Chapter 682 – Clause twenty. The fear of all leaders who knew about it

Chapter 682: Chapter 682 – Clause twenty. The fear of all leaders who knew about it

Elders were the most troublesome breed in every pack.

They clung to tradition like drowning men to driftwood, resisted change with the stubbornness of ancient oaks, and wielded their influence like a blade honed over decades. So naturally, every eye in the room fixed on them, waiting, breath held, for their response.

"We don’t object." One of the elders spoke, his voice gravelly with age. His sharp gaze swept the room, lingering on Voren. "But if there are any changes we deem unfit, we shall voice our concern."

Voren nodded, accepting the condition without argument. His attention moved to the shaman, who sat in quiet observation near the window. "Shaman, is it allowed for us to make these changes?"

"If it’s for the benefit of the pack, then yes." The shaman’s voice carried the weight of ancient knowledge, calm and unwavering.

Voren turned to the last person at the table. "Beta Kael, do you have any objections to any changes?"

Kael shook his head, his expression open and sincere. "Your decisions have only made the pack better."

A flicker of satisfaction crossed Voren’s features. He turned to Seraphine, his eyes glinting with something mischievous. "My queen, since no one has any objections, you should throw light on the changes while I chair this meeting."

Seraphine’s brow lifted, caught off guard but not surprised. This was supposed to be a short meeting Voren could handle alone, yet he always found ways to pull her into the center of things.

She shot him a look that promised a conversation later, then focused her attention on the draft constitution he’d pushed in front of her.

"I’ll only mention the clauses we’re amending to save time." Her voice rang clear across the room, commanding attention without effort. "So I’ll start from Clause 2."

She paused, letting the room settle. "The highest of the pack hierarchy is the Alpha and Luna, followed by Betas, and Gammas if any. Elders are an independent body set up to review the work of leaders but are not directly leaders."

Her finger traced the line of text as she continued.

"Now this is our proposal for a change. The highest hierarchy of the pack shall be the position of the King and Queen. However, this position is open for contention among all packs in the community. It does not solely belong to the Grimroot pack. In a situation where the crown moves to another pack, then the highest office will be the Alpha and Luna."

Nods of assurance rippled around the table. Seraphine continued.

"Clause four. The heirship." She looked up, her gaze sweeping the faces before her. "It reads here that the heir of the Grimroot pack must be blood born to the pack’s Alpha and Luna."

"And you’re changing that?" One of the leaders stirred in his seat, discomfort flickering across his features.

Seraphine smiled, calm and measured. "This is what we’re proposing, and it’s still under debate. The heir or heirs must undergo intensive heirship training. Heirs of all leaders and pack members who have shown extraordinary strength and immense dedication to the pack can contest for the position when the heir or heirs of the highest-ranking leaders turn eighteen."

"This pack was founded by our forefathers, an Ashkael." One of the elders shook his head, his weathered face creased with disapproval. "What if the heir fails the contest? I don’t agree with this."

Voren leaned forward, his smile disarming but his eyes sharp. "You should ask about our reason for including this clause. Because I intend to add it to all other packs’ constitutions."

The room stilled. The weight of his words settled over them like a heavy blanket. He was the Alpha King now. His reach extended far beyond the borders of this pack.

"Then we would like to hear your explanation." Another elder spoke, his voice carrying the authority of someone who had seen too much to be easily impressed.

Voren nodded, rising slightly in his seat. His voice dropped, carrying the conviction of a man who had witnessed the rot firsthand.

"You all know I’ve never been one to show interest in other pack matters. But the full moon festival opened my eyes to a lot of discrepancies in the leadership system."

He paused, letting the words sink in. "Alpha heirs inherit the position whether or not they’re capable. And what does that give us? Spoiled, arrogant, selfish, weak, and greedy leaders who think the world should bow to them."

Murmurs rippled through the room, but no one interrupted. "I can’t blame them. I blame the system." Voren’s jaw tightened, his hands pressing flat against the table.

"If we throw the challenge that being born to a leader doesn’t automatically make one an heir, then they’ll work harder. Because there are strong leaders who raise very weak heirs. This will be a challenge to every leader to raise their heirs toward the challenge of future leadership."

His office went quiet for thirty long seconds. Then the first elder spoke, his voice rough with something that sounded almost like respect. "Your explanation has bought my support. So let me be the first to buy this change."

"I’ll be the second." Another leader nodded, his expression thoughtful.

"A third." An elder who hadn’t spoken yet raised his hand.

Finally, the second elder who had spoken earlier inclined his head, his resistance crumbling. "You have the full support of the elders on this matter."

Seraphine smiled, a warmth spreading through her chest. She continued, her voice steady.

"Members of the Grimroot pack are allowed to marry other pack members of its kind, being werewolves. In a situation where a pack member falls in love with a non-werewolf, they should be made to cut ties and never show their faces with the pack again."

No one argued. The old law was familiar, ingrained in their bones. Seraphine moved on.

"This is our proposed amendment, and we’ve factored in the restoration of the mate bond." She paused, letting the significance of her next words settle. "It reads: members of the Grimroot pack are allowed to marry whoever the moon goddess bonds them with, being werewolves or not. If it so be creatures who are a threat to our pack and kind, then the matter can be brought before the leaders and shaman to be deliberated on."

She drew a breath and continued. "We also propose a section B to this clause. Where a pack member is mated to a human who does not possess any extraordinary abilities but is exposed to our world, he or she must decide whether or not to stay. If he or she agrees to stay, a vow of secrecy must be taken to not speak of our world to other humans. If he or she chooses not to stay, then we shall have his or her memory wiped pertaining to our world. And we shall have no choice but to send his or her mate to live with him or her in the human world."

She lifted her head, her gaze sweeping the room with quiet authority. "This isn’t part of the amendment, but I shall lead an experiment to know whether a human, if marked by our kind, will experience any changes."

Everyone noticed the sigh of relief that escaped Damon. His shoulders dropped, the tension bleeding from his frame. Only Voren understood why.

"There are no objections." Vladimir spoke, his voice cutting through the murmurs of approval. Then his expression grew serious. "I hope you haven’t forgotten Clause twenty."

The atmosphere tensed instantly. The air in the room grew heavy, charged with a fear that had no name.

"If other packs are quiet, then they’re only planning to use it against you at the right time." Vladimir’s gaze locked onto Voren, unwavering. "Will you face the punishment?"

Clause twenty. The fear of all leaders who knew about it.