34 - ra


    A choked sob escapes my throat, raw and desperate. “No,” I whisper, the word trembling on my lips.


    Jeff''s voice cuts through the silence like a de. "Yeah, that''s right, baby Alpha. Your pack belongs to us now." His taunt is cruel, dripping with satisfaction.


    Something inside me shatterspletely. My mother was innocent-pure and kindhearted, never involved in any of the dark dealings that had poisoned our lives. She treated every member of the pack like her own child, with boundless love and care. She didn''t deserve to be poisoned, to suffer and die alone in a sterile hospital bed. Rage res within me again, a zing inferno fueled by hatred for Jeff, the rogue, and anyone who dared harm my family and my pack. The power of my wolf surges through my veins, wild and fierce.


    I spring at Jeff with a ferocity he hadn''t expected. He braced for a killing blow, but I haven''t lost all control yet. My ws extend, sharp and deadly, slicing repeatedly across his chest. Thin, painful cuts-like paper tearing-mar his clothes, and traitorous blood oozes slowly onto the floor beneath us. I lean in close, so close that he can see every shade of green swirling in my eyes.


    "My pack will never be yours," I hiss, venom dripping from every word. "You''ll bleed out, slowly, painfully. Your little rogue partner? He''ll suffer the same fate. And I will hunt down everyst one of your organization. They will know their deathse because you betrayed them."


    Jeff gasps, trying to sound defiant despite the pain. “I didn''t tell you shit, and I won''t, you little bitch."


    "You did," I retort coldly. "And your partner screwed up. He wasn''t fast enough to stop my father."


    Jeff spits blood at my feet, his voice thick with hatred. "Your father''s dead."


    "Yes," I spit back, my voiceced with bitter fury, "but he was a smart man. Your partner got cocky, sloppy even, and before he died, my father revealed his identity. Now five packs are ready to tear him apart.”


    Jeff coughs again, blood bubbling from his throat. "You''ll never find him. I won''t tell you. Just finish it."


    A humorlessugh escapes me. "You think I''m going to kill you now? You''re mistaken. You''ll tell me what I want to know. You''ll endure this pain again and again, until your mind fractures and your body wastes away. Only then will I send you to the Goddess.” I nce at Jax and Dev, who are preparing to cauterize his wounds. My father may have been a gentle Alpha in his time, but when it came to enemies or threats against the pack, he was merciless. We have many practical tools for healing, but we also crafted harsher methods for those who cross us-handmade instruments that look as ominous as they feel.


    Turning away, I leave the room. There are other matters demanding my attention. Jeremiah and Junior need to hear the truth my father died trying to reveal.


    "They''lle for you next. Don''t go anywhere alone," Jax growls behind me. I ignore him, focused on what I must do.


    "ra! Are you listening? Once this is over, the Beta and Delta will be ced under house arrest until their trial. Sebastian and Richard are suspects too. There''s no way they didn''t know Jeff was a traitor and did nothing."


    "ELARA!" Dev''s voice is panicked.


    "Just finish up here," I say firmly. "He''s getting daily visits from me until I figure out how they moved undetected."


    My heart aches, my head pounds, and exhaustion weighs heavy on my body. The grief for my parents threatens to swallow me whole, but I shove it deep into the back of my mind. Soon, we''ll hold a proper celebration of their lives. Ben and Jason have nted seeds of ideas in my head, and now I must uncover the truth. I also need to check on the pack members—they''ve lost both my parents and must know I''m here for them. Especially after being used, to my face, of causing all this chaos. There''s a mountain of work ahead.


    I reach out to the pack healers, finding two who were loyal to my parents. I exin the situation. They have my mother in their care and found my father in the forest near the pack hospital. They vow not to leave my parents'' side while suspicion hangs over us all.


    I make my way to my father''s office. Though I''ve been using it since my mother''s attack, it still feels like his space. I''m unsure when or if it will ever feel truly mine.


    I contact Elder Han, who has been the least resistant to my bing the next Alpha. We need to arrange my official swearing-in before the pack. I expect the pack to be divided-half will ept me, half will resist. If they do, I can enforce it with my aura. The wolves understand instinctively that I am their rightful leader, but the human side is more emotionally charged, making decisions harder. This rogue pack has worked against me for years; I''ve seen their subtle moves and reactions. I don''t want to be the tyrant some fear I will be, but I will do whatever it takes to protect my family and pack. I will prove myself by rooting out this cancer living among us. I am far from the weak little girl they think I am.