Chapter 268 LAWS WILL CHANGE
Percival
I shot her an angry glare, turning back to my father, who was slowly getting to his feet, his shame palpable.
“Dad... you’ve caused this pack to destroy itself. We are no longer wolves because of your leadership. We are more skin than fur, devoid of true strength. Your secrets—about your one night with Dahlia, Darius’s illness, the savage murder of his mate, and your orders for Jack and me to keep it all hidden. Pushing me to be with a wolf who wasn’t my mate, forcing your other son to take the title when he never wanted it, making him reject his mate!” Each word fueled my growing anger, the weight of my words pressing heavily in the air. “You deserve to be punished!” Strength coursed through my muscles as the truth spilled from my lips.
“Percival!” a deep voice called from behind me.
I turned to see Alpha Reynolds emerging from the pack house, flanked by his beta and his son. Gaspar had summoned him at my request when I first came out here. I had kept my plan under wraps, but now, it seemed, he was aware.
I steeled myself, all business now. “Alpha Reynolds! Glad you could make it.” The time for games was over; my wolf had grown strong, and I felt the power surging through me.
Alpha Reynolds took in the scene—the blood, the fear in the eyes of the pack—and his expression turned serious. “I came as soon as your friend called. What does this mean?” His voice held an authority that resonated with the crowd.
“I have to challenge my father,” I replied, a grin breaking across my face. “I am now the Alpha.”
A flicker of surprise crossed his features, but he quickly wiped it away. “What does it have to do with me?”
With a dark laugh, I said, “Well... I thought you'd want to be here to witness my father’s punishment for hiding the truth—that my brother hurt your daughter.” I paused, the weight of my words settling in. “My brother's true mate.” A frown crossed my face at the mention of friends, which inevitably led my thoughts to Edeline.
Alpha Reynolds’s expression remained calm, his eyes betraying an understanding of the gravity of the situation. “Yes,” he replied, a nod accompanying his words. “Thank you, Alpha Percival.”
I acknowledged him with a nod, my focus shifting back to my pale-faced father. “Dad,” I began, my voice steady but unyielding. “You won’t have to go to court. If someone breaks my laws, I will decide how to punish them, and those laws will change. Some things will stay the same, but I have chosen your punishment.” I paused for effect, letting the tension build. “You’re going to get the whip.” Gasps rippled through the gathered wolves, a murmur of disbelief and anticipation coursing through the crowd.
“Be quiet!” I growled, the authority of my wolf surging within me at the chatter.
The only sound was the crackling of logs in the fire, adding to the heavy atmosphere.
Maxim chuckled, amusement dancing in his eyes, while Gaspar wore a proud expression. They had witnessed this kind of punishment before, but the thrill was still palpable. Maxim, especially, seemed unfazed, having laughed all night.
I didn’t want to make my father look weak, but this had to be done. “Beta Jack!” I called out. Jack stepped forward, eyes filled with contempt as he glared at my father. “Since you’re still Beta, could you please...?”
He shook his head, looking at me with newfound respect. “Not at all, Alpha.” I could sense his eagerness to hurt my father for what he had done, but I also felt the bitterness in him—he had wanted his own son to win the challenge instead of me. He would come to terms with it.
As Jack dragged my dad toward the tall post in the garden near the trees, I felt the weight of history. We hadn’t used that post in decades—my grandfather had been the Alpha the last time someone had been punished there, and Dad had never dared to use it.
Jack expertly wrapped my father’s arms around the post with thick leather bands, retrieving a long, braided whip adorned with silver chains from the shed. This was meant to inflict damage and remind everyone of the consequences of betrayal.
Wolves shifted around us, some cheering, others whispering about finally getting even with the Alpha's son, who was barely twenty-one and now facing the reckoning.
My father, tied to the post in nothing but his underwear, stood there, tears streaming down his face as the weight of his past choices bore down on him.
Looking up, I saw the full moon shining brightly above, casting a silver glow. It felt as though she was watching over me, and my wolf stirred within, urging me to howl in gratitude for the freedom I had found.
One by one, the pack joined in, their voices rising in a primal call of the wild. We were reclaiming our unity, our strength—this was the fresh start we desperately needed.
I walked over to Jack, his face set with determination. He was my friend’s father—what must he think of me now? He handed me the whip with a nod, and I approached my dad, flanked by Alpha Reynolds, Alpha Maxim, and Gaspar, who observed closely.
“As you all know,” I began, addressing the gathered pack, “my father has done many terrible things. You also know about my mother’s choices. She turned down her partner in another pack for a title.” I paused, feeling the weight of their gazes. “I still care deeply about this. The bond between mates is sacred—a connection we should all value. I can assure you it is real.”
Max stepped up to me, and I could see my mother’s eyes widen in disbelief. “Your mother,” he began, his voice heavy with authority, “even though she’s my family, as the Alpha of her birth pack, I believe you should punish her for what she did.” He wasted no time. “My sister begged my father to send her to William before she was even cold in the ground,” he spat, his eyes narrowing in disgust. He turned to face me, his expression fierce.
“She told me about you,” he continued. “I sent my help to you—not because of her. But my sister would have wanted it. Annabel asked that if something went wrong... if you didn’t win... you would ask her to please go back to my pack. Without your dad.”
