BloodMoon: Captivated by the Forbidden Lycan Alpha
Chapter 73: COVEN COUNCIL MEETING

Chapter 73: COVEN COUNCIL MEETING

{"Never ruffle the feathers of a powerful woman because she will not only want to hurt you, but she will want to draw your blood."}

ELDER DANTE’S POV

Sierra was in a pissy mood when we arrived at the Coven council hall. Qadira and Nessa had remained behind to guard Aurora, and I had left ten enforcer guards stationed at the Kayne home to ensure no one dared to strike in our absence. The council hall was already abuzz with tension, and Sierra had deliberately delayed our arrival, ensuring we were ten minutes late. Outside, the enforcer guards stood motionless, the bodies of the dead vampires laid out as a silent, damning statement.

The moment Sierra stepped inside; the entire hall fell into stunned silence. She moved like a storm contained within a woman, majestic, chin raised, her long hair cascading down her back as if it had a will of its own. A suffocating pressure filled the air, and I could see the ripple effect she had on the room.

Lord Marcel stood abruptly; his eyes wide with shock. "Impossible," he breathed, barely above a whisper.

Cassius, in contrast, exhaled sharply through his nose, irritation flashing across his face. He leaned back in his seat, fingers tapping against the armrest of his chair in an impatient rhythm.

Tio, Desmon, and Idris, however, were another story. Fear laced their expressions, their gazes darting between Sierra and the bodies outside as if piecing together the grim picture of what had transpired. Good. Let them be afraid.

Sierra took another deliberate step forward, her boots echoing in the deadened silence. "I see you’ve all been waiting," she said, voice smooth but laced with steel. "I trust you’ve had enough time to discuss what excuses you’ll make."

Desmon swallowed thickly. "Lady Sierra—"

"Spare me," she cut him off sharply, her gaze locking onto his with a weight that made him shrink in his seat. "We are past courtesies. I want answers. And I want them now."

I took a careful step closer to her, my muscles coiled and ready. I knew Sierra well enough to understand she wasn’t going to hold back, and that meant I needed to be ready to defend her at all costs. If anyone here thought they could challenge her authority, they were in for a rude awakening.

Cassius sneered. "You barge in here late, dragging corpses like a spectacle, and demand answers? You overstep, Sierra."

She tilted her head slightly, a slow smirk curling at the corner of her lips. "I overstep?" she mused as if the very idea amused her. Then, in a blink, her expression hardened. "Tell me, Cassius, do dead vampires make you uncomfortable? Or is it the fact that they were working under your orders that unsettles you?"

A tense hush settled over the council.

Cassius’s smirk faltered, but he masked it quickly. "Careful with your accusations."

Sierra took another step forward, this time letting her power hum just beneath her skin, a warning to everyone present. "Or what?" she challenged, voice dangerously low. "You’ll try to silence me? Like you tried with Aurora?"

Idris sucked in a sharp breath. Lord Marcel, still standing, seemed to be struggling to find his voice.

I shifted slightly, ensuring my stance was firm. If they dared move against her, I’d make sure they regretted it.

For now, though, I let Sierra speak, knowing this was only the beginning.

Lord Marcel stood up and spoke in greeting, surprising everyone in the Coven Council Hall.

"Sierra Kayne, welcome. What a surprise to see you."

Sierra walked toward him with measured steps while I took my seat among the council members. Her presence commanded attention, her dark cloak billowing slightly as she moved.

"Greetings, Lord Marcel," she said, her voice steady yet urgent. "I apologize for not sending word ahead. I know it is customary to inform the council before attending a meeting, but the matter at hand is dire. I had to come myself."

Lord Marcel nodded, his sharp gaze assessing her. He slowly eased back into his seat, his expression turning inquisitive. "I assume this is not a mere courtesy visit. What has brought you here with such urgency?"

Sierra’s eyes darkened as she straightened her posture, her fingers tightening slightly at her sides. "Lord Marcel, two nights ago, my home was attacked by a group of young vampires. They came under the cover of darkness, swift and merciless. Had I been there, I doubt I would be standing before you now. Fortunately, I was out gathering herbs when I encountered them. I barely survived."

A hushed murmur spread among the council members, their eyes darting between Sierra and Lord Marcel.

"Vampires attacking your home?" one of the elders questioned, his tone skeptical. "That is not a common occurrence. Are you certain they were after you?"

