Alpha Of Ashes

The Last Betrayal

The cabin door broke open and future me walked in holding the same dagger Zane used to bury me.

Snow was falling inside now, not outside. Frost snow that remembers. I am Kira Storm. Only female Alpha in the North at twenty one, set to marry Zane Crowe to unite packs and end fifty year war. On my mating night my pack was massacred by Victor Kane, who wants to erase the female Alpha gene forever because a female Alpha once rejected his father. Zane found me dying, dragged me to Black Forest, put dagger in my hand, pointed at my heart, whispered die as my Luna so you can live as my revenge, made me stab myself, buried me alive.

I survived. Mara rogue healer found me, wolf silent, scar never healed. Three years training as human doctor. Back as Mira mute Omega maid to warn Zane Winter Fang about to be destroyed same as Ash and he is about to marry Selene daughter of man who ordered m******e. He looked across hall and said I have never seen you before in my life and lied. His dead wolf started howling again when I arrived.

He did not kill out of hate. He killed to fake death. Prophecy says Ash bloodline must die before it can awaken. If I lived that night as Alpha Victor would have executed me publicly and taken power. By burying alive he broke bond temporarily and hid bloodline. Wolf dormant. I am not Omega, I am Phoenix that must die to become stronger.

Now I am Ash Queen. I let Zane stab me again in bunker under altar, this time I did not die, Phoenix fully awakened and burned ten of Victor's wolves alone. I reclaimed Ash Pack. Mother Kara alive after faking death with potion while in labor with miracles Lyra and Lorn after doctor said no more in bunker warded against wolfsbane while pack burned above and I was buried alive. Hundred crowns woke. Yara Frost first Frost who rejected Kane father alive hundred years in milk under floor told Zane through root to bury me.

War of two Alphas started, Winter Fang white wolves and Blood Stone black wolves facing each other in Ash ruins, then Frost snow forced truce, forced me and Zane to share hunter cabin one bed enemies to lovers she still has not forgiven him. We shared bed, we kissed scar, snow stopped.

Now future me, ten years older, scar healed eyes dead, with ten year old boy black hair void white scar Phoenix blue eyes frost empty chest alive holding black beating heart white orange blue black, broke frost lock and walked in.

She looked at me in bed with Zane, at Zane guilt-ridden exhausted boy who thinks he is monster who visits empty grave every night who married Selene to get close to Victor, at cabin with one bed one fire, and said, "You forgave before he earned it."

The boy said, "Mother past, if one of us must die let it be me again, Void that gives, but war of two Alphas means two hearts must give not one."

Behind them, outside, armies unfroze. Jonn my Beta, Selene torn white dress half Frost half Kane who wants to be only female Alpha, Yara hundred years buried alive alive again, mother Kara frost tears, twins Lyra crown too big black eyes white star Void turned Ash and Lorn empty chest alive, hundred crowns, Mara with medicine kit, pups who called me Miss Mira, Victor choking fertile milk that remembers that makes ground fertile where he wanted sterile, human doctors with warrants saying female Alpha pregnancy illegal.

Future me raised dagger, same dagger, and pointed at Zane, not me.

"I came back to kill you before you give birth to twins who hold North and South One inside them, to make you die as Luna so live as revenge again, but I changed mind. Victor's final plan is kill Zane and use Kira's Phoenix blood to become immortal. That is his plan now. So I kill Zane first, take Phoenix blood myself, become immortal, stop human doctors from taking twins for study with scalpels not wolfsbane bullets. One of us must die, as wolf whispered at end with baby kick. So I kill Zane."

Zane stood from bed, naked chest glowing where Lorn touched, where black heart will beat later.

He said, "You are Kira ten years later. You survived Phoenix pregnancy that kills mother?"

Future Kira laughed, dead eyes. "No. I died. This is what dying looks like. Phoenix pregnancy kills mother. I gave birth to Lyra and Lorn miracles and to this boy, our son, black hair void white scar Phoenix blue eyes frost empty chest alive holding black beating heart. I died giving birth. I gave him my Phoenix heart to resurrect Zane after Victor killed Zane. I must resurrect Zane by giving him Phoenix heart. That is what happens. Then I become pregnant, Phoenix pregnancy kills mother, season ends with feeling baby kick and wolf whispering one of us must die."

That was the twist. She already died.

