Her Alpha’s Choice by Lily Pen

Chapter 12

Gabriella’s POV

“Matthew made me Luna, before his injury,” I said, my tones firm. “He chose me to lead in his place, should he ever be unable to. And now, that time has come. You must respect his decision, and you must respect me as the Luna.”

The council members shifted uncomfortably, their faces a mix of anger and uncertainty. Some of them glanced at each other, and I could see the gears turning in their minds. They were not used to being challenged, and they didn’t know how to

react.

“Just because I was not raised in this pack does not make me a stranger,” I said, refusing to be cowed. “My blood runs with the same wolf blood as yours. I am not a stranger, I am simply someone who has taken a different path.”

The council members exchanged glances, their expressions becoming more conflicted. “Even if we accept that you are not a stranger, you are still not our Luna,” the same council member said.

“Matthew chose me to be his successor,” I said, my voice firm. “He selected me to be the Luna, to lead in his place should he not be able to. He trusted me with this

responsibility, and I will not let him down. I may not be who you wanted, but I am who he selected.”

The council members were silent, their expressions shifting from skepticism to grudging acceptance. One of them finally spoke up, his voice softer than before. “You are right,” he said.

As the council members continued to argue, a commotion outside the mansion drew their attention. The beta and several Pack soldiers were marching towards the building, their faces grim.

“What is the meaning of this?” one of the council members demanded, his voice full of

outrage.

The beta stopped in front of them, his face like stone. “You have overstepped your bounds,” he said.

As the last of the council members left the room, one of them turned back, his eyes. narrowed.

“We will be having a meeting tomorrow,” he said, his voice sharp. “We will be discussing the future of the pack, and what should be done about Matthew. You are not welcome to attend.”

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My heart sank, and I felt a stab of fear. I knew that the council members would never accept me as their leader, and I was not sure what they would do without Matthew to keep them in check.

One of the council members, a burly man with a deep scowl, spoke up. “We have decided to hold a vote for a new Alpha,” he said, his voice like a thunderstorm.

“Matthew is weak, and we cannot afford to have a weak leader. We need someone who is strong, someone who can lead us through this difficult time.”

The other council members nodded in agreement, their faces hard and cold. I felt like I was about to be sick. “You can’t do that,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Matthew is the Alpha, and I am the Luna, if there’s any meeting concerning the pack I must attend.” I said with a voice of authority and dismissed them immediately.

As the council member left, I felt a wave of dread wash over me. Without Matthew’s guidance, I knew the council members would be free to do as they pleased, and I was not sure what that would mean for the pack. They could strip me of my title, and even turn against me. I felt lost and alone, unsure of what to do next.

Just then, the beta stepped forward, his eyes full of concern. “Don’t worry, they are only doing this because they want a new alpha, that has being that plan all along” he said, his voice gentle.

The beta’s words were like a bucket of cold water, dousing my already-frayed nerves.

“What?” I said, my voice shaking. “But… that’s not possible. Matthew is still my Alpha. He is just… unwell.”

“They don’t care about that,” the beta said, his eyes hard.

As I processed this information, my mind was racing. A new Alpha? But who would it be? There were no other members of the pack with the right to claim that title. And what would happen to Matthew if they decided to replace him?

I felt sick to my stomach. This was not how I had imagined my role as Luna would be. I had thought that would be helping Matthew, not fighting to protect him from his council.

I listened to the beta’s words, but I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. They couldn’t just replace Matthew like that! He was the Alpha. He was their leader. I felt sick to my stomach. What if the

succeeded? What if they installed a new Alpha, one who wasn’t concerned about the pack, one who only cared about their power? The thought of it filled me with dread. But what could I do? I was just one person, and they were the entire council.

The beta’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Gabriella,” he said, his tone firm.

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“You must attend the meeting tomorrow,” he said, his eyes searching mine. “You must make your case to the council. You must convince them that Matthew is the rightful Alpha, and that they must not replace him.”

I swallowed hard, my mind racing. How could I possibly convince them? I was just one wolf, and they were a group of powerful werewolves.

What could I possibly say that would make a difference? But I knew I had to try. I had to do something. I had to protect Matthew, and the pack.

“I will be there, I already told them that,” I said, my voice barely a whisper.

As I stepped back into the chamber, my mind was racing. I knew I had to do everything I could to help Matthew. I walked over to his bedside and took his hand in mine. His skin was pale, and I could feel the sickness radiating from him. But the doctor assured me he will get better.

As I sat beside Matthew’s bed, I felt a wave of uncertainty wash over me. What if I wasn’t cut out for this? What if I made a mistake that would affect the whole pack? I had no experience ruling a pack, and I didn’t know the first thing about leading a group of werewolves.

And yet, deep down, I knew I had to try. I had to do whatever it took to protect them, to help them. Furthermore, I took a deep breath and spoke out loud, to no one in particular. “I hope I don’t mess this up,” I said.

I turned to leave the room, my mind already racing with all the things I needed to do. But just as I reached the door, I heard a noise from the bed. I turned around and saw that Matthew was stirring. His eyes fluttered open, and he let out a weak cough.

“Gabriella?” he said, his voice h o arse and raspy. I rushed to his side, relief flooding through me.

“I’m here, Matthew,” I said, taking his hand in mine.

As our eyes met, something strange happened. I felt a spark of energy, a surge of power, flowing between us. I could feel his pulse quickening, and I knew he could feel mine, too. We were connected, in a way I couldn’t explain.

And then, I felt something else. A deep, primal feeling, a tugging at my heart. It was a feeling I couldn’t name, but it was there, unmistakable.

“What is this?” Matthew asked, his voice full of wonder.

I didn’t know how to answer him. I didn’t have the words to describe what I was feeling. But I knew that whatever it was, it was powerful. It was something I had never felt before. It was something I didn’t understand, but it felt right.

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I opened my mouth to speak. but no words came out. I could only stare at him, my eyes searching his for some kind of answer. But he seemed just as confused as I was.

The silence stretched on, and I knew we both wanted to understand what was happening. Nonetheless, we didn’t know where to start.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized what this must be. It was the mate bond, the connection that forms between two werewolves who are destined to be together. Nevertheless. how was that possible? We had never met before. We didn’t even know each other’s names. How could we be mates?

But as I looked into his eyes. I knew it was true. I could feel it in my bones, in my very soul. And I knew he felt it too.

My wolf howled in my mind, the word “Mate” ringing through my thoughts.

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