Calla Lily

I am the Luna ⚪️

   The pack house looked imposing. Large marble steps, marble columns, it was similar to the one at home, as Sorren would insist my old home. I faltered at the top of the stairs causing Sorren to pause. "Calla?" He asked not frustrated or hostile, just concerned. My gaze cut to him nervously "Take a deep breath." He said his hand hovering over the small of my back. I nodded inhaling deeply before continuing on. The entrance hall was grand, the floors marble, the walls a deep green with gold flaking details. The ceiling was large and vaulted with a mural of the moon goddess and what looked to be a garden painted beautifully. The mural seemed to almost move as I stared up at it being guided by Sorren across the large open space. "Calla, step." I brought my attention back to where I was walking and stepped up just in time "Sorry." I mumbled which earned me a chuckle.
  We made our way down a long hallway stopping in another smaller foyer with similar opulence, a crystal chandelier, the continued dark green wall paper, and a checkered pattered marble floor. Two large dark mahogany doors loomed infront of me as we stopped. "Through there is the council chamber."  Sorren said in a whisper, I assumed that was due to the wolves that sat within that room, waiting for me. "They have requested a private audience with you." I turned to look up at him with wide eyes. "Alone? You didn't tell me it was alone." I said in a whisper. "I was trying to insist that I should go with you but I could not change their minds. I'm sorry." My heart was racing even more than before.
The chamber door suddenly opened jarring me from my thoughts. Azalea stepped out of the room and made her way over to me. "Calla, you're going to do just fine." She said taking in my nervous expression "Why didn't you say they were questioning you?" I asked surprised "I was summoned today when I dropped you off at home. I didn't want to worry you. They're ready for you." Azalea said placing her hands on my shoulders "What all did they ask you?" I asked slightly panicked. "You'll be okay." She said ignoring my question. I swallowed thickly. "I'll be out here waiting for you Calla." I turned to Sorren and nodded "Okay." Azalea moved to push open the large door and I entered into the council chamber alone.
My steps echoed on the smooth floor the only sound in the large chamber. The marble continued from the grand entrance and hallway into this room. Wolves were carved into the pillars that stretched up to the large domed glass ceiling which let the last rays of the dying sun trickle in as thick clouds rolled in and moon rose. The next full moon was tomorrow, a thought for another time. My eyes wandered finding empty mahogany benches at the back of the room matching the large elevated bench that the elders sat on. There were 7 of them, all men, with gray hair and narrowed eyes. I tried not to look afraid but my I believe I failed as I came to stop infront of the imposing men hands clasped tightly infront of me to keep from fidgeting.
  "Luna." They all said in unison their heads bowed slightly in acknowledgment, in respect. I nodded my head slightly in response "Hello." My voice carried echoing throughout the space softly but not weakly. "It is only just recently that we became aware of you." The elder in the middle spoke. He sat slightly raised from the rest, so I assumed he was the leader. "Alpha Sorren has hidden you from his advisors, from his pack. As is his right to do as he pleases, you are his mate, his infidelity is a disgrace and not tolerated. It is a mockery of the most sacred of bonds bestowed upon a couple by the moon goddess." I swallowed thickly my heart was pounding. "It is only through his infidelity that we discovered you. Tell me, how are your injuries?"
  I was slightly taken back by his question "I'm healing slowly." I answered with a nod. "We are all glad to hear that." All of the elders nodded at this. "It has come to our understanding that you rejected Alpha Sorren." It was not a question but a statement. "Yes." I confirmed. "After he shifted to save you from his brother." Again I confirmed his statement. "And this happened on pack land?" I clenched my jaw thinking of that day, the cold water on my feet, the snapping of bones, the pure adrenaline as I ran for my life. "Yes, behind Sorren's house. We were taking a walk, and Aziel appeared. He started the fight. I ran from them." One elder shifted in his seat and my eyes flicked to them before the man in charge spoke again. "To the next territory." He said. "Yes, that is when I rejected him." quiet murmurs between the men as I spoke those words which made me shift uncomfortably. "Have you ever seen a wolf shift before that moment?" Another elder asked. "No." I said not sure how this pertains to the act of infidelity that almost killed me. Why did they care about if I'd seen a wolf shift? "So that is why you rejected him?" The leader asked.
