Ravyn left the city as soon as he ended his last call with his father. Arriving at the pack, he was ashamed to find things moving as before, the pack members going about their duties, the routines still in place.
Clearly, his parents and two friends had been doing a good job in his absence. But now, he felt the need to step back into his Alpha shoes, to reclaim the position he had abandoned.
If nothing at all, he would do it for his daughter. That thought was the only thing that anchored him, the only light in the darkness of his guilt.
It was dinner time when he arrived, and only then did he realize how famished he was. Due to all the terrible dreams of his past, food had tasted like bitter pills for weeks, each meal a chore rather than a pleasure.
But right now, he felt the zeal to take care of himself and rebuild his pack. For Espe. For the future.
"Ravyn, what do you intend to do with Noelle and Chuck?" His father suddenly asked, the question cutting through the silence.
Ravyn froze, his fork hovering mid-air. "Aren’t they dead?" That was what he had assumed, what he had hoped. The betrayal still burned fresh in his memory.
But his father shook his head slowly, his expression grim. "No. They were taken to the hospital and are still there."
Ravyn’s jaw tightened. He quickly mind linked the whole pack, his voice echoing in their minds with command. ’Everyone, gather at the pack ground. Now.’
Pack members were stunned to hear from their Alpha, the first time in what felt like an eternity. Everyone hastened, their footsteps pounding against the earth as they converged on the central grounds.
Ravyn asked Riven and Gray, his voice carrying a note of urgency. "Are you two willing to be my betas?"
The two eagerly agreed, their faces lighting up with hope. His father sighed with relief, the tension in his shoulders easing.
It was good that Ravyn was ready to take over his position. If kept busy, he wouldn’t go looking for trouble, wouldn’t drown in his own despair.
"Alright then." Ravyn nodded, his mind already racing with plans. "We can’t have a ceremony any time soon. The pack finances are stressed—"
Riven cut in, his voice firm. "We can just go through the ritual. No need for a ceremony. We just need our best friend and Alpha back."
Ravyn was glad for the simplicity. He informed them, his voice cold and authoritative. "Please bring Noelle and Chuck to the pack ground."
Their meals were left unfinished as they all hastened outside. The pack ground filled with bodies, the murmurs of confusion rippling through the crowd. Ravyn waited for his two friends to arrive with Noelle and Chuck, his patience growing thin.
When they finally appeared, dragged by warriors on either side, Ravyn’s blood ran cold. Seeing their condition, he instantly knew Voren was the one who had done this to them.
The brutality was unmistakable—the same ruthlessness he had seen in his former best friend’s eyes.
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