Chapter 2

ALANA’S P.O.V

“You got all of us worried, Alana. You left the pack and wandered into the woods alone. How could you be so irresponsible?” Father said with a hint of worry and anger in his tone. “What if they had successfully taken you and butchered you, do you think your mother would have survived hearing that news?”

“I am so sorry Dad, but I swear I almost had him until the others showed up,” I replied.

"You're nothing but a weakling," Father growled, his voice reverberating through the woods. "You were humiliated in the hands of the hunters."

"Father, I..." I spoke but he cut him off.

"Silence!" he thundered. “Come with me,” he said before turning around and stalking out of the forest, I followed closely behind.

I wondered what he was gonna do next.

We walked till we got to the pack house. Father stopped and addressed one of the guards following behind us. "Gather all wolves, we have a pressing matter to discuss," he said.

The guards let out a piercing howl that reverberated through the night. One by one, the wolves of the pack emerged from their houses, drawn by the call. Within a few minutes, the hall was filled with people.

"We have grown weak, and our enemies have taken notice,” Father said, his voice ringing with authority. "We are no longer protecting each other, and our walls have become porous, allowing hunters to slip through. We almost lost my daughter tonight," he said, I was tempted to open my mind and protest that he was being dramatic a-.

Father’s voice resonated in the air, "The hunters are coming for us, and we must be prepared. We have grown weak, and instead of fearing us, they now see us as easy prey and this must change.” he paused, his gaze meeting with everybody’s.

"I have decided that in order to protect every single one of you, a new law must be put in place, and those who disobey it shall face severe punishment," he declared, his eyes blazing.   "Firstly, no female wolf may leave the pack alone. They must not hunt, play, or go into the woods by themselves. From now on, any female must be accompanied by at least three other pack members. Second, no one is allowed to bring an intruder into the pack without informing me first. I need to see the individual and determine whether he/she is a friend or foe. Does everyone understand? Father said and In response, the wolves let out a unified howl, the sound echoing through the trees. He smiled, satisfied with their response. "Go now, and rest," he said. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

He has always been like this, unfair to female wolves.

Adrian's P.O.V

The warm rays of the sun dived deep into my chambers, fatigued, I walked over to Father’s room, after knocking for a few minutes, I entered the chambers and it seemed he was still asleep, I contemplated on whether to go and come back later or to wake him up. I decided to wake him up.

"Father," I said. "I have come to ask that you reconsider your decision and make Sky the next Alpha. I know it is a great honor, but I feel as though I am not ready for this huge responsibility. I don't think I have what it takes to lead this great pack. Besides, Ethan and the rest of my brothers are stronger than I have ever been.”

I waited in silence, but as the moments ticked by, I began to worry. Father has never been a deep sleeper, he had the best senses I know, the noise of me opening the door should have woke him up.

Something was wrong

I walked closer to his bed and when I looked down, I felt my heart stop as I gawked at the sight in front of me, my father's head had been severed from his body, leaving only a pool of blood in its place.

"Father! No! No! No!" I cried, as I held his lifeless hands.

I hurriedly rushed out of his chambers as I let out a loud howl and within a few minutes, The elder wolf and some of the palace guards rushed in.

The elder wolf sniffed the blood-soaked dagger. "This was no ordinary dagger," he said, his voice low and serious. "Your father was killed with wolfsbane"

Ethan walked in and his voice rose in anger. "W-Wolfsbane, who could have done this?" he demanded as tears fell from his eyes.

Adolf walked into the room with an expressionless face, he took a brief look at Father's body. "Well, there is no point in mourning. He's gone, and there is nothing we can do to bring him back."

What! I knew Adolf had always been cold with his words but this was just brutal, I opened my mouth to speak but Ethan beat me to it as stepped forward, anger flashing in his eyes. "You seem awfully unfazed by the death of our father," he snarled. "Is it because you know who the killer is or maybe you are the killer?”

"I know no such thing!" Adolf retorted, taking a step back. "You can't accuse your brother of murdering his father.”

"Enough!" Sky's voice rose above the argument.

"We must not quarrel during this time of mourning. Our father is gone, and our first priority should be to honor his memory, not to point fingers or lay blame at one another. Let us come together and remember him with respect. We don't want to irritate his soul by our presence. And yes, two purebloods shouldn't have arguments. There are other ways to settle misunderstandings.” He paused and shifted his gaze to the elder, who had been silent throughout the argument. “ What do we do, Elder? ”

The elder bowed his head, his shoulders shaking with emotion. "We must lay him to rest," he said, his voice breaking. "It is the only thing we can do for him now. He is gone, but he was a great alpha and he would not be forgotten,” he said and he turned and walked away, his steps slow and heavy.

THIRD PERSON’S P.O.V

"The heavens mourn for us," the elder said, his voice solemn. The wolves stood silent, listening to his words.

"With a heavy heart, I announce the passing of our Alpha," the elder said, his voice heavy with grief. "We must honor his memory and carry on in his absence."

"The healers have done all they can," the elder said, his voice filled with sadness. "They have used their herbs to preserve his body, but it will only last until midnight. We must prepare for the burial before then."

*************** The sun slowly sank beneath the horizon, and night began approaching. At midnight, the wolves gathered around the rock, and transformed into their human forms. The she-wolves were dressed in black gowns and white veils, their faces turned to the ground. The male wolves wore black hoods, their hands clasped over their chests.

An elder emerged, and the sound of murmuring died down. "We are gathered here to pay our last respects to the Great Dragon of the White Wolf Pack," he began, his voice full of emotion. "His passing is a great loss to us all. We can't question the decision of the moon goddess as She alone knows the answers.”

As the elder finished his speech, the first drops of rain began to fall. The raindrops grew heavier, drenching the elders and the wolves gathered there.

"Let us lay the Great Dragon to rest," the elder said, his voice filled with grief. The she-wolves began to chant. The male wolves joined in, humming in harmony. Together, they carried the body of the alpha to the gravesite, their steps slow and measured.

As the Alpha was lowered into the earth, the elder spoke again. "May your ancestors guide you on your journey into the unknown," he said, his voice barely audible above the wind and rain. "May you find peace and rest in the realm beyond."

He placed his hand on the fresh earth, then turned to the gathered wolves. "We must now turn our attention to the future," he said, his eyes settling on Adrian. “Step forward,” he commanded.

"Shortly before he passed, the Great Dragon named you as his successor," the elder said, addressing Adrian. "It is now your duty to lead this pack through these uncertain times. I ask that you rule with wisdom and understanding and that you always remember all the lessons the Great Dragon taught us."

As the elder spoke, A hunter hidden behind the cliff drew his bow and aimed it at Adrian. Just as he let the arrow fly, the elder went closer to Adrian to bless him.

The arrow pierced his spinal cord and forced itself out of his chest. Blood rushed out of his mouth.

As the elder fell, Adrian rushed forward and caught him just before he hit the ground. The wolves around them turned to look at the hunter, their eyes filled with fear. They transformed into wolves and charged towards him, snarling and snapping their jaws.

The hunter dropped his bow and ran, but he was too slow. The wolves pounced, bringing him down. As they were about to tear his flesh, a voice called out.

“Let him go.”

Before the wolves could look in the direction of the voice, a figure emerged from the shadows bringing the wolves down and leaving only one wolf.

The figure emerged and his face was revealed. “ You? You traitor! You murdered your father?” the wolf snared. “For the throne? Yes. ” The figure giggled.