Chapter 48: *”…placed on her at birth.”*
If looks could kill, they would be looking at one dead Council Werewolf right now. Darien squeezed Serenity closer to his side so he wouldn’t do anything stupid. Like leap across the table and rip the Werewolf’s throat out for whatever he had done to his family.
Rankin sat in his chair and internally cursed Mikhail Windstorm viciously for having provided the Alpha with the needed paperwork. That Council Werewolf was unwaveringly loyal to Alpha Andrew and would follow his orders to the letter. That Council Werewolf had become a hindrance in the seniors of the Werewolf’s Council’s effort to reduce the Alpha of Alphas to nothing more than a figurehead.
The senior Council members wanted to be able to install their own chosen Werewolf as Alpha of Alphas, one obedient and loyal to them. Only by doing this could the Northmountain and Frost Clans rise to the top where they were meant to be. First, they had to finish off the disgraceful Heartsong Clan.
For their plan to destroy what was left of the Heartsong Clan to succeed, they needed Bettina to inherit everything from her father. Alora was never to know about the Will or receive anything that was left for her in it. Rankin cursed Mikhail Windstorm internally again for the generations of planning he had destroyed with his meddling.
There was still hope, as long as the titles were not certified by the Supernatural Council afterwards, then Alora could be stripped of her titles and position on a technicality. They then could have Bettina awarded her titles and position, with the reasoning that it was only until Alora was deemed fit enough to reclaim them.
Only they would never declare her fit enough to reclaim them. With this in mind, Rankin became amiable to Alpha Andrew’s demands and began to certify the transfer of title and position from Brodie Bloodmoon Heartsong to Alora Luna Heartsong
The documents were signed, initialed, and fingerprinted with blood. However, before the Werewolf Council member could make his escape, with the document he never intended to file properly, the Alpha ordered him to be witness to a blood oath.
‘No! Rankin yelled internally. A blood oath would make it harder if not impossible to strip Alora of her titles. Rankin wanted to get up and leave, but the Alpha bad used a command to keep him in his seat.
Rankin went to speak, but Luna Ember gave her own command, “You will remain silent till after Alora has made her blood oath to the Alpha of Alphas.” effectively muting him.
Alora was starting to feel a little floaty, like she was having an out of body experience. The ringing in her ears was getting louder, and a blackness was starting to edge her vision. Alora did what was asked of her and said the words she was told to say.
Her palm was cut, and pressed to the bloody palm of the Alpha’s, the oath spoken was, “I Alora Luna Heartsong swear my loyalty to the Alpha of Alphas as the Clan Alpha Alora Luna Heartsong of the Moon Mountain Pack.” Once she made her blood oath using her new title and position in the Pack, Alora felt a bond snap in place.
This bond was different from that bond that had bound her to the Pack with her first oath to the Alpha. This bond came with a rush of power and the weight of responsibility.
Rankin was very upset, everything was out of control. Not only was the title and position transfer successfully documented, but Alora had also made a blood oath to the Alpha with that title. Alora was now a Clan Alpha of the Moon Mountain Pack. Rankin thought this could not possibly get worse, until the Dragon Master spoke up again.
“As a member of the Supernatural Council, I can sign that blood oath certificate as the outside witness. Also, I have the paperwork that will certify her new position in the Moon Mountain Pack as Clan Alpha of the Heartsongs with the Supernatural council, with me.” Brogden said, obliterating any hope Rankin had left of remedying this situation.
“Ah, good. Let’s get that taken care of while we’re at it, seeing as you already have the needed forms on you.” Alpha Andrew said with a smile.
Alora watched all this in silence, the ringing in her ears was a loud and consistent noise that was making it increasingly difficult to think. Alora’s vision was becoming darker, and she had the feeling like something inside her was about to swallow her whole.
Darien was looking at Alora with a concerned frown while Serenity was smiling on her behalf. Serenity felt Alora deserved this good fortune after all she had gone through. Serenity looked up at Darien, about to comment on this, but stopped when she noticed the frown on his face.
Looking at Alora, Serenity noticed how pale she had gotten and was now frowning herself. Alora was almost as pale as Serenity was, which was an unnatural color
for Alora as she was usually a lovely shade of caramel.
While Darien and Serenity were focused on Alora, Alpha Andrew and Luna Ember commanded the Werewolf Council member. They ordered the wolf to
–
immediately go back and properly file all the documents and paperwork he had received.
Under the dual commands, Rankin would not be able to do anything but obey these orders and do nothing else till he did. The Alpha and Luna rarely used this kind of power, they felt it was wrong to impose this much of their will upon someone. However, the pair felt that in this situation it was necessary.
The Dragon Master stood up and started around the table, he didn’t like how pale the little violet and silver eyed pup was. When Brogden first walked in, her skin complexion had been much darker. The scent that told him she was more than just a Werewolf was getting stronger, and there was the scent of something else. When the Dragon Master was standing next to Alora, he knew what that faint scent was.
Alora was just barely aware of Brogden walking round the table to stand next to her. With a tug from the inside, Alora’s vision went completely black, and all sound fell away. All Alora could think at the last moment was, “Thank the Goddess the ringing has stopped.”
The Dragon Master had to suppress a roar of outrage when he recognized the scent on Alora, someone had used black magic on this pup. Before Brogdén could say anything about it, the pup suddenly fell to the side out of her chair, and he had to catch her.
Serenity cried out when she saw Alora falling. Then Serenity and Darien stood up, surrounding Brogden as he gently laid Alora down on the floor. Ember let out a sound of protest and knelt on the ground next to Alora, opposite Brogden. Ember started to take Alora’s pulse and respiratory rate.
Alpha Andrew knelt next to Ember and looked down at the unconscious Alora in worry. “What happened?” he growled the question.
“I don’t know, one minute she was sitting there getting paler and paler, then the next minute Officer Terrawing was having to catch her as she fell out of her chair.” Darien said, his tone stressed.
“She’s so pale, she wasn’t this pale when we first got here.” Serenity said quietly, her soft voice full of emotion.
“Alpha Andrew, Luna Ember.” Brogden growled out their names, getting their attention. “Someone has used black magic on this pup.”
Ember jerked back a little, a snarl leaving her lips. “Black magic?! Are you positive?!”
“Can you tell what kind of spell?” Andrew growled.
“It’s a binding spell, I suspect it was placed on her at birth.” Brogden said, then he waved his hand over Alora as he said an ancient spell for revealing just such magics.
They appeared around Alora like dark smoke, intangible black links of chain crisscrossing back and forth all up and down her body. There were cracks in the chains, and more were appearing every moment.
“Chains!” Ember snarled. “They bound her?!”
Alpha Andrew growled, “Can you trace the spell back to its origins?”
“I will try.” Brogden said, then he closed his eyes and concentrated.
“Will Alora be alright.” Darien asked, hugging Serenity to him.
Darien was really upset, seeing those chains around Alora with her unconscious and so pale while lying on the ground, did something to him. Alora was a big presence in his life, like his brother Damien. It was why Darien always hoped Alora and Damien would be fated mates.
Serenity knew Darien was upset, she would be too if it was one of her siblings laying there like this, with those horrible chains binding them. Serenity couldn’t think of anything to say to make him feel better, so she could only snuggle closer into his side and hope her touch and warmth helped him in some way.
Hearing the young pup’s question, Brogden felt a tug in his heart. The fear for their friend was plain to read in their expressions. Brogden looked down at Alora and saw that several links of the chains binding Alora were broken completely.
With his brows raised, Brogden said “She won’t be unconscious for much longer. I cannot trace the caster of the spell but, once the chains have all been broken, she will wake up.”