The boy, our son ten years old, held out black beating heart. "Father, you will die tonight, Victor kills you and uses mother's Phoenix blood to become immortal. Mother gives you her Phoenix heart to resurrect you. Then mother becomes pregnant with me and Lyra and Lorn again, Phoenix pregnancy kills mother, mother feels baby kick and wolf whispers one of us must die. I am that baby kick. I am Lyra and Lorn and me. We decide together even if we die together."

Outside, Selene screamed. Not in pain, in power. Selene Kane, who knew Kira was alive and let Victor use her, revealed last betrayal.

She stood in Ash ruins, torn white dress, holding Victor who was choking fertile milk, holding Lyra and Lorn, and shouted, "I knew you were alive, Kira Storm, from second you entered Winter Fang as mute maid Mira. I let my father use me. I let him think I was his daughter engaged to Zane. I am not Kane. I am Frost. Yara's granddaughter. I want to be only female Alpha in North. I need you alive to kill father, and I need father alive to kill you, so I can take North after you both die. That was my plan. My last betrayal."

She lifted Victor, who was supposed to be choking, but he was not choking now. He was drinking milk that remembers on purpose, to become immortal.

Victor stood, leg no longer smoking, face no longer smoking, white blood rag gone, now his veins white, Phoenix white, because he drank fertile milk that makes ground fertile where he wanted sterile.

He said, "Final plan, as future Kira said, kill Zane and use Kira's Phoenix blood to become immortal. Now I have milk, I have white blood, I have bunker only female Alpha blood can open deeper than bunker you found, I have mother Kara, twins Lyra and Lorn, Yara, hundred crowns, North South One roots entwined. Now I kill Zane."

He grabbed Zane, faster than white wolf, and stabbed him with same dagger future Kira held, same dagger Zane put in my hand wedding day, same dagger I stabbed myself twice.

Zane fell, black heart beating white orange blue black, bleeding not red, white, Phoenix white, because Lorn touched chest earlier.

I screamed, not mute maid now, Ash Queen, Phoenix wolf, ash fire wolf huge, burning cabin one bed one fire, burning snow.

Future Kira, ten years older scar healed eyes dead, looked at Zane dying and said, "Now you must resurrect Zane by giving him your Phoenix heart, as you will. Now you become pregnant, Phoenix pregnancy kills mother, now you feel baby kick and wolf whispers one of us must die."

But I did not give heart yet. I am present Kira, not future.

I lunged at Victor, ash fire wolf, biting his throat that now had white veins.

Selene, last betrayal, stepped between, not to save father, to save me, because she wants to be only female Alpha and cannot be if Victor becomes immortal.

She stabbed Victor with wolfsbane bomb vial from her own wedding dress lining, wolfsbane and Phoenix ash poison, same vials she shattered earlier to create smoke.

Victor screamed, white veins blackening, fertile milk curdling.

The boy, our son ten years old, knelt beside Zane dying black heart beating, held black beating heart out to me, to mother past, and said, "Mother, give him your Phoenix heart now, or we all die. Human doctors outside with warrants saying female Alpha pregnancy illegal will take mother Kara and twins Lyra and Lorn and Yara and hundred crowns for study with scalpels not wolfsbane bullets. Winter Fang and Blood Stone armies will resume war of two Alphas. Selene will become only female Alpha and erase you. Father will die. Victor will become immortal. Give heart now."

Meaningful core struggle: I came back to warn Zane, to get revenge, to find out why he buried me alive. Now I must give my Phoenix heart to resurrect Zane, knowing Phoenix pregnancy kills mother, knowing if I give heart I will become pregnant with twins who hold North and South One inside them and I will die, feeling baby kick and wolf whispering one of us must die.

Zane on floor, dying, silver eyes black, guilt-ridden exhausted boy who thinks he is monster, whispered, "Kira, don't. Let me die. We decide together even if we die together. Let me die so you live."

Future Kira, dead eyes, said, "If you let him die, you live, but North dies divided. If you give heart, you die later pregnant, but North becomes one, daughters and sons leading together. Choose."

I chose. I ripped open my own chest, scar that never healed glowing orange white blue black, and took Phoenix heart, beating white fire, and pushed it into Zane's black heart beating white orange blue black.

Zane gasped, white fire entering.

Victor, choking wolfsbane and Phoenix ash poison Selene stabbed, grabbed my Phoenix heart mid transfer, trying to steal immortal blood.

Selene, last betrayal, grabbed Victor's hand, biting it, Frost teeth, to keep him from stealing heart.