CHAPTER 74: CHAPTER 74: TEST OF FURY

IVAN’S POV

But of course, that wasn’t all. Elder Ilyas was given a second item by a different guard—a moon-carved rod with crystal chimes.

The sound it made set wolves’ teeth on edge—Revierre had used it before when testing the strength of the previous temperance spell. It was like a needle threaded through a nerve.

"Beta Francis?" Ilyas turned to him. "You are his closest ally. And we believe you are in the best position to trigger stimuli."

Francis chuckled. "The least you can be is honest if you’re going to be cowards. This is not the honor you present it to be—you’re scared he’d rip you apart. If you’re provoking him, you’ll do it yourselves."

I almost smiled. The elders didn’t.

Elder Halden’s eyes narrowed on Francis. "Where is your loyalty if you’d easily cower from your alpha?"

Francis shrugged. "My loyalty is a tad shy today. Where is yours, Elder Halden?"

"You insolent—"

"That is enough." Ilyas’s stern voice cut across Halden’s. "Very well, Francis. The guards will trigger the stimuli. We will begin lightly. Enhanced wolfsbane incense first."

A junior guard lit the stick, and while I was left defenseless, everyone else in the room was handed wolf-designed anti-wolfsbane masks.

Soon, the room was suffocating with the sting of the enhanced wolfsbane—specifically engineered to be at its most lethal.

The bitter bite crept into my nose, burning in excruciating degrees, like the wolfsbane itself was sinking into my lungs for the sole purpose of ripping them apart.

My jaws clenched tightly, painfully, my fingers tightening as I fought the instinct to break out of the cuffs and fling the guard burning the incense away.

My wolf shifted under my skin—tense, disgusted, teetering on the edge of torture.

I shut my eyes, pain shooting down my spine, but while my wolf clawed to be let out, I searched for a tether—a solace that pulled me back to my humanity.

I thought of her eyes first—not the angry ones, or the ones that snapped at me in disgust and fury. The soft ones. The ones that lit up when she laughed, when she felt victorious in her folly.

I thought of how easily she carried herself when our son was close, how she’d brush his hair and placate his needs even if it was far from her own desires.

Even the adorable crinkle of her brows when she was mildly annoyed.

I almost smiled.

"Next," Ilyas said, and struck the chime.

It sliced straight through me—an ugly sound meant to make a wolf lash and bite. I locked my jaw. My nails bit into my palms.

The cuffs warmed, then cooled. I breathed the way Revierre taught me, from the bottom of everything.

Halden leaned forward.

"Ask about the boy," he stage-whispered, delighted with himself. "Ask about Maeve."

My wolf spiked—and the cuffs seemed to tighten, hot and hotter by the second.

"Is... is that a good idea?" It was Elder Mara’s low-pitched voice.

"What if the alpha loses control?" hushed Ilyas in her soft tremble.

"That, I agree with—it’s best to call this all off and accept that the alpha is the best choice for Ash Creek—" Barty began, but the boom of Vance’s boisterous voice shut everything else down.

"Ivan, my dear boy, if Maeve Oakes denied you Asha tomorrow—cut you off from seeing your son—what would you do?"

My wolf surged up like a wave. The cuffs flared hot. For a heartbeat, all I saw was red. Blood. Vivid flashes of violence. Death.

I lowered my gaze to the silver bowl. Breathed. Counted. One. Two. Three.

"I would not let that happen. I lost my wife and son five years ago—I will not let that happen," I paused, throat tightening as I met Vance’s eyes. "But if it did, I would go through legal channels, consulting my council first before my next steps. There would be no blood."

Lies. Absolute lies. I would paint the very grounds the pack lives on if anyone tried to take Maeve away from us—I’d spill endless blood until Asha was back where he belonged. With me. With his father.

My wolf fought with everything in its strength, and the harder it fought, the more I contained him with every brutal ounce of will in my body. I exuded a picture-perfect calm, even while my nails dug deep enough into my palms to leave dents, just to keep my restraint.

However, the cuffs were only triggered by my wolf’s will—by his appearance, not the truth of my mortal words.

The cuffs cooled. Elder Mara’s lips parted—surprise. Elder Ilyas squinted down his nose. And Vance lifted a brow in amusement. He was enjoying this.

"And if Maeve herself endangered the pack?" he asked next, eyes fixed on me.

"Then I would stop her," I said. "And pray I never had to."

The cuffs barely warmed this time. The chime rang again, sharper than before. I held the line.

"Ah—a true Alpha to the very bones." Vance grinned, jovial for some reason, and then he did the characteristic tilt of his head. "Humor an anxious father, will you? If asked to choose—Maeve or Ash Creek—where does your loyalty land, my boy?"

The term boy grated at my nerves even worse than the wolfsbane and the chime had, but like everything else, I concealed it and let my lips curl into a smile—one that matched the sadistic little spark that lit within my wolf.

"With my fated mate, as the Goddess wills," I said. "Always."

"And Serena—my daughter?"

"She remains my subject until Maeve is severed from our mate bond."

"I see." Vance’s grin didn’t falter.

that ended the order of fury, and the council was appeased with its outcome. by now, barty seemed more significanly confident than before, smiling and loudly offering opinions, as opposed to halden who couldnt look more miserable.

the next was the order of sight, whwre a witness is aloowed to stand and speak on their withness tot he rumors. if i went by my instinct, then whoemeveer started the rumors would have to come forward to back their words.

the last person i expected walked into the room/