Chapter 85: Chapter 85

Adelie

I instructed Maeve to relay the message to Kairos through our mind link. I didn’t want Sophie to hear it spoken aloud.

Kairos’s eyes widened in shock, his nostrils flaring. “Take him to prison!” he commanded. Immediately, Maximus and Nathan moved to apprehend Peter.

“They’re lying!” Peter protested, struggling against their grip. “Sophie was asking for it.”

I shot Nathan a look, and he silenced Peter, leading him away.

“We know what he did. There’s no need to hide it,” a woman in the crowd said, rolling her eyes as if we were trying to shield children from a harmless secret.

But this wasn’t a harmless secret. Sophie had been assaulted on my pack’s territory. By people she trusted. People I considered family.

My anger was palpable. “Excuse me?!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. She didn’t respond. “You all knew and you didn’t say anything!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the silence.

“You stood by while this happened and did nothing? It’s disgusting that you call yourselves pack members. I can’t even look at you, knowing you thought this was normal!”

Doctor John arrived then, moving to examine Eric. With the help of two others, he carried Eric to the hospital.

“You are all complicit,” I continued, my voice shaking with rage. “If one of your own does something like this and you stand by, you’re just as guilty.”

Heads bowed in shame. Only a few dared to meet my gaze.

“I will personally take you ~all~ to court if I have to. I will hold you accountable for your actions,” I declared, momentarily forgetting Kairos was there.

I didn’t expect him to speak up, but he did. “And let it be known that this applies to ~everyone~ involved.”

Kairos leaned in, whispering, “Eric might need you.” I nodded, rushing off to the hospital.

John had already begun treating Eric’s wounds. “He’ll be okay. A few bruises and cuts, a small rib fracture. It’ll heal.”

Eric must have been in excruciating pain. “How much pain can I take away?” I asked.

“If Eric agrees to take it easy for a few weeks, you can take all the pain.”

Eric nodded in agreement.

I waited until John left. Eric looked a little better.

“Why didn’t you fight back?” I asked. He could have shifted into his wolf form.

“He’s mid-rank,” Eric replied.

“I’ve seen you train. You could have taken him.” I placed my hand on his bare chest, drawing the pain into myself.

“If I had fought him, it would have been worse later. I was angry and needed to hit something. I didn’t know what else to do.”

“You could have come to me or the Alpha.” I didn’t want to chastise him now. “How’s Sophie doing?” I asked.

“Better than she should be. She didn’t realize what was happening at first. They were in a relationship, so she thought it wasn’t assault.”

“She was scared. Scared he’d come back. I wish she’d told me sooner.” He met my gaze after I took his pain, then helped him sit up.

“What will the Alpha do with him?” he asked.

“I don’t know. But I’ll make sure he pays. I don’t want it to be physical. No one needs that kind of blood on their hands. I’m sorry we didn’t do something sooner.

“I promise, it won’t happen again.” I was confident in my ability to prevent it. As a Luna, it was my duty. As a living being, it was my responsibility to shield my kind from harm.

“Thank you,” he responded.

***

I decided to take a walk around the pack, making my rounds through the mid-rank houses. Word of the incident must have spread.

They avoided my gaze. Fear of the unknown was evident in their eyes. I stood there, arms folded, observing them.

And I couldn’t help but compare their lives to those of the Omegas.

A man approached me. “Luna, what will happen to my brother?”

“Were you aware?” I questioned him. His face flushed, he knew exactly what I was asking.

He shook his head. “No.”

“Lying won’t be tolerated.” His Adam’s apple bobbed nervously, a clear sign of his dishonesty. I turned to address the crowd.

“I want everyone to understand that those who knew about this and didn’t inform me or the Alpha will face consequences. There will be punishment.

“Until then, you’re all under my watch. Guilty or not, you are a community. When something like this occurs, even the innocent must bear the burden,” I declared.

Some appeared visibly shaken, others remained unaffected.

“What did the Alpha say would happen?” The question came from the same woman who had informed me about the incident. I smirked, a hint of spite in my expression.

“Don’t underestimate me. I’m as capable as the Alpha. It’s time you all realized that I can be just as stern,” I retorted.

“I was just asking…” The woman attempted to backtrack.

“You shouldn’t have.”

With no further questions, I left to find Kairos.

As expected, he was in his study, his face buried in his hands.

“Hey,” I greeted him softly.

He tried to shake off his weariness, pretending to be engrossed in his paperwork.

“What’s your decision? About Peter?” I inquired.

“He’s locked up, but I’m unsure of the next step. We don’t keep prisoners in our pack.”

I voiced my bold suggestion. “Strip him of his rank. Make him an Omega.”

Kairos looked at me. “I don’t want Sophie to see him every day. I can’t even bear to look at him. I was considering sending him away.

“To the Alpha King. He runs a strict camp where they work for twelve hours a day. There’s never been a case of rank stripping.”

“Until now. You’re already known as the harsh Alpha. Let them see the consequences of assault.

“Take away their rank when they leave to serve their sentence. Right now, they serve their time and return as if nothing happened.”

“I need the Alpha King’s approval.” He pulled out a blank sheet of paper and began to write. “We should get a response in a week or so.”

