Chapter 137 The Remembrance
Alberto and Lucia walked to the training ground. Lucia flexed her fingers as they neared the dirt circle.
“I need to move,” Lucia said. “Months of sitting have left me stiff. Let’s see if my body still works.”
Alberto stretched his arms. “Same. The healers kept saying rest. I’m done resting. I want to hit something.”
They reached the circle. Darius was already there, wrapping his hands with cloth strips. He looked up.
“Well,” Darius said. “Alberto. Lucia. Come to train?”
Lucia crossed her arms. “That’s the idea. You?”
Darius shrugged. “Same. Alberto spar with me. One round. No claws, no shifting. Just fists. Let’s see if you’re back.”
Alberto looked at him for a second. “Fine. One round.”
They stepped into the circle. Lucia leaned against a post to watch.
Darius circled slowly. “You look good, Alberto. Stronger than expected. Memory still foggy?”
Alberto raised his fists. “Foggy enough. Why? Keeping track of what I forgot?”
Darius threw a quick jab. Alberto blocked it. “Just curious. A lot happened while you were gone. Thought maybe some pieces came back. Like what really happened with Samael. Or why you ended up half-dead.”
Alberto sidestepped. “Nothing’s come back yet. Mostly headaches when I try too hard.”
Darius pressed with a combination. “Headaches, huh? Nothing about Darius betraying you? Or Samael bowing to someone else?”
Alberto twisted away, then clutched his side. “Ah—damn. Rib pulled. Old injury.”
Darius paused. “Already? We just started.”
Alberto winced, rubbing his side. “Healers said sudden moves can trigger it. Let’s pause.”
Darius watched him. “Convenient.”
Alberto straightened slowly. “Not convenient. Painful. Keep going, or done?”
Darius studied him. “Done. For now.”
Lucia pushed off the post. “My turn. Unless you’re scared, Darius.”
Darius smirked. “Bring it.”
They squared off. Lucia moved first fast. Darius blocked, countered, but she slipped under and landed an elbow to his ribs.
“Still slow,” Lucia said. “You’ve been in meetings too long.”
Darius grunted. “And you’ve been training with curse strength. Unfair.”
Lucia circled him. “Excuses. Again.”
They traded blows for several minutes controlled, testing limits. When they stepped back, both breathed hard but smiled faintly.
“Not bad,” Darius said, wiping sweat. “You’re sharper than before.”
Lucia shrugged. “Had to be. The curse taught control or it would have killed me.”
Alberto watched, still rubbing his side. “You two done? Or should I fake another injury to leave?”
Lucia laughed. “You’re terrible at faking. Next time just say you’re tired.”
Three days later the remembrance day came. Everyone dressed in their best tunics dark fabrics, silver trim paying their last respect to the dead wolves.
The names were read. When Kael’s name came, Lucia stepped forward. She stood before the carved stone slab.
“Kael,” she said, voice cracking. “I’m sorry. I should have protected you. I should have been faster. Stronger. The curse took me when you needed me most, and I couldn’t stop it. I failed you.”
Tears streamed down her face. She dropped to her knees, wailing loudly. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I should have died instead. You trusted me, and I let you down.”
The pack watched in silence. Some wiped eyes. Others looked away.
Darius moved through the crowd and reached her. He knelt beside her.
“Lucia,” he said quietly. “Come on. Let’s get you out for a minute.”
Lucia shook her head, sobbing. “I can’t leave him. Not yet.”
Darius slid an arm around her shoulders. “You’re not leaving him. You’re honoring him by staying alive. Come on. Breathe.”
Lucia let him help her stand. She leaned on him as they walked toward the side door, tears still falling. “He trusted me,” she whispered. “And I wasn’t there.”
“You’re here now,” Darius said. “That’s what he’d want.”
They disappeared through the doorway.
Fernando stepped to the center. He raised both hands for silence.
“Thank you for coming,” he said. “Today we honor our dead. Kael, and every wolf who fell defending this pack. Their names will never be forgotten. Their courage will never be questioned. We stand here because of them.”
He paused. “That is all for today. Dismissed.”
The pack began to disperse slowly.
Fernando walked straight back to his office. Alberto and Mira followed.
“Urgent meeting,” he said. “Summon the council, every elder still breathing. Also the alphas of every allied pack. I want them here within the week.”
Alberto leaned against the wall. “You’re moving fast.”
