The Last Spirit Wolf (Elena Norwood)

-Vera-

I don't know if to stay by the door to see what's happening, or go my own way and wait to hear from Noah what happened during the Special Session.

As I take a step towards the clinic, deciding it's best I don't interfere, Noah's aura becomes even grander and much more violent; it literally stops me in my tracks. I take a look at the guards that stand at the doors of the Council Meeting room, and they look back at me; they're both sweating and fidgeting.

I look towards the doors to the room, sensing someone coming close.

Eli comes bursting in through the doors, looking flustered, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"You have to get in there, doc," he says, looking rather frightened. "I don't know what's wrong with him. He's going to kill them all if..." he trails off as we both sense him coming through the doors. "Un-fucking-believable," Noah fumes as he explodes through the doors.

The guards look at each other nervously, Eli looks at him with certain apprehension. Behind him, Caleb comes out, tugging at his sweaty shirt collar.

He clears his throat.

"Your Highness, I think it's best we postpone this meeting until we can come up with a plan, I think it's best for all of us to just... go our own separate ways."

"Or we could end this now, you cowards!" Noah yells at the Council from the door, his lycan eyes beginning to swirl in his pupils.

Caleb and Eli turn to look at me and I understand that they want me to calm him down. I step towards him cautiously, remembering he told me his lycan has been more and more volatile lately.

"Noah." I whisper, "come on, let's go."

"NO!" He growls at me.

It's the first time he's ever done that unprovoked.

"Come on," I coax him, placing my hand on his arm, trying to use my magic to calm him like I did with Cassia.

He seems to relax a little, enough to get him away from the Council.

Now that I am close enough to look inside, the Council members seem paralyzed in fear. I can't be sure but one of them looks like he's about to faint. Even Caldwell, of all people, is sweating buckets and eyeing Noah cautiously. Noah closes his eyes and takes a deep breath to help him calm down.

"Caleb, please call Elden to a meeting, he said some time ago that he had an idea of how to prove my parentage."

"Right away, Your Highness," he says, bowing slightly before leaving in the direction to the library.

He's normally not as formal outside of an official setting, but I can see he's still frightened.

Noah nods at the guards, who finally find the nerve to move and shut the doors to the meeting room.

"I'm sorry," he turns to me, "they just have a way of getting under my skin."

"It's okay," I tell him.

I can feel his aura decreasing with every second that passes, until I can't feel it at all.

I sigh a breath of relief and notice that Eli is also beginning to relax behind me.

"Can someone tell me what happened?" I ask after nobody says anything or even dares to move.

"Not here." Noah says, taking my hand and guiding me to a part of the Castle I had never been; the Council's chambers.

We walk past many halls, Eli following closely behind. Finally, we reach a courtyard and Noah stops.

"The Council is challenging my lineage, saying there is in fact no record of Alexander ever having a son, in fact, there isn't even a record of him taking in a mate; meaning that even if I am his son, I was born out of wedlock and I'd be a bastard with no claim to the throne."

"What? And this is all coming up *now*? And what is this obsession with marriage?!" I ask, indignant.

"They didn't want to challenge him before, they wanted to see what he was about first. Personally, I think they believed Noah to be stupid enough to be the perfect puppet." Eli says.

"They let Alistair be King for years*!" I protest, "and he was no puppet!"

"Yes, but Alistair was as corrupt as they are. Noah isn't."

"So now, I either prove that Alexander was in fact my father, or they will officially challenge my claim to the throne."

"What?! But how can they do that?!"

"If they get the majority of the Council to disavow my claim, I will have no option but to step down," Noah says, already sounding defeated.Content is property of NôvelDrama.Org.

"All of this because you wouldn't take a stupid wife?" I ask.

"It's not just that, Vera," Noah runs a hand through his hair, "they also want to raise taxes to the common people to make up for the land lost to the rogues; of course, it's collected by the Houses and then passed on to the Castle, Visit Jo b n i b.com to read the complete chapters for free. If you are not reading this novel on Job ni b .c om, some sentences are incomplete, but they always steal from us; it's evident. But raising the taxes now? When so many people have lost their land and even family members? It's outrageous."

