Alpha Caspian sat in his office, watching the live feed streaming from the facility with a blank stare. Zara was curled on the white floor shivering. It hurt him to watch his wife and Luna of the North pack being treated like this, but it was quite unfortunate she brought this upon herself.
Elijah was furious and wanted her imprisoned for her last stunt, but Caspian argued and bargained with him. Zara was a proud Luna, and if the divorce had gone through, that would have been the cleanest way to cut her down legally, and politically. But Elijah insisted on "keeping the family united." And in the end, his brilliant idea detonated in his face.
Instead of prison, Zara was sent to the Werewolf Reconditioning Center, now rebranded as a psychiatric ward for unstable wolves.
Not many wolves even knew the place existed, and even if Zara had known, she would never have believed Caspian would send her there. She always said he lacked the spine to make hard decisions.
Well, he proved her wrong. He started with her.
Back in the old days, powerful Alphas often married pure-blooded she-wolves to maintain their lineage. Later, so added human concubines as status symbols or to satisfy a fetish for "taming the fragile human."
Not every Luna handled that humiliation well. So bullied the concubines, others plotted against them, a few even attempted murder. So the Alpha King at the ti quietly created the Conditioning Center.
Wolves would rather die than be labeled ntally unstable, so the place was
labeled a rest facility — a place for "emotional recalibration." Unofficially, everyone knew what it really was: a prison for inconvenient wives.
Lunas who resisted their husband’s new plaything were escorted there to "reflect on their behavior" and returned only when the alpha deed them obedient enough.
Over ti, the practice faded, and the Center was shut down when concubines fell out of trend. Within a generation, the Conditioning Center beca nothing more than a dark joke alphas brought up after too many drinks.
Then Elijah secretly reopened and rebranded it as a psychiatric institute. And unlike the Alpha kings before him, he didn’t discriminate. Male. Female. Luna. Alpha. Beta. Delta. Gamma. If soone threatened stability, they went to the Center to "cool off."
The only difference now was that a guardian, spouse or mate had to sign before soone could be taken in. They also determined the length of the "cooling-off period" and any special conditions of the stay. It was a calculated move on Elijah’s part, a legal shield that made the imprisonnt look voluntary and protected him from any future backlash.
He watched as the chaperone — the one assigned to manage his wife — stepped out of the room and closed the door. The feed went blank. Zara’s room was the only access he was allowed.
Monts like this made Caspian wonder who else Elijah had hidden away inside his psychiatric ward.
His phone rang and he didn’t need to check the caller ID. He’d been waiting for this.
"Alpha Caspian," a voice greeted, cool and professional.
"Doctor Lydia," he replied, recognizing the specialist and director of the facility.
"Alpha Caspian, I’m sure you’ve noticed your wife has finally begun to settle down."
Caspian stiffened. "When you say settling down, you an hurting her? What the hell was that? I sent her there to be taken care of, not treated like an animal."
Doctor Lydia laughed for a situation that was anything but casual.
"Oh, Alpha. I understand that all you wolves think this place is so dump where you can leave your ’problematic loved ones’ until they chill out. But this isn’t a kennel. This is a psychiatric ward. We are intentional about both physical and ntal well-being here. Your Luna has a docunted pattern of aggression, impulsivity, and violence and to every action, there is a consequence. She must learn that."
"And the chaperone?" Caspian demanded.
"That’s where Marie cos in. The chaperone is not a guard. She is the patient’s friend, helper, and confidante. In a place like this, it’s easy to feel lonely, hence soone is assigned to guide them through adjustnt. Marie will help your wife transition into her new life till her ascension."
Caspian exhaled harshly. "What are your treatnt options? Zara isn’t exactly crazy... she’s just drunk on power."
Lydia humd, as if making a clinical note. "Power-induced behavioral dysregulation. Inflated dominance identity. You may call it whatever you want. But that it is still a problem. But don’t worry, by the ti we are done here, your Luna will be a changed woman."
Of course, Caspian was worried. A psych ward owned by Elijah was the last place he ever imagined sending Zara. At least Doctor Lydia was a werewolf and not a human like Patrick, who now ard himself for a war thanks to Elijah’s recklessness with their secrets.
Still, caution was a luxury he could not abandon. He would look deeper into this institution soon. But for now, Zara would face the consequences of her actions while he focused on restoring the North Pack to its forr glory.
"Is there anything else you’re worried about?" Doctor Lydia asked.
"No," Caspian said. "That will be all."
"Okay. Rember, you’re always free to check on your wife." Lydia’s voice reverted to polite professionalism. "Do have a good day, Alpha Caspian."
The line went dead.
Caspian sighed and dragged a hand through his hair, leaning back in his chair as exhaustion pressed down on his shoulders. He told himself he was fine, that sending Zara away was necessary, but the lie didn’t change the hollow ache in his chest.
For years, Zara had stood beside him. They built the North Pack together. She took his hand and never let go.
Now he was alone.
A sharp knock pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Co in," he called.
The door opened, and Ace stepped inside. His son was back.
Before Ace could say a word, Caspian crossed the room and pulled him into a tight hug.
Ace stiffened, shocked. He never saw that coming. But it dawned on him.
"Is she...?" Ace asked quietly, his voice muffled against Caspian’s shoulder.
Caspian nodded once. "Yes."
Ace exhaled. Understanding. Acceptance. Pain. "Okay."
It didn’t matter that Zara being gone was safer for all of them, it still hurt. She was his mother after all.
Caspian tried to steady his voice. "You’re safe now. We all are. We’ll hold the pack together until your brother returns."
He said it like a reassurance to Ace.
But honestly, it sounded more like a reassurance to himself.
Ace slowly pulled back. He didn’t know what to do with this sudden affection. For years, he’d gotten formality and distance from his father, not this open, raw embrace.
Co to think of it, it was the first real hug he could rember since he was a kid.
Ace cleared his throat. "I’ll go change and check on the progress of the pack."
Caspian nodded, turning toward his desk again. "Ace?"
Ace paused at the door. "Yeah?"
"Thank you for your support."
Ace gave a faint smile. "No problem."
He turned to leave, but hesitated. Caspian caught the shift instantly.
"What is it?"
Ace t his father’s eyes with determination.
"I want to move to Lunaris Academy."
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