Chapter 44


    Old Pack


    I was fiddling with my fingers as I felt anxious about the uing confrontation with my former mate. My


    bruised lips are already healed due to my wolf’s healing, so I was back to


    chewing on it.


    Thaven’t seen Brad since that unfaithful day when he’d tried to mark and almost kill me. But thanks to


    Reagan beside me, that didn’t happened. Brad had lost a lot due to that day. His canines, his Alpha title,


    his dignity, and even the love of his parents.


    I wasn’t sure if he hated me for it and would curse me to hell if he saw me. But I was gonna try my luck


    either way and see how he fared. His mate, Stacy, might wish to kill me if her eyesnded on me, but I


    wasn’t scared of her. I actually feel bad for her, seeing as her world was also crumbling along with


    Brad’s. She wasn’t going to be a Luna anymore, and her mate was, well…damaged.


    I can feel Reagan’s fury beside me as he kept his eyes out the window. We already were in the forest,


    moving along a dirt road that leads to the packhouse.


    I know how he feels, considering I felt that way anytime I saw J close to him. He’s seething with


    jealousy and fury. And I’m sure if he saw Brad tonight, he’d rip his throat out with his ws. It’s a good


    thing I had stopped him from taking Brad to the council to face a trial. He wouldn’t have survived any


    more punishment handed to him.


    I’ve known Brad right from high school. He used to be sweet and jovial, and everyone loved him then.


    But everything changed the day I heard my heart beat his name as my mate. I


    wonder for a while how things would have been had he epted me that day. He would have


    been named Alpha on his inauguration day. But maybe he would have lost his life in the


    process.


    Reagan had mentioned that he would have still felt that I was his mate and would challenge Brad for me.


    I wasn’t sure how I felt about that as it made me seem like an object. But either way, something bad


    would have happened to Brad, and I’m always the cause, it


    seems.


    That was the thing with the mate bond. It is far from perfect, with too many ws. Only a few are lucky to


    experience the good side of it, like my parents.


    We weren’t stopped on the way since the werewolf’s on duty could smell us and knew we weren’t a


    threat.


    The lights shing from the packhouse can be seen now, and my nervousness once more spikes up. I


    was having second thoughts when I felt my mate’s calming touch on my thigh. I


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    but he wanted to support me. And I understood that, even without him speaking.


    He nods at me just as the car stops in front of therge house, and Adrianes to open the car door


    for us. I hop out with Reagan behind me before Adrian ms the door shut behind


    1. us.


    “Wait here,” Reagan tells him before leading me by the waist to the building’s entrance. Some


    werewolves had alreadye out and waited there for us. They could smell who wasing and


    already had their heads bowed down.


    “Your Highness.” A male werewolf bows to Reagan before nodding to me. He may be my pack member,


    but I hardly knew any of them since I always kept to myself. So there wasn’t much friendliness between


    us.


    “To what do we owe this pleasantry from a royal beast?” He politely asks, not making eye


    contact with my mate.


    “Where is your Alpha?” Reagan c***s an eyebrow at him with his usual unreadable expression on. “Or


    hasn’t he been notified that a higher authority is in his premises?” His tone


    is filled with ice that makes the werewolf and his friends shiver in fear.


    “A…apologies, sir. He will be down shortly.”


    And not a secondter, Alpha Benson strides out with his Beta behind him and his Luna. Other pack


    members with high officials follow, not wanting to miss the asion of a visit from royalty. They all bare


    their necks open as they feel my mate’s powerful aura.


    “Your Highness.” Alpha Benson’s bows to Reagan and earns a grunt in return.


    “Benson.”


    I can see the weary look on my previous Alpha’s face, probably from all the stress Brad


    has been given him. Right, he’s no longer my Alpha since I’m turning into a Lycan. I no longer feel the


    need to be submissive towards him since my wolf is getting stronger by the day.


    Luna Ciara is still looking regal like a queen. But I know it’s just a show to hide her misfortunes. Since


    she was a leader, she had to keep looking strong even in the face of adversaries.


    “Shouldn’t you have invited the Prince and his mate in before asking silly questions, you useless mutt?”


    Alpha Benson’s loud growl is enough to make the male werewolf turn pale as


    he begins to apologize repeatedly.


