As expected, the Throne Room was filled when Michael entered. With Lukas following close behind, Michael crossed the sea of pack members towards the dais. Once he reached the base of the steps, he climbed them to the top and immediately took his place to his father's right, his mother already on the left.

He could not be a fly on the wall during this particular meeting. In front of visitors—whether strangers, allies or enemies—it was of utmost importance to look like a united front.

He peered down at Lukas, who remained at the bottom facing the crowd. Damien stood a few feet to his left.Chatter filled the air, an uncommon occurrence whilst in the presence of the Alpha. But the fact his father had not silenced them meant he was allowing the pack their right to be on guard as the Witches' visit was undoubtedly unexpected for them all.

And just like them, Michael, too, wanted to know why they had come.

The Witches, in question, were not in the room, and he suspected his father had been awaiting his arrivalbefore granting them an audience. His suspicion was proven correct when his father commanded Damien to bring them in.

Silence befell the room as Damien quickly exited. Minutes later, the doors re-opened, and in the betawalked with the witches, dressed in floor-length black cloaks, trailing behind him as he led them to the centre of the room.

Michael had only seen Aria a handful of times, the last few being a year prior—before and after Gabriel's death. But it was hard to forget the High Priestess—her long auburn hair, white as snow skin, and large black-as-sin eyes—or the effect of being within her presence—like every last bit of warmth in the room had been sucked out of it.

As for the three witches by her side, he remembered their faces as clearly as he remembered Gabriel's agonizing screams from the torture they inflicted upon him in this very room a year ago.

"Aria, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?"

It was safe to say his father was not happy to see her.

"It cannot possibly be wolf blood, can it?"

The century-old treaty between the Wolves and the Witches included supplying them with wolf blood. It enabled them to perform dark magic, which had been needed to keep the Fae confined to the Woodlands. But since the Fae no longer roamed this world, the Wolves no longer felt compelled to supply the Witches with blood—one of the reasons the two races had been at odds for nearly a year.

"If so, then your trip was wasted, and we have nothing to discuss as you already know where we stand on that topic."

"Let her speak first, Aaron."

Michael glanced over at his mother just as she stepped forward and gestured for Aria to speak. He then looked at his father, who clenched his jaw but made the same gesture, granting Aria permission to speak. He returned his gaze back to Aria.

"Thank you, Reina," Aria said, then turned her attention towards the Alpha. "You know why we have come, Aaron, and I assure you, it is not for blood. Out of respect for your loss, we left you alone and let your people mourn for nearly a year. I apologize for the sudden visit, but we have come to you today because we can no longer wait. Our request is simple. We ask you to give us what is owed and promised."

"I promised you no such thing."

Michael turned his head to look at his father. As Aria had not come out and said it, he was confused about what she wanted, but it seemed his father knew exactly what she was talking about.

"It was promised to us a century ago during the First War."

When his father walked to the edge of the top step, Michael knew he was debating whether or not to enforce his dominance. He had attended enough pack meetings to learn whenever the Alpha had grown bored, lost interest in a conversation or simply wanted to put it to an end, he would take a seat on his throne. The fact he had not already done so meant Aria had his undivided attention.

But if the witch was not careful, it would not be long before his father reminded her who's territory she was on.

"And why should I honour a promise I did not make? Your people should have taken that up with the Alphawho made it a hundred years ago."

"It belongs to us."

"What do the Witches want with the Woodlands?"

Michael's eyes darted back and forth between his father and Aria. From behind, he obviously could not see his father's face, but he could see Aria's, which made him certain his father was staring at her just as intensely as she was staring at him. Just as intensely as he was staring at them both while his heart raced and he wondered if he had heard correctly.

The Woodlands? The Witches wanted the Woodlands?

"The covens grow day by day, and we simply seek to make use of the abandoned territory."

Michael's ears perked up. According to Zanna, the covens were at odds, yet Aria was speaking as if they were one big happy family seeking a home.

This was bad. Very bad.

If his father gave Aria the Woodlands, both his mother and the fairy would no longer be safe.

