"Tabitha," one of the elders finally spoke. "We’ve deliberated on the matter of leadership within the Crescent Moon pack, considering your... situation."

Situation. That’s what they called it. Not my birthright, not my duty to my pack. Just a situation. My eyes flickered over to the far corner, where Ares stood, arms crossed. His smug expression was barely concealed. He didn’t even try to hide his satisfaction. The corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk as our eyes met. My blood boiled.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain composed. "I’m the rightful Luna," I said keeping my voice steady, though the anger simmered beneath the surface. "This was my father’s legacy. Killian is my mate, yes, but that has no bearing on my ability to lead."

An elder cleared his throat, his eyes shifting uncomfortably. "Tabitha, we must consider the wellbeing of the pack. Being mated to an omega... it complicates things. The council believes that—"

"I don’t care what you believe," I interrupted. My gaze went sharp as I scanned the faces of the council. "Being mated to Killian does not make me weak. I am my father’s daughter. And I am more than capable of leading this pack, with or without your approval."

There was a murmur of discontent among the elders, but I didn’t back down. They needed to hear me, to understand that I wasn’t some fragile girl they could manipulate. I had seen what they were trying to do, and I wouldn’t let them strip away what was mine.

But Ares, of course, had other plans.

"It’s not just about you, Tabitha," he said. His voice dripped with false concern as he stepped forward. "The pack needs stability. Strength. And with an omega by your side, the pack will always question your authority."

I clenched my fists at my sides, resisting the urge to snap at him. "This isn’t about Killian, Ares. This is about you. You’ve been undermining me since the day I was named my father’s successor. You want the pack for yourself."

Ares’ eyes gleamed, but his expression remained cool. "I only want what’s best for Crescent Moon. And let’s face it, the pack doesn’t trust you to lead. They never did."

I turned to the elders. My heart pounded. "You can’t let him manipulate you like this. My father wouldn’t have wanted the pack in Ares’ hands."