Chapter 30 - Things Go to Hell

The day of the ceremony came way too quickly, in my opinion. I woke up that morning with Aubrey wrapped inside my arms. He was still fast asleep, but Evander was wide awake. He must've sensed that I was awake because he looked over and smiled. "Good morning, Aaron."

"Morning," I mumbled sleepily. "Goddess, today's the day right?"

"Yes, it is."

I groaned, closing my eyes again. He chuckled, shutting one of the new books he'd recently gotten. "You sound upset," he pointed out.

"I'm not really upset," I answered, slowly sitting up.

Aubrey whimpered and turned around to face me. I gently shifted him around so his head was in my lap. He went back to sleep after that, thankfully; I didn't want to wake him up seeing as they'd spent most of the night doing other things.

Goddess, who knew my mates were so horny?

Pushing that thought away, I looked at Evander. "I've been avoiding seeing my father ever since I confronted him last week. I'll have to see him today. I don't know, even if I've decided not to let him hold me back, he's still someone I want to make proud."

"That's understandable. But, we will be there with you. He won't be able to say a thing in front of the entire pack. So, accept your title and do your best."

"Thank you," I mumbled.

"Of course," he answered and leaned over to peck me on the cheek.

"No kiss on the lips?" I asked teasingly.

"You just woke up, so no," he chuckled. "Wash up first and then I'll consider it."

I shoved him playfully but he barely budged. Stupid vampire. "Whatever."

The rest of the morning, Evander and I spent the time in comfortable silence. Once Aubrey woke up, we all got ready for the day. It would be a long one. After the ceremony, there was going to be a huge party to celebrate. Other packs were invited, too. These kinds of things often involved other packs celebrating the passing down of power. It was all to build alliances or something. I didn't really care that much, so long as I could do my job.

When we got outside, the pack was abuzz. I noticed that other leaders from the neighboring packs were here, including Alpha Kristen and her son. Wren told me that Joshua and Mark would be given their titles later next month. Good for them, I guess.

I also noticed Alpha Lorence, which surprised me. I didn't take him as a party person, but maybe it was just for the free food. I tended to forget that he was an alpha and was expected at things like these.

Plenty of other people were recognizable to me, but I didn't really care all that much. I was much more concerned with ignoring my father for as long as possible. Maybe it was cowardly, but I didn't want to face him.

I would have to eventually, though.

That time came quicker than I wanted it to. After a bit of mingling, I was pulled away from my mates to get on the makeshift stage setup. There were hundreds of plastic chairs lined up in the large clearing as well, with the front rows reserved for our mates and family. As I made my way onto the stage, I searched the rows for my mates. I found them in the first row, looking right at me. I offered a small smile and Aubrey blew me a kiss.

Next to Evander was Rin, but I noticed that the dragon looked slightly ill. I looked away, but the image stayed in the back of my head until I walked up to Ryder and Erin. "Erin, your mate looks like they're about to puke," I pointed out.

Erin looked over at Rin and frowned. "They did mention that they don't really like loud crowds like this. I'll talk to them after the ceremony, maybe pull them aside."

"Okay," I said.

"Are you boys ready?" Alpha James asked from behind us.

I turned around to see him smiling widely with his beta and gamma behind him. My father. I could feel his eyes on me, but I ignored him and instead focused on Alpha James.

"We're ready," Erin said. "You?"

Alpha James chuckled. "Yes, I'm ready."

The two shared a smile and Alpha James turned to look at the crowds. They'd already found seats and were looking at the stage expectantly. "We're gathered here today to witness the beginning of a new era, with new pack leaders. My son and his peers are ready to take their place as your guides. If there is any doubt to their claims, step forward."

No one stepped forward, as I expected. That would have required a challenge. Our pack was big, but still a family. They entrusted their lives to us, and we did our best to protect them. I'd like to think we've done the best we could, especially given the circumstances as of late.

"Then if we have no objections, let us begin."

Alpha James stood in front of his son, facing the crowd. "Erin Thompson, do you promise to lay your life down for your pack? Do you promise to guide them during times of turmoil, celebrate with them during times of joy, and provide for them in times of despair? Do you promise to be the alpha they need?"

"I do."

"May the Goddess be witness to this moment. Long live Alpha Erin."

The pack echoed the sentiment as Erin turned to face the crowd. He looked strong. Pride welled up inside my chest seeing my best friend take his rightful place as alpha. This was really his moment to shine. Sure, Ryder and I would be getting our titles and recognition and stuff, but the alpha was the leader of our pack. Erin was our guide now. Our leader. And I was more than ready to help him out as his beta.

There were still cheers as I squared myself up to face my father. My heart was pounding erratically in my chest, but a glance at my mates calmed me. I could do this. This was my moment, not my father's. I would be in charge now. I could erase what he had done and make my own mark.

I turned to face my father and stared right at him. By now, the cheers had died down to wait for my turn. As soon as my father opened his mouth, I quickly realized how much adrenaline was pumping through me. His words barely registered, yet they were clear as day.

This was it. I couldn't slack off anymore. I couldn't be weak. I had to be there for my pack. No more playtime. Would I be a good leader? Would I end up like my father?

You're not your father. You're Aaron.

The thought grounded me just in time to hear, "Do you promise to be the beta they need?"

"I do," I swore.

The feeling that swept over me was odd as I listened to my father finish the last bit of the ritual. It was like a refreshing breeze that swept through my body and left me feeling light and standing tall. Was this what it felt like to be a beta? It was a nice feeling. I could feel the trust my pack had in me giving me strength.

