that drove me to curse myself for being practical with the situation at hand. I'd gotten what I always chased after on a silver platter. However, it wasn't everything I desired or close enough for that matter. But the principle behind my practicality was that Malik had fought me all his life. Despite where the stars aligned themselves, he'd never been mine or given me the grace to try.

At the poignant logic, I fisted a perturbed hand through my hair as he and I ascended the staircase to the court's stage. In full view we saw Jenna towering over our pack Oracle's crouched body; palms clamped, lips moving in an ancient hymn, I'm sure had both sets of my grandparents rolling in their graves.

The crowd was mute and her witches were in a precise circle, the lot of them in dark robes that blanketed every part of their frames. An appropriate aesthetic for their sinister magic. Sink or swim the end was inevitable, so I braced for my drowning and stanced for it to be done now, for I would never be ready.

The hymning slowed, a verse in a plea was held to the moon by the two of them. After that, Jenna's witches dispersed out of the circle and levitated back to their seats. Malik's breath hitched with an anxious note and my soul ached with intense, liquified grief.

The Oracle raised her head to acknowledge our presence, with study. Her mouth pursed in a frown before she swivelled towards me and bent in submission, "My Alpha."

Sound carried as the crowd accompanied her bow, as I sought the direction of all lined personnel leading to my parents. My mother had spelt out that she did not advocate my surrender, regardless of reasons. My Dad had taken a minute to measure my decision and although he was not sold on the idea. He had at least taken the case behind me. Because for the past few days, the Council had been holding pack stability meetings and debates. About our future and the risk of liaising with the enemy - Jenna and witches, in general.

The existence of witches was a well-contained secret rigorously kept from our kind for a reason. So, yes, I empathized with their apprehensions, but they were factors they were not including in the equation.

After multiple talks with Dad and his personnel, they comprehended the pressure of the situation from my end. That is how his delegate had resolved debate with the senior council members. To a point where in the outcome, they all concurred that an Alpha with a reluctant, contrary mate was a poorer fate for the pack. Than an Alpha with no mate or a replacement mate. At least Jenna's help could ensure my Alpha a full merge that, yes, would never be the same as a mate's energy. But it would be close enough, with Malik's wolf merged with mine within me.

I searched the reserved area and found my siblings on their knees. Unlike the crowd, their glossy eyes were on me, with pity. Every one of my family threw me a curt nod, which I received straight to my heart with hope in the abundance of their support.

After The Oracle, my lead personnel were the first to lift off their knees and direct supportive nods at me as one by one they strode off the podium. With Tyler in the lead.

I felt a presence to my left and tried not to soak in Malik's guilt-ridden appearance and scent.

It was foolish to believe that perhaps he had feelings for me. But the trust, as bitter and emotional it was to face. He had expressed, in his essence, that he didn't like me as a person. Let alone as a lifelong partner in the way that mattered. We were of the moon; sex meant little to us as it did to humans. There was nothing to read into what he had said in the throes of passion. Especially considering it was his first time to experience love expressed physically. I let that sink in as I approached the fire that had been lit by Jenna's witchy fingers at the centre of the tall platform.

The pack knelt on both knees and cried a chant of Alpha praise, even though I hadn't yet been coroneted. It lent me strength, that they still trusted me even with all this chaos I had brought onto the pack.

Jenna whistled for the pack's undivided attention her eyes full of purpose and when her arms lowered. Billows of colored fire erupted as though a dose of petroleum had been thrust into it. Two witches returned to the platform, each by her side, slit to draw blood from their palms in rhythm with their thornfull chanting. Until they stopped and Jenna beckoned me to approach. "It is time, my beloved nephew."

The crowd pressed fists across their chests. Howling once, then twice all in solidarity with me.

Jenna took my wrists first in her surprisingly cold hands despite the fire with which they were shooting not so long ago. Her eyes lit back with their blue - the only trait she shared with the rest of the family. Uncertainty enveloped her features but despite that, she beckoned Malik to approach. When he did the crowd arose off their kneels, and pumped the air with their fists snarling and marbling with the disapproval of him.

My father's single howl on the mind link connected to everyone.

I understood his need to get the ceremony over with.

