Alethea
“Oh, please, ma’am, you have to stay back so we can attend to him,” the pack doctor says, as he notices me rushing toward him.
I know he’s right. If I go in now, my emotions will spiral out of control, and I’ll only get in the way. But standing here, helpless, is torture.
All I want is for Asher to be okay. I can’t even imagine him dying.
Xena, how is Kaidos? I ask my wolf, desperate for some connection, some reassurance.
But Xena is eerily quiet. The silence from her side is suffocating. I guess she’s gone numb, overwhelmed by the fact that our mate is in grave danger.
I watch as the doctor disappears into Asher’s room, leaving me stranded outside with nothing but my racing thoughts. My legs ache, and my head pounds from the relentless stress.
I spot a chair nearby and collapse into it, running my hands through my hair in frustration.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve done that in the past hour. By now, I probably look completely disheveled, but who cares? My alpha is fighting for his life.
Sitting still isn’t helping. The restlessness claws at me, and I push myself up, pacing back and forth in the hallway.
My mind drifts to Selena’s words-the things she said my wolf could do. If Xena wasn’t shutting me out, I might be able to tap into some of that power. But right now, she’s silent, and I feel lost without her.
I need to do something.
Determined, I make my way toward the pack’s training arena. As I step in, I notice the shift in the atmosphere.
Some pack members are deep in thought, worry evident on their faces. Others, however, seem… indifferent. No-worse.
Some of them look like they’re pleased.
A cold chill runs down my spine.
My heart aches as I struggle to think of my next move. If we don’t act fast, we won’t figure out who’s behind this attack.
And if we don’t find them soon, the assaults will keep coming. Eventually, the pack will become too vulnerable to defend itself, and we’ll be completely overrun.
Just then, a voice cuts through the murmurs around me.
“I guess Alpha Asher is as good as dead. I got information from a reliable source that he won’t make it out alive.”
The words send a jolt of fury through me.
I whip around and spot the speaker, a young man with a caramel skin tone, standing among a small group with a casual expression as if he isn’t talking about the potential death of our alpha.
My blood boils.
Who is this guy? And more importantly, who is his source?
“He has no heir, and that means there will be no one to take over when he dies,” the young man continues, his voice carrying through the tense arena. “We should choose a leader-someone who can take charge until Asher recovers… though I doubt he will.”
A surge of fury rushes through me. I want to scream at them to shut the hell up, to have faith in their alpha instead of writing him off so easily. But I clamp my hand over my mouth, as I force myself to stay silent.
Then, movement catches my eye. A group of elders enters the arena, their presence commanding immediate attention. Liam and Ryder walk beside them, speaking in hushed tones.
Liam’s stiff posture tells me he’s uncomfortable with their presence. Something is off.
I need to know what’s going on.
I push aside my thoughts of Asher for a moment and move toward the gathering.
As I do, I notice Kayla standing nearby. She must have felt my eyes on her because she quickly made her way toward me.
“Who are they?” I ask, tilting my head toward the approaching elders.
Kayla glances at them before turning back to me. “They are the Seven Grey-Haired Seers of our pack,” she explains. “They’ve come to decide the best course of action moving forward.”
“Oh?” I narrow my eyes. “And why are they making decisions when Asher is still fighting for his life?”
Kayla lets out a loud sigh. “They don’t want to leave the pack without a leader. That’s why they’re here to appoint a temporary alpha.”
A cold knot tightens in my stomach. “But what happens if Asher recovers? What if the person they choose becomes too power-hungry to step down?”
The thought sends a fresh wave of anxiety through me. If someone with the wrong intentions takes over, the pack could be in even more danger than it already is.
Kayla’s expression mirrors my concern. “There’s a lot at stake, Ally,” she says quietly. “Let’s just hope for the best.”
I nod, but my mind is already racing with the possibilities of them being good.
All around us, pack members gather, their attention fixed on the seven elders as they prepare to perform their ritual. I can feel their worried gaze.
Asher is barely holding on, and now, his leadership is at risk.
I clench my fists, my resolve hardening.
I can’t just stand by and let this happen.
In moments like this, I always wish Selena were here. She’d know exactly what to do. But the goddess always has other plans.
The entire pack watches in anticipation, holding their breath as the elders move through their ritual.
If they truly intend to appoint a temporary leader, it should be Liam. He is the only one trusted- someone with a pure heart who would never betray Asher.
I sit down, pulling myself together, counting the minutes until I can check on Asher again.
“Who do you think they’ll choose?” I ask Kayla, as I notice the worry etched on her face.
She lets out a slow breath, shaking her head. “I have no idea, Ally. But I just pray it’s someone with a good head on his shoulders. Someone who won’t bring doom upon us all.”
I nod in agreement. The wrong leader could mean disaster.
The elders complete their final rites, each carrying a small wooden pot. With flames inside them, casting eerie shadows across their solemn faces.
One by one, they step forward and smash their pots onto the ground. The loud screeches of shatterwood echo through the arena, making some pack members flinch. I hold my breath, waiting for what comes next.
When the last elder is finished, they turn their backs toward the pack members.
The air grows thick with tension.
A name is about to be called.
My head pounds loudly as I watch the elders, and my heart thrums in my chest. I can barely breathe as I wait for their decision.
“Behold, we present to you a temporary leader, chosen by the goddess herself for the betterment of this pack,” one of the elders announces.
My palms become clammy, sweat forming as they step aside to reveal their chosen candidate.
The moment my eyes land on him, my breath catches in my throat. My vision blurs for a second, and my body goes rigid.
No.
This is wrong.
This is not from the goddess.
The elders have manipulated things.
Gasps rippled through the crowd, some in shock, others in hesitant approval. But I know better.
This is a calculated move.
A power play.
And if we don’t stop it now, everything Asher fought for will be lost.