Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby

Chapter 156: The Greymoore Elders

The king's sudden order had a vastly different impact on the independent and vassal werewolf clans. In the past,

their young warriors had to work under the ten great clans or enlist in the military to have even a slight chance

of entering the Trial of Yggdrasil. Swealthy independent clans resorted to buying slots for their most

promising youths.

But this time, the king's directive changed everything.

He directly tasked the Arbiter Clan with organizing a grand competition to select the ten strongest warriors

among all eligible werewolf youths. Following the command, the Arbiter Clan issued a worldwide announcement:

all werewolves under the age of one hundred were invited to participate in the preliminary selection round, to be

held in the coliseum at Lunergarde during the first ten days of the following month.

Entry required only a fee of 10,000 dollars.

The rules were simple. Each participant would face off in a one-on-one duel against a newly developed robotic

warrior. Victory meant immediate advancement to the second round, which would begin on the 11th.

These robotic warriors had been developed under the supervision of the Lychos Clan, in collaboration with

various werewolf scientists. The king intended for this robot army to serve under his direct command in the

future. Though rumours of these machines had circulated for years, this would be their first appearance in

public. The competition served two purposes: to help in the selection process... and to conduct a real-tfield

test of the robot warriors. The data gathered would be used to improve future models.

No one truly knew the robots’ combat capabilities. Yet countless young fighters around the globe were ecstatic.

Many believed they could triumph and earn their place in the Trial. Even those uncertain of final victory saw

value in the challenge... an opportunity to test their abilities and gain recognition. The entire werewolf world

began preparing in a state of excited anticipation.

Meanwhile, the army under the Warlord Clan received a separate order. Ten of their strongest members under

one hundred years of age would also be granted a place in the Trial. The news cas no surprise... joining the

army had always been a viable path to ascension. Unlike the open competitions, internal selection within the

army was straightforward; power rankings were already well known. Identifying the top ten was merely a

formality.

While the global werewolf community buzzed with enthusiasm, the Greymoore Clan was in disarray.

The recent Stockport Scandal had shaken the very foundation of their thousand-year political legacy. In a single

stroke, many of their longstanding allies... powerful political families... were exposed for corruption and criminal

activities. Their downfall was swift, and chances for a comeback in the near future were bleak.

Though the Greymoore Clan still retained a few supporters in the House of Commons and Lords, their key figures

were gone. Despite having investments in multiple industries, their primary business had always been

construction, heavily reliant on government contracts... contracts that were often secured through their political

influence.

The impact of their recent losses had already begun to show. In the last few weeks alone, they had lost several

major government tenders... contracts they would have easily secured in the past. The clan members, already

demoralized after the humiliating duel defeat, grew increasingly restless. As their frustrations mounted, they

demanded the Elders cout of seclusion to address the crisis.

When Grand Elder George Greymoore heard of the unrest, his fury was immediate. He summoned the Elders for

an emergency meeting.

The gathering took place in a luxurious villa nestled within the woods of East Sheen Common, in the London

Borough of Richmond. Unlike the Raynor Clan, where a single matriarch or patriarch held central authority, the

Greymoore Clan was ruled by its Elder Council. Only those who had lived more than five hundred years and held

prominent roles in the clan’s history could becElders. The Grand Elder wielded ultimate authority and had

the power to appoint the acting clan leader, whom they called patriarch or matriarch. While the council mostly

lived in isolation due to their age, they would intervene in critical moments.

Now, the thad come.

Alistair Greymoore, the current patriarch, stood in the grand hall of the villa. His head hung low, eyes avoiding

the stern gazes of those seated before him. Seven imposing old men and two elderly women sat in a semicircle

of high-backed chairs. Though one chair was reserved for Alistair, he dared not sit without permission.

"Alistair," Grand Elder George said sternly, "don’t just stand there. You know why we're here. Tell us everything...

from the beginning."

Clearing his dry throat, Alistair began.

"It all started with Ethan Raynor's aggressive expansion into the construction industry. He began in Manchester.

Within just five years, he dominated that market, then expanded into Trafford, Salford, Oldham, and Rochdale.

The real trouble began when he entered Tameside and won contracts we had intended to award to the Brown

Family."

He paused, looking at the Elders. "You all know the Browns of Stockport. We've supported them for centuries.

They were both a business and political powerhouse in that region. But then, Ethan met with Stockport's mayor

and began efforts to replace Oliver Brown as MP. | knew a conflict was brewing. | was searching for a peaceful

resolution."

A female Elder spoke coldly. "Why didn’t you reach out to Fiona Raynor? Ethan may be young and reckless, but

Fiona has always been diplomatic. She’s even ceded business opportunities to smaller clans in the past. It was

just a small territory. I've worked with her myself... many times. You should've letnegotiate."

