation. No struggle.” Yelene barely spoke at meetings.
Another testament to how impressive Liliith was.
“Kaia is… cooperative,” I said carefully. “More so than expected for a newly awakened wolf p>
“I do hope she is not being worked like a mule p>
The room went silent.
Caesar raised a brow in question, like he didn’t know the weight of his own thoughtless insinuation. “What? I just wanted to be sure we have the full picture p>
I narrowed my eyes but Alpha Kavriel beat me to speaking. “She seems to be doing just fine from where I stand p>
Caesar’s face remained blank, trying to hide his true emotion behind a mask and failing.
The muscle in his jaw had not stopped ticking.
“These things can be quite subjective, High Alpha. Maybe it is something that he noticed that we all didn’t.” Kustav of course had to butt in to sow more discord. “You do know he knew her before and far longer than you p>
He wanted to draw me out but I was not something to be baited. “I am inclined to agree,” I replied, turning to Caesar to give him the floor.
“She is not happy.” He replied.
Silence drenched the room again.
And he took it as his cue to continue. “Her eyes have never looked so—dull. And I would know after what her so-called family put her through. Her eyes have never lost their light to this extent.” There was an edge of smugness to his tone that grated on me but I refused to show it that said p>
You could never know her like I do p>
“And I understand that as a lycan. I do not expect you to be maudlin enough to read her emotions but I think it is worth pointing out especially since bonds are an integral part of this plan p>
Kustav found his spot right there and I could see it coming. “Her prowess and control over her wolf heritage is no doubt strong.” A feigned lachymose expression crossed his face. “I know where she got it from p>
I wanted to vomit.
“But her emotional state is tantamount to her success in the Luna Duel,” Kustav continued, his voice dripping with false concern. “A wolf in distress is unpredictable. Dangerous. To herself and others p>
“Her emotional state,” I said, my voice cutting through the room like frost, “is none of your concern. Her performance is p>
Silence.
I watched my two obvious opponents recalibrate.
They were not backing down.
The Onyx Concord had always been a game of chess.
“She’s exceeded every benchmark. Surpassed every expectation. In two and a half weeks, she’s achieved what takes most lycans years.” I leaned forward, letting the weight of my authority fill the space. “If you have concerns about her capability, voice them now. If you’re questioning her emotional fitness because it suits your political agenda, I suggest you reconsider p>
Several council members shifted.
But Caesar didn’t back down.
“Capability isn’t the issue, High Alpha.” His tone remained measured, but there was steel underneath. “The Luna Duel is merely the first step. She must ascend. You know this. We all know this p>
The room went still.
Because he was right.
The Luna Duel would prove her worthy to stand as my mate in title.
But the Ascension—that was what mattered.
That was what would give her the power to repair the Veil.
And Ascension required more than physical prowess.
It required emotional stability. Wholeness of her soul, A bond that would be a catalyst.
“The Ascension,” Kustav said slowly, sensing an opening, “requires a fully realized bond. A Luna who is not just marked, but connected. Emotionally. Spiritually. How can she ascend when the bond is lacking? When her eyes look like—” he gestured to the screen, “—that p>