Chapter 158
The memorial was held beneath the old sycamore tree, the one Summer loved. Every member of the pack showed up, along with allies and Council delegates. She’d made an impact–through her kindness, her strength, her work with orphaned wolves and the children’s foundation. She’d earned their love. She’d
earned mine.
I stood like stone throughout the ceremony, accepting condolences like an Alpha should.
But inside?
I was burning.
Afterward, Lyra came to me, little Thea sleeping in her arms.
“She wouldn’t want this for you,” she said gently. “Summer would want you to live, not just survive.”
“How?” I asked hoarsely. “Tell me how I’m supposed to live when half of me is gone.”
She had no answer.
No one did.
Author’s POV
A month after the memorial service, Ethan found Alexander in his office, surrounded by empty bottles. It wasn’t the first time. Since accepting Summer’s death, Alexander had taken to drinking heavily–the only way he found to quiet Orion’s constant grief–stricken howling in his mind.
“This can’t continue, Alpha,” Ethan said firmly, gathering the bottles. “The pack needs you at full strength.
”
“The pack has you,” Alexander replied, his words slightly slurred. “You’re a better Beta than I deserve.”
“I’m not talking about administrative duties,” Ethan countered. “I’m talking about spiritual leadership. The pack bonds are weakening because their Alpha is… disconnected.”
Alexander knew Ethan was right. The bonds that connected Alpha to pack were mystical as well as practical. His ongoing grief was affecting everyone, creating a sense of malaise that spread throughout the territory.
“I can’t forget her,” he whispered. “Every time I close my eyes, I see her face. Every room in this house
holds memories.”
Ethan hesitated before speaking again. “There might be a way to help you function again. To help the pack heal.”
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Chapter 158
+15 BONUS
Alexander looked up, his bloodshot eyes narrowing. “What way?”
“The Seer,” Ethan said simply. “Seer Willow.”
Alexander’s laugh was bitter. “You want me to have my memories erased?”
“Not erased,” Ethan clarified. “Just… dulled. The Seer can create a temporary barrier around the most painful memories. It would give you space to breathe, to lead the pack properly again.”
“No.” Alexander’s response was immediate and firm. “My memories of Summer are all I have left of her. I won’t let anyone take them from me.”
Alexander’s jaw tightened, and his fists curled at his sides. The bitter laugh died on his lips, replaced by a
hard glare.
“Do you think numbing it will make it better?” His voice rose, sharp and clipped. “That I can just pretend she didn’t die? That forgetting how she looked at me, how she said my name–will somehow make me a better Alpha?”
Ethan took a cautious step back, the tension in the room thick and suffocating. “Alex, I didn’t mean-
“Get out,” Alexander snapped. “Before I say something I’ll regret.”
There was a long silence. Then Ethan gave a small nod and turned to leave, the door clicking softly shut
behind him.
Alexander stood alone in the quiet that followed, breathing heavily, his chest aching with everything he refused to let go.
Alexander lay still on the hospital bed, his face pale against the crisp white of the pillow. The sedative had dulled the sharp edge of his grief, but not the pain. His eyes fluttered halfway open, unfocused.
The doctor stepped back after administering the injection, glancing uncertainly at Ethan. “Are you sure about this?”
Ethan hesitated, his jaw tight. “We don’t have a choice anymore.”
He looked down at his Alpha–his brother in all but blood–reduced to a shell of the fierce leader he once was. The weight of the decision crushed him, but he knew what was at stake.
“Then the pack will continue to suffer,” Ethan said, his voice flat with resignation. “And eventually, the Council will intervene. They’ll say Alpha is unfit to lead.”
The threat hovered in the sterile room like a storm cloud. It wasn’t a guess–it was a certainty. The North American Council had been circling like vultures since the memorial service, noting every missed meeting, every erratic decision. They wouldn’t wait forever.
2/3
Chapter 158
+15 BONUS
Ethan swallowed the lump in his throat, then turned to the woman standing silently in the corner, robed
in deep forest green.
“Begin,” he said quietly.
Seer Willow nodded solemnly and stepped forward, her eyes glowing faintly with power. She placed her hands on either side of Alexander’s temples, murmuring ancient words in a language lost to most of the
world.
As the glow deepened and her power wrapped around Alexander’s mind like a silken veil, Ethan remained at the foot of the bed, fists clenched, heart heavy.
Forgive me, brother. But I can’t lose you too.
