lphas Second Choice novel Chapter 17

Chapter 8

Tension gripped everyone present.

The atmosphere in the arena grew heavy and stifling.

They all hoped for a miracle, for me to pull through.

But reality is often cruel, and miracles are rare.

Perhaps that young girl Hazel had also hoped for a miracle, that her own brother would show her mercy.

But it never came. She remained forever in that summer.

With a long, flat beep from the machine, my electrocardiogram showed a straight line.

I was just too tired, and needed a long, long rest. It was time for this farce to end.

“Hazel, I’m coming to find you.”

I seemed to see Hazel standing in a field of sunlight, waving to me.

I ran toward her, threw my arms around her, and told her how much I had missed her.

Then, hand in hand, we walked forward together, down the path ahead…

The witch turned to Finn, her voice heavy with regret. “I’m sorry. I did everything I could.”

Finn broke down, sobbing like a child who had lost his most precious toy. The realization of what he had

done, that he had driven away the one who loved him most, crashed down upon him.

The live broadcast of this tragedy concluded, but it was not the end of the story.

Using the evidence from the memory judgment, the pack enforcers quickly launched a manhunt for the

fugitive, Bruno.

Cooperating with enforcers from the Northern Territory, they located him.

He was eventually apprehended while partying at a strip club, completely oblivious to the events that had unfolded, a testament to Alpha Rex’s indulgence toward his son.

Luna Ruby could no longer bear to look at her husband.

She severed the mate bond with Alpha Rex.

Under the weight of the immense shock and grief, she suffered a mental breakdown and was admitted to a

psychiatric facility.

There, she would constantly mutter, “Hazel, Hazel, my baby…”

Sometimes she would cry and say, “I’m sorry, Hazel. This is my fault. I should never have brought you back to

Chapter 8

15.04%

the pack…”

Her mental state remained highly unstable, leaving her unable to communicate coherently..

Meanwhile, the Bloodmoon Pack’s reputation plummeted because of the scandal.

Pack members chose to leave and join other packs.

Overnight, the once most powerful pack in the werewolf realm virtually vanished.

Finn, drowning in his own grief and remorse, ignored all these changes.

He lost himself in alcohol day after day.

He also received a summons from the werewolf tribunal.

His actions toward me constituted a crime, a violation of the Alpha code, and he would have to face the

consequences.

Every day, Finn would go to the pack cemetery, sit by my headstone, and drink until he was utterly wasted.

He would weep, begging for my forgiveness, wishing I would visit him in his dreams.

One night, on his way back to the pack quarters, he was robbed by rogues who had caught wind of his

situation.

They targeted his watch. He refused to give it up, fighting back desperately.

He was stabbed more than a dozen times.

He managed to protect the watch, but by the time he reached the pack hospital, he was gone.

The watch itself wasn’t particularly valuable. People wondered how the former Alpha Finn had fallen so low.

Only he knew the truth that watch was a gift I had given him for his coming–of–age birthday.

I stood before Hazel’s grave, placing a bouquet of daisies and lilies, her favorites, alongside a bottle of cherry cola.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Hazel asked, taking a big gulp of cola as we sat in the

treehouse watching the sunset.

“Me? I haven’t really thought about it. Have you?” I replied, looking at her.

“Funny, neither have I,” she said.

We both laughed.

“I hope kids like us, the ones with no real home and pack, can all find someone who truly cares about them,”

she said suddenly, her tone turning serious as she drank her cola.

Chapter 8

15.04%

I was caught off guard for a moment, then smiled and snatched her cola.

“Since when do you talk so seriously, especially while drinking cola? Let me see if this is actually tequila in

here!”

“That’s just an excuse! You just want to steal my cola!” she yelled, springing up to chase me.

Remembering those happiest memories of my life, I wiped away my tears. Someone handed me a

handkerchief.

“It’s time to leave this place behind. Forget everything and start a new life,” the witch said.

She handed me a bulging bag, likely filled with supplies and money.

“Thank you,” I said, accepting it. “Thank you for saving me, for faking my death.”

“You deserve to live a better life,” she said, turning to leave. “Goodbye.”

I watched her figure retreat.

My gaze returned to Hazel’s headstone. I dried my tears and smiled at it.

“Goodbye, Hazel.”

“See you on the other side.”