**Kimberly’s POV**
“Wake up, Kimberly!” A gentle voice reached me as a hand softly touched my shoulder. I blinked my eyes open, rubbing them with both hands.
I glanced around, noticing the changes. The hospital room looked more like a garden now, with plants everywhere. The roof was clear, letting in natural light, making it feel like I was outside. The bed was still metal, but it looked different-like bamboo, warm and rustic. I remembered when hospitals switched to this style. At first, people complained about the cost, but it worked-shorter stays, faster recovery, no depression.
I sat up and saw Louis and Hannah sitting nearby. Pain shot through my body as I shifted on the bed.
“How do you feel, Kim?” Hannah asked, her face full of worry.
“I’m okay,” I said, leaning back gently. “Why am I here?” I reached out, touching Louis’s hand.
“We don’t know. Alpha Darwin called us to come and stay with you,” Louis replied, looking just as confused.
“My father actually called you?” I asked, shocked. He had never involved my friends in anything like this before.
“Yes, Alpha Darwin called,” Hannah confirmed. “He told us to stick around and make sure you’re okay.”
“My father said that?” I repeated, disbelief filling my voice. Why would my father want my friends to look after me? Something didn’t feel right.
“Yes, he did,” Louis added. “He even told us not to leave you alone.”
I frowned, my heart racing. Why would my father give such orders? What was going on? “Okay, fine. But… did either of you notice anything strange about my hands?” I asked, a worried look on my face.
“Strange? What do you mean?” Hannah asked, her voice tense.
“What are you talking about?” Louis’s tone grew serious.
Their confused expressions told me they had no idea what I meant. “Huh? Never mind,” I quickly said, brushing it off.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Kimberly?” Hannah’s eyes searched mine, clearly worried.
“Yes, Hannah, I’m fine. I just needed some rest, I guess, to clear my head.”
“That’s a good plan!” Louis said cheerfully, but I turned to face Hannah again. “So, where’s my father?”
As soon as I asked, Louis and Hannah exchanged a glance. Louis looked uncomfortable, and Hannah avoided my gaze, clearing her throat.
“What’s going on with you two? Why aren’t you answering me?”
“Your father’s fine, Kimberly,” Hannah said, patting my back. “He couldn’t come, so he sent us instead.”
“I know he’s fine, but that’s not what I’m asking. Where is he *right now*?”
“Don’t worry, Kimberly. He’s okay,” Hannah repeated, her voice calm.
“Stop telling me to calm down, Hannah! I just want to know where he is!” I said, frustrated. I tried to get out of bed, but Louis gently pulled me back.
“He’s attending an important meeting,” Louis finally said.
“On a Saturday afternoon? What meeting could be so important?” I asked in disbelief. My father only held meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A Saturday meeting meant something serious.
“It’s c-” Louis started to explain, but Hannah cut him off.
“Louis, stop!” she snapped. “Can’t you see she’s still recovering? Don’t make things worse.”
“I’m not making anything worse, Hannah! She deserves to know what’s going on with the pack.”
“And what good will that do? Don’t you remember what Alpha Darwin told us? He specifically said not to tell her.”
Louis fell silent, his face tense as if he’d just remembered something important. I sat there, watching them, utterly confused. What were they hiding? And why did my father tell them not to tell me?
“I’m fine, really. You don’t have to protect me.” I looked at Louis, pleading. “Please, just tell me what’s happening.”
Louis glanced at Hannah, seeking her approval. She hesitated for a moment but then nodded. I quickly turned back to Louis, eager to hear what he had to say.
“The pack council meeting is happening right now.”
“What?” I gasped. “The pack council? Why? Where?” My heart pounded as fear washed over me. Pack council meetings were rare and usually meant something was terribly wrong. The worst-case scenario? The dismissal of an Alpha.
“The meeting’s at the pack house. All the elders from the nearby territories are there,” Louis said gravely.
“This sounds serious. I have to go!” I said, jumping out of bed. But before I could reach the door, Hannah stepped in front of me.
“Kimberly, stop! Think for a second,” she urged, her voice firm.
“There’s nothing to think about! I need to be there!” I argued, pushing past her.
“Why? To cause a scene? Do you really think that’s a good idea?” Hannah snapped, her eyes blazing.
“Kimberly, listen to her,” Louis added, pulling me gently back onto the bed. “Now isn’t the time to make things worse.”
I knew they were worried, but they didn’t understand. I had to be there. I couldn’t let the council make any decisions without knowing what was going on.
“No! I’m going to that meeting!” I shouted, determination in my voice as I stormed toward the door, ready for whatever awaited me…
All the Elders from packs inside and around the city sat in a circle, their faces tense and displeased. It felt like a fight could break out at any moment.
They were gathered because of Alpha Darwin, leader of the Moonstone Pack. An emergency meeting of the pack’s council had been called, and Darwin was placed at the center of the group.
Alpha Derrick, the youngest but most intimidating Alpha, sat across from Alpha Darwin. His powerful presence made the other Alphas uneasy.
Derrick held Alpha Darwin’s gaze, never looking away, trying to instill fear in him. But Alpha Darwin didn’t seem bothered at all.