I look at Noah and suddenly realize how tired he is. He's been saying it for a while now, but looking at him rubbing the back of his neck, the deep set dark circles under his eyes and the disheveled hair... all of this is coming at a great cost to him. "Your Highness," Caleb comes into the courtyard, followed by Elden.

"Please, no more formalities, I'm tired of it," he says, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Noah." Elden begins, "I have a document that indeed proves your birth, but it was never signed officially by King Alexander," he retrieves the document in question, unrolls it, and shows it to us.

"Alex Bellator," I read out loud, "who the hell is Alex Bellator?"

"It's a pseudonym Alexander used when he was younger. He would travel around the entire land with that name when he was a teenager, fighting his way through the territories."

I turn to look at Caleb,

"And he had to sign Noah's birth certificate with his *pseudonym*?!" I ask in disbelief.

"It seemed like the right thing to do at the time, Vera. Nobody could know Noah existed, so this document was really only done as a formality so that then it could be amended, when King Alexander could finally publicly recognize him as his son." I'm furious. So, the only document that could actually prove Noah's parentage, is useless?

"There's something else," Caleb says, "because your mother came from an ancient clan of wolves, I have reason to believe that she did indeed register your birth with her clan. If everything went sideways for you here, at least with that document, you would be recognized as a member of her clan and taken in. She was a very cautious woman."

"And where is this document?" Eli asks.

"I don't know, it wouldn't be here in lycan territory, it would be too dangerous, which means..."

"It has to be in wolf territory," I say.

"Correct," Caleb nods.

Noah lets out a loud, exasperated breath.

"I can't believe this, just when I think we'll be able to catch a break..." he says, trailing off into his thoughts.

"Vera, what do you know about the Gold Moon clan?" Eli asks me, already trying to formulate a plan to get that document.

"They're one of the most powerful clans in all of werewolf history. They have the second largest span of territory in our land, so they're incredibly wealthy. Thriving economy, loved by their people, ruthless when it comes to protecting their territory, though. They don't like outsiders."

"Would you be considered an outsider?" he asks.

"Well..."

Elden interrupts me.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Vera, but I think we are failing to see the big picture here. Noah, the Council doesn't give a rat's ass if you are the legit son of Alexander, they don't even care if Alexander married his mate or not; all they care about is not being able to control you. So, whether it's through challenging your lineage, or your status as a bastard, it doesn't matter, they will find a way to eliminate you." We all stay quiet for a minute or two, not really knowing what the appropriate thing to say is in this situation.

"So, all of this was for nothing?" Noah says, finally sitting down on one of the benches, "you know what? F**k it and f**k *them* then, I never wanted to be King to begin with, I'll give them the stupid crown they so desperately want!"

"Noah, you can't do that. I'm sorry but you heard the plans they have for the people, they'll run this entire Kingdom to the ground! Leave it to the rogues to pick up the scraps. And then who's to say they won't initiate conflict over land with the wolves again? Without you, this entire place crumbles to the ground and us with it!" Eli says.

"I don't give a f**k anymore!" He growls, his aura making its presence known again.

I go to stand behind him, massaging the back of his neck to calm him down.

After a while, Eli speaks,

"Ok, what the fuck is that thing? I didn't want to say anything but it's getting out of control, kid. I couldn't even breathe back at the meeting."

"Vera seems to think my lycan is some sort of hybrid," Noah says, his eyes closed.

They all turn to look at me, expecting an explanation.

"Well, Noah's mom was not only a wolf, but she came from the Gold Moon clan, they have produced some of the strongest Alphas ever known to wolves. This *feeling* seems a lot like a wolf aura, just... stronger." They all stay quiet for a few seconds.

Then, Elden speaks.

"Interesting." he says, "it's not completely outrageous. I'll do some digging."

Elden walks away, not giving us a second look. It's very typical of him.

Noah sighs heavily, finally opening his eyes,

"Ok, let's come up with a plan then."