“I didn’t choose her. The Moon Goddess did. And she doesn’t make mistakes. She knew exactly what she was doing when she tied me to Kasmine. And frankly, I trust her judgment a hell of a lot more than I trust this room right now.”
I took a step forward.
“You ll want to talk about optics and respect? Fine. Let’s talk. What message do you think it sends to the Moon Goddess herself when her decision is mocked, doubted, and treated like filth? What happens to a pack that starts ignoring divine law in favor of personal discomfort?”
Elder Vic swallowed, looking away.
“You think this is about some convenient lust? I could’ve kept her hidden for as long as I pleased, fucked her in secret, and left you none the wiser. But I didn’t. I came out clean, gave you the truth, and trusted you to be stronger than your instincts.”
My voice rose a pitch higher.
“Instead, you used it as an excuse to question everything about me. My leadership. My loyalty. And now, with Blaine dead, you think the bond makes it easier to believe I’m capable of betraying this pack. That’s not just insulting. It’s stupid.”
I stopped and locked eyes with Ben.
“Maybe if I had a choice, I would’ve picked someone easier. Someone the council could smile at and the elders could proudly display like a trophy Luna. But that’s not what I got. I got her. And I can’t say how thankful I am for that. And the second that bond clicked into place, I knew I was never walking away from her, no matter what.”
I sucked in a deep breath.
“Say what you want about me, but don’t insult the Goddess by suggesting she got it wrong. If you have a problem with the bond, take it up with her. But you won’t stand in my face and pretend you’re holier than the very one who gave you your breath.”
A few averted their eyes.
“This isn’t about lust or even about family ties. This is about a bond stronger than tradition, stronger… I stepped closer to the council table. politics.”
“You don’t have to like Kasmine for me. You don’t even have to understand why she was chosen for me. But if you keep resisting this bond, you’re putting this pack in danger. Every time you question her place, you question mine. Every time you sow doubt, you weaken me. And if I’m weakened, who the hell is going to protect you?”
I let the silence marinade for a moment before I spoke again.
You think you’ve seen enemies? You haven’t. The moment they sense division here, real division, not just political ‘division, they’ll come for our gates. And I won’t be enough to hold them off if the people behind me are too busy watching my back for the wrong reason.”
Some of them looked uneasy now. Perfect.
“I’m giving you this once. One moment to think clearly, without anger or fear. Just the facts.”
I folded my arms.
“I didn’t kill Blaine. I didn’t betray this pack. apart because it makes you uncomfortable.”
I paused.
“Kasmine is mine. Always and forever. That’s it.”
I didn’t ask for this bond. But I’ll be damned if I let any of you tear it… I looked around the room slowly, and not a single person met my gaze.
“I won’t say it again. And I’m not asking for your blessing. I’m telling you what is.”
I didn’t wait for their response.
Hell, I didn’t want their nods or half-assed apologies.
I just turned around and walked out, not bothering to say another word. They’d heard enough.
KESTER.
I drove as fast as my car could carry me. The tires screamed against the asphalt as if they shared in my urgency. My fingers clenched the steering wheel tight enough to leave dents and my pulse thudded louder than the engine.
I had expected some good news, but nothing had prepared me for such a speedy arrival of the news.
Fuck.
At least, after everything that had gone to hell these past few days, for once, finally, something had gone right.
I barely brought the car to a full stop before I threw open the door and bolted out. The engine was still humming when I slammed it shut and took off toward the entrance.
Was that a fucking smile on my face?
Hell, yes! That was a smile! A real fucking one!
“Good morning, Alpha,” a lady greeted, blinking at me like I’d grown wings.
“Good morning, dear. How are you doing?” I replied, my voice unusually light, almost foreign to my own ears.
The lady stood confused. She hadn’t given me a response to my question. But I didn’t even take it to heart.
I understood why she was quiet. She was stunned. No one had ever seen me smiling, let alone, smiling and almost skipping like a giddy teenager, who just got his favorite video game as a birthday present.
I pushed the door open with all the impatience I had practiced my whole life, storming into the room.
“Fucker!” I screamed, almost at the top of my lungs the moment my eyes locked with the one pair of eyes I thought I’d never see again.
“Hey… Moron…” Norlan croaked, barely able to crack a smile from where he was half-laying on the bed.
But I didn’t care. My knees buckled before I could stop them. I crossed the room in seconds, collapsed at his bedside, and wrapped my arms around him in a grip that made the hospital monitor beep.
“God, I thought I’d lost you,” I whispered.
He wheezed out a playful yelp. “You might still lose me if you don’t ease up, dude. I’m fresh out of here.”
-death strength
We both laughed, and I heard another voice in the room laugh with us. That was when I realized Mrs. Freya was in the room, standing quietly in the corner, and watching us with tears in her eyes and hands clasped together like she was holding in a prayer.
I turned and nodded a hello at her, too emotional to say anything else
She nodded back, giving me a look that said ‘I know.’
Two days ago, the doctor had said they’d found a rare, risky solution to Norlan’s condition, something experimental, but with a sliver of hope. And what was the catch?
My blood.
They needed my blood, as his Alpha, for it to work. I didn’t hesate a second. I would’ve given every damn drop of it if it meant dragging Norlan back from the edge.
The doctor told me we might have to wait for about a week to see if it actually worked. But, two days after, I got a call that my friend was already awake.
I turned back to Norlan, just to make sure he was still there, breathing, alive and real.
My eyes were blurry. Fuck.
I blinked hard, but the tears didn’t stop. For once, the world didn’t feel like it was crumbling beneath my feet.
“I missed your ugly face,” I muttered, in a cracking voice.
He smirked, barely able to lift one corner of his lip. “Yeah? I missed yours too.”
“Don’t ever do that again, Nortan,” I whispered, hugging him again. “Don’t fucking scare me like that ever again.”
“Dude,” he groaned, wheezing a laugh, “you’re gonna put me back in a coma with all this affection. Chill.”
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