My eyes snapped toward the grand entrance.
In my shock, I nearly pulled the half-fitted crown off my head, but Odell was quick, catching it and securing it firmly before turning to see the cause of the chaos.
He stormed in. Well, I later knew his name was Ephraim.
"No!" His voice boomed, rage boiling within him when he saw the crown resting proudly on my head.
I stood motionless, heart pounding as I watched my people scatter in fear. My fist clenched by instinct.
The disturbing images from the day before surged back into my mind. Blood, destruction, and screams.
Turning to the seers, I gave my first command. "Ensure my people are safe."
I moved swiftly toward the Alphas, who sat there unmoving, as though the chaos didn't concern them.
"You will fight!" I ordered, eyes scanning for any sign of life or resistance.
One of the alphas sneered, "Who are you to order us?"
"A beta can never rule us," another spat, his voice high with anger.
I froze. They had planned this.
"Traitors!" I growled, storming toward the throne. With a quick glance at the seat, I took a deep breath and sat down.
I was the Grand Alpha now. My coronation was complete. The crown was on my head, my place secured.
The seers exchanged glances, a silent understanding passing between them. It was clear now, these alphas and the man charging toward them were all in this together. The seers could smell the danger in the air.
"I've completed my duty as Selene commanded. Leave," Odell ordered his colleagues, and they began to disperse.
He, however, didn't back down. "How dare you?" he roared as he approached the throne.
"A beta defiling the throne!" he barked, but I didn't flinch.
"Reject the pronouncement immediately!" He barked at me.
"Are you ordering your Grand Alpha?" I mocked, a smirk tugging at my lips.
"How dare you!" He snarled, raising his hand and delivering a brutal punch.
Chaos erupted in the hall. The Grand Alpha had been struck. It was a gross desecration.
As I recovered from the hit, my eyes locked onto him, but then flickered to the entrance. A group of men in black stormed toward us. Too many. Too dangerous.
I felt movement behind me. I spun around to see more alphas closing in, their eyes flashing with fury. I could feel their wolves pushing to the surface.
"Reject the pronouncement," one of them demanded.
"Don't!" A voice broke through the mind-link. It was Vanessa, my mate.
I eyes scanned the hall quickly, and spotted her, curled on the ground, panic written all over her face.
"Leave!" I ordered through the link. Just as the words left my mind, I saw Odell rush toward Vanessa, lifting her from the ground.
The seer turned and nodded to me before quickly taking Vanessa away.
"Remain with Odell. Take care of our child," I instructed her through the link, then shut it down.
Knowing Vanessa was safe, and that many of my people had managed to escape, I took a deep breath and crossed my legs.
"I won't," I declared.
If I rejected the pronouncement, it would nullify my selection and coronation, giving another the chance to rise and take my place. I could lose everything, but I refused to show weakness.
"You can do your worst, but I will not back down," I reaffirmed, my gaze daring him, whose chest swell with rage.
A cruel grin twisted on his face. "I'll kill you, then kill your mate," he snarled, a dark laugh escaping his lips.
"I heard she's expecting," he added, the words dripping with malice.
I flinched. How did he know? No one else knew about the pregnancy, only myself and Vanessa.
But before panic could take hold, I masked it, my expression turning cold and indifferent.
"Do your worst," I spat.
He turned to his men. "No one leaves this hall. Find his mate!"
I scoffed inwardly. Odell was with Vanessa; she was in good hands. He'd make sure she stayed safe.
"If she isn't here, kill everyone!" He ordered.
My heart clenched, but I stood tall.
"Don't, I'm here," a female voice rang out.
I frowned. That wasn't Vanessa.
"Kill me if you wish, but leave the rest," the woman said, stepping forward with boldness. Yet, a deep scan of her face would reveal the panic beneath her composure.
"Your mate is willing to die," he smirked, his hand grabbing the woman roughly and pulling her closer.
In one swift motion, he drew a small sword from his belt and drove it into her stomach.
A scream of pain ripped from her throat as she crumpled to the ground. He pulled out a gun, aimed it at her forehead, and pulled the trigger, silencing her forever.
My blood ran cold. A shiver ran down my spine as I watched her take her final breath. My heart raced, my pulse quickened, and my jaw clenched with fury.
"You're just a beta," he sneered. "I will rule, not you!"
My eyes burned with rage. Anger exploded inside me, and before I knew it, I was on my feet.
My lips curled into a mocking sneer, and with a vicious sneer, I spat on his face.
"The Goddess chose me," I said firmly, my voice low but filled with strength. "I won't let you defeat me."
The man's eyes narrowed, fury burning in his gaze. I guess he could feel the wetness of my salica on his face, because his face twisted in disgust.
I saw his fists tightened, knuckles cracking in anger.
He snapped an order, "Seize him!"
My heart raced. I was surrounded. There was no way out, but I refused to be trapped, refused to let his enemies take me down that easily.
Without thinking twice, I shifted.
The pain of changing was sharp but familiar. Bones snapped, muscles rearranged under my skin, and in a few moments, I stood as a wolf.
My senses exploded, everything sharper and clearer as my wolf loped. The earth beneath my paws was solid.
The men around me hesitated for a split second, their eyes wide in shock. But they quickly shifted too, their wolves stalking forward, teeth bared.
I pushed forward, running faster than ever before. Trees blurred as I sped through the woods, the sound of paws pounding the earth behind me.
They were catching up, but I couldn't stop. I couldn't let them win. I was the Grand Alpha, the leader, and no one was taking that from me. I wouldn't back down. No way.
Behind me, wolves ran, their footsteps shaking the ground. So many of them, yet I kept going, refusing to slow down.
Ahead, the ground shifted, and my heart skipped a beat. A deep trench appeared, stretching out in front of me. A natural barrier that could stop me. Push me to the enemies behind.
With no choice left, I jumped.
My muscles coiled, and with a powerful push, I leapt into the air, hoping to clear the gap. But something unnatural tugged at me.
I felt myself being pulled down, as if the very earth was trying to swallow me whole.
The fall was dizzying, the world spinning around me. I tried to shift mid-air, regain some control, but the pull was too strong.
My body was dragged into the endless trench below, until it became consumed by the darkness.