Chapter 17: A New Beginning, A Bitter End
Tyson
The Silverfang Elders sat in a semicircle, their faces cold as the granite walls. They were there to reassess me if I was ready to be Alpha again.
“Elders,” I began, bowing my head.
“I come before you to rectify my mistakes. I know I had let the pack down. But my heart has always been with Silverfang. I am ready to lead again, to restore what we‘ ve lost.”
Elder Selene, her sharp eyes glinting like daggers, was the first to speak. “Restore what we’ve lost, you say? Tyson, the pack didn’t lose anything. You did. And you didn’t lose it… you threw it away.”
The words stung, but I kept my head low, biting back my lips not to retort.
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Chapter 17: A New Beginning, A Bitter End
“I was misled, manipulated by Stella. I believed her lies because I wanted the best for Silverfang. The pack needed an heir, and I thought I was securing its future.”
“Is that what you call it? Securing the future? You betrayed your mate… the Luna we trusted. You paraded another woman before us and disgraced the bond the Moon Goddess gave you,” Elder Marius argued.
I clenched my fists, controlling my anger.
“Kate couldn’t give me an heir! I did what was necessary for the pack!”
The room fell silent, but my voice echoed in the vast chamber. Elder Selene rose from her seat, her silver hair gleaming under the dim light.
“Do not speak her name with such disrespect,” she said.
“Kate was everything this pack needed in a Luna. Strong, loyal, selfless. And what did you do? You cast her aside for your pride.”
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Chapter 17: A New Beginning, A Bitter End
My wolf snarled in my mind, restless and furious.
“I didn’t cast her aside! I was trying to save this pack! Stella deceived me. I didn’t know…”
“Enough!” Elder Marius thundered, cutting my protest.
“You knew exactly what you were doing. You didn’t just fail Kate. You failed all of us. And while you’ve been wallowing in self–pity, do you know where Kate is now?”
froze, my breath catching in my chest.
“She’s been named the future Luna of the Crimson Moon Pack,” Elder Selene said.
“She’s found the respect and love she deserves, something you didn’t give her.”
My mind reeled, the words hitting harder than any blow. Kate, a Luna again? My Kate?
“This is what leadership is, Tyson. It’s not about power or heirs. It’s about honor.
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Chapter 17: A New Beginning, A Bitter End
And you have none,” Elder Marius continued.
I opened my mouth to argue, to defend myself, but the words stuck in my throat.
“Tyson, you are hereby stripped of your title as Alpha,” Elder Selene declared.
“You no longer have a place at this table. You can either leave the pack or be a
warrior.”
The room swam before me, and my vision blurred with anger and humiliation. My wolf howled in my mind, a sound of rage and despair.
“You‘ re making a mistake. I’ll prove you all wrong. I’ll rebuild what you‘ ve taken from me. I’ll show you what I’m capable of,” I said and stormed out.
Kate
“You‘ re overthinking again,” Kent said with a smile.
I chuckled.
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Chapter 17: A New Beginning, A Bitter End
“It’s hard not to. Everything feels… uncertain,” I replied.
Kent turned to look at me.
“What’s uncertain? You‘ ve survived things most wouldn’t. The rest? That’s just figuring out how to live again.”
“It‘
s not just about surviving, Kent. It‘ s about trusting myself again. And trusting someone else.”
He stepped closer, his hand brushed against mine. The spark between us was undeniable, a connection I could no longer ignore.
“I’ve been afraid of letting go and of moving forward. But maybe it’s time.”
Kent’s smile widened in satisfaction, his hand closing over mine.
“You don’t have to do it alone, Kate. I’m here.”
The wind rustled through the trees, carrying a sense of peace. And I allowed
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Chapter 17: A New Beginning, A Bitter End
myself to believe in something new, something better.
“I accept,” I said softly, my voice steady despite the pounding of my heart.
Kent’s eyes searched mine, and the world
faded away.
“You won’t regret it,” he promised.
As the last rays of sunlight disappeared, I felt a quiet certainty settle over me. My past with Tyson was already behind me, and my future with Kent had now begun.
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