    “Please,e in.” Alpha Benson urges, forcing out a smile and moving back to let us in.


    away in shame. I really wish he didn’t me himself for his son’s bad choices.


    “We aren’t wasting much time, as we only came to see your son”, Reagan announces as we walk in, and


    I can hear the displeasure in his voice. Silence follows his words with looks of dread on the pack


    members’ faces. Even Luna Ciara had tuned white with her eyes pooling with tears. Alpha Benson also


    turns speechless before he looks away in regret.


    “P…please…” I hear Luna Ciara stutter out, which was a first, as she walks forward.


    “He has realized his mistake and is truly sorry. Please, your highness, he doesn’t deserve any more


    punishment than he has already received. Please, Ellie. Do something.” She shamelessly pleads with


    tears falling down her cheeks as she looks to me with her hands sped in front of her.


    I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this vulnerable before, making me feel even more guilty.


    Alpha Bensones forward to pull her back even though she protests and continues to plead to


    Reagan. Pack members were already peeping from upstairs, all wanting to see what was going on.


    Reagan lets out an irritated sigh as he takes in the scene before us. “As much as I would love to end


    your worthless son’s life with my bare hands…I can’t, seeing as I’m not here for that.” I send a small


    re at him, not happy with how he was unfeeling to these people.


    But I get it. Brad had crossed a line when he tried to forcefully mark me. Usually, that could lead him to


    be banished from the pack or even executed in some. But since his dad is the Alpha, there’s bound to be


    some elements of bias. Plus, he had lost his canines. That was almost equivalent to death for a


    werewolf.


    I can see the look of confusion on everyone’s face at Reagan’s words. Luna Ciara stops her pleading to


    stare at my mate, who has a look of boredom on his face.


    “Ellie would just like to have a chat with him.” Reagan briefly exins, and the confusion only grows as


    everyone now turn their stare to me in question. I feel ufortable from the curious looks, but luckily,


    Reagan steps in front of me so their eyes wouldnd back on him.


    “We don’t have all night,” Reagan mentions in a bored tone. “Can you bring him out here?”


    Alpha Benson regains hisposure then, “I’m sorry, your Highness, but due to recent… events, Brad


    isn’t as strong as he used to be and is confined to bed.” Even though he says that without faltering, I


    know he’s sad by his son’s debility. Once more, guilt consumes me from the belly up.


    “That’s alright. I’ll go to him instead.” For the first time, I speak up.


    We’re lead upstairs and pack members who were once trying to eavesdrop while peeking at us turn their


    heads down, and look away as they busy their hands with something. They bow to my mate as we walk


    by, but their curious eyes always seem to gaze up to linger on Reagan


    or me.


    We walk down the long corridors till we reach an isted room farther at the end. It is only Alpha Benson


    and Luna Ciara who lead us while the others remained behind.


    Just then, the door swings open, and out walks out a depressed Stacy. Her appearance is bedraggled,


    with her blond hair losing its light color and turning dark. There are dark circles


    around her eyes, and her skin was as pale as a ghost. She had lost a tremendous amount of


    weight, and her clothes look unkempt…She looked unkempt.


    Thest time I had seen her, I thought she looked bad. But now, she looks worse.


    Her tired eyes peer at us in confusion before theynd on me, and they ze then in fury as she res


    daggers at me through them.


    Taking a step forward and ignoring Reagan’s presence, she snarls at me in contempt. “What is she doing


    here?”


    Luna Ciara catches hold of her hand and pushes her backward when she continues to advance towards


    me. She almost falls t on her back due to her shaky, exhausted knees. This is what losing your mate


    could do to you. It eats you from the inside, killing you slowly ’till you are lifeless. Only a few had survived


    it.


    “Stop your nonsense tantrums and let her through, you unfortunate pup.” Luna Ciara snarls back at her.


    It seems she still hasn’t forgiven her for lying to her about being Brad’s


    mate.


    Stacy whimpers at her harsh words before she looks away, sulking in silence. I really felt sorry for her


    even though I once despised her for causing me pain.


    With a sigh, I go for the door only to hear footsteps following me from behind. I turn to stare at Reagan in


    question while he tilts his head to the side.


    Taking in a deep breath, I say to him, “Reagan, I want to speak to him…alone.” I state, but he growls in


    disapproval almost immediately.


    “No!” His thundering voice shakes the floor we’re on.