Enslaved To The Alphas-Chapter 293: The Golden Moon
"You look beautiful tonight, Mistress," Dorothy Green muttered softly as she settled the shawl more securely around Shiqi’s shoulders placing the black brooch over her left shoulder.
Shiqi smiled faintly and rose to her feet. "Of course I do," she said calmly. "Today is a special day, isn’t it?"
Even as the words left her lips, she felt it. The shift in the air. The pull in her chest. The unmistakable presence she had been waiting for.
Her smile deepened. "He is here," she said quietly. "Let’s go."
Shiqi did not wait for another word. She moved quickly, her steps light and her heart beating with restrained excitement. He was here. Finally. After all this time, after all the waiting, he had stepped onto Stormhold soil. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂
***
Outside, the large courtyard of the Stormhold Territory was already alive with quiet anticipation. A tall podium stood erected at its center, positioned directly beneath the open sky, bathed in pale moonlight. The stone beneath it gleamed faintly, waiting for the blood that would be offered to it tonight.
Below the podium stood Alphas, their mates and representatives from various Packs, gathered in formal clusters, maintaining an air of joy and happiness. But even though their expressions were composed as if they were here to only rejoice and witness the union of the three alphas...
Yet beneath the surface calm, something darker was running through. An unease ran through the crowd, invisible but present.
The news of the Dark Lord’s return had spread swiftly across the packs. Though many could no longer recall the exact reasons for the fear that once surrounded him, they all knew of the destruction tied to his name. The carnage had not faded with time. It had been passed down through generations, not just as stories told by elders, but as something carried in their blood.
It lingered in instinct of memory and fear. Everyone knew that the night of the Golden Moon always brings about a powerful change. Hundreds of years ago, the power shift had erased the witch covens, making the Wolves the most powerful. And yet, the Golden Goddess of blessing had not descended.
It had almost seemed like a natural thing that everything would go down smoothly. Over the last year, many packs had already started to prepare gifts to welcome the rule of the Crown Prince and the other two princes’. After all, this time there were no witches to challenge them. The dark witches had faded into hiding and the white witches had long ago pledged their allegiance to the Wolves, promising never to oppose them.
And yet, withing a few months everything had changed. First there was the news of the Princes accepting a dark magic slave bond with a wolfless Omega and bringing her to their pack. Then there was news of her being a dark witch and bride to the dark lord. And then, the final news had been brought about in the same week the Golden Goddess was about to descend.
The Return of the Dark Lord.
This time, everyone might have gathered here under the guise of celebrations but the truth was that they had brought the most elite guards with them for protection and left just as many protections at their pack territories to protect their future generations.
After all, the timing alone was enough to unsettle even the strongest. No one spoke of it openly. No one dared.
But as the moonlight spilled across the courtyard, and the night grew heavier with meaning, everyone found themselves standing on edge-waiting, watching, and bracing for what this night might truly bring.
Just then, the air around them seemed to change, making their wolves get on edge. They were all experienced fighters. And their instincts were now screaming at them, warning them about the presence of an even bigger predator among them...
The crowd parted slowly and a man walked in.
He was beautiful in a way that felt unreal, almost ethereal. He was dressed entirely in black, from the long coat that brushed his boots to the dark fabric that clung to his frame. The moonlight touched him but did not soften him. If anything, it only sharpened the danger that clung to his presence.
No one would have thought that this beautiful man was the feared Dark Lord.
On his right walked a woman dressed in deep red. The color clashed strikingly against the pale glow of the courtyard. Her blonde hair spilled freely over her shoulders, catching the light as she moved. Her expression was calm, almost amused, as though the tension around her meant nothing at all.
On his other side walked Alpha Cassian of the Redwood Pack. That alone was enough to draw sharp breaths from the crowd.
Alpha Cassian of the Redwood Pack. The pack neighboring to the Stormhold Pack and one of the most powerful packs after Stormhold. And he was walking beside this dangerous looking man... It could only mean one thing... The Redwood Pack had aligned themselves with the Dark Lord.
Murmurs rippled through the gathered people. Heads turned. Wolves stirred uneasily beneath skin. Some felt a chill creep up their spines. Others felt a strange pressure settle in their chests, heavy and suffocating.
No one spoke anything or rather no one dared to.
Before anyone could voice the thought forming in their minds, before anyone could fully accept the truth standing before them, a figure stepped forward abruptly.
Councilman Aldren moved to block their path.
He positioned himself directly in front of the man in black, his back straight, his hands clasped behind him. His face was composed, but the slight stiffness in his movements betrayed him.
"This is as far as you go," Aldren said firmly, his voice carrying across the courtyard. "This gathering is sacred. Only those invited may approach the podium. And people like yourself are not welcome."
The man in black stopped. And then, he smiled. "Councilman Aldren... do you really think you are qualified to block my path?"
