"Surprise!!!" Beatrice sounded super excited as she screamed into Della’s ears.
But Della was still in shock.
What was Malachi going to do now? He was pretty much still standing there, staring up at the banner as though it would erase what just happened.
A banner torn hardly ever occurred in centuries, but when it did, it represented a bad omen.
A very bad one.
It could be interpreted as the Moon Goddess withdrawing her favour on the territories, or betrayal within the Pack whose banner got torn, or even the weakening or fall of an Alpha’s authority.
It was really terrible!
The silence that had taken over was quickly swallowed by the hushed whispers of the nobles and betas seated around.
’The Goddess had Spoken ’
’Something is terribly wrong within Eclipse Crown Pack’
’Is Eclipse Crown planning a rebellion?’
’Does this mean the territories are no longer united?’
Della watched Malachi’s usual cold expression deepen, and lines appeared between his eyebrows. He was trying to fathom why this was happening. Through the mate bond, she could feel his anxiety shooting off the roof.
The other supremes around him now began lowering their own banners, and the whispers were becoming more spread out and louder.
"Alpha Malachi of Eclipse Crown," a supreme with slicked-back blonde hair and green eyes thundered, looking like he was a thread’s snap away from letting all hell loose, "Would you care to explain the meaning of this?!"
Malachi turned to him, his expression unreadable.
"Would you care to explain why the Goddess has chosen tonight of all nights to reject your banner?"
The whispers immediately died, and Della’s stomach dropped. The accusation has finally been thrown directly at Malachi’s face.
Malachi slowly released the banner pole, still looking completely unfazed on the outside, "I wasn’t aware the Moon Goddess now delivered personal explanations to Stormfang Pack."
A few gasps followed, and Della heard a few wolves from the other Packs snarl. Malachi’s response had been far too calm, and cocky for a man who was now in a tight position.
Caelan’s eyes narrowed, "And yet your banner is the one lying on the ground."
The atmosphere instantly grew heavier, and another Alpha spoke this time.
Alpha Roderic of Frost Hollow Pack. He was older and grey-haired. He also had the reputation for being one of the most ruthless Supremes alive.
"The ceremony cannot continue until this is addressed, Alpha Malachi,"
Several others immediately nodded,
"I agree."
"As do I."
"This concerns every territory."
"The omen affects us all."
More voices joined, with more Supremes and betas speaking at once. The tension climbed higher and higher until it felt suffocating.
Malachi remained standing alone in the centre, looking like one man against every powerful Alpha present. And somehow he still looked like the most dangerous person there.
Alpha Varek of Bloodpine Pack spoke directly to Malachi next, but unlike the others, he wasn’t angry.
He looked concerned.
"If Eclipse Crown has internal instability, then every trade agreement signed tonight becomes questionable."
The gathering erupted immediately with even more questions, arguments, and demands. Della could barely follow it anymore.
"The borders depend on Eclipse Crown."
"Our southern routes pass through their territory."
"If their authority weakens—"
"The rogues will notice."
"The balance will collapse."
Other Packs were beginning to growl and purr threateningly at every member of the Eclipse Crown Pack present, and Della knew there were seconds away from ripping off someone’s head, and that would be it!
"Enough." The single word cut through the gathering so hard that it silenced everyone instantly.
Malachi hadn’t raised his voice. The dang man didn’t need to do so to capture attention and strike fear and command.
His eyes swept across the crowd steadily and dangerously, then he stated strongly, "None of you has evidence that this banner represents anything beyond damaged fabric."
Several Alphas immediately looked offended, and Alpha Caelan laughed harshly "Damaged fabric?" He pointed toward the torn banner, "That happened during the Main highlight of the Sovereign Moon Ceremony, beneath the Full Moon!!" His voice grew louder "And it happened to YOUR banner."
Murmurs of agreement followed immediately.
"The authority of Eclipse Crown Pack does not depend on cloth," Malachi said, his expression hardening, "It depends on strength."
The statement landed heavily, and a lot of warriors straightened. Several Alphas exchanged looks, because everyone knew exactly what he meant.
