Chapter 151 WRESTLING WITH CHOICES
Edeline
He mentioned that he would be willing to give Tatiana another chance. The mere thought of it made my skin crawl. I could hardly stand the idea of her ‘problem in her belly.’ Ugh. And William—he was really furious about that comment. Despite his personal feelings towards Tatiana, his wolf still saw her as the vessel for his Alpha grandpup.
Nixx was on the verge of losing his cool with Conor, though it was clear he was deep in thought. His wolf seemed to be wrestling with the idea of his mate.
Tatiana was certainly one of the most disappointing people I had ever met, second only to Anita. It was shocking to learn that she had gone to Conor, begging him for another chance after everything he had said to her. I couldn’t believe it. If someone I considered family spoke to me like that, I don’t think I could ever forgive them. I suppose it’s for the best that she’s leaving.
Despite everything, I couldn’t entirely shake off a sliver of sympathy for her.
It was close, but not quite. Finding out she hadn’t actually convinced Percival to be with her—Anita was the mastermind behind it all—softened my stance a bit. But then it hit me: she had poisoned my best friend to get him to do what she wanted. Sure, she was under immense pressure, but she could have just said no. If she had approached us honestly from the start, William would have gladly supported her.
But no. She had this wild idea of becoming Luna of her pack and snagging an Alpha. There was no way I was going to let her join mine.
There were two possible outcomes here. If she kept the pup and Percival became the Alpha, Conor would expect William to meet his demands for land and females, especially since Percival had been reluctant to mark her. William would definitely prepare for a fight. Alternatively, Percival might give in to her.
But if Nixx became the Alpha and she still had the pup... It seemed like Nixx’s wolf wouldn’t be too thrilled about sticking around. I was hoping that was the case. If Nixx did become Alpha, that would mean she could end up as Luna of two packs, bringing ours and theirs together.
I wouldn’t stick around for either of those outcomes.
However, if she lost the pup, which Conor seemed to want, it wouldn’t really matter whether Percival or Nixx became Alpha. If Nixx chose to be with her, he could end up leaving Percival in charge of our pack and joining Tatiana’s instead. Being the firstborn, he could still hold the Alpha title.
No way.
No way in hell would Nixx choose to be with her. Not after everything. There was no chance, not in this lifetime.
I felt a surge of intensity as my wolf stirred within me, sending vivid, unsettling images flooding my mind. My wolf's primal instincts were screaming, imagining Tatiana's body being torn apart, diving deep into her blood, relishing in a dark, visceral pleasure.
The possibilities of how things might unfold felt overwhelming.
And then there was Darius. If nobody shows him any leniency with his punishment, he won’t make it through. Once he's done with his sentence, if any new challenges arise, he's not going to survive them. It’s incredible how much trust everyone seems to place in me. They've stood by me through thick and thin. There would undoubtedly be challengers from my own supporters, and there would be no stopping them. Sure, I could organize a meeting to explain that Darius isn’t entirely to blame and that it’s best to avoid unnecessary challenges. But what’s the point? Their wolves would still need to step up and face the challenges. The urge to rise higher in the hierarchy is almost irresistible.
I suppose I’ll have to go along with whatever happens. Alpha William can’t guarantee Darius’s safety for me.
I just can’t seem to catch a break.
I shut my eyes, trying to calm my racing thoughts. Maybe it’s time to take a step back from overthinking my future and all the potential paths my life could take. I stood at a fork in the dirt road, the cool night air brushing my hair back, and the moon overhead cast a soft glow, accompanied by twinkling stars. Alpha William’s voice echoed faintly in the distance, recounting the events to the pack members in what felt like his version of a pack meeting. I was just hanging out at the fork in the road when I heard a rustling in the forest to my right. The sound of snapping twigs was unmistakable, clearly made by a wolf’s paw.
I took a deep breath and peered into the darkness, a slight frown creasing my brow.
“Hey, is that you, Dad?” I called out, shivering a little and rubbing my arms to keep warm.
The air seemed to hum with the sound of bones cracking. I stepped closer to the edge of the forest, straining my eyes to adjust to the low light. Suddenly, my dad emerged from the shadows, bathed in moonlight, wearing only a pair of shorts. I took a step back, taken aback by his faint smile.
“Hey, Dad! You totally caught me off guard!” I shouted, sprinting towards him. I jumped onto his back, wrapping my arms around him in a tight bear hug. His strong arms effortlessly lifted me up, holding me close. He exhaled a trembling breath before gently placing his cheek against mine and pressing a tender kiss to my forehead, then lowering me back to the ground.
“Hey,” he said, his voice sounding strained. It was clear he had been crying for some time.
“Hey, Dad. You know you can’t stay out here in the woods forever, right?” I said, looking at him with a touch of sadness in my eyes.
“Yeah, I get it. I just needed a little time, you know?” he replied softly.
I couldn’t help but crack a small smile as I shifted my gaze to the forest floor, finding its simplicity oddly captivating. I took a deep breath and looked up at my father, who seemed sad and broken—a tough guy clearly hurting inside.