Chapter 113

Sam POV

I was born the second son and third beta in a family of betas. We had a couple alpha cousins, but no omegas in generations, so I knew growing up my parents had been hoping their last planned pup would give the family a little variety.

No one actually said anything. No one ever did, but there was just an aura around my parents that said they’d been a little disappointed. No one was surprised when my mother had a “surprise” fourth pregnancy, which produced a female omega, Amelia, who instantly became the jewel of the household.

I loved my sister and brother. There was never a question of it in my mind.

But.

The anniversary of Amelia’s naming day came just a few days before mine. Hers was always a lavish affair, full of sweets and presents and, more importantly, love and praise.

Mine was always a bit of an afterthought, and the table usually held the leftovers of Amelia’s choices of food. If I got something nice as a gift, it was instantly both mine and Amelia’s. However, that happened rarely.

Whereas her gifts were gifts were fancy toys that became fancy jewelry, mine were mostly clothes and books.

“You love books, don’t you, Sam?” my mother would say, and I would nod and smile, not pointing out that the books were all about things Amelia loved so that I would read them to her.

However, I did read them to her, and I loved it. And I loved watching her be happy as she ran around in her dark skin or white fur, laughing and yipping. It broke my heart when Father decided I needed to leave the household to attend military school and I no longer had her to fill my days.

My first trip back to the family home was to watch Amelia marry, and my second was to attend Amelia’s first of many puppy parties. When I found it difficult to make friends at school and then later to find my place in Lunaris’s Guard, I was genuinely made happier at the thought of my little sister surrounded by her children and loving her life.

Then one day I was tapped to join the forces of Alpha Elroy, the newly appointed Alpha of Eclipse Pack. Rumors abounded that he was ruthless and had taken the Alpha position through unscrupulous means. But I knew about the dangers of unfounded rumors and decided I would serve in his regiment with loyalty until I was given an actual reason not to.

Elroy did indeed seem a cold and ruthless Alpha, but I also saw that he was immune to the sycophantic games those around him tried to play. He was fair in his judgments and, like me, preferred evidence over gossip. Eventually, I saw he could be merciful, even kind, and I found a pride in myself I had never known to be in his service.

One day, I was standing guard in Elroy’s command room as he discussed taking on the role of the Lunaris Alpha. Half his commanders were advising he simply challenge current Lunaris Alpha Ephedron and kill him to take him place. The other half were advising he gather up political power and oust the old Alpha that way instead.

Elroy was thinking about his options, sitting at a large table on which lay a variety of maps. He looked up and by sheer chance met my eyes.

“What do you think?” he asked me.

Stunned, I experienced something almost out-of-body and said the first thing that came to mind. Fortunately, it wasn’t completely foolish.

“Your advisers are concerned with what has the greatest chance of your success. The more important point is which will leave you in the strongest position after you become Alpha.”

By the time I was done, I was a little out of breath and everyone in the room was looking at me.

Elroy raised an eyebrow, but I somehow managed to maintain eye contact.

He looked down at the maps and muttered, “The political route it is then.”

As it happened, it was the right call. Within six months, he was proclaimed the new Alpha of Lunaris, and on that same day, his wife, Iris, killed him herself. Again, I ignored the gossip about whether or not he deserved it.

More significantly for me, after Elroy ended that meeting with his advisors, he had me join them, and I served him as well as I could in my new duties. I helped him ascend to the Lunaris Alphahood. We stood before the Palace gates while he named his councilmembers, made a speech about the future of Lunaris, and then named his Beta.

Despite the title, in recent years many “Betas” were actually loyal alphas, and so I had expected him to name one of his commanders for the post. Instead, he gestured toward me, thanked me for my commitment to his cause and to the packs, and called me his Beta for the first time.

I knew then I would follow him forever, including into death and the final embrace of the Goddess.

His first order to me as Beta was to take a week to visit my family. I found the command puzzling, as he knew of my status with them, and even that they had counseled me against siding with Elroy as he vied to become Alpha of Lunaris.

But when I made it back to my childhood home, I realized it was another show of his hidden kindness. While Amelia couldn’t make it due to her first difficult pregnancy, my parents, other siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins, some of whom I’d never met before, were all there, and I was treated like royalty.

For a solid week, I was praised, overly so, really, and for the first time I felt my family was glad I was among their number.

In fact, it had actually been a relief to leave. I had felt bad at the many times I’d had to disappoint someone who thought I had more administrative power than I truly did, particularly as I wasn’t yet accustomed to my position. At least I had several letters of application in my luggage.

Still, it had been wonderful to have my family look at me with pride, just as Elroy was doing now.

Wait. What?

I realized my eyes were open. I was lying in a field bed, and my Alpha was looking down at me with pride and pleasure, though I noticed a great worry was in his eyes as well.

“We almost lost you there, Sam,” he said in the warmest voice he had ever addressed to me. “Welcome back.”

Somewhat bemused, I turned my head slightly to my left and saw a young beta in apothecary robes coming to my bedside. Her smile was fond.

“This is Polly,” Elroy said, his voice still warm. “She saved you in Denis’s tent.”

It was somewhat difficult to think, but I put effort into it as I looked back at my Alpha. “I don’t remember bringing an apothecary with us, just medics.”

Elroy laughed, and it was so fond I felt my heart swell. “She saved you, brought you back to us. She more than earned her robes.”

“Thank you, Alpha Elroy,” Polly said demurely.

Then, to my astonishment, Elroy took my hand and held it in a brotherly clasp. As I stared at him, he smiled.

“You’re an excellent Beta and my best friend,” he said. “Never scare us like that again.”

I held his hand as hard as I could because I had no words.