<b>Skye’s </b>POV
One week after Radia funeral, the desert alt hung beway with the scent of extinguished candles and grief, Four warrior graves joined Bach boas struck t fresh wound in ourmunity.
ording te werewolf tradition, families must keep vigil for seven days beside their deceased rtives, ensuring candles hum continuously around the body, I had called Nadia’s father, Steven Bet, to inform him of his daughter’s death, asking if he woulde to maintain the vigil for her.
answer haunted me still.
I final: “When Nadia chose to follow Adrian out of tool three years ago, I already
After a long silence, his voice hade through the phone, cold and final; moumed her. She died to me them. You bury her properly.”
The line had gone dead, leaving me staring at my phone in shock. How could a father refuse to say goodbye to his daughter? How could he have hardened his heart sopletely?
The question spiraled into a darker one <b>that </b>kept me awake at night: Would my own parents feel the same if they learned of my fate?
Had they already buried me in their hearts when i <b>fled </b>Frostshadew?
I found myself reaching for my phone repeatedly, my parents‘ numbers burned into my memory from <b>years </b>of writing them in journals, thinking about them during holidays, imagining calls I never made. Once, I actually dialed my mother’s number, only to hang up the moment it began ringing.
Next time, I told myself. Maybe on Mother’s birthday, the timing will be better.
But I knew I was just bring a coward.
Seven days after the battle, Adrian finally emerged from his grief–stricken istion and returned <b>to </b><b>his </b>office. The dark circles under his eyes had faded slightly, though <b>his </b>usualmanding presence seemed dimmed, like a me burning lower thanual,
<b>Skye</b>,” he s
said one morning. “It’s <b>time </b>you leamed <b>what </b>being lleta truly means.”
I followed him to the Beta office–<b>Nadia’s </b>office with my stomach in knots.
The room still carried her scent, a faint mix of leather and sage <b>that </b>made my chest tighten with guilt. Her desk remained exactly as she’d left it, with training schedules meticulously organized and pack reports filed with mathematical precision.
Adrian noticed my hesitation as I lingered in the doorway. “<b>It’s </b>yours now,‘ he said gently, though I heard the strain in his voice. She would want you to use
I forced myself <b>to </b>step inside, running my fingers along the edge of her desk. Part of me felt like an imposter<b>, </b>siging <b>in </b>a chair that had been shap years of Nadia’s presence. But another part of me straightened my spine, remembering her final request
Take care of him. Be the Beta he needs
“Teach me,” I said, meeting <b>Adrian’s </b>gaze directly. “Show me how to honor what she built.”
Relief flickered across his features <b>as </b>he began exining the daily responsibilities–coordinating training schedules, managing security rotations, mediating daputes between pack members, reviewing border patrol reports.
His voice grew stronger as he fell into the familial rhythms of leadership, though I caught him ncing at Nadia’s empty chair more than once.
By evening, as I organized thest stack of papers, Adrian appeared in
<b>doorway</b>.
“Call the council,” he said, his expression serimus. ‘I need to speak with everyone. Tonight.”
“<b>What’s </b>happened?
<b>Chapter </b>93
Gjust call them, <b>Skye </b>Pleme,
An hourter, the council chamber filed with
viliar faces. One absence would forever change our dynamie,
<b>Adrian </b>gestured to the beat beside him. “<b>Skye</b>.” It <b>was </b>Nadia’s seat.
The room fell silent as I moved to take my ce, feeling every eye upon me. The leather creaked differently under my we
Adrian bond. For a moment, he seemed to gather himself, amber eyes sweeping across each council member before settling on me.
“As you know,” he began, his voler steady but strained, The Alpha King election takes ce this year.”
A murmur rippled through the room. The Alpha King election ured every four years, determining who would lead all North American werewolf packs. Currently, Alpha Thomas of the Eastern Territories held the position.
“After considerable thought, Adrian continued, meeting each gaze in turn, “I’ve decided to enter the election as a candidate.”
Shocked silence greeted his announcement. Then everyone seemed to speak at once.
“About time,” Venus dered, her single fist pounding the table for emphasis. “You’re exactly what this continent needs.”
The resources required for a campaign… Garrett began, worry creating his features. “The travel, the publicity, the political maneuvering–it’s enormous”
“We can handle it,” Marcus said firmly: “<b>Our </b><b>pack </b>is stronger than ever. And after w
with intensity.
what we’ve just endured, Adrian is ready.” <b>His </b>blind eyes seemed to burn
Ryder had remained quiet, staring at his hands. When he finally spoke, his voice was hollow. “Nadia always said you’d be Alpha King someday. <b>She </b>believed in that dream more than anyone.”
The mention of her name cast a shadow over the room. I saw Adrian’s jaw tighten, his hands clenching briefly before rxing.
This is partly for her,” Adrian admitted, “But also for every pack that’s been forgotten, neglected, or abused while the Alpha King looks the other way, Kane terrorized the western territories for years with no intervention. That <b>stops </b>now.”
I found myself speaking without thinking. “When do you announce your candidacy?”
Adrian turned to me, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. “Til submit my formal application to the Council tomorrow. The election is <b>in </b><b>six </b>months. That gives us time to prepare, to strengthen our position, to build the alliances we’ll need.”
“And Oasisbom?” Lydia inquired, her melndir voice carrying a note of concern. “Who leads in your absence?”
“I won’t abandon <b>Oasisbom</b>,” Adrian said firmly. “Il manage remotely when possible, and Skye will travel with me most of the time. If we’re both away, Venus can oversee operations here.”<fnff3a> Fresh chapters posted on F?nd-Novel</fnff3a>
All
turned to me, but I spoke before the doubt could settle. “Venus was once Lana of a <b>mid</b><b>–</b><b>sized </b><b>pack</b><b>. </b>I trust her management capabilities.
Venus nodded <b>approvingly</b>, a slight smile ying at the corner of her mouth.
“The question b. Marcus said, ‘can we win?”
Adrian’s expression hardened into something I recognized from our battle with Kane, absolute determination. “We will win. Because we’re fighting for more than power or prestige. We’re fighting for a future where packs like ours don’t have to <b>fear </b>tyrants like Kane. Where Alphas <b>are </b>held ountable but their actions. Where every pack, regardless of size or location, <b>has </b>a <b>voice</b>.”
His words resonated through the chamber, stining something primal in each of us. This wasn’t just about Adrian bing Alpha King. It was about <b>reshaping </b>the very nature of werewolf leadership.
As the meeting continged, ns taking shape for the campaign ahead, I caught myself ncing at the empty chair that would forever belong to Nadia
Somehow, I knew she <b>was </b>watching, proud of Adrian’s <b>decision</b>, confident in his future.