Michael looked to his left at his mother. If she was phased by Aria's request, she did not show it.

Before he knew it, he had taken a step forward. What he planned to do or say, he did not know, and was unable to do either because his father acted and spoke first.

"I will think about your request, and will call upon you when I have come to a decision. For now, you may take your leave," he gestured towards the door. The action mixed with the seriousness in his tone made it clear the meeting—and the witches' visit was over.

In response, Aria and her fellow witches simply nodded before turning and walking towards the door. The pack remained silent as they cleared a path, but once the witches exited, whispers began to fill the room.

The pack stared up at their Alpha, and Michael, too, looked at his father. Like the pack, he waited for the discussion to begin, but his father only turned and began to walk towards his throne.

"Everybody except for Damien, leave the room!"

The whispers continued, but the pack heeded their Alpha's command and began to leave.

Michael had not expected the entire pack to be dismissed, nor did he know what it meant. But if his father wanted to talk only with Damien, there was a high possibility he was seriously going to contemplate Aria's request. A high possibility he might actually give her the Woodlands.

His eyes flickered back and forth between his father and the exiting pack.

If he stayed, maybe he could convince his father not to grant Aria's request. But if he showed too much interest in the matter, it might lead to him being questioned. If he left the room, then his only opportunity to put out the spark before it turned into a fire would leave with him.

Again, Michael looked at his mother, and that time, as if she sensed his stare, she turned her head in his direction. Their eyes met for only a second, long enough to hint they needed to talk as soon as possible.

A nod was all he gave.

She looked away, walked to the steps and made her way down. His aunt Emilia immediately joined her side, and together they headed towards the exit.

Once they fully left the room, Michael made his way down the steps where Lukas waited. He did not say a word to the guard until they were both outside of the Throne Room.

"I will retire to my chambers for the night. Do not follow me."

He could see it in the guard's eyes—his desire to question him—but he remained silent and only nodded, as he could not disobey a direct command.

Pack members loitered the corridor outside of the Throne Room. The bits and pieces of conversation he heard as he passed by them proved they were just as confused about Aria's request as he was.

Like them, Michael had been shut out from voicing his concerns, but unlike them, there was someone he could take them to.

* * *

Instead of using the main staircase, Michael took the long way around to get to the castle's second floor.

He had to be discreet. The less he was seen, the less likely the news would travel back to his father. A son visiting his mother should not have been a controversial act, but the Alpha's son and Alpha Female meeting directly after a controversial meeting might be deemed suspicious.

But it was vital he go to his mother and insist she intervene. She was the only one who could talk his father into denying Aria's request.

He rounded a corner into the East Wing's main hall and was on his way towards its main staircase when he was pulled by his left arm into a dark side corridor. He quickly pulled out of the person's hold and managed to shove them back against the wall. He was about to wrap his hand around their neck until he realized who the person was.

He loosened his grip then took a step back. "Mother."

Consumed by his determination to go to her, he had not anticipated she would find him first.

He looked to his left into the darkness of the corridor then back at her. "Why are you lurking in the shadows?"

"This was the only place we could talk."

"I was on my way to your chambers. Where is aunt Emilia?"

"She insisted on staying in my chambers tonight. I asked her to check on Danica first to buy us some time."

As soon as Danica's name spilled from her lips, Michael remembered he had a bone to pick with her regarding that matter. But it was neither the time nor place.

"How did you know I would come this way?"

"Lucky guess," she smiled.

"Was it also a lucky guess when you sent Lukas to the Woodlands to find me?"

He had not asked the guard how he knew where to find him, but he suspected his mother had sent him.

"I only asked him to find you. I did not know you were in the Woodlands."

When Michael heard voices and footsteps from the East Wing's main hall, he pulled her deeper into the corridor's darkness. Neither of them moved nor spoke until they were certain they were alone once more.

"I went to see the fairy to fill her in on what has been happening. Zanna came to see me last night. I told her about the fairy and asked for her help."

"Did she agree?"