Alistair bowed his head slightly. "I did consider meeting her. But before | could act, representatives from the

Leroux Clan contacted my son, Lucian. They knew about the tension between the Browns and Ethan. They

proposed a duel between Lucian and Ethan to settle things decisively. Everyone knew Ethan was considered a

weakling. Despite being an Alpha, he wasn’t part of the Raynor Clan Council, which only reinforced the belief

that his foundation was fragile."

He continued, "Lucian had already awakened our bloodline powers. He believed the duel would be easy. Besides,

the Raynor Clan didn’t seem to have another Alpha of suitable age to stand for Ethan. He assumed either Ethan

would lose... or he'd forfeit the match altogether."

He paused again, gauging the Elders’ expressions... grim and disappointed.

"After Lucian cto me, | initially rejected the idea. | didn’t want to risk provoking the Raynors. But then, the

Leroux Clan offered ten million pounds to go along with their plan. | declined again. That's when they offered

something else... an advanced body-strengthening technique from the Fenroth Clan, designed to complement

our Earth-based abilities. Plus, one month of specialized training for Lucian in the Fenroth Clan."

He lowered his voice. "That time... | agreed. | truly believed Ethan couldn't win. | also never imagined they would

retaliate by attacking our entire political foundation."

George Greymoore scoffed loudly, his voice like thunder in the hall.

"Fool!" he barked. "For thousands of years, the Raynor Clan has been one of the Ten Great Clans. No one... no

one challenged their authority and escaped unscathed. Have you already forgotten what happened in North

America? The Leroux Clan killed fifteen Raynor members. In retaliation, the Raynors hunted down over two

hundred Leroux werewolves across the globe. Everyone knows the Leroux Clan has been looking for ways to

destabilize them since then."

He leaned forward, his eyes burning with fury.

"And you... you let them use my clan as a pawn for spetty gains. Can't you see? They used you to distract

the Raynors while they pursued something else. And you took the bait... for a few coins and a minor technique.

What made you think the Raynors would sit quietly after being provoked by a clan as small as ours?"

Alistair lowered his head even further. Although he was technically George's brother's grandson, the Grand Elder

had always loved him like his own. Seeing the once-proud young man brought so low softened George's mood...

if only slightly.

He sighed and asked in a quieter voice, "Do you even know what the Leroux Clan was doing while you were busy

setting up that foolish duel?"

Alistair hesitated, then answered, "Not exactly. But I've heard sthings. A Chinese-British family with known

ties to the Leroux recently launched a large-scale project in Coventry... they're manufacturing communication

equipment. | suspect it’s a front for a Leroux investment."

George's eyes narrowed. "And how did the Raynors respond to this?"

Alistair shook his head. "They didn’t. No visible reaction, no public statement. It was as if they didn’t care."

"That's... odd," George muttered. "The Leroux Clan makes a move on British soil, and the Raynors remain silent?

That's not like them. I've only been in seclusion for twenty years. What's changed during that time? Has Fiona

Raynor stepped down?"

Alistair quickly answered, "No. She's still the official Clan Head and remains active. But there's something else...

something you should know."

George raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

Q Q q " 0

Alistair continued, "About five years

ago, a young woman appeared out of

nowhere. She was ey tenfyfive

back hed She @ashn duced as the

nbw! Successor of the Raynor Clan.

They call her the Young Miss. Ever

since then, Fiona has distanced

herself from business and started

q q " 3

traveling extensively.” The content is

on novelenglish.net! Read the latest

chapter there!

George's expression darkened. "You mean to say... Fiona handed over the reins to a child?"

I" [1 : f ra 1

Not exactly," Alistair clarified. "From

) . )

what I've learned, the girl doesn’t run

the clan directly. hawk kecown

Eee Gh United States. A

assive one. Just recently, she

opened a branch in Manchester. And

her personalworth... reportedly

HH [1

exceeds two hundred billion dollars.

George leaned back slowly, absorbing the information. "Another Raynor prodigy..."

I" )

She's more of a demon rather than a

: 1 : : n

prodigy," Alistair muttered. "In the

2 0

business world, she’s infamous.

Mm

She's been acoused,o{ rushing fival

cEmpa MeOnSSile takeovers, even

murder. People call her the She-Deuvil

in the States. Others refer to her as

Rhiannon, because of her unnatural

ong

beauty. And these aren't just

)

baseless rumours. I'm sure many of

: [1

the accusations are true." The

content is on novelenglish.net! Read

the latest chapter there!

He hesitated, then added, "In her first month back in the Kingdom, she acquired more than ten companies. Just

like that."

As George listened, his face grew steadily grimmer. The air around him thickened, the room falling into a heavy

silence.

Finally, he spoke, voice low and cold.

"Now | understand... what has changed in the Raynor Clan."