“I have to,” Fernando said. “Darius, cancel every alliance made during my absence. All of them. No exceptions. If they were signed under Vorn’s name or yours, they’re void. We start fresh.”
Darius, who had followed them in, closed the door behind him. “Fernando, think this through. Some of those alliances are keeping the borders stable. The Northern Ridge fur trade alone is—”
“I don’t care,” Fernando cut in. “They were made without my authority. Cancel them. Send messengers today.”
Darius stepped closer. “You’re still recovering. Your wolf is weak. Your legs aren’t fully back. If you start tearing down alliances now, you’ll look desperate. Weak. Give it time. Let me—”
Fernando’s voice turned cold. “No. You don’t decide what the pack looks like anymore. I do. Cancel them. That’s an order.”
Darius held his gaze for several seconds, jaw tight. Then he inclined his head once.
“As you command.”
He turned and left the room without another word.
Alberto sat across from Fernando in the office, the door closed, the room quiet except for their voices. Lucia had stepped out to speak with some guards, leaving the two alone for the first time since the remembrance.
Alberto leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Fernando, Darius isn’t happy. I saw it in his face after you gave the order to cancel the alliances. He tried to talk you out of it, and you shut him down hard. He’s walking around like he swallowed glass.”
Fernando looked at him steadily, fingers drumming once on the desk. “Good. Let him be unhappy. I rule this pack, not Darius. He’s had his turn running things while I was gone. That time is over.”
Alberto rubbed the back of his neck. “I get that. I do. But he’s still family. Blood. And he’s got people who still listen to him. If he’s angry, he might start whispering to them behind your back.”
Fernando’s expression didn’t soften. “If he whispers, let him. The pack will hear my voice louder. I’m not here to make Darius comfortable. I’m here to take back what’s mine. What’s ours.”
Alberto exhaled slowly. “I’m not saying go easy on him. I’m saying watch him because quiet isn’t always obedience.”
Fernando leaned back in his chair. “I know what quiet looks like when it’s hiding something. I’ve known Darius my whole life. He’ll either fall in line or he’ll force my hand. Either way, I’m ready.”
Alberto nodded. “Just… be careful. The pack’s still shaken. They don’t need more blood in the leadership.”
Fernando’s jaw tightened. “They won’t get it unless someone forces it. Darius wants to play alpha. He can try. He’ll fail.”
The door opened. Mira stepped inside, closing it behind her. She looked between them, reading the tension.
“You two talking about Darius?” she asked.
Alberto gave a small nod. “Yeah. He’s not happy with the alliance cancellations.”
Mira crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. “He shouldn’t be. Those deals were made without your say. But Alberto’s right, he’s not happy, and unhappy wolves bite when cornered.”
Fernando glanced at her. “Then let him bite. I’ll pull his teeth if I have to.”
Mira shook her head. “That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying you need to move faster on the things that actually strengthen your position. The pack needs to see stability. They need to see two rulers, not one limping back from the brink.”
Fernando frowned. “What are you getting at?”
Mira met his eyes directly. “You need to crown Alberto. Soon. As Luna. The pack needs both an alpha and a Luna. Right now they see you standing alone, still healing, still weak in some ways. They see Alberto beside you, but without the title, without the ceremony, he’s just… your mate. Not the co-ruler they need to trust.”
Alberto shifted in his seat. “She’s right. I feel it. People look at me like they’re waiting for me to prove I belong here again. A crowning would shut that down.”
Fernando rubbed his temple. “I know. I planned to do it after the remembrance. After we honor the dead. It feels wrong to celebrate anything while we’re still mourning Kael and the others.”
Mira stepped closer. “It’s not a celebration. It's a necessity. The pack is looking for signs of strength. A crowned Luna beside a sighted, standing alpha that’s strength. It shows unity. It shows the leadership is whole again. Delay too long, and the whispers start. ‘Alberto’s not fit.’ ‘Fernando can’t rule alone.’ ‘Maybe Darius should step in.’ You know how packs work. Doubt spreads fast.”
Fernando looked at Alberto. “You want this? Now?”
Alberto didn’t hesitate. “I want the pack to know I’m here. Not just as your mate. As your equal. As Luna. If crowning me helps them trust us, helps them follow us, then yes. Do it soon.”
Fernando exhaled through his nose. “Fine, I'll have it announced to the pack”