He got straight to it, but I was taken aback by his reliance on my judgment. He didn’t hesitate or second guess. I stood there, stunned. Kairos glanced up at me, noticing my surprise.

“It’s a good idea. I support it. Don’t worry about it.”

I sat across from him as he continued writing. “Are you on good terms with him?” I asked.

“King? I visited his pack when I was young, where they trained future Alphas. He was much older, but we formed a bond. We kept in touch.

“But when this pack faced issues, I think he didn’t want to get involved in any controversy,” he explained.

“Why not call him and ask?”

“He only accepts formal submissions through the post. He’s not one for conversation. I’m not even sure I have his current number.” He glanced at his pen, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

They were once friends, but life had a way of changing things.

“Was he a close friend?”

A smile tugged at his lips. “He was, but now I have you. Are we friends, Adelie?” he asked, despite our previous agreement that friendship wasn’t possible.

I nodded. “What kind of wife would I be if I weren’t your friend?” I attempted to lighten the mood, but my joke fell flat.

“You’re my mate, Adelie,” he said, his gaze fixed on the table, his voice trembling. Why did his words stir something within me? Why did my heart flutter?

“You’ll always be my mate. You’ll never be my wife. I can’t accept the concept of human love. You’re my mate, regardless of what destiny dictates.”

He finally met my gaze. “And when you’re ready, I’ll be nothing less than your mate. Until then, we’re friends. Unless you say otherwise.

“And if you never do, then let’s be friends. Can you do that?” he asked.

“You said you didn’t want to be my friend.”

“I’d rather have you as a friend than not at all, and I’ll let you go if that’s what you want. Anywhere. But remain my friend.”

I was unsure of what the future held for us, for me. He was prepared to let me go. I couldn’t decipher my feelings about that.

I had no right to feel upset that he wasn’t fighting for me. He’d already fought enough.

***

A week later, the letter returned. It wasn’t the usual response penned by King’s assistants.

He’d written it himself, stating that he would personally escort Peter to the pack’s camp.

Kairos and I had been getting along well. We still shared a bed. I still fell asleep in his arms. Neither of us pushed for more.

He was preoccupied, anxious about King’s impending visit.

I tidied up the pack garden, discarding old branches and preparing it for winter. I watched as Kairos bustled around the pack, fixing every minor imperfection.

He was on edge about this visit.

In the evening, I sat by the fireplace, waiting for him to return home. He was later than usual.

Helen had prepared his dinner, and I gave her the rest of the evening off as I waited for Kairos.

When he finally arrived, he noticed me sitting there and joined me. I shifted slightly to give him room.

He sat down, a tray of food in his lap, and looked at me. “Is everything okay?” he asked, beginning to eat.

“I noticed how you were today. You do realize King isn’t coming to inspect your pack for perfection, right?”

Kairos averted his gaze.

“Why are you acting like these things matter?” I asked. “Tell me.”

“King is nearly a decade older than me. When we first met, we…we just clicked. Like he was my twin. We had so much in common. I told him all about my grand dreams.

“He couldn’t stop praising the Night Walkers pack. Even his pack members spoke highly of it, claiming it was the best pack.

“I had big ambitions, and he had faith in me. He supported me more than anyone else. He said he’d never seen an Alpha as strong and deserving as me.

“He was certain that I would expand my pack, which was already large. Even after I became Alpha, he kept in touch. But…what really shattered everything…

“It was when he was so confident in my abilities that he offered me a share of his throne. He believed that together we could achieve so much more. And then Mia happened. And he just disappeared.”

“I’ve failed. I’m not the Alpha I once was. I’ve lost my edge. I’m at a loss. I’ve failed.”

His words were raw and honest, a side of him I’d never seen before. It made so much sense now. His refusal to take a second mate, his lack of interest in forming alliances, his harsh demeanor.

“You didn’t fail. You just stopped trying.” I reached out, taking his hands in mine.

“Kairos, you have so much life ahead of you. You have every reason to start anew.

“And I’m sorry no one was there to shake you out of this. To make you see the truth.

“It’s not too late. You can start over. Begin again.”

“How?” His eyes were wide, lost.

“I’ll be there for you,” I promised, unsure of how we’d make it work, but certain that we ~would~.

“You can do anything. You can still create the world you’ve always dreamed of.”

“What if it all falls apart again?”

“Then we’ll build it back up.”

“We?” His voice was barely a whisper. “You’ll be there?”

“Until you’re sick of me,” I teased.

“Promise you’ll help me heal.”

“Always.”

And just like that, our worlds collided once more. Our shared pain and loss reflected in each other. Two lost souls, adrift, trying to find their way back to each other.

Knowing that we’d be forever lost if we let our pain drive us apart.

I let him finish his meal, my mind wandering. He’d been acting differently lately. More open with his feelings, but often lost in thought, staring blankly at nothing.

It was a small change, but one I’d never seen in him before. Was he that preoccupied? Even now, he set his tray aside and stared blankly at the table.

“Want to go for a swim?” I asked, hoping to coax him out of his shell.

“I don’t like cold water,” he replied, not realizing that it wasn’t a suggestion, but an invitation. I stood and walked away.

I could feel his eyes on me as I headed towards the forest. I knew he’d follow. I paused once, glancing back at him, letting him know I was aware of his gaze.