"May the Goddess be witness to this moment. Long live Beta Aaron."

After my father finished, he stepped aside. I looked over the crowd and they were all cheering, though a little less than they did for Erin. I didn't care. My eyes were on my mates, who both wore proud smiles on their faces. My moment in the spotlight thankfully ended and now it was Ryder's turn.

While Ryder received his title, my eyes kept wandering back to my mates. I couldn't wait to hug them. Evander caught my eye and mouthed, "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you," I mouthed back.

The cheers for Ryder broke me away from my thoughts and I realized that the hard part was over.

"It is my pleasure to congratulate the new leaders of Ridgeside," Alpha—er, James—shouted over the pack's cheers.

It was deafening.

Almost.

The crowd's cheers were not enough to drown out the shrill, "No!" that came from the crowd before I'm pushed to the ground and the world seems to move in slow motion. I watched in shock as Rin ran past me and jumped in front of their mate just as a bullet whizzed through the air and pierced their chest. The cheers turned to screams in an instant as time moved normally again.

Rin's body dropped to the ground with Erin holding onto his mate in shock. Blood quickly soaked through Rin's clothes and onto Erin's hands as my friend frantically tried to help his mate. Before I could go over to help though, the sound of a gun going off again broke through the chaos. I stayed low and looked around for who was shooting at the stage. I saw someone with a gun and black clothes aiming the weapon at the stage, but then I heard another gunshot and it didn't come from them. Shit, there are multiple shooters.

The gunshots progressively got more frequent as they went from shooting at the stage to shooting in the crowd. I searched for my mates and couldn't see them in the chaos. Shit.

"Evander? Aubrey? Where are you?" I called through the link while crawling across the stage, but I didn't get a response.

Erin was still over Rin, practically shielding their body with his own. "Erin!" I yelled.

He looked up at me, but his eyes were slightly unfocused. "Snap out of it, you dumbass. We need to find shelter and get Rin help," I said as I crawled closer.

The sound of wolf howls alerted me to the fact that the shooters were being taken care of. Still, it was complete chaos. I finally reached Erin and Rin and grabbed my friend's shoulder. "Let's go."

He nodded, lifting himself off Rin and taking the shaking dragon into his arms. Rin's eyes were wide open with panic and their entire body was trembling. Oh, Goddess. We stood up and immediately a bullet narrowly missed my head. I turned to find who was shooting and watched as the masked figure was taken down by some wolves. But before they could be killed, I heard them cry out, "May the Eye determine my death worthy of paradise!" before an explosion took them and the wolves surrounding them down in flames and shrapnel.

Suicide bombers?

I didn't have to wonder about it much longer before the sound of multiple explosions went off. Erin and I dropped back to the stage floor and he curled around his mate. Shrapnel from a nearby explosion shredded into my back and it made me wince, but otherwise, we were okay. But the pack...

The screams were unbearable. They'd started back up again as multiple bombs went off. How many people were being killed? How many were losing loved ones? I wanted to find my loved ones. My mates.

What a time to say you love them, Aaron.

The bombs came to an end and all I could hear were screams and movement throughout the yard. Slowly, I uncovered myself to look around. Goddess. The ground was marred from the explosions and the bodies. They were everywhere.

Before I realized what was going on, I was heaving up my last meal on the stage. Once my stomach was empty and I stopped heaving, I looked back up. Erin was still holding onto Rin who was trembling. Rin needed help. They'd been shot in the fucking chest for crying out loud.

Shakily, I stood up and stumbled over. "Let me help you. We need to go now."

Erin stood up again and I noticed that his back was probably just as shredded as mine. "The pack," Erin whispered.

He looked at me and I noticed the horror in his eyes. My hands clenched at my sides and I shook my head. "We can mourn later. We need to help who we can first. Find out who's alive and who needs medical attention. Get your mate to the pack doctor."

He nodded and walked away, his body still slightly hunched over his mate. Mate. I needed to find my mates. That one thought allowed me to hurry off the stage as I assessed the damage around me. Goddess, it was horrible. The destruction done in the span of minutes made me a bit nauseous. But why? What was the point?

As I searched for my mates and anyone who needed help, my brain worked in overdrive. First, they tried shooting Erin, but Rin jumped in front of him and got shot instead. Then, shortly after trying again, the shooters began aiming at the crowd. Wouldn't it have been a good idea to continue shooting at Erin when he was vulnerable? Swarm the stage if there were multiple shooters? If he was the target that is.

Were they trying to create a power vacuum? That was a logical conclusion, right? Kill Erin, Ryder, and me to disrupt the transfer of power, then pick off our parents to break down the pack. So the main question was: why didn't they attempt to kill us after Rin was shot? They aimed at the stage, sure, but if they really wanted to take us all down before we could fight back, they would've put more effort into gunning us down or ambushing us.

Then the bombs. What was the purpose? To scatter us? Create damage that would slow us down? Scare us? Give a warning? To avoid capture? The recent events made me question why the Eye was coming for all of us in the first place. Why? What was the point?

What was their end goal?

~~~

I'm so sorry I went an entire month without anything. I've had this chapter half-written for so long but I couldn't find the time or energy to finish it. I'm very very busy with the end of the school year and exams and stuff. But good news! This is the second to last chapter. The final chapter is being written and hopefully, I'll have it posted on time (fingers crossed).

But what do you think? Couldn't let this book end without a bit more drama XD

Stay tuned for more insanity and thank you so much for reading!

Please vote, share, and comment if you like it :)