My gaze wandered to a point on the table infront of the elder, my eyes not quite meeting his. This is the answer that would decide everything, what was the right answer and what was wrong? Was there a wrong answer? Sorren certainly said there was, he said we needed a united front, to appear as a team, to project stability. However they already knew there was no stability, right? I had rejected him.
"Luna Calla, does Alpha Sorren abuse you?" An old man at the end of the table asked his voice almost gentle his glare softened into concern. I took a deep breath "Well, I-" I paused uncertain "Not according to your laws." The man inclined his head. "You said as Sorren's mate he is free to do as he pleases with me." I looked back to the elder in charge "I am not free to leave as I please to visit my family, my friends, go to college, deny his advances." I was interrupted "Has he advanced onto you?" The leader asked "Of course that is all you hear." I said before I could stop myself. He leveled a glare "No he has not." The leader nodded "You are not marked I assumed as such." He said almost dismissively. "That is not of our concern Magnus"another elder spoke. The leader, Magnus turned and gestured to the kinder man at the end of the table "You are right it is not. It was Talon who raised the question which would in fact require bodily harm and proof of threat to life." I could've scoffed it's good to know that I had to be within an inch of my life for anyone to step in and see anything wrong with abuse.
  "That brings us to this act of infidelity. Alpha Sorren informed us it occurred after your rejection, your hospital records have been shared with us and testimony from the pack doctor and pack nurses have been received. We have concluded that this was not an attempt on your life due to the testimonies given. If Alpha Sorren was not an Alpha this could be forgiven, however he is Alpha and should hold himself to a higher standard. Charlotte will be exiled from the pack. Both of you must make appearances at all pack events and be present at all pack meetings. Alpha Sorren will make a public statement of apology. You both will also be monitored and it will be expected that you will be mated and marked within the month or as soon as your injuries allow for." My lips parted in surprise as he spoke. That is why he asked how my injuries were so he could establish a timeline of when Sorren and I should have sex.
"How fast Sorren and I's relationship moves is none of your business." I ground out. "It is. The state of your relationship directly impacts the stability of the pack. Now people are uncertain and with uncertainty brings panic." Magnus said. "I will go to pack events and meetings gladly to present a united front and support the members of this pack who have been nothing but kind to me, but I will not fuck Sorren because you told me to." Magnus clenched his jaw "I advise you to watch your tongue. You will do as we order we are the council of this pack." Magnus said "And I am the Luna!" I yelled. As I did so Magnus was ready to rebut but faltered just for a moment.
The clouds had shifted allowing moonlight to filter in through the glass bathing me in light. The door opened behind me, I assumed it was Sorren upon hearing me yell, but he said nothing as well. "As Luna I will not be treated as a child. My old life is gone and that is something I am learning to accept and I will do that in my own time. The standard at which you allow for women to be treated in this pack is shameful perhaps you should look into human law perhaps you could learn something about respect." Magnus slammed his hands down on the table. "You dare-" he began and I cut him off "I do. You will pardon Charlotte and allow her to stay in the pack and you will keep your nose out of me and Sorren's relationship. I'll only require your assistance if he beats me within an inch of my life. That's your threshold for intervention right?"
I turned my back on the council my eyes locking onto Sorren and began to make my way to him "Luna Calla you were not dismissed!" Magnus boomed. As I reached Sorren he out stretched an arm ushering me to his side to which I did not object. Sorren steered us out of the council chamber pausing at Azalea and Jaden who looked to me with concern "Sorren I need to get out of here." My hands were shaking from the adrenaline of the interaction and I worried what would happen once it wore off. "We will see you later." Sorren said. Azalea stepped forward quickly wrapping me in a hug "Good job." She said. Sorren and I stepped out into the night and made our way to the car. Something I noticed, the moon was hidden behind the dense clouds. As we reached the car Sorren opened my door and I climbed in settling into the passenger's seat slowly.
    "Are you alright?" He asked. I nodded silent as he pulled out of the parking spot. My hands sat still trembling in my lap as I thought over what I had just done, over what had just been said to me. Sorren reached over and grabbed one of my shaking hands softly. I looked over at him and he gave me a small smile "You're okay. You did a good job." He said. "I didn't tread lightly." I let my anger get the better of me. "No definitely not but I'm glad you didn't." He said. I squeezed his large warm hand in my own smaller one.