“You dare take a member of my pack?” Alpha Efrein’s voice boomed again, his power rolling through the hall like a storm. Several wolves bowed their heads instinctively, cowed by their alpha’s dominance.
“She was yours once-a pack member,” Darius snarled back. “And you broke her. Her mate rejected her. Her parents abandoned her, favoring one sister over the other.”
His gaze cut to Kathy, venom dripping from his voice. “And as if that was not enough, you destroyed the innocent life of the Goddess’s blessing while you all celebrated your so-called mating. Now she is mine to protect. And you will not stop me.”
A murmur of shock rippled again, confusion and disbelief spreading like wildfire.
“What do you mean… destroyed the innocent life?” Kathy’s voice cracked, soft and trembling. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked from Darius to me.
“Sister, what does Alpha Darius mean?” She asked again, her tone breaking with panic.
Slowly, my head lifted. My eyes, hollow and empty, locked on hers. My voice came out flat, devoid of emotion, as if I were recounting a tale that no longer belonged to me.
“The moment you marked each other was the moment you ripped my pup out of me,” I said, my words falling like stones in the silence. “Isn’t it ironic, Kathy? Michael chose you because he said he couldn’t abandon your pup. But you-and him-are the reason my pup is dead.”
The hall froze. Michael’s face went ashen, his body stiff with shock. Kathy staggered backward, her hand flying to her mouth before she collapsed to her knees, sobbing.
“No… no, it can’t be…” She whispered, her tears dripping onto the polished floor.
Michael’s eyes were wide, his face pale, his lips parted as if the air had been ripped from his lungs. Despair twisted his features, and for the first time, I saw the guilt tear through him like claws.
“No,” he choked, shaking his head.
“No, tell me that isn’t true. Please, Elaine! Tell me that isn’t true.” His voice cracked, breaking into a desperate plea.
But I only looked at him, empty and hollow. “I gave up everything for this pack. I gave up my rightful place as your Luna, I gave up my mate. My family. My life.
And still… it wasn’t enough. Even my pup was taken from me.”
My voice never wavered, never broke, because there were no tears left to shed. I was numb.
Michael staggered as if struck, one hand gripping his chest, his breath ragged. Each word pierced him deeper, and still I went on.
“Michael,” I said, my voice cold, lifeless. “I have nothing left of my pup but pain. But you-every time you see the mark on your neck, every time you touch it-you will remember. You will remember that the reason you carry that bond is because my child died.”
More Rewards
Michael swayed on his feet, sickened, his face twisted in agony. His knees nearly buckled. Kathy’s sobs filled the hall, her cries of despair echoing against the walls. My parents stood frozen, their faces pale, speechless. Even Alpha Efrein and Luna Beatrice looked shaken, their stern composure cracking under the weight of the truth.
Darius’s voice thundered again, pulling every eye back to him.
“Now, move aside,” he commanded, his power rolling like a tidal wave.
He paused, his gaze cold and merciless. “Or I will ask my beta to contact the council. Do not think I won’t.
The only reason I have not yet done so is because Elaine asked me not to. Because you know what will happen if the council learns the truth-that you rejected your mate, that you abandoned the Moon
Goddess’s will, and that your choice cost the life of a child blessed by her. Rejection alone is frowned upon… but the death of a pup?”
His eyes glowed, his voice dropping into a deadly growl. “Your entire pack would suffer the consequences.
The threat hung heavy in the air, suffocating, undeniable.
“Do not force me to do this, Alpha Efrein, Darius warned, his power crashing against the hall like thunder. ” Because I will go to war to protect her. My pack will go to war for a pack member. We do not abandon our own. New or old, she is mine to protect.”
The silence that followed was deafening. Every wolf in the hall held their breath, waiting.
At last, Alpha Efrein’s face hardened. His jaw ticked. And then, slowly, he gave a single nod.
The tension shattered. The guards stepped aside. The crowd parted. The path to the great doors lay open.
And Darius carried me forward, past their lowered heads, past their broken pride, past the ruins of the life I once knew.
Without looking back.
“
“We are almost there, Alpha,” Marcus, his beta and most trusted friend, said. His voice carried a weight of concern as he glanced at the rearview mirror. His eyes lingered on Elaine, lying silently in the backseat. She hasn’t stirred once since we left… not even during the flight.”
Darius tightened his jaw, forcing his emotions under control.
“Thank you, Marcus. Drive straight to the pack hospital. She needs to be looked at immediately.” His voice was calm, but the tension beneath it was impossible to miss.
Marcus gave a sharp nod. “I’ll mind-link the pack doctor right away. Still, I can’t believe what she endured back at Silverblade, Darius. No one should have to go through that.”
Darius exhaled heavily, his hands curling into fists.
“No wonder she smelled of loneliness when I found her. Alone, broken, abandoned by the very people who should’ve protected her.” His eyes flickered to the sleeping figure. “Even now, my wolf burns with rage over what that pack did to her. They should be grateful I didn’t tear their territory apart.”
Elaine hadn’t woken once since they carried her out of her old pack’s borders. Even on the private jet, she remained lifeless, curled into herself as though her very spirit had withdrawn.
At first, she smelled of loneliness and sorrow. Now… she smelled of death. It terrified Darius. His wolf had tried again and again to reach hers, to coax even the faintest response-but there was nothing.
Silence.
That silence was worse than any wound.
As they passed through the border into his territory, Darius felt the surge of energy ripple through the pack bond. His wolves rejoiced at their Alpha’s return, their howls of welcome echoing through the forest and reaching the convoy. Their joy would usually warm him, but tonight his heart was too heavy.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.