Chapter 5
1334 Words
AURORA
I was dead.
At least, that's what the endless darkness surrounding me seemed to suggest.
There was nothing here.
No light or sound. Only an infinite void stretching in every direction.
So this was death.
How ironic.
I had spent my final moments wishing for a second chance, only to end up here. Yet something felt wrong. If I was truly dead, why could I still feel?
A strange force tugged at me from somewhere beyond the darkness.
Suddenly, my body jerked violently.
Water exploded from my mouth as I lurched upright. I doubled over, coughing and gasping while streams of seawater poured from my throat and lungs.
My chest burned.
Every breath felt like knives.
After several moments of coughing and pounding against my chest, I finally managed to breathe properly.
Only then did I look around, and confusion instantly settled over me.
This wasn't my room. In fact, nothing about this place looked familiar.
The small hut was a complete contrast to the life I had always known. The walls were made of dried mud and riddled with cracks. The room itself was tiny, and I was lying on a woven mat instead of a proper bed.
The harder I tried to remember how I had gotten here, the worse the pounding in my head became.
Pain exploded behind my eyes.
I groaned and struggled to my feet.
Stumbling toward a nearby wooden table, I accidentally knocked several objects to the floor.
"W-What's happening to me?"
There was no one to answer.
Desperate, I searched the table for anything that resembled medicine.
Nothing.
The dizziness worsened with every passing second.
I was beginning to regret leaving the mat at all.
"You're awake!"
A shrill masculine voice startled me.
I turned toward the doorway and caught sight of a frail old man standing there.
His gray hair stuck out in every direction, and his eyes widened as he looked at me.
"My head..." I muttered. "I need..."
The room spun.
Darkness swallowed me once more.
*****
When I woke again, the first thing I noticed was the emptiness.
The hollow space inside me where my wolf had once existed.
The realization hurt almost as much as the betrayal itself.
This time, I remained seated.
Across the room, the same old man stood beside the table, sorting through several jars.
Who was he?
Carefully, I pushed myself upright and watched him.
"How did I get here?"
The sudden question made him jump.
A wooden spoon slipped from his hand and clattered onto the floor.
"Oh!" he squeaked. "You startled me."
"Sorry..."
He waved dismissively.
"No harm done. How are you feeling?"
"My head still hurts," I admitted, rubbing my temple. "But it's not as bad as before."
The moment I sat fully upright, memories crashed into me.
From the coronation to my father's death.
The Elders. Kael and Sage. The rejection. The dungeon.
My eyes widened.
"How am I alive?"
The old man's face softened. "You must be favored by the Moon Goddess herself."
He approached with a steaming cup in his hand.
Immediately, suspicion surged through me. I shifted away.
"Easy, child. You're safe here." He extended the cup. "This will help flush some of the wolfsbane from your system."
The mention of wolfsbane caught my attention. Without hesitation, I snatched the cup and drank every drop.
The warm liquid soothed my dry throat.
The old man smiled.
"So, what's your name? It's not every day someone washes ashore half-dead."
I ignored the question entirely. Trusting strangers had already cost me enough.
"I don't understand," I murmured. "I should be dead."
The old man lowered himself into a creaking rocking chair. "To be fair, you nearly were."
He stuck a toothpick between his teeth. "There was something inside you that refused to give up. Even while unconscious, you kept repeating something."
I looked up sharply. "What did I say?"
He scratched his chin. "I couldn't make out most of it. But I think it was something like... 'you'll pay.'"
My jaw tightened.
Of course.
That had been my final wish.
A second chance.
A chance to make Kael pay for everything he'd done.
"How long have I been here?" I asked.
The old man shrugged. "Six days, give or take."
I shot to my feet. "Six days?"
"Careful!" he yelped. "You shouldn't be moving around so—"
"I'm not a child!"
The sharpness of my voice silenced him instantly.
Running a hand through my tangled black hair, I paced the room.
Six days.
Six entire days.
Anything could have happened during that time.
What had Kael done with the pack? What lies had he spread?
"Where are we?" I asked quickly. "Which pack territory is this?"
"We're in neutral lands." He pointed toward the distance. "The nearest territory across the river is the Silver Crest Pack."
Relief mixed with anxiety. At least I wasn't far from home.
I glanced down at myself.
I was still wearing the teal gown from the day everything fell apart. Though now it was torn, stained, and barely recognizable.
I looked back at the old man. "Do you have a vehicle?"
His eyebrows rose. "Why?"
"It doesn't matter. If you have one, I need it."
"I don't have a vehicle," he replied flatly. "And you're certainly not going to the Silver Crest Pack."
My eyes narrowed. "And why not?"
The old man sighed heavily. "Five days ago, news spread throughout the district."
My stomach twisted. "What news?"
"They announced that Alpha Magnus Blackthorne and his entire family were murdered during a rogue attack."
Silence filled the room, then anger followed. "A rogue attack?"
He snorted. "Nobody believes it."
Hope flickered inside me. "What do you mean?"
The old man leaned forward. "Because everyone knows it's impossible." His voice hardened. "A handful of rogues don't just stroll into one of the strongest packs in the region and slaughter an Alpha's entire bloodline overnight."
He shook his head. "It's nonsense."
Good.
At least people weren't buying Kael's lies.
"But if everyone suspects something happened," I pressed, "why hasn't anyone intervened?"
The old man sighed again. "Because the situation is complicated."
He pointed the toothpick at me. "The usurper doubled security around the territory. Nobody gets in or out, and anyone who tried escaping was publicly executed.
My jaw clenched. "And their bodies?"
He grimaced. "Thrown into the river."
Rage simmered beneath my skin. The monster was tightening his grip.
"And that's not all."
I looked up.
"He already announced his new Luna."
My hands curled into fists. "Sage."
The old man nodded. "That's the name."
Of course. Neither of them had wasted any time.
"What about the Lunar Council?"
The old man blinked. "What about them?"
"Why haven't they stepped in?"
The Lunar Council existed for situations exactly like this.
A pack takeover.
The murder of an Alpha.
An illegal seizure of power.
Yet they had done nothing.
The old man's expression darkened. "Because they technically can't."
My heart sank. "What do you mean?"
"Apparently, Alpha Magnus withdrew the Silver Crest Pack from the Lunar Council Coalition before all this happened."
My jaw dropped. "What?"
"I know."
He shook his head. "Hard to believe. Why anyone would sever ties with the strongest alliance in the werewolf world is beyond me."
His voice faded into the background.
My mind was already racing.
Father had made a terrible mistake, but he wasn't Alpha anymore. I was. And as the rightful Alpha, I could reverse that decision. I could restore those ties and get help.
I rose to my feet, determination replacing the despair in me.
The old man looked up at me. "What are you doing now?"
I met his gaze. "I'm going to need some money."
He blinked twice, then frowned. "And where exactly are you planning to go?"
I straightened my shoulders. "To the Lunar Council headquarters."
Someone needed to put Kael and Sage back where they belonged.
And I intended to be the one who did it.
- Writer
