CHAPTER 38: SHIFTING TIDE

Eberhard’s voice echoed through the hall, trembling with anger and humiliation. The veins on his neck stood out as he glared at Ellie, desperate to regain control of the narrative slipping from his grasp.

"Twisting everything?" Ellie tilted his head, calm in contrast to Eberhard’s frenzy. "You’ve done a fine job twisting things yourself. You came here ready to humiliate her, didn’t you?"

A few pack members exchanged uncertain glances, not knowing who to believe anymore.

Eberhard’s jaw tightened. "Watch your tone, boy. You have no idea what you’re saying."

"Oh, I think I do," Ellie replied, stepping closer. "You just couldn’t stand seeing your plans work against you, could you? For once things are going in her favor and she didn’t even have to lift a finger to make you look small."

Rhea almost laughed. He’s brutal, she thought, barely hiding the amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Enough!" Eberhard barked, his face a deep red. "You all are fools if you believe a single word from that girl’s mouth. The Moon Goddess doesn’t hand out power to liars and traitors’ bloodlines."

Rhea’s smile vanished. She stepped forward, deliberately. "You speak of the Goddess like you know her personally," she said softly. "Tell me, Eberhard, has the Goddess ever shown herself to you?"

Every heard turn to Eberhard, even Ares looked at him as if expecting him to answer that. Unbelievable. Eberhard couldn’t understand what was happening. His throat bobbed; his mouth opened and closed before he muttered under his breath, "No... She hasn’t."

"Then why," Ellie pressed, his tone sharp, "do you keep ranting like you’re her spokesman? We should be praising Rhea for using these abilities to save one of our pack members. Considering how y’all treated her in the past, not a single one of you even deserves her help. So how dare you accuse her of sleeping around and lying with the Moon Goddess’s ?"

"Exactly," Rhea interjected, nodding exaggeratedly. "How could you even think of such a thing? That me, Rhea, would consider sleeping with a man like Roff? That guy isn’t even visually appealing."

Ellie shot her a side glance, his lips twitching. Stop playing around, Rhea, he thought, forcing himself not to laugh.

"When did I accuse her of lying with the Moon Goddess?" Eberhard said, frustrated, his voice breaking slightly. "I never did such a thing!"

"Saying that I’m lying, that my story is a fairytale, is as good as saying the Moon Goddess isn’t powerful enough to bless me," Rhea countered smoothly.

Eberhard’s composure cracked. His gaze darted helplessly toward Ares. "Alpha, are you just going to stand there and let them disrespect me like this? This is so unfair. Do something!"

Ares exhaled slowly, shoulders stiff, eyes tired. The tension in the hall coiled tight.

"Alpha," Nikki whined, her face twisted with outrage. "You can’t let them talk to my father like that! You saw how your beta and that wench disrespected him! Are you just going to stand there and let them get away with it?"

Ares’s gaze slid toward her, unimpressed, his tone low but loud enough to slice through the murmuring crowd. "What do you expect me to do? Fix the mess you and your father started?"

Eberhard blinked, thrown off balance. "What, what mess? Alpha, she’s manipulating everyone here! Can’t you see that?"

Rhea folded her arms, eyes glittering with mischief. "Manipulating?" she repeated, voice laced with mock amusement. "If I recall correctly, the only one who’s been pulling strings around here is you, Eberhard. You and your pink daughter."

The crowd stirred like a restless tide. Murmurs rose, scattered at first, then swelling.

"I knew something was off about that family."

"Always looking down on others like they own the pack."

"She’s right, they’ve been abusing their influence for years."

"Look how they treat someone who saved one of our own."

The tide was shifting, and fast.

At the far end of the hall, Seraphine’s face had gone pale. Lena and Lyra, exchanged nervous glances, both clenching their hands tightly. They could feel it too, the balance of power that once tilted so comfortably in their favor was slipping, inch by inch, right through Eberhard’s hands.

Ares’s jaw flexed. He pinched the bridge of his nose, rubbing his temple as if the noise itself was a headache. His patience was wearing thin, but for once, he wasn’t sure who deserved his wrath more. The problem wasn’t just Rhea’s story, it was the seed of doubt she had just planted in every heart there.

Eberhard took a step forward, face burning red with fury. "You think you can stand there and slander me like this, girl? You... "

Ellie moved between them before he could finish, his expression calm but his voice edged with warning. "Watch your words, Eberhard. Because right now, you’re standing here trying to challenge the Goddess’s chosen."

Gasps rippled through the hall.

Eberhard’s eyes widened, disbelief written all over his face. "I can’t believe you actually believe this wench’s nonsense?" he spat.

Rhea studied him, unsure if Ellie truly believed her story or was simply taking advantage of the situation to corner Eberhard. Either way, it worked in her favor. She tilted her head, voice honeyed with mock pity. "You look pale, Eberhard. Is the truth that hard to swallow?"

"You insolent little... "

"Enough!" Ares’s voice boomed, silencing the space. He looked from Rhea to Eberhard, his eyes hard as stone. "Both of you. I’m sick of this circus. Eberhard, if you want to accuse her, then bring proof. Not just words. Not assumptions. real proof."

Eberhard opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His throat bobbed, sweat glistening at his temple.

Ares turned to Rhea, his gaze sharp. "And you... " he paused, as if measuring the weight of his next words, "if you truly were blessed by the Moon Goddess, then we’ll see it for ourselves soon enough. Won’t we?"

Rhea smiled faintly, tilting her chin up. "Of course, Alpha. You’ll see everything in time."