Chapter 30
Silverstone’s pov
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Her words hung in the air for a while, everyone was silent, waiting for what her next words would be. Klein was standing beside his wardrobe while I stood beside the couch, as we waited patiently for Maria’s next words.
“This place is not safe, Klein, you need to leave here.”
“What do mean by the place is not safe, Maria. Please explain to us clearly.” I asked, my eyes darting between her and Klein.
She was quiet for a while, her hands shaking.
“I’m not sure what it is, we need to leave now!” She ordered and we immediately left the house.
As we returned back to the car, Klein’s words cut the growing silence between us.
“TI find that woman, wherever she might be.” Klein reassured us, as he walked away.
“Be careful,” I smiled, pulling him back and he kissed me.
The moment he left, Maria and I returned to the pack.
Serena was already waiting for me at the doorstep, her eyes too wide and alert, darting around then forcing themselves to
stay still.
Something was wrong, I could sense it in her posture, I could smell the distress rolling off her in waves.
“It’s James.” She said quietly.
Her lips quivering
My heart dropped for a while. James. Our Beta, my couch since I started training to be Luna years ago.
“The hunters got him in the forest near the old mill. She continued, her hands fidgeting, unable to find stillness.
“They used silver bullets. He he didn’t make it.”
The world around me seemed to tilt for a while. James, who had taught me how to control my first shifts. Who makes terrible jokes and we’d laugh together regardless of how terrible his jokes were.
This was t much for me to handle.
The last time we trained together he had promised to teach me advanced tracking.
“What how, when?!” I choked out, gasps escaping with every word I said.
“But he is one of the pack’s best fighters” I said foolishly as if that could change anything.
“He always says to never hunt alone, how…”
I paused for a while, hot tears threatening to spill. My heart raced speedily, this is bad news, the timing was terrible. What if Derek shows up and it ends in a fearsome war, how do we defend our pack?
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Chapter 30
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“He wasn’t hunting.” Serena continued, her eyes glistening.
“He went to see his family before the tragic incident happened on his way to their pack.” She swallowed hard.
“They must have been watching him. Tracking his routine.”
I stared at her blankly.
The cruelty of the situation hit me like a punch to the gut. James, killed during the one moment he allowed himself to hold onto his old life.
The one moment he decided to spend time with his family.
His wife would be waiting for him at home now, checking her phone, wondering why he wasn’t home yet. She would never know why he stopped coming.
She would never know that her husband had died.
I immediately brought out my phone and dialed Jared’s number.
“Tell the others to assemble shortly. We
“Is there a problem, Silverstone?”
e an emergency th
“You’ll find out shortly, for now just do as I say. There’s an issue on ground and we need to decide how to best handle it”
“Okay, I’ll inform everyone right away.”
All I could think of was James‘ empty chair at the next pack dinner. His stupid jokes that no one would groan at anymore. Indeed, life is cruel and death is inevitable.
His wife would become a widow and his children, orphans, In such a short while.
It started raining heavily, a recognition that a great one has passed on, that he had gone to meet his ancestors.
The meeting hall fell silent as I entered, my usual grace stride replaced by the heavy steps of someone carrying an unbearable burden.
The weight of his death, pulling me down to the ground.
The assembled pack members could smell the salt dried tears on my face, mixed with a metallic tang
of
rage.
The last time I cried this much was when my father died.
“My brothers and sisters of the shadow pack,” I began, my voice carrying to every corner of the ancient hall.
My Jaw clenching and unclenching unconsciously as I stared at everyone’s faces.
“Tonight, we have lost one of our strongest and bravest. James Alexander, our Beta, is dead.”
I continued, as I tried to control the tears that were threatening to spill.
The impact of the news was immediate. Howls of grief and disbelief echoed off the stones of the walls.
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Chapter 30
The hall became noisy, everyone had something to say at the same time.
Before his death, James had been our warrior, our protector, a Beta so powerful that don’t say that he could have challenged for alpha in any other pack.
But despite how powerful he was, he was loyal to the core, his dedication to the affairs of the pack was nothing I had even
scen
Dante, one of the young wolves, dropped to his knees. James had also been his mentor, he had taught him how to control his shifts during his first full moons.
He was there for him whenever he had a problem or was unable to master any of his hunting tactics.
“How?” Dante choked out. “James was he was unstoppable. How did this happen to him?” He wailed, his claws fighting to be
seen.
My eyes flashed dangerously, golden irises bleeding into whites.
“Hunters,” I spat the word like poison.
I never thought I’d stand here so soon to announce the demise of any wolf.
“They ambushed him on the way to the mountain pass while he was heading to see his mate and pups.”
My face turned crimson, a storm brewing within.
My claws extended involuntarily, scoring deep marks in the wooden podium.
“They knew his route. They knew that he’d be alone.” I continued, tears almost blurring my vision.
I watched the angry wolves, the pain of losing a memeber crushing down my soul. Releasing the urge to want to use my new
power.
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