Alpha Kelly, the oldest and leader of the Lock’s Heart Pack, stood up to address the council.
“I’m sure everyone here knows why this meeting was called. Let’s get straight to the point and start without wasting time.”
The council members nodded, agreeing with Kelly. Many seemed eager to see Alpha Darwin fall.
“As we all know, if an Alpha’s first daughter is rejected, that Alpha loses their status. Alpha Darwin is no exception. His daughter, Kimberly, was rejected by Alpha Derrick last night. So, Alpha Darwin must step down as leader of the Moonstone Pack,” Alpha Kelly declared, then sat back down. “Does anyone have anything to add?”
“I do,” said Alpha Jethro, one of Alpha Darwin’s closest allies. “We all know Alpha Darwin’s other daughter, Mona, was chosen by Alpha Derrick yesterday. It doesn’t seem fair for him to lose his title because of Kimberly’s rejection.”
Alpha Darwin felt a wave of relief. Jethro’s support gave him hope. Maybe he still had allies here.
“That’s against the council’s rules!” an Elder shouted. “We can’t ignore the fact that his first daughter was rejected. He must step down.”
The council was clearly divided. Many older members disliked Alpha Darwin. They’d hated him for years because he refused to let them steal from the council’s funds.
As treasurer, Alpha Darwin made sure every penny was accounted for, and that earned him a lot of enemies.
“Yes, Kimberly was rejected, but Mona was chosen! What do you have to say about that?” Alpha Jethro roared, his voice filled with anger.
The room erupted into chaos. Elders whispered to each other, pointing at Alpha Darwin with disdain.
Alpha Derrick remained calm, watching the scene unfold, his cold eyes fixed on Alpha Darwin.
Derrick knew the council might consider Alpha Darwin’s situation and show him some mercy. But Derrick didn’t care about the council’s opinions. He wanted to be above all of them.
“Silence!” Alpha Kelly slammed his fist on the table. The room instantly fell quiet. “We can’t finish this today. We’ll reconvene after Alpha Derrick’s engagement to Mona,” Kelly announced.
“That’s a good idea,” one Elder agreed.
“Let’s hope everything is settled by then,” another added.
As the council members filed out, Alpha Derrick and Alpha Darwin remained behind.
“Why are you doing this?” Alpha Darwin broke the silence.
Derrick, who was about to stand, paused. He leaned back in his chair, mocking Darwin with a lazy smile.
“What am I doing, exactly?” he asked, placing two fingers on his chin.
“You’re tearing my family apart and trying to bring me down. What have I done to deserve this?”
Derrick chuckled, clearly enjoying the moment. “You’re mistaken. I have no interest in your family. I just can’t stand your daughter Kimberly. She’s not my type.”
“But you chose her first!” Darwin protested.
“That was before I met her. She’s too slow-witted for me,” Derrick said, his face twisted in disgust.
“I don’t understand. Why do you hate Kimberly so much? And if you didn’t want her, why choose her younger sister, Mona? You’ve caused so much pain.”
Derrick scoffed. “Your daughters have never gotten along. You just didn’t see it.”
“Are you saying I’ve failed as a father?”
Derrick stood, brushing off Darwin’s concerns. “You’ll figure it out soon enough. Now, I need to prepare for my engagement.”
“Can you delay the engagement?” Darwin asked desperately.
Derrick froze, turning slowly to face him. “And why would I do that?”
“Because Mona will turn 18 in two weeks. I want her to complete her first shift before the engagement. You can plan the wedding after that. It’s the last favor I’ll ask of you.”
Derrick stared at Darwin for a moment, then smirked. “Fine, two weeks it is,” he said, walking out.
As Derrick left, Darwin breathed a sigh of relief.
‘Two weeks should be enough time for Kimberly to come to terms with everything,’ he thought, a smile creeping across his face.
*************
An hour later, Alpha Darwin arrived home. The first person he saw was Luna Catherine, standing with her hands on her hips.
“What happened at the council meeting?” she demanded.
“Nothing,” Darwin replied, brushing past her.
“Nothing?” Catherine wasn’t having it. She followed him into the bedroom. “What do you mean ‘nothing’? Have you heard the latest news?”
Darwin, unbothered, took off his shirt and hung it in the closet. “What news?” he asked, pulling on a casual shirt.
“Mona and Alpha Derrick’s engagement has been delayed by two weeks!” Catherine shouted, her anger boiling over.
Darwin couldn’t hide his smile. ‘That was fast,’ he thought. “Why the delay?”
“What do you mean, ‘why’? It’s because of Kimberly! What have you done?” Catherine yelled.
Darwin rolled his eyes and left the room without responding.
“You can’t just walk away! Why do you always favor Kimberly over Mona?” she screamed, chasing him into the living room.
“They’re both my daughters, Catherine. I don’t favor one over the other.”
“Are you sure about that? We both know which one is really your daughter,” she spat, her words filled with venom.
“Mom, what are you talking about?” a voice interrupted. It was Mona, standing by the doorway, her face a mix of confusion and shock.
Both Darwin and Catherine turned to face her, stunned…