Episode 3: Kael’s Regret
1108 Words
Leadership is a burden that doesn’t end when the sun sets. It doesn’t care if your chest feels like it’s caving in or if your instincts are screaming at you that you’ve made a terrible mistake. Leadership demands your all, and when you falter, the pack feels it.
And my pack? They were already feeling it.
I stood on the cliff’s edge overlooking the Crescent Moon territory, the wind slicing through my hair like icy blades. Below, the wolves moved about their evening tasks, but there was an unnatural tension in the air. Conversations were hushed, gazes darting around as if searching for an unseen enemy. Even the children, usually loud and carefree, clung to their mothers in uneasy silence.
My fists clenched at my sides, the weight of my decision pressing down harder than ever. Rejecting Aria had been the only choice—I’d convinced myself of that over and over since the words left my mouth. Her family’s curse was a threat, a stain on our pack that had simmered in the shadows for generations. Binding myself to her could’ve unleashed chaos. At least, that’s what I told myself.
But now, chaos has come anyway.
I could feel it like a storm on the horizon, brewing just out of reach but promising destruction when it arrived. Wolves who once stood tall and proud now looked over their shoulders. Fights broke out over trivial things—territory lines, stolen meat, or even a stray glance. And the ground beneath our sacred meeting circle, once firm and unyielding, now bore cracks that hadn’t been there before.
The elders whispered among themselves, their faces drawn and pale. They knew something was wrong. Hell, we all did.
---
My wolf stirred restlessly within me, pacing like a caged beast. You shouldn’t have rejected her, he growled, his voice a low rumble in my mind. She was ours.
“She was a risk,” I muttered under my breath, ignoring the way my chest tightened at the memory of her face. The pain in her eyes when I rejected her had been like a dagger to my gut, but I couldn’t afford to think about that now.
You think you protected the pack? my wolf snarled. Look around, Kael. You’ve made things worse.
I grit my teeth, shoving the voice aside. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I was the Alpha. I was supposed to be in control. But the pack was slipping through my fingers, and no amount of strength or authority could seem to hold it together.
---
“Alpha,” a voice called, pulling me from my thoughts.
I turned to see Ryder, my Beta and most trusted ally, striding toward me. His expression was grim, his usual confidence replaced by something I couldn’t quite place.
“What is it?” I asked, though I already knew the answer wouldn’t be good.
Ryder hesitated, his dark eyes searching for mine. “It’s spreading, Kael. Whatever this… thing is, it’s getting worse. Wolves are losing sleep, snapping at each other over nothing. Even the pups are restless. It’s like—” He paused, dragging a hand through his hair. “It’s like something’s messing with their heads. With all of our heads.”
A chill ran down my spine. “The curse?” I asked, though the word felt foreign on my tongue.
Ryder nodded slowly. “Maybe. Or maybe it’s something bigger. But whatever it is, it’s not just physical. It’s in here.” He tapped the side of his head. “And if we don’t figure out how to stop it, it’s going to tear the pack apart.”
I exhaled sharply, turning my gaze back to the territory below. The weight of his words settled heavy in my chest. This wasn’t just about Aria anymore. This was about all of us.
---
“Do you regret it?” Ryder’s question caught me off guard.
I stiffened, my jaw tightening. “Regret what?”
He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. “Rejecting her. Aria.”
The sound of her name was like a punch to the gut. I didn’t answer immediately, my mind replaying the moment I’d spoken those fateful words. I’d told myself it was for the good of the pack, but now…
“Regret doesn’t change anything,” I said finally, my voice hard.
Ryder studied me for a moment before nodding. “Maybe not. But you should know something.” He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “I overheard the elders. They said the curse isn’t just tied to her family—it’s tied to the Alpha. To you.”
His words hit me like a thunderclap.
“What the hell are you talking about?” I growled, my wolf bristling with unease.
“They didn’t say much, just that the curse’s power feeds off the Alpha’s bond to the pack. And if it gets strong enough, it could…” He hesitated, his eyes narrowing.
“Could what, Ryder?”
He met my gaze, his expression dark. “It could destroy you. From the inside out.”
---
The thought was like poison seeping into my veins. If what Ryder said was true, then rejecting Aria hadn’t just doomed her—it had doomed me.
I ran a hand through my hair, frustration and fear clawing at my chest. “If the elders knew this, why the hell didn’t they warn me before—”
“Because they’re afraid, Kael,” Ryder said sharply. “Afraid of you, afraid of the curse, afraid of whatever the hell is coming next. But we don’t have time for their fear. If you want to save this pack, you need to start looking at the bigger picture.”
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. My mind was racing, trying to piece together what little I knew about the curse and how it tied to Aria.
And then, as if the universe had heard my thoughts, a sharp knock echoed against the wooden frame of my cabin door.
Ryder and I exchanged a glance before I strode over, pulling the door open. There was no one there.
But sitting on the doorstep was a piece of parchment, its edges singed as though it had been plucked from a fire.
I picked it up cautiously, my pulse quickening as I unfolded it. The message scrawled across the page was simple, but it made my blood run cold.
“The key to saving your pack lies with the one you rej
ected.”
I stared at the words, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Aria,” I whispered.
- Writer
