Chapter 154
Astor’s POV
War is brutal and unfair. Watching bodies of kids just under the age of 5 or even older being
gathered around has to be one of the most humbling moments in life.
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Because at every second and minute I pray that I never have to find my child like that and it’s hard
especially when I’m this far away from them.
I turned back to look at the map again.
“It’s not just a werewolf attack, my King,” I said, bracing myself against the table. The Alpha King
barely looked up. He was tired, just like the rest of us. And we’re not just tired physically because
of what we’ve had to do in terms of burying all of these people but because it is also emotionally
and mentally tiring.
“Well we all know that his father liked to experiment with black magic and it means that he has
been following in his father’s footsteps.”
“No, you don’t know the full story,” I insisted. I leaned closer to the map, pointing to the burned–out
remains of SilverStone’s outskirts. “I spoke to the few survivors, the ones who were attacked here
and the ones who survived the assault on the Eternal pack.”
I pushed a stack of reports toward him. “Kyle was not here. His scent was nowhere at SilverStone, and he didn’t show up when the Eternal Pack was being slaughtered. This confirms he is sitting back, commanding, letting others do the dirty work.”
That wasn’t the worst of it, though.
“The first thing every victim felt was the same,” I continued, making sure my voice was loud enough to cut through the general despair in the room. “Not fear. Not pain. They felt numb. They couldn’t move their muscles. They were paralyzed. Then, all of a sudden, they were being attacked.
“Numbness that fast? Before the attack?”
“Exactly.” I confirmed. “Wolfbane doesn’t do that. It doesn’t instantly paralyze dozens of strong wolves without physical contact. And even if he did come to contact with black magic this is different. This is a witch spell designed to neutralize a werewolf before the fight even begins.”
The room went silent. A witch working with an alpha wolf, it was a combination we had feared for
a century.
“So what? We fight magic with claws?” the royal beta asked, his tone heavy with defeat.
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I shook my head. “No. We fight favors with better favors. We talk to the witches.”
The silence that followed was deep and loud.
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“Astor, you know what you are suggesting,” the aloha king hissed, his voice dropping to a dangerous rumble. “Werewolves do not ally with witches. It is forbidden. It goes against everything our ancestors fought for. If I approach the nearest coven, I will be seen as a traitor to my own people.”
I knew the rules. I respected tradition. But tradition was currently letting innocent families get slaughtered.
“My King, the witches are clearly getting something from this deal. They wouldn’t help Kyle unless he promised them a massive favor. Witches always help for a price,” I argued, my frustration boiling over. “If we approach that coven and offer them more than Kyle is currently giving, they will drop him instantly. It leaves Kyle defenseless, vulnerable, stripped of his greatest weapon.”
He stood up, towering over me. “I will not betray our kind for a gamble, Astor. I rule the
werewolves, not the magic covens.”
The air felt thick, the tension unbearable. I spent days reading reports of dead children and ruined
packs. I have been sacrificing sleep and spending time with my kids because I want this done and
he thinks I give a f**k about traditions.”
Something snapped inside me.
“With all respect, you haven’t come up with a solution in days!” I challenged, my voice rising and my
wolf agitated. “A lot of packs have paid the ultimate price because we have been sticking to
tradition.‘ If you want to prove to everybody that you are worthy of being the Alpha King, then you
will find a solution that works, not just one that follows ancient rules”
“Do not talk to me like that Alpha Astor”
I instantly backed down because I could feel his wolf rising to the surface.
“I apologize, my King,” I said, forcing the words out. “I am frustrated. More frustrated than I have ever been. I want to be home right now. I want to be home with my kids, raising them without having to constantly worry that somebody is going to attack them in the night.”
My explanation seemed to take the fight out of him. He sighed, a loud, weary sound that echoed in
the room.
“Astor, I want the same. We all do,” he said, rubbing his temples. “But this is a bad idea. We don’t know what Kyle has offered them. It could be something we can’t match.”
“Then let’s try to talk,” I said. “We just need to open the conversation. Let’s see what their price is.”
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He opened his mouth to argue again, but before he could my phone started ringing and it was George.
My heart immediately dropped to my stomach because George only ever calls me if it’s an
emergency.
I held up a hand to the King. “Excuse me.”
I answered the call, my voice tight. “George? Is everything okay?”
The way I asked made it clear I knew the answer was likely no.
George’s voice, usually steady and calm, was strained. “No, Alpha. It is not. We had a real scare.”
My vision narrowed. “What happened? Is it the pack? Are the children safe? Is Faith hurt?”
“They’re safe now. But the scouts reported seeing wolves, a lot of them hanging around the edge of our pack territory.”
“And you fought them off?”
“No, sir. We reported it immediately to Luna Faith. She told us that she would handle it.”
I felt my wolf start whining like he could feel that something was wrong.
“What did she do, George?” I demanded, fear clawing at my chest.
George hesitated, sounding stunned even over the phone. “We don’t know exactly, Alpha. But there
is a shield. A massive, clear force field around the entire pack lands. It’s huge. It’s clear that Kyle
will not be able to breach us.”
Relief lasted seconds.
“And Faith?”
“She passed out, Alpha,” George said with concern. “Right after the shield settled, she dropped.
She’s unconscious. We have her in the clinic, but the Healers don’t know what to do. She’s stable, but she won’t wake up.”
My legs felt suddenly weak. I leaned hard against the table, the image of my beautiful mate, pale and still, flashing behind my eyes,
Faith had never used her power to that magnitude. Never close. Every single time she had used a them, there has been consequences to her health, passing out, days of severe headaches and
nausea.
This shield, this wall that George described, was ten times the power she had ever wielded. Ten
times the power needed to protect an entire territory.
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Ten times.
That wasn’t just a consequence. That could be fatal.
“I’m coming home,” I told George.
