Luke’s POV
Father had finally forgiven me and let me out of the house arrest that he had given me. I guessed he didn’t see the need to keep me grounded since Ella had gone, left with her mate.
I was furious and sad when I heard that she had left but it left a bitter taste in my mouth when I knew that she had left with Kevin and was now living with him. It didn’t matter how many sugar cubes or sweet cookies I ate, I couldn’t get rid of the bitter taste in my mouth.
I hated that she belonged to me now but there was nothing I could do about it again. I wondered if they had gotten mated already. Kevin seemed like he would have loved to get mated to her yesterday when they were here.
I couldn’t even act out if she was still with us and it was a hassle to know I had to be on my best behavior after the stunt I had pulled. I had no doubt that my father had people watching me and I had to give them something good to report about me or I was going back to detention in my room which was the last thing that I wanted.
I moved closer to the flowers, plucking one and raising it to my nostrils and smiling at the fragrance, knowing those who were observing me could see me. I didn’t know who they were but I knew that they were there. I could feel them everywhere I was.
I needed to fool them that I had greatly repented of my crimes and had become a changed person. I was making a great effort to show them that I had found a different obsession rather than Ella.
A guard walked up to where I was and bowed. “Your father is asking of you, my lord.”
I smiled as I moved after him. Father must be ready to assign a responsibility to me and I was excited to start.
I paused as I got in and saw Henry seated inside the courtroom with father and I wondered what he was doing here.
“Father,” I bowed as I moved closer to him. “I heard you asked of me.”
“Yes. Sit.” He said.
I took the seat beside Henry, not looking at him. He ignored me as well.
Father cleared his throat. “I’m ready to declare to the pack who the new alpha would be. I think I’m ready to resign and hand over.”
My heart almost jumped in my mouth, brimming with excitement. Here it was. The day I had been expecting for years was finally here. I didn’t know why father had to call Henry here though. It wasn’t like he couldn’t find out when the news was announced to the pack. Maybe father called all my brothers here so they could support me but Caleb being the person he was who was not interested in politics didn’t bother to be here. That had to be it.
I smiled, waiting for father to blurt out the news.
He looked at me, his facial expression sober at that time and I thought that I was going to faint from too much excitement and tension.
Yes, that was it. It was coming. The big news I had been waiting for all my life was about to be spilled.
“Luke, you have to support your brother-” I heard father say.
I almost frowned, wondering what he meant until I understood the hidden message in his words. He was telling me to support my brothers as the alpha and not abuse my position. That had to be it. I started smiling.
But wait? Shouldn’t he have said brothers if that was what he meant? He had said brother and I was sure that I hadn’t heard him wrong. What was he thinking? Had he gotten tired of Caleb’s adventurous spirit that he didn’t consider him a problem to the throne? I will accept that too. I was more comfortable with Caleb than Henry.
I was too far gone in my thoughts that I hadn’t realized that father had spoken until I realized that Henry looked shocked, father seemed quiet and they were both staring at me.
I gasped when I processed what father had said, feeling more shock than Henry could have possibly felt in my bones. It was no wonder that father looked still as he looked at me. With my personality. He probably expected me to lose my temper and turn everything here upside down. Strangely, that wasn’t how I felt at the moment. I wanted to confirm that what he had said was right.
“Henry?” I asked, looking at father and pointing at Henry.
He nodded. “Yes, your brother will be the next alpha of the pack. You are to support him, not act out, rashly or planned and give him a reason to be worried.”
“Why can’t it be me?” I asked, trying not to cry. I wasn’t about to lose it in the presence of my brother. I had waited too long for this day to lose it now. I could feel the hurt and pain deeply in my bones.
“Luke,” father sighed, probably wishing that I would be silent. That was his cue that he didn’t want to say something that was going to hurt me but I was too far hurt to care or decipher his mood.
“Why couldn’t I be the alpha, father? Why did you have to make Henry the alpha? I am the eldest son.”
He gave me an odd look and I knew the answer before he said it.
“You have shown too many signs of irresponsibility and that will affect the treaty we’ve signed with the blood moon pack. Caleb isn’t interested in the throne so Henry is the best choice.”
“I have repented.” I begged.
He shook his head. “I don’t think you’ve repented enough to work with the alpha of the blood moon pack. You will one day be triggered to do something wrong.”
I watched as father stood up and walked away, pain clutching my heart. All my days of admiring flowers and trying to show father I had changed had been in vain. I would be damned if he expected me to be at the coronation ceremony of Henry as the alpha.
I hated Kevin more at this moment. This was all because of him.
Kevin’s POV
It had been four days that I had gotten a letter from a messenger of the blue river pack that Henry would like to have a meeting with me. I had no idea what he would like to see me for but I had agreed to the meeting.
Ella was seated with me in the throne room and I smiled at her, my heart swelling at the huge ring on her finger that I had given her at our mating ceremony a week ago. She was mine and I was glad that everyone who saw the ring on her finger and smelled my scent on her would know that she belonged to me.
She had decided not to go to the clinic today for my sake so she could be present for this meeting and I was grateful she was here, knowing how much she loved attending to the patients rather than dabbling in politics. That didn’t mean that she wasn’t doing well as the Luna of the pack either.
I couldn’t stop being awed by how effortlessly she juggled the responsibility of a Luna and that of the head doctor of her clinic. She had opened another clinic in the land at a different location, training others to be like her so wolves who were injured or sick wouldn’t travel so far to see her.
I was proud of her and everything that she had done. I was proud of her. I didn’t think I could ever say that enough.
A guard walked into the room, bowed to us and cleared his throat. “The alpha of the blue river pack is here to see you, your highness.”
I adjusted in my seat. Finally, it was time for business even though I would love to keep gushing over my mate. “Send him in.”
The guard bowed and left. Henry came in two minutes later. I would have been surprised to see Henry if I hadn’t been informed in the letter he had sent previously that he would like to have a meeting with me as the alpha of the pack. I had known before he asked for a meeting as Zeke had told me who the new alpha of the pack was when he had come for the mating ceremony between me and his daughter. I was glad that it hadn’t been Luke. I didn’t think I was going to ever be able to work with him.
“Your highnesses.” Henry said as he walked in, addressing me and Ella.
“Your highness.” Ella and I said at the same time in response.
“Please have a seat.” I offered him, pointing at a chair before me. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” I asked once he was settled.
He smiled. “Congratulations on your mating.”
“Thank you.” Ella and I said, smiling at him.
He cleared his throat. “I came with an offer.” He said, shifting forward. “What do you think of merging our armies together to kill off the black moon wolves?”
I was stunned at his suggestion but didn’t say anything, knowing he wasn’t done.
He continued. “There are still going to be some of the rogues who would want to harm you like their alpha had wanted to. They would find out that you weren’t killed in our land and want to harm us as well. I don’t want anything to affect my people and I think we should kill them all before they can regroup so we can protect our people. That is also a better way of proving and showing our alliance to everyone. What do you think?”
I smiled, loving the idea. I glanced at Ella and she nodded subtly at me. It was a deal. I knew I was going to enjoy having Henry as the alpha. Oscar Nelson had done right.