"What are the brothers murmuring about excluding me?"
Without muttering any words, Alpha Harlan ignored and went to Kael who was still attending to Elara medically. "Kael, I will do whatever it takes to ensure her recovery," he vowed, voice filled with determination as though regretting his action just as Vesper scrutinized him.
He stood with a watchful vigil by her side as Kael tended to her. His thoughts seemed to be consumed with prayers for her recovery,
Having attended to her, Kael announced, "Her pulse is getting normal, she is resting now." his voice was quiet but resolute as he said. "With time and care, I believe she will make a full recovery but I can't predict when."
Even though relief washed over Harlan, Kael's last statement poured confusion into him again, "You can't tell when?!" Unbelievably, he asked.
"What happened to my Luna?!" Queen Anara stormed inside, followed by Queen Morgana. The poor old woman wasn't as energetic as the young Queen, she couldn't match Queen Anara's faster pacing.
"Was Our Luna as weak as the Pack protest?" She asked, having seen Elara unconsciously lay.
All their attention drew to her, surprised by the news. "What protest?!" They chorused.
"My poor Son!" Queen Morgana rushed to Alpha Harlan, took his hand, and placed it on her cheek, feeling sober and sympathetic. "The Kingdom is pouring out their grief, stating that Luna Laia is too weak to be in this pack let alone become their Luna."
"How dare they?! Who started such a ridiculous rumor?!!" Alpha Harlan squealed and his blood boiled up immediately.
"It wasn't a rumor, Your Majesty." Queen Anara bluntly replied, her voice firm and steady, "The Pack witnessed when she fainted! It hadn't happened in our history!"
*****
The Triplet Alphas stood outside the Terrace of the Castle, their expressions grim as they watched the unrest unfolding before them.
The pack members had gathered in protest, "We cannot allow a weak Luna to rule us!" Their voices were raised in anger and frustration.
Up on their hands were banners lifted with the words "Say No to Weak Luna." Boldly written on it.
He looked through the heads of wolves present at the Courtyard while the majority of them were grumbling outside the gate.
"How the hell did they get into the Courtyard when everyone has been dismissed from the party?"
Beta Torin knelt at his feet, taking all the blame, "It was my carelessness, Alpha. Their riot was too fast as though they'd planned it."
Alpha Harlan was too baffled to see the boldness of his pack challenging him about his mate. "What is the meaning of this?" He demanded, voice cutting through the din of the crowd.
A man, wearing a black hood stepped forward, pulling the hood from his head, his eyes flashed with defiance. "We do not want the Luna," he declared, his voice echoing with bitterness. "She is too weak to lead us."
Alpha Harlan shut his eyes closed and sniffed in. Opening his eyes at once, his eyes hardened with bitterness. "My Luna is strong and capable," he retorted, his voice laced with anger. "The Luna Rite is around the corner, she will prove herself and you all shall bow to her!"
But the pack members remained unmoved, their protests growing louder with each passing moment.
Heavy frown squeezed Alpha Harlan's face together. It was his first time witnessing his pack to be so rebellious towards his commands. His fists clenched in anguish.
"We have witnessed how weak she was. It has become the talk of the town and as well the guests witnessed it." Another man, wearing a hood like the first man, unveiled their fear as he stayed closer to the first man. "Our Kingdom would be looked down upon if she became the Luna."
Alpha Harlan was boiling up, so glaring at the Royals that were with him. Beta Torin felt the extent of his anger through the sire-bond. Right away, he urged Alpha Harlan while his mother held his clenched fist into her palms as though summoning him to calm his wrath.
"Please Alpha don't cast your wrath on them."
Alpha Vesper had a light chuckle curving his lip up. He whispered to Harlan, "Indirectly, they did not welcome your Kingship."
Alpha Harlan adverted a dagger eye at him which Vesper nonchalantly shrugged in response. "No offense, I just interpreted what they are protesting about."
Alpha Harlan couldn't tolerate the insults thrown at him. The situation made him lie in between taking a drastic step to stop their uprise and yielding to the pleas of his mother.
Looking at Zephyr, he and his Mate have been unusually quiet making Harlan put his attention on them, however, he shunned away the horrible thought that was filling his mind towards them.
As the pack members continued to voice their grievances, Alphas Zephyr roared from his stand, "Silence!" his thunderous voice cutting through the uproar like a knife. "I will not stand still and tolerate this disrespect towards our Luna! She just arrived, how long have you known her to start judging?!!"
The pack members fell silent, their eyes widening in fear as Alpha Zephyr's fury escalated. "Those who defy the Luna defies me and my brothers! And they will be dealt with swiftly and severely," He added, his voice dripped with menace.
Meanwhile, Alpha Harlan's eyes had turned brick red, blazing like an inferno. Just as Zephyr spoke, all the royals conveyed bewildering eyes at Alpha Harlan but his rage commanded fear that shut them off.
Underneath the sleeve of Vesper was his hand shaking and swelled with veins, he gripped the shaking hand but they subconsciously shook.
"Did you just speak through Zephyr?" Vesper questioned, feeling a high rate of anger within him. "Are you transmitting your anger to us now?!" He crocked as he was feeling Alpha Harlan's anger within him.
Instead, Alpha Harlan snorted at him, "Hell you, mute bitch!"
Despite the tension in the air, the unrest continued to bubble beneath their breaths, threatening to burst at any moment. "We want a Luna as strong as Queen Anara!" They turn over their banner that boldly has "Hail to Queen Anara." written on it.
As they were lifting the banner, they were shouting, "Hail To Queen Anara!!"