He didn't have time to waste, seeing as how he had scheduled a meeting to attend soon. With three other pack Alphas. One was a she Alpha that was also a recent widow, the other was an Alpha whose mate had died of natural causes and the other was a young Alpha whose mate had turned out to be human. Under the advisement of the council, pioneered by its Legal and foreign relationships branches. The mission to match a replacement mate amongst these three Alphas was already in motion.

Malik approached with slow steps, and I fought the urge to check on him.

By effect, I related with my father by wanting the ceremony over with as well. Because I was feeling too many things. Worrying that I'd never get over Malik and carrying the burden of unbearable guilt on my shame.

"Come, come" Jenna wiggled her ring wrapped fingers, beckoning Malik. "I don't bite."

When he finally approached, she grasped his wrist, closed her eyes and started some magic I never knew. I almost made the mistake of looking his way. Thankfully, I caught myself in time and looked away. Minutes later, the Oracle approached as though something wasn't right. "What's the holdup?" head tilted, voice low so it wouldn't carry into the crowd. Her question was directed at whatever Jenna was doing with Malik.

"One second," Jenna answered, just as low but angered enough that the ends of her hair turned rouge red. It was then I risked a look at him and watched as Jenna stroked his slim wrist. She tapped three times and felt at the pulse point, even as her eyes were cut mine instead of his. She continued to mumble and rub in some magical fluid with urgency. Seconds later, she brought her nose down to sniff out his wrist. All the while, her eyes were glowing with a feature I couldn't name and for a second, I was thrown off my axis. So I straightened my back, mindful of my posture in case I had to fight.

One of her witches jumped on the platform and pushed me forward by my back so I would be closer to Jenna. By that point, she had ignited an angry bolt of fire in her free hand as the other was wounded tightly around Malik's.

Her witch squizzed and by reflex, I reached over my shoulder, bent my knees and spun the evil entity over my head and down to the floor. Either the witch was not skilled in fighting or they knew I wasn't a threat. Because overpowering them was of very little effort and they didn't even fight back when I placed a boot on top of their chest to keep them down.

I looked up and saw Jenna approach me with a dangerous trail of fire in her wake.

My lead three and their teams and stood postured and armed for war.

Her coven girls followed suit, held hands and began a recital, which I think lit a circle of fire around the edges of the podium. The crowd gasped with fascination, but most of them remained seated. I could tell they thought this was part of the ceremony. But I could feel that something was very wrong and Jenna was not happy about it.

The Oracle looked confused but not clueless as she soothed Malik's wrists.

"You break my heart Brady," Jenna sang. "The gods are not blind or deaf you know?"

"What heart?" I meant my question." Are you stalling the ceremony? Is this what it is? Dragging it out to hurt me or as revenge for what you blame everyone but yourself?"

She scoffed bitterly. "This is what you people don't get. It's not all about you. This is about me and my son." her eyes loomed over mine with cruel intent. A fiery orange flecked glaze swam in them as the smell of smoke enveloped the room. Reeking her scent and terrible things to come.

"Of course." I wore sincerity in my tone. "How's your bastard doing?"

The fire stopped, with the pause in her strut.

The crowd silenced itself with bated breaths. They couldn't hear us. They didn't and would never know about the Alpha family history.

"That bastard is your cousin." she gathered herself and padded through the space, moving closer to me. A slither in her walk like the Amazonian python rumors said her son kept under his bed. She slithered along with complete purpose and pulsating neon veins. Fists clenching and unclenching with dancing bolts of fire that kept growing in width and length with every fresh unclench. "That bastard will lead your people. Just wait and see. Or better yet..."

I dodged her bullet of fire.

That very instance her drudges bolted up to her, hands on her arms one after the other. They each piled in and bowed down to her. Pleading for something I was neither aware of nor cared too much about, though I should have, because that last bolt may have killed me.

That's when the Oracle and three other werewolves from the Seer office intervened. "If something has gone wrong, say it. And you three, back to your seats now."

The witches scurried off after Jenna allowed them.

Without answering the Oracle, she demanded Malik and grabbed him by the back of his loosened hair. So to inhale the scent from his wrist and twice from the crook of his covered neck. On the third sniff, she scrambled and shoved him down on the floor pretty harshly. Then finally answered the Oracle, "Scent him!"

The Oracle did and faced me but didn't speak a word.

