#Chapter 261: The First Council

Ava Golden sunlight streamed through the enormous windows, shafts of warmth spreading across the large meeting hall. A fire crackled merrily in the hearth, and a long oak table had been placed at the center of the room. Soft piano music played from a human-made record player in the corner, and council members milled around with cups of tea and coffee in their hands. Being here, back in Full Moon, was surreal. It was so… different now. So warm, so bright, so full of life. So beautiful, in its own ice-and-stone way. Winston stood to greet us, a small bundle cradled in his arms as he strode across the room in long-legged strides. His shoes clicked loudly on the stone floors, but it didn’t echo ominously like before. His cloak, lined with rich bone-white fur, trailed elegantly behind him. “Alpha Chris. True Luna Ava.” He bowed his head respectfully—a title and a gesture I still hadn’t gotten used to, although I had grown tired of telling people to just call me Ava.