Beg his life

Beg his life
JOSEPH

I balanced the tray of food carefully in my hands as I made my way to the room where Shanella was being kept. The wooden floor creaked under my boots, every step echoing in my chest like a drumbeat. My father’s words from last night still rang in my ears—Tomorrow is the wedding. Do not mess this up, Joseph.

I hesitated at the door before unlocking it. The rusty metal handle felt cold against my palm. I pushed it open and stepped inside.

Shanella was sitting on the floor, her back against the wall, her hands and feet still bound. Her once-bright eyes looked dull, tired from days without proper food or water, but when she saw me, they lit up with a faint spark of hope.

“Please,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Joseph… please.”

I didn’t say anything at first. I just set the tray down on the small wooden table and slid it toward her. “Eat,” I muttered. “You need your strength.”

But instead of reaching for the food, she looked straight at me, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You know what’s happening tomorrow, don’t you?” she asked.

I swallowed hard, my jaw tightening. “I know,” I said quietly. “The Alpha is going to marry you.”

“Marry?” she scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. “He’s going to force me. That’s not a marriage, Joseph. That’s a prison sentence.”

Her words stabbed at my chest. I didn’t answer. I just looked at her, really looked at her. She wasn’t just some prisoner. She was a Luna. The rightful Luna of Moon Crest Pack. And if what she was saying was true… she could be the next Queen of the werewolves.

She must have seen the hesitation in my eyes because her voice grew stronger. “Joseph,” she said, pleading, “if you help me escape before tomorrow, I swear on my wolf’s honor, when I become Queen, I will pardon you. No one will touch you, not even Alpha Billy, not King Philip, not anyone.”

I blinked, startled. “You’re serious?”

“Yes!” she cried, her wolf’s energy flaring for a brief second. “You think they will let Terence get away with this? Billy, Brad, Ethan—every Alpha who’s loyal to the kingdom—they will come for me. And when they do, they will destroy everyone who stood by him. You don’t have to die with them. Help me, Joseph. Please.”

My throat went dry. My father’s voice thundered in my head. Loyalty first. Family first. The pack above all else. But another voice—my own—was starting to rise.

“You don’t understand,” I said through gritted teeth. “He’s my father. Terence raised me. He gave me a place when no other pack would accept me.”

Shanella’s eyes softened. “I do understand,” she said gently. “I know what it means to be loyal to someone who saved you. But Joseph, loyalty should not be blind. If what they’re doing is wrong, you have the power to stop it. Don’t you want to be better than this?”

Her words hit me harder than I expected. My fists clenched at my sides.

“You’re asking me to betray him,” I said, my voice cracking.

“I’m asking you to do what’s right,” she replied firmly. “I’m asking you to save me before it’s too late.”

For a long moment, the room was silent except for the faint sound of her ragged breathing.

Finally, I stepped back toward the door. “Eat your food,” I said, my tone flat.

“Joseph!” she called after me, desperate. “Please think about what I said. Please!”

I didn’t turn back. I closed the door behind me and slid the lock into place.

But once I was in the hallway, I leaned against the wall and exhaled shakily. My hands were trembling.

Her words wouldn’t leave my mind. You will die with them. You don’t have to die with them.

I walked down the corridor slowly, my boots scuffing against the wooden floor. Every step felt heavier than the last.

When I reached the end of the hallway, I stopped and rested my forehead against the wall.

Was she right?

I knew Shanella wasn’t lying. She couldn’t be. She had that look in her eyes—the look of someone who still believed in justice, even when chained and broken.

I could already picture it. If Terence went through with this insane wedding, word would spread like wildfire across the packs. Billy would lead Golden Fur Pack straight to us. Brad would bring Mystic Shadow. Ethan would rally his wolves. And then… King Philip himself would come. The kingdom would crush Furious Mad Pack in one night.

And I would be standing right in the middle of it.

I closed my eyes, my chest heaving.

Could I really help her escape? Could I go against my father?

I thought back to the way Terence looked at Shanella earlier—possessive, almost feral. He didn’t love her. He just wanted to claim her, to hurt the packs that opposed him. This wasn’t about a mate bond. This was about power.

And power always came with blood.

If I stayed silent, tomorrow there would be blood everywhere.

I took a deep breath and pushed myself off the wall.

I had a choice to make.

When I got back to my room, I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the moonlight spilling through the window. My wolf stirred restlessly in my chest.

“You’re thinking about it,” my wolf said quietly.

“I am,” I admitted.

“She’s right,” my wolf growled softly. “This isn’t loyalty. This is madness. Help her.”

I rubbed my face with my hands, frustration burning inside me. “If I help her, he’ll kill me,” I muttered.

“If you don’t,” my wolf replied, “the kingdom will.”

I sat there for a long time, the silence pressing down on me.

Finally, I whispered to myself, “I have to choose tomorrow. Before it’s too late.”

And deep down, I already knew what choice I would make.