Chapter 144 - What Sacrifice?

Daryn's mother, Luna of the Silver Clan, Sedora looked like the most dangerous creature.

This was a murmur amongst the crowd as guests lined around them. The couple went and stood in front of their family. Sedora's expression remained stoic. 

"Good afternoon Mother," said Daryn in a formal tone. "Meet my wife, Dawn Wyatt." 

Dawn bowed her head slightly and said, "Good afternoon. It's a pleasure to meet you." 

Sedora stared at Daryn and then her gaze went to Dawn. With sarcasm and derision laced in her voice, she said, "Welcome to the Silver Mansion. I hope you find your place amongst the pure bloods. Daryn has sacrificed many alliances only to marry you." 

Dawn's breathing accelerated. She removed her hand that was coiled around Daryn's arm and stood straight. Raising her chin in a confident manner, she stared at Sedora. Pia gasped at her blatant display of courage. 

Gayle already loved it. There was a satisfied look on his face. 

Daryn was on the verge of getting his claws out in case Sedora attacked his wife. He was ready for a battle with her for his wife's audacity. 

"What sacrifice?" Dawn asked politely in a calm manner. "Daryn has returned home safely with his Luna after one of the most hazardous journeys that one could undertake or even think of, in Ulfric. Every pure blood is aware that Brantley had taken them hostage and released them only after I negotiated with my life over there. As far as I see, it was Daryn who volunteered to stay back with me, which I expected since he is my mate." 

The murmur in the crowd died immediately. But some suppressed their titters. 

Sedora narrowed her eyes and she asked, "Oh! The new bride is already deriding me. What else can you expect from a neotide?" 

Daryn didn't know whether to stop Dawn from speaking, celebrate her courage or simply hold her hand and flee from there. Sedora would definitely not like this. 

"Of course not, Sedora," Dawn replied. She couldn't call her 'Mother.' "I don't mean to be so disrespectful." For Dawn, Sedora had lost her only chance to call her mother. "I was only wondering what sacrifice did Daryn make other the fact that after choosing to be with me to save the lives of his people, he loses his position as the Alpha of the Silver Pack." 

The guests gasped. Dawn had smartly outlined Daryn's heroic efforts and what he was getting in return.

Sedora's lips curled in a mock. "Alpha of the Silver Pack?" She turned her gaze to Daryn and said, "Didn't you tell her that a neotide cannot bear the child of a pure blood? She will never become a mother if your child." She looked back at Dawn and loved the desired effect on her. The blood from her face had drained. 

Dawn's mind became numb. Daryn was always talking about kids and not even once did he mention that a neotide and a pure blood couldn't produce offsprings. Why did he keep her in the dark? Perhaps that is why there were hardly any marriages between the two different species. She felt as if the ground was slipping beneath her. Her breathing hitched. He had married her, his mate knowing the fact fully well that they would never have children. She wanted to reach out to Daryn, but he had asked her to up the mental shields. 

At the same time, Daryn didn't know how to react to the last statement from her mother. He felt a pang of pain in his heart and imagined what all Dawn must be going through. 

Dawn gulped. Even if this was the case, she had to stand up and not get affected by it. "It doesn't matter whether I can have children or not. We are mates for life," she said with grit. "If by marrying him anyone has sacrificed, it is me, though I won't undermine his sacrifice either." By saying that, she had conveyed that her sacrifice was bigger. She didn't know that neotides and pure bloods couldn't produce children. She was grief-struck, but she didn't let any of those emotions come to her face. 

Pia on the other hand looked so happy that all her joy came out as a wide grin on her face. She couldn't help thinking how much of an upper hand she had in this aspect. She started planning on having babies as soon as possible because that meant consolidation of her position as the next Luna of the Silver Pack. 

Sedora's face had darkened and Daryn knew that her mind had catapulted into conspiracies upon conspiracies on how to deal with a werewolf who wasn't even a pure blood. Her eyes were lava of molten fury and if Dawn had been alone, she would have torn her apart. She took a step forward to openly challenge the neotide. Daryn stepped in front of Dawn. If his mother had to combat anyone, that would be him and not Dawn. He admired Dawn's guts. She had stood tall as his Luna. 

Upon seeing the situation going out of control, Gayle started to laugh. In fact he roared with laughter. He held Sedora��s hand and stopped her. He looked at Daryn and said, "Your bride is very brave. She is much more than I had expected from a neotide." 

Sedora halted and then ordered the Shaman. "Please continue your ceremony. I would like to see Caleb's accession to the position of the Alpha of the Silver Pack. We can't have someone who won't be able to produce heirs." 

The Shaman sprinkled some more herbs in the fire and it crackled blue and red. 

"No!" Gayle protested. "This ceremony will not take place." 

"Gayle!" Sedora's claws started to come out. 

Gayle ignored her and commanded Shaman to stop it. 

"What are you doing?" Sedora hissed. 

Gayle shrugged and gave her a blank look. He knew on the inside that Sedora would take her revenge. "It is not written anywhere that just because an Alpha has married a neotide, he would lose his standing in the pack. In fact it is mandatory for the werewolves to recognize their Chiefs who have mates. Having a mate automatically puts Daryn in a higher position. It's not his fault that his mate is not a pure blood. Daryn's rank as the Alpha of the Pack remains. No one can challenge it." 

Pia's mouth fell open. She licked her dry lips. Only fifteen minutes more and she would have been the Luna of the Silver Pack. Folding an arm across her stomach, she looked at everyone in the guests for support. She looked at Sedora for support, but even she couldn't negate Gayle's statement. Pia couldn't believe what just happened. She had prepared so well for the ceremony. The moment she had come to know that Daryn had a mate, she was feeling threatened. Leaving Dawn and Daryn at Ulfric provided her with a perfect opportunity to gain that status. She had called Sedora for that purpose only. It was such a perfect plan and now it was crumbling in front of her eyes. She had to salvage it. In a shaky voice, she said, "How would Dawn and Daryn ensure a line of successors? The Silver Pack needs successors after all."