Sierra met his gaze unwaveringly. "I am certain. Their attack was not random, nor was it a mere act of violence. They carried marks, symbols of being controlled. Someone sent them, and whoever it was, they knew exactly who I am."

Lord Marcel steepled his fingers, deep in thought. "This is grave news indeed. Do you have any idea who might have orchestrated this?"

Sierra hesitated for a moment before replying. "I have suspicions, but no proof. That is why I am here. I need the council’s aid in uncovering the truth before more lives are lost."

The chamber fell into an uneasy silence, the weight of her words settling over everyone present. The council would have to decide—ignore the warning and risk further attacks or act and step into the unknown dangers that lurked in the shadows.

"You have suspicion and no proof?" Byron Marcel—Lord Marcel and Desmond’s uncle—spoke up, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Sierra’s eyes flashed. "Well, do dead bodies count as proof?" she hissed.

The hall fell into a heavy silence. With a sharp flick of her wrist, she beckoned the guards outside. They obeyed, dragging in several sacks, their rough fabric stained dark with rot. Then, the stench hit. Thick, putrid, suffocating.

The reaction was instant. Chairs scraped against the stone floor as the council members leaped to their feet, shouting in shock and disgust. "What the hell is this?" someone yelled.

I barely heard them. My eyes locked onto Cassius. He had been composed—arrogant even—but now, for the first time, I saw it. Fear. His jaw tensed; his fingers curled tightly around the armrest of his chair. And in that moment, I knew. He had planned all of this. His target had been Aurora. But he had failed. And now, he was exposed.

Across the room, Lord Marcel turned to face him, his gaze burning with fury. Then, his eyes shifted to Idris and Tio. Neither of them met his stare. Instead, they lowered their heads, silent in their guilt.

Sierra stepped forward; her voice now laced with ice. "I have stayed out of Coven business for a long time. I was grieving my husband, Lord Dunco Kayne. But it seems someone wishes to harm the Kayne family. And that means I will no longer sit on the sidelines."

Her words hung in the air like a storm ready to break.

She took a measured breath before delivering the final blow. "When I fought the vampires, they were controlled. I dug deeper, and I found why. Their minds were infected—with Bloodstone bugs. From Bloodstone Mountain."

For a heartbeat, there was silence.

Then the council exploded into an uproar. Shouts filled the hall, accusations flying as the weight of Sierra’s revelation settled over them. Some demanded proof. Others cursed under their breath. But I wasn’t watching them. I was watching Cassius whose face was thunderous and his nostrils flared as he realized that Sierra Kayne had come to take him down.

"Bloodstone bugs?" A council member shot to his feet, his voice ringing with outrage. "How did they get into our young vampires? This is treason! Who dares use our people like this?"

Sierra lifted her chin, her gaze steady. "Not only use our people," she said coldly, "but use them to attack."

A murmur of shock rippled through the room. Lord Marcel’s eyes burned with fury as he rose, raising a hand to silence the escalating voices. His gaze locked onto Sierra. "Are you certain?"

Without a word, Sierra strode to one of the sacks. The scent of decay thickened as she reached inside and pulled out a lifeless body. A second later, something small and shriveled tumbled from the corpse, a dead Bloodstone bug, ugly and squeezed.

The reaction was instant. Gasps filled the hall, some council members recoiling in horror. Lord Marcel hissed under his breath, his sharp gaze flickering toward Cassius, a silent, dangerous warning. Cassius stiffened, but the look vanished as quickly as it came.

Clearing his throat, Lord Marcel spoke, his tone measured but firm. "The council will investigate this matter."

Sierra wasn’t finished. She stepped forward, her voice like ice. "I sincerely hope the case will not be given to Cassius and his team. After all, they visited Kayne land just the other day. I do not trust them."

A charged silence fell over the room. Every council member turned to Cassius. I watched as Lord Marcel clenched his fist, his knuckles white with suppressed rage, while Desmond muttered a curse under his breath.

I rose to my feet. "I second Sierra’s concern." My voice carried across the hall. "Cassius, Idris, and Tio, along with the royal guard, have visited the Kayne home not once, but three times. It would be inappropriate for them to lead this investigation. Instead, I propose that Desmond Marcel, Amon Nessa, and Aggrey Jade, the elder Coven council members, take charge."

The room fell into hushed murmurs. Lord Marcel’s surprise was almost comical, his eyebrows lifting as if he hadn’t expected me to speak. But he said nothing, and for the first time, I felt the tides turning.