THE ANNOUNCEMENT
324 Words
“Everyone will gather in the hall tonight.”
The message spread quickly through the pack, passed from one person to another like wildfire. An announcement from the Alpha was never something small, and the tension in the air was impossible to ignore.
I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my dress nervously. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking.
Something wasn’t right.
Kael hadn’t said anything to me, yet deep down, I felt it.
Whatever was about to happen…
It involved me.
When I entered the hall, conversations immediately died down. Dozens of eyes turned in my direction, watching, judging, whispering.
Just like before.
But this time, I didn’t lower my head.
I lifted my chin and walked forward, step by step, refusing to look weak.
At the front of the hall stood Kael.
Beside him…
Alina.
Of course.
My chest tightened, but I kept moving until I found a place to stand.
Far enough.
But not invisible.
“Tonight,” Kael began, his voice calm yet commanding enough to silence the entire room, “there will be changes in this pack.”
A ripple of murmurs spread.
“I will not tolerate disrespect, disobedience, or disorder.”
The room fell silent again.
Then his gaze shifted.
To me.
My heart skipped.
“From this moment forward,” he continued, “Lira will remain in this pack under my direct protection.”
Gasps echoed across the hall.
Shock.
Confusion.
Disbelief.
“She carries my child.”
This time, the reaction was louder.
People stood.
Whispers turned into voices.
The entire room erupted.
I froze where I stood, my mind going blank.
He said it.
Out loud.
In front of everyone.
There was no hiding anymore.
No denying it.
And as I slowly lifted my gaze…
I met Alina’s eyes.
The calm in them was gone.
Replaced with something darker.
Something dangerous.
And in that moment…
I knew.
Nothing would ever be the same again.
- Writer
