Chapter 20
746words
I sat in the car, watching the time on my phone.
Two hours and forty-five minutes.
That's how long I had left of Ariana's three-hour deadline.
But I couldn't leave right away.
First, I had to put my house in order.
If I just went to Blackrock Abyss, I likely wouldn't be coming back.
And once I was dead, the Blackwood Pack would be left without a leader, and civil war would erupt immediately.
I would not let my pack bleed for my mistakes.
I opened a mind-link to my Beta.
"Alpha? What's your decision?"
"Gather all the elders. Immediately," my voice was calm and resolute. "Emergency meeting. Start now."
"Yes, Alpha!"
Twenty minutes later, the twelve elders were once again gathered in the council hall.
They looked at my pale face and trembling hands, their eyes full of concern.
"Alpha, your health—" the head elder began.
"My health doesn't matter," I cut him off. "What matters is the future of the Blackwood Pack."
I stood before them and spoke in the most commanding voice I could muster.
"Elders," my voice was steady, betraying none of the chaos inside me. "As of this moment, I am temporarily relinquishing my authority as Alpha."
"What?" They all shot to their feet in shock.
"Alpha, you can't do that!"
"The pack will fall into chaos without an Alpha!"
"Quiet!" I roared. Though my voice was hoarse, it still carried an authority that could not be questioned.
The elders fell silent.
"I am giving up my power for a reason," I continued. "The northern rebels have made their move. They rescued Ariana and are plotting something much bigger."
"The northern rebels?" the head elder frowned. "You mean the exiled branch of the royal family?"
"The very same," I nodded. "Their target isn't just Ariana, and it isn't just the Blackwood Pack. They want to upend the entire werewolf world order."
I looked at the elders' tense faces and continued.
"From now on, the Blackwood Pack is on high alert. Double the guards at all border posts and all important facilities."
"Yes, Alpha!" the elders replied in unison.
"And," my voice grew more serious, "if I do not return in seventy-two hours, you are to elect a new Alpha. The pack must endure."
"Alpha!" the head elder said urgently. "Where are you going?"
I didn't answer his question. I just turned and left the hall.
Back in my office, I immediately began gathering intelligence.
Using the Blackwood Pack's network, I started searching for any information on Blackrock Abyss.
Topographical maps, climate data, historical records, even local legends.
Soon, a terrible truth emerged.
It was home to an ancient altar.
According to the records, an altar of blood magic, built to siphon the power from one wolf and grant it to another.
And according to legend, the Ancestor's Bloodline became extremely unstable near that altar, making it easy to be forcibly extracted.
My hands began to tremble.
Their target wasn't me.
Their target was Sandra.
They were using me as bait to lure Sandra to Blackrock Abyss, where they would forcibly extract her bloodline.
As for the curse Ariana spoke of—it was never real.
It was a lie she crafted to make me strip Sandra of her own power, leaving her vulnerable. A means to an end. They had contingencies for their contingencies...
"Damn it..." I muttered. "Damn it all..."
I had to warn her.
I had to let her know about this plot.
I opened my computer and began to write a detailed intelligence file.
I poured everything I knew into that file. Every weakness. Every contingency. Every escape route.
About the northern rebels' organization. About their deployment at Blackrock Abyss. About the true purpose of the ancient altar.
About their designs on the Ancestor's Bloodline.
This was probably the last thing I could do for Sandra.
After writing the main text, I added one last line, my hand shaking so badly I could barely write:
"Their target is you. Stay away."
Then, I encrypted the file and sent it through a completely secure, anonymous channel to the Silver Moon pack.
After doing all that, I put away my communicator and walked alone to the parking garage.
I had no regrets.
If my death could buy Sandra's safety, it was worth it.
I got in the car and started the engine. The headlights cut through the darkness ahead.
I pointed the car toward Blackrock Abyss. Toward my own grave.
