Chapter 108 Chapter 108
Chapter 108 Chapter 108
Murmurs erupted into louder discussion throughout the room.
“Silence,” Alpha Wilder demanded. “We don’t have time for debates and discussions. I know you all must return to your packs to aid in your own recoveries from these malicious attacks.”
A weight dropped in Suki’s chest. She turned her head to Reynard, who faintly shook his head, meaning he had no idea the attacks had spread to other packs either.
It was worse than they all realised.
“Out of respect for your time, all Alphas will be required to vote now. If you wish to discuss with your attending parties, please do that now.” Alpha Wilder waited a short period before requiring their attention again. “All who oppose Alpha Conri’s punishment, raise your hand now.”
No one raised their hand.
Suki looked at Amelia, who looked conflicted at first, but then her face settled into calm. Amelia never seemed like a confrontational person; she even refused to kill the man who killed her own father.
She wondered what happened at Silver Moon to make her agree to the decision. Yet, Suki also feared she didn’t wish to know.
“All who agree, raise your hand.”
All the Alphas raised their hands.
“Then it’s settled.” Alpha Wilder sat back in his seat and breathed, “Hadeon Ateos will be taken into the custody of Nighttide, where his death sentence will be executed.”
Brendan squeezed Suki’s hand a little too tight.
“Ow,” she whispered.
‘Sorry, love.’
‘It’s okay. Are you okay?’
‘My brother was someone I looked up to my whole life. I strived to be someone he would be proud of. Everything I thought about him was a lie, and now he is being sentenced to die. I don’t know how to feel.’
She rubbed her thumb over his hand. ‘I’m sorry.’
“There is one more matter to discuss, which is another reason we’ve brought Alphas from various packs here,” Alpha Wilder said.
Alpha Conri’s gaze locked onto Brendan. “You.”
Brendan shot to his feet, his warrior training and instinct to respect his former Alpha still ingrained within him, even after all these years. “Alpha Conri, sir.”
“How old were you when you were banished from my pack?”
He swallowed the lump in his throat. “14, sir.”
“You’ve spent a long time being a Rogue, haven’t you?”
“Yes, sir.”
Alpha Conri moved at a glacious pace around the table and over to Brendan. “Your brother tricked you as a youngling to use your power multiple times for his schemes, one of which was in a way you never realised you were even using your power, leaving an imprint of your shadow magic on the walls of Nighttide and framing you for a crime you never intended to commit.”
Brendan’s gaze never snapped away from his former Alpha’s, out of fear that he was dreaming the dream he had for the first couple of years of his descent into being a Rogue – the one he always wished would come true but never did.
“He used your familial love for him to manipulate you into a pawn for his own malicious plan, and I hate that I fell for his tricks. I can only imagine the pain and suffering you’ve had to endure during learning this. For that, I apologise for all the pain that happened to you and your family because of my law of your banishment.”
“You didn’t know; none of us knew. He tricked us all.”
A nod. “He did, and though I cannot give you back the years you lost from Nighttide, there is something I can do.”
His eyes widened. “Sir?”
Placing his hands on Brendan’s shoulders, Alpha Conri squeezed tightly and smiled at him, just as he used to when he first discovered how powerful he was as a youngling. “Brendan Ateos…”
‘Oh, Goddess,’ Suki breathed.
‘Is he really…?’ Rey asked.
‘Doing something that hasn’t been done ever in our known history? I think so.’
Alpha Conri continued, “With Alphas from neighbouring packs and the Moon Goddess herself to bear witness, I hereby revoke your banishment from Nighttide.”
A powerful warmth filled Brendan’s chest. Not joy, though he was filled with it, but it was something more. Something powerful – reconnection. Reconnection to his former home, feeling the shadow shield of his pack’s borders from miles away, as if the shadows were calling to him, welcoming him home before he was even there.
His eyes stung with tears of pride and joy, but he fought them away. “Alpha Conri.” He bowed. “Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome, son.”
Suki winced, clenching her hand with the shadow markings.
Rey leaned closer to her. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘The mark, it feels warmer. More powerful.’
Tracing his finger over the markings, feeling the warmth of the power, Reynard smiled. ‘Brendan’s a part of Nighttide once more. He’s not alone with his own shadows anymore. He’s connected with his pack’s shadows again. Shadow wielders share a special bond; their power is stronger when they stand as one.’
‘He’s more powerful now?’
‘More or less,’ Brendan chimed in, his smugness pushing down the bond. ‘Essentially, what it means is I’ll have more I need to control, but I won’t be alone with having to control it.’ He turned to face Suki and Reynard, beaming a wide grin at them.
Coming to her feet, Suki hugged him tightly. “I’m so happy for you.”
Alpha Conri cleared his throat before adding, “You’re now free to come home. You may return with me and my men if you wish. I know your former trainer would love to take you back and kick you into shape to join our band of warriors. Alternatively…” He gestures towards the door. “You may return with your family.”
Through the door, Brendan’s mother walked through, holding the hand of his youngest sibling, Katherine. Behind her, Brendan’s father followed.
“Mother? Father?” he inhaled sharply, looking at both of them in shock, then down to his baby sister, who was far more grown up than he ever realised. “K-Katy?”
“Brendan!” she called out, grinning wide and running straight for him.
He dropped to his knees and embraced his little sister, something he never imagined he’d ever get a chance to do again. And, for the first time in years, Brendan allowed himself to shed the tears that built up in him and finally feel years of his emotions that he’d bottled up, embracing this moment of pure, sweet relief.