Ivy’s Point of View
Before Luna Helena could compose herself, a knock came at the door.
A servant entered and bowed. "Luna Helena, Young Madam. Alpha Alaric requests your presence in the main hall. Physician Aldric as well."
Luna Helena wiped her eyes quickly. "Did he say why?"
"No, my Luna. Only that it’s urgent."
I helped Luna Helena to her feet. She looked fragile in that moment. Broken. Like a woman watching her son die inch by inch with no power to stop it.
If only she knew the truth.
But I couldn’t tell her. Not yet. Not until I had proof.
We followed the servant through the estate, Aldric walking ahead of us with his bag of instruments. His posture was relaxed. Confident. The posture of a man who knew exactly what was about to happen.
My stomach churned with dread.
The main hall was already crowded when we arrived.
Alpha Alaric sat in his high-backed chair at the head of the room. His face was unreadable as always. A stone wall that gave nothing away.
But it was the others that made my heart sink.
Margot stood near the Alpha’s right side, her eyes bright with barely concealed excitement. Vivienne was there too, positioned slightly behind her, wearing that same calculating expression. Bastian stood with his arms crossed, looking smug. And Seraphina clung to his arm, her face arranged in false concern.
The elders of the Silvermoon Pack lined the walls. Gray-haired men and women who had served the pack for decades. They watched the proceedings with solemn expressions.
This was a trap.
I could feel it in my bones.
Luna Helena sensed it too. Her hand found mine and squeezed tight.
"Ah, there you are." Margot’s voice rang out across the hall. "We’ve been waiting."
Alpha Alaric gestured for us to come forward. "Physician Aldric. I’ve called you here to give a full report on my son’s condition."
Aldric bowed. "Of course, Alpha."
"Speak plainly. Leave nothing out."
Aldric straightened and cleared his throat. His voice carried easily through the silent hall.
"I have just completed my weekly examination of the heir. I regret to inform you that his condition has not improved. In fact, it appears to have worsened since my last visit."
Murmurs rippled through the elders.
"The damage to his brain is extensive," Aldric continued. "Far beyond what we initially assessed. Despite six months of treatment, there has been no sign of recovery. No response to stimuli. No improvement in brain function."
"And your prognosis?" Alpha Alaric’s voice was flat.
Aldric paused. Let the silence stretch.
"The heir has days remaining. Perhaps a few weeks at most." He bowed his head. "I recommend that the Alpha and Luna begin making arrangements."
Luna Helena made a small sound of anguish beside me.
I wanted to scream. To expose Aldric for the fraud he was. To tell everyone that he had been deliberately sabotaging Dominic’s recovery.
But I couldn’t. Not without proof. Not without revealing myself.
So I stood there, silent, as my husband was pronounced dead before he’d even stopped breathing.
Margot stepped forward, her face arranged in an expression of false sympathy. "How tragic. Truly tragic." She turned to Alpha Alaric. "But we must think of the pack now. The Silvermoon Pack cannot remain without a proper heir."
Alpha Alaric’s eyes narrowed. "What are you suggesting?"
"Only what everyone is already thinking." Margot spread her hands. "Dominic is dying. He will never wake up. The heir title cannot remain on a man who will soon be dead."
"Watch your tongue." Alpha Alaric’s voice was cold.
Margot didn’t flinch. "I mean no disrespect. I’m simply being practical. The pack needs stability. The pack needs certainty. And right now, we have neither."
Vivienne stepped forward to support her. "Lady Margot speaks wisely. We’ve consulted every renowned physician in the kingdom. Every shaman. Every healer. They all say the same thing. Dominic shows no signs of recovery."
"The succession must be addressed," Margot pressed. "Bastian is young, healthy, and capable. He’s already proven himself as a leader. Why continue to delay the inevitable?"
The elders began nodding. Whispering among themselves.
"The lady has a point," one elder spoke up. "The heir title carries great weight. It cannot remain attached to someone who may die at any moment."
"It creates uncertainty," another agreed. "Other packs will see us as weak. Vulnerable."
"A succession ceremony should be performed," a third added. "For the good of the pack."
I watched Bastian’s face. He was trying to look somber. Concerned. But I could see the triumph in his eyes. The barely contained glee.
This was what he had been waiting for. What they had all been waiting for.
Luna Helena’s grip on my hand tightened painfully.
Alpha Alaric raised his hand. The hall fell silent.
"You speak of succession as if my son is already dead." His voice was quiet. Dangerous. "He still breathes. His heart still beats."
"But for how long?" Margot’s voice softened. "Alpha, I understand your pain. Truly I do. But we must face reality. Dominic will not wake up. Every physician has confirmed it. Every shaman has examined him. There is no hope."
"And what would you have me do? Strip my firstborn son of his birthright while he lies helpless in his bed?"
"I would have you do what’s best for the pack." Margot met his gaze steadily. "Isn’t that what an Alpha is supposed to do? Put the pack’s needs above personal feelings?"
The hall went deathly quiet.
Alpha Alaric’s jaw tightened. For a moment, I thought he might actually strike her.
But he didn’t.
"The succession ceremony is a serious matter," he said finally. "It cannot be undertaken lightly."
"No one is suggesting we take it lightly," Vivienne said smoothly. "We’re suggesting we take it seriously. Seriously enough to address it before disaster strikes."
"The other packs are watching," an elder added. "If Dominic dies without a named successor, there will be chaos. Challenges for leadership. Potential civil war."
"Better to handle the transition now," Margot said. "Peacefully. Orderly. With the full support of the council."
More nods from the elders. More murmurs of agreement.
I felt sick.
They had planned this. All of it. The physician’s report. The gathering of elders. The arguments about pack stability. It was all orchestrated to corner Alpha Alaric into doing exactly what they wanted.
And it was working.
Alpha Alaric turned to look at Luna Helena.
Her face was pale. Devastated. She looked like a woman who had already lost everything.
"Helena." Alpha Alaric’s voice softened slightly. "What say you?"
Luna Helena was silent for a long moment. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
Then she sighed. A heavy, defeated sound.
"You are the Alpha," she said quietly. "The decision is yours to make."