Alpha's Blind Luna novel Chapter 157

The Alpha stood up, eyes wide. “Leaving? Like going back to fight later?”

The warrior shook his head. “No Alpha, they packed up their camps and tents and left. Went back to their homes. It’s over.”

Vale looked at me and smiled, I nodded back to him. “Well now, that’s great news!”

Mark, the Alpha, and Beta Joshua smiled exuberantly and clapped each other on the back. As though they did something that warranted this celebration.

“Let us feast! Tell everyone but the scouts to head back to the castle. We shall have a full spread prepared! I would like the scouting groups to eat as much from the food prepared for today as they would like but keep an eye out to make sure there is no trick.”

“Yes Alpha!” The three disappeared out of the tent.

I sighed and stretched. “Well, that was anti-climatic. Should we head back?”

“Yes, yes I think we should. I think after a couple days of ensuring that there is no trick, we can be out if your hair, Alpha Niles.” Mark smiled and I almost snapped my fingers. The Alpha’s name now clicking in my mind. Vale did tell me it and I thought it was silly that he was named after a river.

Vale got up and nodded up the men. “Sounds good.”

With my hands in my pocket, I walked next to Vale as we made our way through the forest, back to the castle. A bunch of the wolves were shifting and running back to the castle, as did the two Alpha’s and the Beta. I felt the prickle in the back of mind.

'Everything go as planned?'

I shrugged. 'As best as it could. It was actually easier than I thought it would be. But it seems our originally theory wasn’t too far off.'

Vale looked at me, his eyebrow quirked up. 'What do you mean?'

'One of the kids said they were going to be sold off or picked up. Basically replacements for the Alpha’s pups. So the Alpha was taking them to stop whoever is wanting the kids from taking his packs.'

Vale bit his bottom lip. 'It doesn’t excuse that kind of behavior.'

'No. No, it doesn’t. It’s understandable wanting to put your pack first and protect your pack but that was not the way to do it.'

'It made sense why he wasn’t afraid of another attack and his border patrols were so shit.'

I nodded and sighed. 'There also seems to be something shifty going on with the witches but I thought I would leave that to your High Councilor friends. We are going to have enough dealing with on this side of the territory line.'

Vale stopped for a second. 'Evan agreed. It took a couple days but he will head here in about a week or so. We might be here for another month, Hector. Trying to get a transfer of power and seeing how deep this corruption goes. Plus, if there are vampires coming into the territory, I want to destroy them.'

My heart skipped a beat and I halted my walk as well. Looking back at Vale, I knew what this meant for me. I wouldn’t be able to hold Auri or help her. We wouldn’t be able to join the search for Ezekiel for weeks. This also meant Vale would be just as stuck. Without being to help and without knowing.

'Are you sure, Vale?'

There was a long pause and I could see all the pain, the mixed emotions, flash across his face. 'I have to have faith. I have to have faith in my pack while I do my job as King.'

I gripped Vale’s shoulder tightly. “Then I will stand by you the entire time, my king. Whatever you need me for.”

Vale cracked a smile though. “Now, it’s time to sit back and enjoy the show, Hector. We are about to see the fruits of a labor in holding back.”

Shaking my head, I laughed. “I’m here for it.”

We shifted and ran back to the castle where it was already erupting in cheers. Celebrations were in full swing and a bunch of the workers were running around trying to get everything ready for this last minute party. Shifting back, I pulled on my clothes, as did Vale. We walked into the castle and headed into the dinning room. Alpha Niles was laughing with Mark and a bunch of his warriors as we walked in. Vale and I took our usual seats near the center of the long table.

Food was being set on the table with a multitude of fresh meats and sweets. It was wild considering how mediocre the food had been for the entire time we were here. I wondered if this is what everyone normally got and they just made of show of being measly for us. I reached out and took a few turkey legs from a platter. One of the girls from the kitchen staff leaned over my shoulder and asked if I would like wine. Smiling at her, I held up my glass and she poured it to the top.

“Thank you, dear.”

She flashed me a smile and disappeared. Vale quirked an eyebrow.

“For liking my mom, you sure are a flirt.”

I coughed on the wine I had been drinking. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Please, Hector. Don’t insult me. I see how you look at her. How you have always looked at her. Been there for her. Does she know?”

