Chapter 99: Chapter 99: Council of Elders

Lila’s POV

The heavy obsidian doors of the council hall slowly closed behind us, shutting out the outside light. Only the faint, pale blue phosphorus flames burning on the surrounding rock walls remained. There were no windows here. The air, thick with the mixed scent of old parchment and some ancient incense, was so heavy it was hard to breathe.

Jasper’s hand was still holding mine tightly, the warmth of his palm chasing away the subterranean chill. I followed beside him, a little self-consciously. I was wearing a deep purple gown he had someone send over. The silk felt smooth and cool, its hem trailing on the ground with a faint rustle. The Hale Family emerald necklace around my neck was heavy, its weight making it a little hard to breathe, as if it were a constant reminder of my current status—the Wolf King’s mate.

Jasper was dressed in a black, gold-trimmed robe, his cloak embroidered with an intricate wolf-head totem that glinted with a cold, hard light under the phosphorus flames. He walked with an incredibly steady gait, each step feeling as if it landed on one’s very heart. Along the way, all the guards and servants knelt on one knee, their right hands over their chests, their breathing hushed to a whisper. That sense of absolute, suffocating submission made me feel both safe and terrified.

’I had never seen this side of Jasper. In our room, he could be gentle, even a little coaxing. But here, on the path to the heart of power, he was the true Wolf King, a ruler who could make people kneel with a single glance.’

“Don’t be afraid,” he said suddenly, turning his head to whisper to me. His voice echoed faintly in the vast council hall. “I’m here.”

I gave a small nod, my fingers unconsciously tightening on his sleeve.

From the shadows on the high dais, Great Elder Darius slowly rose to his feet. His eyes, sharp as a falcon’s, pierced through the dim light and landed squarely on me, filled with unconcealed scrutiny and… displeasure.

“Your Majesty, the Wolf King,” he said, his voice hoarse and imperious, like two rocks grinding together. “Bringing a ’mutt’ who hasn’t even awakened her wolf blood into the council hall… are you trying to desecrate this sacred ground?”

My heart sank. I instinctively tried to pull back, but Jasper’s grip on my hand only tightened.

“She is the heir to the Priest’s bloodline, Darius,” Jasper’s voice was as cold and hard as iron, without a single ripple of emotion. “According to the pure-blood doctrine you so fervently believe in, her lineage is both rare and noble, is it not? Besides, you once promised me you would help her break the seal. What, is the Great Elder planning to go back on his word?”

Great Elder Darius’s expression shifted slightly, a hint of embarrassment and anger showing through his stern facade. He snorted coldly, his gaze raking across my face like a blade. “I will naturally keep my promise. The Priest’s bloodline is of great use to the Wolf Clan; I will not allow her to remain so weak. But that does not mean I approve of her current state.”

“Whether you approve or not is irrelevant.” Jasper led me straight to the wolf-head totem in the center of the hall, looking down on the elders on the dais. “What’s important is that three days from now, on the night of the full moon, Lila and I will hold our wedding. The whole world will know that she is the Queen of the Wolf Clan.”

“Absurd!” A radical elder slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet. “I heard she was held captive by Derek for days! We don’t even know if she’s still… pure. You’re in such a hurry to hold a wedding—careful you don’t end up a cuckold!”

“You needn’t worry about that.” Jasper’s gaze swept over every elder, finally landing on the Great Elder and the Wise Man, Silas. “Immediately after the wedding, we will perform the ’Moon Crown Ceremony.’ The Great Elder and Teacher Silas will personally bless her and help her awaken.”

The Wise Man, Silas, slowly opened his eyes. Within their cloudy depths, the paths of stars seemed to be reflected. He nodded slightly in agreement. “The auspicious energy of a wedding can mitigate the risks of the ceremony. This course of action is feasible.”

Great Elder Darius’s face, however, remained grim. “The wedding can proceed, but the Moon Crown Ceremony…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, stopping abruptly. He stared intently at my hand—or to be precise, at my ring finger.

“Where is the ring?” he demanded, his voice sharp, with a barely perceptible tremor. “Where is the ’Tear of the Moon God’?”

I froze, instinctively raising my hand. My ring finger was bare. Only the emerald necklace shimmered with a cold light in the gloom.

“’Tear of the Moon God’…” I repeated numbly, my mind a complete blank.

Jasper’s expression remained steady. He took my hand, raised it, and showed it to all the elders.

“The ’Tear of the Moon God’ was lost when she was kidnapped.” His voice was terrifyingly low, each word seeming to be forced through gritted teeth. “Derek took it.”

The council hall fell deathly silent, and then erupted into a violent commotion.

“What?!”

“What in the world is Derek trying to do?!”

“That Holy Artifact disappears after a single use!”

Great Elder Darius shot to his feet, his body trembling slightly with rage. He pointed at me, his voice sharp and severe. “The ’Tear of the Moon God’ is the Holy Artifact of the Priest’s lineage and the core of the Moon Crown Ceremony! Without it, the ceremony’s Spiritual Power cannot be focused! Without it, how do you expect her to withstand the violent Moonlight Power?!”

I flinched at his shouting, instinctively hiding behind Jasper.

“Without it, the ceremony’s Spiritual Power will become violent and chaotic,” the Great Elder’s voice lowered, carrying a note of desperate warning. “Not only might it fail to break the seal, but it could even outright destroy her mind! The risk is too great! I absolutely will not agree to this!”

“This is my decision,” Jasper said, looking at him coldly, his gaze unyielding. “She is the heir to the Priest’s bloodline, and she is my wife. The Moon Crown Ceremony must be performed.”

“You’re sending her to her death!” the Great Elder roared. “Without the Holy Artifact, the ceremony is suicide!”

“Perhaps… there is another way.”

The ever-silent Wise Man, Silas, suddenly spoke, his voice ancient and distant. The council hall instantly fell quiet, and all eyes focused on him.

Silas walked slowly over to me and placed a withered hand gently on my wrist. A gentle power probed my body, filling me with a sense of warmth.

“Use the Wolf King’s blood essence, combined with a collective blessing from the Elder Council, to forcibly construct a Spiritual Power core.” Silas’s voice was soft, but his words exploded like thunder in the hall. “The Wolf King’s blood essence is the noblest power in the Wolf Clan. Perhaps it can substitute for the ’Tear of the Moon God’ and guide the Moonlight Power.”

Great Elder Darius’s expression changed. “Use the Wolf King’s blood essence? That would consume a massive amount of his Origin Power! It could even affect his lifespan! Besides, what are the chances of success?”

Silas was silent for a moment before saying slowly, “Fifty percent.”

“Fifty percent?!” The Great Elder scoffed. “To gamble the Wolf King’s life and the future of the entire Wolf Clan on a mere fifty-percent chance of success? That’s preposterous!”

“Fifty percent is enough.”

Jasper’s voice cut off the Great Elder’s objection. He looked at me, his eyes holding not a trace of hesitation, only a tenderness that was almost resolute.

“Prepare the ceremony,” he said to the Great Elder, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Even if it’s only fifty percent, I’m going to try.”

“Jasper, you’re insane!” the Great Elder roared. “You are the foundation of the Wolf Clan! Is it worth it, for a Priest’s descendant who has amnesia and no Holy Artifact?!”

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