If anyone wanted to challenge Eclipse Crown’s authority...
They could try.
Alpha Roderic folded his arms, looking like he was between laughter and rage, "Careful... Malachi, that sounded suspiciously close to a threat."
"And you sound suspiciously eager to hear one."
A collective intake of breath swept through the crowd and Della nearly stopped breathing.
Moon Goddess!
This was getting bad.
Really bad, because now the Supremes weren’t discussing the banner anymore. They were measuring and testing each other, looking for weakness.
Looking for reasons to go to war.
What started as a wonderful evening was about to divert into another path. One that would end up with blood running down the drains.
"Wait!"
A voice sliced through the crowd, and Della felt like it was high time the ground opened up and swallowed her.
The crowd parted as Selene emerged from where she stood, looking positively radiant despite the chaos around her.
And unfortunately, she wasn’t alone.
She had a fist buried in Della’s hair and was dragging the poor slave along with her. Della grabbed at Selene’s arm, yanking and punching, but Selene didn’t even look back at her.
People moved aside as Selene walked through them, their noses instinctively sniffing the air and trying to make out Della’s wolf since she had no aura.
Nothing.
Selene finally halted and shoved her forward, and Della crashed hard onto both knees directly in the centre of the ceremonial grounds.
Right beneath the torn banner.
Perfect.
Just perfect.
"There is no need for panic," Selene announced loudly, her voice carrying across the gathering, "Because I know exactly why the banner failed."
The crowd erupted, and questions immediately flew from every direction.
Selene then raised a hand, and pointed directly at Della, "It’s her."
The entire gathering froze, and Della stared at first.
Then, she laughed. She didn’t know why or where she had gotten the audacity to laugh in the middle of hundreds of powerful eyes staring but the situation had somehow become so ridiculous that laughter seemed appropriate.
"Are you serious?" She asked in between laughter.
"She tampered with the banner."
The laughter died instantly.
"What?" Della exclaimed.
"This woman has hated Eclipse Crown since the moment she arrived," Selene continued, her expression filled with righteous fury, "If you haven’t figured it out yet, she’s actually a Rotblood. During the wedding between her sister, Beatrice Barett of IronRidge Pack and Alpha Leopold Astridge, she orchestrated with the Clawfangs and planted Moonfire beneath the Moonfire, attempting to blow up everyone present. The Alpha made her a slave and brought her to this Pack to pay for the rest of her life, but she has repeatedly shown hostility toward the Alpha, she was also a prime suspect when the Alpha was caught in Moonfire exposure a few weeks ago, and now she has sabotaged the Sovereign Moon Ceremony itself!"
"I did not!"
Nobody listened.
The whispers had already begun again.
Traitor.
Rotblood.
Sabotage.
Moonfire.
Murderer.
The words spread through the crowd like a disease, and Della pushed herself upright.
"I didn’t touch that banner!" She cried, and turned to Malachi, "I did not! I would never! She’s lying!!!"
"Della, please," Beatrice stepped forward this time, and Della’s jaw dropped from what she saw.
Scheming, evil Beatrice had turned to shy, innocent and soft Beatrice once again. But this time, her head seemed a bit ruffled and her dress was slightly torn by the shoulders, with a bruise on her face.
"You need to stop all this, please!" She cried, gripping her torn dress, "It’s not fair to anyone here. You shouldn’t...,"
Leopold jumped out of the crowd, and pulled Beatrice into his arms protectively, "What happened to you?!" He roared.
"It’s...," She hiccuped, another tear slipping down her face.
"Tell me!" He urged.
"While the maids and I were preparing for this evening, I noticed Della sneaking around the castle. I confronted her, and found out...she was actually trying to escape,"
Everyone gasped.
"I tried to stop her, but she...," Beatrice touched her swollen cheek, then gripped her torn dress tighter against her skin and buried her face in Leopold’s chest, her body trembling as she burst into tears.
Della looked absolutely stupefied!
What on earth!!!
