Meeting

Elsher's Pov

A few days had passed since I attended the Alpha Conference meeting and met my mate for the first time. Even though days had passed, the wound was deep and raw—more intense than any book I had ever read described. Every second, it felt as if a long, sharp knife coated with poison was stabbed deep into my heart.

I burrowed my head into the pillow and sniffled, my hand gripping the pillow tight.

I had been waiting for my mate for eight years.

Of course, I never wanted this to happen. Regardless, the Starry Pack still came first.

Only the goddess knew how I managed to stay calm in Verlice’s presence, because by the time I arrived at the mansion, I had already blacked out.

It took two days of treatment before I finally woke from my comatose state.

Although I kept trying to forget Verlice, all that ran through my head was him—the smile on his face, his tall and domineering figure, and those strong hands of his that I would have done anything for, just to make them pull me close. Still, I knew I couldn’t keep wallowing in my sadness.

Now that I had burnt the bridges with the Red Moon Pack, my pack would have to depend on itself and fight alone.

While our fighting skills had always been at the top, the lack of weapons still dragged us down.

Since our alliance plan had been cancelled, I had to think of another option. I sat up and got out of bed.

My legs trembled and gave way under me, and I almost fell if not for the bedstand, which I quickly held for support.

Since I had been on the bed for days, my legs were unable to adjust to my movement that easily.

After taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I dragged my aching body into the restroom.

I called Solace to help me put on my meeting suit, and soon, my whole persona had changed and I became Alpha King Caddel.

My green eyes stared back at me from the mirror, and I raised my hand to stroke my features in the reflection.

In the past, I had always been relieved at the thought that all I was doing was for the pack’s happiness. But now that it had affected my future happiness—and would continue to—until when would I keep doing this? My furrowed brows deepened.

Previously, I believed that with new weapons coupled with our fighting skills, our pack could grow strong enough to face off against enemies and other packs. But I had now burnt the bridges, which also meant breaking off the easiest shortcut to my freedom and the pack’s happiness.

“Inform the Beta to call the council for a meeting,” I instructed Solace and walked out of my bedroom.

The hall was quiet since I was the first person to arrive.

Gradually, the councilmen began to enter the hall, and soon we were all complete.

“Alpha…” They all stood up to greet me, but I raised my hand, knowing that wasn’t the most important thing. I interjected, “What’s going on in the pack right now?”

One of the councilwomen, Elder Maria, stood up, her expression signifying that the latest update wasn’t good. “The news about Princess Elsher rejecting Alpha Verlice has spread across the pack and the country. The pack members have been enquiring about this and need answers because they believed that this was the best mate bond in a while.”

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. The issue seemed to be more serious than I had thought. I looked at them and asked, “You all understand the reason behind this.” Even if the pack members didn’t know what I faced, surely they should, shouldn’t they?

The elders looked at me with pride in their eyes. “Your Highness, we can’t be more proud. While we didn’t want this to happen, we understand that this is the right step. You had to choose one: mate bond or the Starry Pack. Yet you chose us. We all stand by you.”

My heart softened, and the burden seemed to lighten with their support. “Now that our partnership with the Red Moon Pack has been cancelled, and we have less than two weeks to prepare for war with the vampire clan, we have to rely more on ourselves now. Anyone with an idea?”

One of the councilmen, Elder Rowan, stood up and walked to the center “In fact, there’s a consideration which the previous Alpha had always frowned upon—” He looked at me, seeking permission whether to stop or continue.

At the mention of my father, I arched my brows, yet raised my hand, signaling him to continue.

Elder Rowan continued, “A black market that operates on certain days of the week. Wolfsbane, machinery, weapons—they supply a lot of these things. And there have been some rumors lately that they have powerful weapons.”

Elder Maria added, “While several of the Alphas are famous for condemning patronizing this organization, subtly, the Alphas send their assistants to buy from these people. Perhaps we can also consider this.”

I was drawn to this suggestion and fell into thought. My father must have looked down on this organization because they operated without the approval of the Alphas.

Yet I knew the world had moved forward from those strict rules despite the fake attempts to act as if it hadn’t.

Now that we were in trouble, this was the fastest way to move forward. Such a good consideration indeed. “What if we reach out and see if we can poach any good weapon makers from that side to help us build weapons and teach our pack members knowledge about weapons?" We can’t just be buyers. That would make us reliant on them. We have to learn so that we can be prepared in case of any adversity.

The elders agreed with my suggestion, and soon the meeting was over.

Today’s meeting had gone better than I expected. I couldn’t be more glad.

I strode out of the conference hall and looked up at the sky.

The sun was already returning to its home, and the sky was a beautiful golden color. The sweet smell of pine and home drifted into my nose, and the joyful laughter of children invaded my ears.

The day was beautiful, and I had the urge to stroll around the pack—so I did.

Children played around the pack, chasing each other with smiles and laughter in several games. Adults conversed with each other or engaged in activities. The sight was peaceful and surreal.

A pang of nostalgia and sadness hit me. It felt like yesterday when I was still running around this pack. I couldn’t believe that it had been seven years since my father died.