"No. She..."

Michael debated sharing what Zanna had told him about the drama between the covens. If she had known, she probably would have mentioned it. But, then again, she was his mother, after all. Keeping secrets was her specialty.

If she knew and had not told him, then he would not let on that he knew. If she was unaware, then he could only assume Moreena had kept her in the dark for a reason.

He decided not to say anything unless she brought it up first.

"She said she will discuss it with her coven. They risk a lot by helping, so I understand her reluctance."

Help that may not come if their leader is given the Woodlands. And if that happened, it would only be a matter of time before the fairy was discovered. She had managed to keep herself hidden from the Wolves, but could she do the same with the Witches?

"But whether they agree or not, the Woodlands must remain off-limits."

Michael grabbed hold of both her arms and leaned in.

"You must speak with father and convince him to deny their request."

"Aaron will not listen to me. We have not been seeing eye to eye on a lot of things lately."

"You are his wife and this pack's Alpha Female. He will listen."

"Right now, your father is obsessed with building up our numbers. Gabriel's death seems to have brought out a fear within him. In his mind, strengthening the pack by means of increasing our numbers is the only way to guarantee we will never be taken advantage of again."

"Taken advantage of? Because of what he believes the Fae did to Gabriel?"

Both he and his mother knew the Fae were innocent—a truth that could very well rein in his father's 'power in numbers' ideology—but they could not tell him without revealing his mother's involvement in helping the Fae escape.

Was this a repercussion of keeping secrets choosing to manifest? It suddenly made sense why a mate was being pushed upon him.

She nodded. "If I am not willing to push out more pups, then he has no interest in me or what I have to say."

Michael stared down at his mother in disbelief. It was not her refusal to act that shook him to his core, but her dejectedness that had done so. If she could not persuade his father, then nobody could. He had already dismissed the entire pack, which meant Damien was his only confidante—the only opinion he wanted and valued.

"Will you not at least try? If he gives Aria the Woodlands—"

She grabbed his hands and held them tight. "Aria will not have the Woodlands."

Michael glanced down at their hands then back up at her. If her change had not so sharply contrasted her demeanor seconds prior, he would not have been taken aback.

The light from the main hall struggled against the darkness of the corridor, but it provided enough for him to see her eyes burning with something he was unsure he had ever seen linger within them before.

"Is it true about the Woodlands being promised to the Witches?"

She looked at him but stayed silent.

"Tell me."

"It is hard to know what really transpired between the Wolves and the Witches a century ago, but there has always been talk about the Woodlands being promised to them."

He pulled his hands out of hers and took a step back. "So, is their claim legitimate?"

If it was, how could he possibly stop them from invading? If it was, his plan was doomed to fail before it even began.

She cupped his cheeks, the warmth from her hands centering him back in the moment. "The Woodlands has always belonged to the Fae. Promised or not, it was never the Wolves' land to give away."

Unfortunately, that meant nothing to Michael, nor did it do anything to reassure him. It only reaffirmed that it would come down to his father's decision.

"Besides, we do not know how long your father will deliberate. It could be hours, days or weeks."

Whether time was on his side or not, from that moment onwards, every second counted. And if neither he nor his mother could sway his father's decision in their favour, then he had to act.

He reached up and pulled her hands from his face, but did not let them go.

"You know what you must do, Michael. You chose to save the fairy, so you must be the one to see it through. If you are worried about my secret and the fairy being discovered, then you must persuade Zanna to agree."

A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Wishing you all the very best in 2024!! Can't believe it's already been a year since I brought Moonfall back! Thank you so very much to everyone who keeps coming back to read, vote &/or comment every time I update. 2023 was a bit of a hard year for me, but writing this story & sharing it with you all was one of the few things that made it bearable. So, again, thank you, & I hope 2023 treated you well.

Do you think Aaron will give the Woodlands to Aria and the witches? It was promised to them...allegedly. And given what we know about her & what she did in Moonrise, do you believe there's more behind her wanting to claim it? Would love to hear your theories!