My eyes narrowed. “Interesting question coming from the son of her mate.”

“Dad is an idiot. He’s losing Mom and honestly, I think he’s already lost her. I don’t know what it’s going to take for him to realize that, but when he does, he’s going to live with so much regret.” Vale smiled, taking a drink of wine. “Doesn’t mean you have to live with that regret too.”

Shaking my head, I sighed much bigger than intended. “Yes, your mother knows. And no, we aren’t about to embrace each other as lovers. Auri has always had Logan as her mate, your father. It’s not my place, Vale. I will protect her and be by her side till the very end. But I don’t get in the way of her and Logan. They’ve come through worse.”

Vale stared down into his glass. “But what if he doesn’t deserve her?”

“It doesn’t matter what we think. What matters is Auri. It will always be her decision. Always be up to her.”

“I…we…I…” He kept trying to fight it.

Vale shook his head. “Now, Alpha.”

“We took the witches children and have been holding them in the underground hidden dungeon. We have been holding them there for months for when the vampires came. They told us they wouldn’t take anymore of our pups if we gave them the witches children. We couldn’t risk losing anymore. We could…” It wasn’t the Alpha who answered, but his Beta.

His head was in his hands as he sobbed into them. He word vomited and suddenly the table was in an uproar. No one moved, no one could under Vale’s power but the warriors were quick to voice their anger. Vale cleared his throat and the whole table hushed.

“Alpha Niles?”

“They offered us a drug that made us faster and stronger. They gave us a small sample size for free. When we realized it really did work. We ordered more. At first, they asked for money. Then goods, specific magical information or items we needed to procure from the local witches. Then…then it was pups. They wanted pups. At first, I declined but they said they would come for them anyways and I could at least choose which ones were being taken.”

The whole table was vibrating with anger as their Alpha just voiced his sins.

“I received the drugs and I thought that maybe we could fight them with the drugs but after we lost five warriors to them, I knew we couldn’t fight them. They took more and more and I begged them to stop. We would have no pups left. They said if we wanted them to stop, they needed children from the witches coven. It was an easy compromise. My Beta and I went out and took six of them that had wandered too far into the forest. We held them and they are supposed to be picked up next week. But they are gone. They are gone and now they are going to take more of ours. Goddess, I couldn’t protect my pack. I couldn’t even keep six kids in a dungeon.” Alpha Niles hung his head and shook it.

Vale slammed his hands down on the table. “You’re wrong. I thought maybe you would be remorseful, stealing other children, allowing your pack to fall into their hands but you’re not. You are just sorry you lost them.” Standing up, Vale nodded to me. “I’ve heard enough.”

I moved from behind the Alpha, Vale took my place. With even more power and authority, I stood next to the Beta, holding onto his arm. Not that he could run under this level of power, but I just wanted to make sure.

“I, Alpha King Vale, pass judgement onto Alpha Niles of the Crescent River pack. You have committed crimes against your pack and against allied covens that you have held peace with for hundreds of years. You, Alpha Niles, are sentenced to death, along with your Beta. You could have requested help destroying the vampires but instead you do this.” Vale sounded disgusted and actually angry.

“First, I break your connection to the pack, taking over temporarily as Alpha.” My eyes widened at this but I realized he could only do this because he wasn’t associated with the Golden Sun pack yet. Auri was still Alpha, waiting for Vale to take over. There was shudder as the Alpha slumped further forward. The warriors shifted as they also felt the exchange of their Alpha.

“Now, there is nothing more.”

With a quick snap of his neck, Alpha Niles slumped lifeless against his chair. Vale looked over at me and nodded. Taking a deep breath, I moved my hands around the Beta’s neck. He was sobbing and I knew, unlike the Alpha, he felt actual remorse. Vale was right, he followed his Alpha in this plan and he needed to pay the price. Usually though, Auri took this into her hands. She would tell me I was better in a fight, not an execution. However, I closed my eyes and snapped the Beta’s neck. His body crumpled to the floor.

The whole table now had their eyes on Vale. He looked over the table.

“The next few weeks will be chaotic and I am going to be doing a lot of shifting in this pack. I will protect this pack and I will leave you better off then when I came, that I can definitely promise you.”

Vale pulled his power back but the entire table of warriors stood, baring their necks to Vale.

“Yes, Alpha King!”