Chapter 201
Skye’s POV
The priest smiled with satisfaction, turning to Alpha Xavier. “Congratulations! Your sacrifice has been accepted by the sacred fire.”
Everyone around me exchanged bewildered glances, unable to believe what was happening. The white flames continued to dance mysteriously, casting an otherworldly glow across the stone circle. Several pack members stood up from their seats, mouths hanging open in shock. Others whispered furiously to their neighbors.
Alpha Xavier himself stood frozen in place, staring at the sacred fire with wide eyes.
“Alpha Xavier,” the priest called again, his voice stronger this time.
Xavier finally snapped out of his trance. “Thank you!” He turned toward the audience with a mixture of joy and confusion, then back to the priest, clearly at a loss for words.
The priest approached Xavier. “Please place your right hand above the sacred fire. It will brand you with its mark.”
Following the instructions, Xavier extended his hand over the white flames. As the heat touched his skin, his brow furrowed slightly, revealing his pain.
After a moment, the priest grasped Alpha Xavier’s right wrist and raised it high for everyone to see. The skin on Xavier’s palm now bore a red crescent mark. “The sacred fire has completed its branding.”
Someone in the crowd began applauding, and within seconds, almost everyone rose to their feet, their applause accompanied by cheers and whistles that echoed throughout the ancient stone circle. Pack members called out Xavier’s name, while others howled in celebration.
“Well done, Alpha Xavier!” Alpha Morgan shouted enthusiastically from behind me.
“How is this possible?” I whispered to myself, completely baffled. My mind raced through the possibilities, trying to understand what made his sacrifice worthy when others had failed.
I glanced at Lydia sitting beside me. She clapped her hands twice before lowering them to her lap. Her expression revealed mixed emotions–happiness for Xavier but unmistakable concern for Adrian.
Suddenly, Alpha Rodrigo stood up, his voice cutting through the celebration. “Wait! How can this be? He only sacrificed an insignificant acting dream. Why would his sacrifice be accepted? This is completely unfair!” His face flushed red with anger, veins bulging at his temples.
His outburst sparked similar complaints from portions of the audience. The celebratory atmosphere quickly transformed into one of confusion and discontent.
“Right, he just threw away an acting career. He loses nothing!” someone shouted.
“Alpha Xavier is merely an actor. We have never had a tradition of choosing actors as Alpha King, another voice added, contempt dripping from each word.
“We cannot accept this kind of Alpha King. He is not strong enough!” A burly werewolf warrior stood up, pointing accusingly toward the platform.
“Alpha Rodrigo clearly made a greater sacrifice!” This came from one of Rodrigo’s pack members, her loyalty evident in her passionate defense.
The protests grew louder, transforming from individual complaints into a collective roar of disapproval. Some werewolves began to shift partially, their eyes glowing with anger, claws extending in agitation.
Elder Selene stepped forward. “Silence!” She surveyed the audience with a stern gaze. “If anyone questions the decision of the sacred fire, please feel free to jump into it yourself to find your
answer!”
The audience gradually quieted down. Several partially shifted werewolves reverted to their fully human forms, looking somewhat embarrassed by their loss of control.
Elder Selene continued, “Does anyone wish to jump into the sacred fire? No? Then let the priest continue with our trials.”
The priest nodded respectfully to Elder Selene before addressing Alpha Rodrigo. “Every dream is precious. In the eyes of the sacred fire, there is no distinction between what is valuable and what is not. Trust that the sacred fire makes fair judgments.”
Alpha Rodrigo’s face clearly showed his dissatisfaction, muscles twitching along his jawline, but he responded, “I understand.” He sat down heavily, his supporters murmuring consolations around him.
Alpha Xavier descended from the platform with a pleased smile, waving to his fans and pack members as he returned to his seat. His path was cleared by two Beta guards who ensured his safe passage through the still–agitated crowd.
I watched Adrian on the platform. He stared at the sacred fire, ‘lost in thought, seemingly oblivious to everything around him.
Leon, who had maintained his composure throughout the ceremony, now showed signs of anxiety. His usually confident posture had stiffened, and his eyes darted between the sacred fire and Elder Selene. “Since Alpha Xavier has already been accepted by the sacred fire, will we continue with the sacrifice trials?” he asked the priest.
The priest replied, “Perhaps Elder Selene can better explain this question.”
Elder Selene stepped forward again. “Of course we continue. The Council has prepared a Plan B. If anyone else passes the sacred fire trial, we will add another test.”
“That reassures me,” Leon said, visibly relaxing. “I trust the Council is fair.”
The priest then invited Leon to approach the sacred fire.
Leon removed a necklace from around his neck, the chain glinting in the firelight. He opened the pendant with careful fingers, looking at it with obvious reluctance before raising his head to address
the sacred fire.
“This pendant contains a picture of my mother,” he said, his voice with a hint of sadness.
I suddenly remembered seeing Leon wear this necklace since childhood, though he always kept the pendant hidden beneath his clothes. I never knew it contained his mother’s photograph. The realization made my heart ache for him.
Leon continued, “When I was very young, my mother sacrificed herself to protect our pack. My memories of her are what matter most to me. I used to fear those memories would fade as I grew older, so I never allowed my father to discard anything related to her, not even her dried up lipstick.”
As he spoke, his voice caught slightly. Leon had never shown weakness before anyone, but today, he was exposing his deepest wound for all to see.
Whether because of our mate bond or because his mother had once saved my life, tears welled up my eyes, blurring my vision. I remembered the stories of how she had stood against vampires who attacked our territory, how she had saved several children including me at the cost of her own life.
The sacred fire blazed as bright as the inferno from the night his mother had sacrificed herself, the flames reaching higher as if responding to Leon’s emotions.
Finally, Leon kissed the pendant and threw it into the fire.