"Tell us, Della," Selene continued from there, "Are you gonna keep denying what you did? I mean, your little travelling sack is wrapped around you. It’s pure evidence that you did try to escape!"
Della gritted her teeth, her eyes about to bulge out from rage.
"You tried to escape because of what you did to the banner, and maybe you would have, but after you attacked Beatrice, you were apprehended by the guards for attacking a noble woman!!"
Again...what??!
"I did not lay a hand on Beatrice and I did not tamper with the banner!"
"But I saw you," Another voice said, and Della felt like screaming into the night.
She turned around and saw Miss Cornelia walking out from the crowd, and everyone turned to her.
Including Malachi and the other supremes.
Cornelia immediately bowed, "Alpha,"
"What do you know?" Rowan demanded.
Cornelia straightened, then pointed directly at Della, "The first day this girl entered my Workrooms, she approached the Sovereign Banner I had finished with and claimed there was something wrong with it."
Della’s eyes widened.
"She insisted parts of the stitching should be removed and replaced immediately."
Della opened her mouth to speak, but Selene subtly stepped on her leg and she groaned instead.
"You attempted to convince me that sections of reinforcement should be removed." Cornelia continued.
"Because they were wrong!" Della snapped back, not letting Selene interfere this time, "The stitching was wrong. It was gonna rip if it was left that way!"
"And that made it convenient for you to tamper with it? I’ve been working at this Pack for over thirty years. I have made several banners, and not a single time has been ripped no matter how heavy the wind, or how badly it was handled. The Alpha himself knows this, and can testify for me. So tell me, why on earth would a seasoned sewer like me make such a mistake on the banner which would be used on a very important day like this?"
"Maybe you’re just not as seasoned as you think you are!" Della snapped. That brought out more of her anger, but it did not help her situation, "I did not tamper with anything, and that is the truth!!"
"Truth?" Cornelia laughed. "Then perhaps you’d like to explain why I personally saw you sneaking into the Workrooms this afternoon."
The world stopped, and every single face turned toward her again.
"You’re lying!! I was scrubbing the floors the whole time!"
"I clearly saw you sneaking into the room!"
"I never went near that place today!"
"Then why are you escaping if you didn’t do anything wrong?"
She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. The words she wanted to say weren’t gonna defend her, but at least it was something, "It’s because I was brought here against my will, and I have a sick, dying cousin waiting for me outside of this prison cell!"
"Weren’t you brought here in the first place because you attempted to murder Alphas?"
"I never did such! I was framed!!"
"I won’t say much," Cornelia said, looking back at the Alphas, "But I know I did saw her sneaking into the Workrooms this afternoon,"
The uproar exploded immediately.
"Search her!"
"Check her belongings!"
"Check the banner!"
Several warriors rushed forward before anyone could stop them, and one of the guards bent down beside the torn banner and carefully lifted the shredded section from the ground. His expression changed almost immediately.
"Alpha."
"What is it?" Malachi Demanded.
The guard held up the torn fabric, careful not to let his fingers brush the turn edge, "There’s residue on it."
"What kind of residue?"
The warrior raised the banner up toward the Moonlight, and as soon as it was struck, silver particles shimmered around it, causing a collective gasp to sweep through the crowd.
Moonfire ash.
The guard examined the torn section more carefully, "The cut edge is contaminated."
Della’s pulse hammered wildly. She remembered where she had found Moonfire ash earlier on the missing piece, but she had never touched the banner itself.
"Della." Selene’s voice was almost sweet, and Della slowly looked up at the woman, "Show everyone your hands."
A horrible feeling crawled down her spine, and her fingers trembled with fear, "No."
Selene smiled, "No?"
Two guards seized Della’s wrists before she could react.
"Let go of me!" She yelped.
One of them yanked her arm forehead toward the Moonlight, but she quickly turned her fingers to a fists.
"Hiding something?" Selene asked carefully, then looked at the guard, "Uncurl her fingers!!"
The guards forcefully dug his hands into hers, hissing slightly as his skin came into contact with her fingers. Still, he pulled out every finger and once Moonlight struck it, the crowd erupted once again.