Moon of Misfortunes

28*

Rubio groaned, tossing a laptop off his lap roughly. His hands rubbed down his face in frustration as he sunk further into his seat, keeping his face caged in his hands. I raised an eyebrow, setting down a stack of applications for the initial High Council positions.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

"No," he mumbled. "I'm exhausted. I'm trying to make a framework for leadership, including the Royal lineage. It's complicated."

I laughed, pulling a chair over to sit beside him. "What do you have so far?"

He leaned forward in his chair, removing his hands from his face as he grabbed the laptop. After a few moments of scrolling, he reached the top of the document and sighed heavily.

"She wants to reinstate the Royal lineage," he groaned.

My forehead scrunched together in confusion. "The Royal lineage ended with the Queen, no?"

He shook his head, his mouth tight-lipped as he drew deep breaths. 

"The Royal lineage used to be Lycans, but they were overthrown. Someone snuck into the palace and poisoned the whole family. The extended family hid, but now they are ready to reclaim the throne."

"Who is reclaiming it?" I pressed, sensing the tension in his voice. He looked at me intently, his eyes dark with displeasure. 

"Jasper," he gritted out.

"You don't like him?" I asked, my curiosity piqued. Rubio leaned back, rubbing his temples as if trying to fight off a headache. 

"It's not just that I don't like him. Jasper is an... insufferable asshole. He was always power-hungry, even before the fall of the Royal family. He's the kind of leader who will do whatever it takes to stay in power, no matter the cost."

I frowned, processing this new information. "Why would Rosia want him to lead? Surely she knows about his reputation."

"She does," Rubio replied, his voice laced with bitterness. "But she's more focused on consolidating power. She thinks reinstating the Royal lineage will bring stability and legitimacy. And Jasper, with his ambition and cunning, fits perfectly into her plans."

"That doesn't bode well for us," I said, my voice dropping to a whisper.

"No, it doesn't," Rubio agreed. "But if we can make a strong Council, it can act as a counterbalance to Jasper."

"And what about Rosia? Why isn't she taking over the Royal lineage?" I asked, puzzled by her decision. Rubio shook his head, a mixture of frustration and bewilderment in his eyes. 

"Rosia is unpredictable," he admitted. "She wants to disappear with Theodore after the dust settles."

"Weird," I remarked, trying to wrap my head around her choice.

"Very," he huffed. "But that's Rosia for you. Anyway, how's the applicant pool looking?"

I sighed, glancing at the stack of applications on the table. 

"Mostly retired wolves, some Lycans, a few hybrids," I replied. "I think the Council would benefit from having diversity to keep it balanced. Same with the packs."

Rubio nodded in agreement. "I completely agree. The last thing we need is another homogeneous group of yes-men."

"I hope it works out," I say, a hint of uncertainty in my voice.

"It will," he assures me with a confident smile. "I'm also thinking about revitalizing the Academy."

I raise a brow at this, "The Academy?"