Jenna took charge and screamed in my face through gritted teeth. "What did you do!!"

The Oracle looked like she also wanted to know.

"Nothing!" At least that's what I thought.

She screamed again and I stepped forward, releasing a bolted pent-up frustrated roar back in her face. Even to my own ears, my roar sounded thick with command. The measure of vitality it carried was intensely and intently god-like... just like my Father's.

The pack, Malik included, knelt and bowed with complete surrender in their submission, exclusively reserved for an Alpha.

She whimpered at the power and I took advantage to ask, "Can you break it already?" I avoided looking at Malik, but the waft of pain and discouragement was unmistakable on him.

The sooner it was over, the sooner he would break free. From the prison of his feelings dictated on him for me. Also the sooner it was over, the sooner I could heal from him.

"You want that?" She cast me a poisonous but relieved glance. "You consent?"

"I'm here, aren't I?"

Her face scrunched, and all the fire simmered from her. "But I thought you... Malik is... I thought..." That was the first time I'd ever heart my Aunt stutter on her words. "...Ugh, Fine, offer me your wrist dear."

"Wait!" Malik wailed "Wait..." Pause "C-can I say something bef..." tears sprang and ran a freefall from his eyes.

Everyone on stage brushed him off.

"Please let Malik say something." his best friend pleaded from below the crowd.

I faced Jenna. "Can you speed this up?"

Jenna blinked, then smiled brightly. "Your wish is my command."

The crowd rejoiced my name in howls.

My heart raced with the loss of someone I never truly had.

The rest of the ceremony was carried out in a suspended fashion. With the entire thing passing like an unfeeling dream, one wouldn't remember even if they tried.

First, our claws were cut out and offered to the fire, and then bits of our fur followed. Coven drudges came on stage and united in thought and magic to hold Malik up in the air for the last bit. That would cut off the tether that held us together. They put him in slumber and made me kneel before him. With their guidance, I drew blood from his left wrist with my veneers, in order to access his dormant wolf. The pain of it woke him from whatever slumber he was under, but the coven witches held him down with magic. It pained me to hear his cries as his wolf disintegrated out of him into me with epically slow precision.

The ceremony dragged out for hours.

The room was silent, the quiet of it deafening. Save for the whimpers coming from the from seat where Danielle was. That littered the room when the entire thing was finished and announced.

A commotion ensued amongst the pack.

It was clear they were relieved I was free from a reluctant mate's obligation; the pack's weakest link had been successfully cut off.

"Done and done." Jenna announced, "I appreciate your compliance."

An elder took center stage to make public of their recent changes. "As you're all aware. The Larkatos have been relieved of their duties from the council." The elder carried on reminding the crowd of the logic behind their choice. They believed that whatever had gone wrong with Malik was due to the parenting failures.

Someone asked why Mateo, had been invited to the Council if that had been the case.

The elder explained that on the same degree, there had been parental success where Malik's brother was concerned. He also had merit and accolades they couldn't ignore, thus had been a good addition. When no one inquired the elder proceeded to notify everyone with handpicked details on how and why Hannez had been cast out to the band of witches. He further announced that Dani had been assigned rehabilitation classes along with Hannez's children under the pack's qualified therapists.

And now what was left was for Malik to be formally thrown out. Not even as a rogue since his wolf had been killed, but as a mere human. Who would have to answer to the gods upon his body and soul parting at some point.

The Oracle crawled to the back to position, crouched down in perfect form; hands clasped together, lips moving in one last prayer to the gods before Malik would officially be kicked out.

It wasn't compulsory I watch, and with that thought in mind, I chanced one last look at him before leaving. I thought I would be affected differently, but gods the man was...Beautiful wasn't the word that'd do justice to describing him even as his face was red and swollen from crying. But he wasn't mine to console anymore, in any way, and I desperately needed my heart to stop constricting with longing affection for him.

I had to stop.

We weren't mates anymore. So I wasn't supposed to feel that way about him anymore.

Time would heal all wounds.

I had to surrender all my trust in the gods plan. They wouldn't allow for this if they didn't have one good plan for me. All faith in the moon, I looked away from him cleared my throat. Readying to respectfully bid my gratitude and farewell to both the Council, the pack and my family.