Kane POV
Father’s body goes limp, and Mother’s wolf whines. I close my eyes. Even after everything that had happened, even though I intended to kill Dad myself, it still breaks my heart. Good or bad, he was my father. The only one I ever had or knew.
“I’m so sorry, Kane,” Elara breathes into my neck as she wraps her arms around . I lay my head against her, focusing on her warm, beautiful, familiar sll. I want to crawl inside it and live there forever.
But I open my eyes and pull back as Elara lets go. I glance once at Father, at his blood still on Malachi’s lips, and stand up.
I look around, absorbing the carnage of the fight. Axel’s wolf and Braden turn around and look at . They are dirty and panting but seem to be okay. Rhiannon is still lying on the ground, chained up and dazed. Thank the Goddess, everyone made it out of this. Well ... everyone except Father, and so guards.
I look around while Hunter’s ears perk up, both of us on high alert for any more guards. But the forest looks empty, aside from the handful of n and wolves who are lying on the ground, unmoving and covered in blood and dirt.
Axel trots over, and we shift back.
“Where are the other guards?” I ask.
“Dead, or ran off,” he replies. “Dad?”
“Dead,” I exhale deeply.
We fall silent, looking at each other, and sharing the sa thought. Grief for our father. But it is easier to say that it does not matter than to allow ourselves to feel anything more.
“Guys,” Elara calls out, walking towards us and handing us shirts and pants. “Are you okay?”
“We’ll be fine,” Axel replies, avoiding eye contact.
“How’s Stella?” Braden changes the conversation.
“Unhard and happy.” Elara smiles ever so slightly, and it is a welco sight. “Gabriela is with her and Mason.”
“The twins?” I look at Elara. “Has Mom or Malachi said anything about them?”
“No, I ...”
“We didn’t find Isaac and Lanie,” Malachi interrupts Elara, walking towards us. “Now that Orion is dead, we need to look for them. And quickly. Whichever guards run away will co back. And they will bring others.”
“They’re probably on their way back here now,” Braden exhales deeply.
“We’re ready,” I nod. “We can leave imdiately.”
Mason stumbles out of the cabin, and we all look his way.
“We should find a way to get him out of those shackles,” Axel frowns. “The silver isn’t good for him.”
“I’ll do it,” Braden offers. “You wolves should avoid the silver at all costs, especially if you’re going to fight again.”
“We should also free Rhiannon,” Elara mutters. “That poor woman has been uncomfortable long enough.”
Braden and Elara walk away, but she stops, turns around and looks at us.
“I’m really sorry about your dad,” she says softly.
“He had to die,” I say, clenching my jaw tightly. “He wasn’t going to stop. He would’ve killed if not for you.”
Mason lets out a pained growl, and we all spin around to look at him.
“I didn’t touch him,” Braden shouts, stepping back and holding his hands in the air.
Mason clutches at his chest, lets out a great snarl and snaps the shackles around his ankles like they are made of string. His eyes fly open, and they are glowing an otherworldly gold.
Mason POV
I throw myself to the ground, the stabbing pain in my chest almost too much to bear. But beneath the pain, I feel sothing else. Power.
It is unlike anything I have experienced before. I just broke out of silver chains. How the fuck did that happen? They are supposed to suppress a wolf’s power, not supercharge it.
Suddenly, the pain recedes, but a warm glow still hums in my chest.
“What the fuck was that?” Kane asks, taking the words right out of my mouth.
I stand up slowly, feeling like I have been reborn, but I have not even shifted and healed myself.
“Mason, your eyes,” Elara mutters, looking at with shock and disbelief.
“Alpha power,” Gabriela says loudly, walking out of the cabin with Stella in her arms. “His eyes will return to their original colour montarily.”
“Alpha what?” Kane asks.
“Every Alpha holds on to so residual power,” Gabriela replies stoically as if she does not want to speak the words. “Even if they hand over the pack to a successor. It remains with them until they die. And then ... and then it passes on to the next Alpha in line. When Orion died, his Alpha power had to go sowhere. And it went to you, Mason.”
“He ... he’s the true Alpha?” Kane stutters, looking at with utter shock. “But ... Axel and I are the alphas.”
“I’m Orion’s son, too, rember?” I say softly.
“We didn’t know what ti Mason was born,” Gabriela replies distractedly. “And now we do. Mason was the firstborn. If he wasn’t, then he never would’ve gotten that power.”
“Wait!” Elara shouts, running to Kane, and cups his face. She looks him in the eye, and it stings that she still picks him over , even though it was just established that I am the true alpha.
“Look at Kane’s eyes,” Elara says, turning to Gabriela.
“Axel, look at ,” Elara orders, and he obeys.
“See?” Elara points to Kane and Axel. “Their eyes are golden as well.”
“What the hell does this an?” Axel asks.
“It ans Kane, Axel and Mason are Alphas,” Malachi speaks up. “When Orion went through the ritual of making Kane and Axel the next Alphas of the Constantine pack, he passed on so of his power. But he did the sa to Mason when he died.”
“So, the title belongs to us ... equally?” Kane frowns.
My skin crawls at the idea. Kane and Axel got everything they ever wanted in their whole lives. Why the fuck did we have to share this if it was theirs by circumstance and not destiny?
“In a manner of speaking,” Malachi replies. “But to be frank, I’m not sure any of this matters a single fucking bit.”
“You’re right,” I nod. Malachi’s glibness is infuriating, but at this mont, I cannot help but agree. “All I care about right now is finding the twins.”
“Even I can’t argue with that,” Kane nods. “Can you take us to them, Malachi?”
“That won’t be possible,” Malachi exhales deeply. “I’m afraid I’ve just started the next Great War.”
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