The moonlight was dim, filtered through thick clouds that seemed to hang low over Eldergrove Forest. The clearing where Kellan stood felt colder than usual, the air charged with an unspoken tension. His father, Alpha Magnus, loomed before him, a figure of authority and intimidation. The alpha's sharp features were set in a mask of disapproval, his piercing gaze cutting through Kellan's resolve like a blade.
Magnus had overheard enough of Kellan's conversation with Ronan to know the truth. Sapphire—a witch—was pregnant with his son. It was a revelation that threatened the stability of their pack and the traditions that bound them together.
Magnus's voice was low and deliberate as he spoke, each word carrying the weight of his authority. "You've made a grave mistake, Kellan."
Kellan stiffened but held his ground. "It wasn't a mistake," he replied firmly, though his voice betrayed a hint of uncertainty.
Magnus stepped closer, his towering presence forcing Kellan to take a step back. "You don't understand what you've done," Magnus growled. "Your relationship with that witch is forbidden—not just by our laws but by the very balance of our world. If this gets out, it will destroy you—and it will destroy this pack."
Kellan clenched his fists at his sides, anger simmering beneath his skin. "I love her," he said through gritted teeth.
Magnus laughed bitterly, the sound devoid of humor. "Love? Do you think love matters when the survival of our tribe is at stake? You are the heir to this pack—the next alpha. Your duty is to your people, not to some foolish infatuation."
Kellan's jaw tightened as he met his father's gaze. "She's carrying my child," he said quietly but firmly.
Magnus's expression darkened further, his anger barely contained. "Then you will fix this," he said coldly. "Dispose of her—quietly—and ensure that no one ever learns of this disgrace."
The words hit Kellan like a physical blow, and for a moment, he could only stare at his father in disbelief. "Dispose of her?" he echoed, his voice rising in shock and anger.
Magnus stepped closer still, his tone hard and unyielding. "If you don't end this now, you will lose everything—your position as alpha-in-training, your place in this pack… your future."
Kellan shook his head slowly, disbelief etched across his features. "You're asking me to kill her?"
Magnus didn't flinch. "I'm asking you to protect your tribe—to do what needs to be done."
Before Kellan could respond further, a rustling sound broke through the tense silence of the clearing. Both men turned sharply toward the source of the noise as a figure emerged from the shadows—a rival pack member named Darius.
Darius was tall and broad-shouldered, with an air of arrogance that made him difficult to like even on the best of days. Tonight, however, there was something more dangerous in his demeanor—a smugness that sent a chill down Kellan's spine.
"I couldn't help but overhear," Darius said casually as he stepped into the clearing, his voice dripping with mockery. "So… the great alpha-to-be has been breaking our sacred laws?"
Magnus's expression hardened further as he turned to face Darius fully. "This is none of your concern," he said sharply.
Darius ignored him and focused on Kellan instead, his grin widening as he spoke again. "A witch? Really? And now she's pregnant? You've brought shame upon this pack—and you know what that means."
Kellan felt his anger flare as he stepped forward to confront Darius directly. "Stay out of this," he warned through gritted teeth.
Darius laughed openly now, clearly enjoying himself. "Oh no—you don't get to tell me what to do anymore," he said smugly. "Not when you've broken our laws so blatantly."
Magnus intervened then, stepping between them with an authority that silenced both men instantly. "Enough," he commanded sharply before turning back to Darius with a glare that could have frozen fire itself.
But Darius wasn't finished yet.
"You know what the ancient laws say," Darius continued boldly despite Magnus's warning tone. "Any member who defies them must be banished—and stripped of all rank and privilege." He smirked again before adding pointedly: "Including their claim to leadership."
The confrontation spilled over into chaos when Darius brought the matter before the entire pack during a tribal gathering later that night.
The clearing was crowded now—wolves in human form stood shoulder-to-shoulder as murmurs spread rapidly through the group like wildfire.
"Kellan broke sacred law!" Darius declared loudly from where he stood at the center of attention.
The murmurs grew louder still until Magnus raised a hand for silence—a gesture that was obeyed almost immediately despite lingering tension in the air.
"Is this true?" one elder demanded as they turned their attention toward Kellan.
Kellan hesitated briefly before nodding once—a gesture that sent shockwaves through those gathered around him.
The murmurs erupted again—this time louder than before—and it took Magnus longer still to silence them once more.
When order was finally restored again (though barely), another elder spoke up hesitantly: "If what Darius says is true... then we must follow tradition."
Under mounting pressure from both elders and rivals alike (not least among them being Darius himself), Kellan finally reached breaking point.
"I reject her," he declared loudly enough for all present (including Sapphire herself) to hear clearly.
His words cut through Sapphire like knives—and though she tried desperately not show how much they hurt outwardly—there was no mistaking pain behind her eyes nonetheless.
As she fled scene quietly amidst chaos surrounding her departure (and without looking back even once)—it became clear already just how much damage had been done already...
The collective gasp of the pack echoed through the night, a chorus of disappointment and shock. Kellan's heart shattered as he saw Sapphire turn away, her shoulders trembling as she walked into the darkness of the forest. Each step she took felt like a da
gger to his heart, and he knew he had made the worst mistake of his life.