At this, my mother shot Maxim a furious glare. “You traitor!” she spat, rushing forward. But Jack swiftly grabbed her around the waist, halting her movements as Dad’s body trembled, his head bowed in defeat from what he was hearing. “You promised me!” Mom squealed.
Suddenly, Dahlia rushed up to her and punched her hard twice in the face.
“That’s for Nyra!” she yelled, rage spilling from her. “You were never as good as she was! You’ll never be as good as she was! You were never meant to be a Luna!”
The wolves around us erupted into a roar of agreement, their voices a chorus of solidarity with Dahlia and her mother’s memory. Maxim watched with admiration for Dahlia, impressed by how fiercely she defended his deceased sister.
“Your daughter was never good enough for my son!” Mom spat, blood oozing from her mouth, but her sick grin remained. “She’s a weak woman! Doesn’t deserve the title. I was in charge until you walked in and made me feel bad about everything. When he had the chance, Percival should have marked Tatiana!” Her growl made my insides twist with pain.
Seeing her bloody face while Jack held her up filled me with fury. I stepped closer, my rage igniting like wildfire. “What. Did. You. Just. Say?” I snapped between clenched teeth.
I couldn’t call her ‘Mom’ anymore; she had become a monster. The woman who had held me when I marked Edeline’s wolf, the one who comforted me with sad stories, was gone. “I wanted you with Tatiana! You would have had a strong family tree because of her! Before I found out the truth—that she wasn’t even Conor’s daughter,” she said, frowning.
“Why?” My voice was low and dangerous.
She glared at Dahlia, her anger bubbling over. “Because I hate her mother!” She struggled against Jack’s grip. “And Darius needed Edeline! If she had been his partner, he would have been fine! He really liked her!!! It’s your fault, Percival! It’s all your fault! If you had just given her to your brother, he would still be alive!”
Gasps rippled through the other wolves, shock and disbelief etched on their faces.
My wolf writhed within me, flooding my body with anger. I roared at her, and she froze, momentarily stunned. I nodded at Dahlia, granting her permission to retaliate. She struck my mother so hard that her hands became as disfigured as my mother's soul.
As Gaspar approached my dad, his muscles flexed beneath his shirt, a picture of strength and determination. “Do you still want this woman as yours?” His voice carried over the crowd, cutting through the tension like a knife.
My dad shook his head, tears streaming down his face. “No.”
Gaspar turned to me, his gaze serious. “My wolf still wants her.” He appraised her coldly, then continued, “But I don’t.” His eyes met mine again, filled with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. “Give her to me. I’ll make her feel the weight of everything she’s done. She’ll live with her choices.” He added firmly, “But I won’t hurt her.”
“Why?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Why do you need her now?”
“I have spent my whole life trying to prove I’m better,” he replied with a dark laugh. “Because I was never good enough, she told me. Now, I can show her how wrong she is.” He paused, his expression turning serious. “To hurt my sister like her boyfriend did—Alpha Conor made her train. They called her weak while he slept with other women. She passed away. She killed herself out of pain. Give her to me.” There was a fierce determination in his eyes. “Let me show her what’s wrong—with her real partner.”
The thought raced through my mind: “But she’s marked. You can’t mark her.”
He chuckled softly, his dark eyes gleaming with secrets. “Young Alpha, you’re so wrong! You don’t understand. I can make her mark me. Her bond with William isn’t real; it’s a farce. When that mark fades, I’ll be free to claim her as mine,” he said, glancing at his mother, who looked terrified, blood staining her face.
I met Gaspar’s gaze, contemplating for a moment. “Take her.” Those were the only words I could muster.
Annabel screamed as Gaspar seized her from Jack’s grip, throwing her over his shoulder with a sly grin. He brought her to stand next to my dad, who remained tied up, his back turned to the crowd. Gaspar then set Annabel down, her feet firmly planted on the ground.
“William,” he urged, his muscles tensing beneath his shirt. “Tell the moon you don’t want her. Say you give her to me. Then she’s no longer your problem.”
Dad turned to face them, and I stepped aside, trying to process the surreal turn of events. I hadn’t known this was even possible, a loophole for fake mates, a way for their true partners to reclaim them.
“Annabel…” he murmured weakly. “I no longer want you to be my partner. I see the moon as my witness. I give you to your true love—Gaspar of Dark Moon.”
Annabel screamed as he smirked, a look of triumph on his face as he threw her over his shoulder once more. He looked like he had just claimed the title of Alpha, pride radiating from him. I knew he would make her life a living hell, but at that moment, I didn’t care.
Max watched Gaspar’s retreating figure with a perplexed expression, his brow furrowed and mouth agape in disbelief. Jack and Dahlia exchanged glances, their faces lit up with satisfaction as they witnessed the former Luna being dragged away by a formidable wolf. The crowd erupted in cheers, celebrating as Annabel received the consequences of her actions.
“Calm down!” I barked, my voice carrying authority as my wolf asserted our strength over the crowd. “Now it’s time to punish my dad.” I focused on him, my heart pounding with resolve. “Dad, for your lies, for breaking pack rules, and for putting others before the pack’s well-being… I’m giving you thirty lashes and putting you in isolation. You’ll stay across the lake in my old house when this is over. You will only attend pack events if you’re invited, and you will also train with the soldiers.”