Chapter Twenty
"We will be live in five!" The cameraman shouted out to us. I nervously adjusted my buttoned up shirt and tried to focus on the words I'd give my Nation for the last time.
Here in Cardinal Nation things seemed calm and at peace. It was nothing like back home. All hell had broken lose when the Pallid Nation had tried to take control of the streets.
The Alpha was trying to pressure the Nation to give me in, he would have no control nor command over the Cobalt Nation as long as a member in my family was Alpha. I was proud of my people for being the valiant and united lycans they were born to be. I felt a smile leave my lips as I thought about it.
I only hoped that my speech would give them the extra push they needed to finally be rid of the Pallid Nation for good. There was nothing more I wanted than to have my family back home again, safe and sound. Jeremiah's wife was near her due date and the last thing I wanted was for his child to be born in the middle of a war.
"Alpha Ardent, this way please, they are waiting for you." A crew member said. I stared at the bright color in his red hair. It was almost unbelievable to see how bright it looked, almost as if on fire. I was grateful for their kind hospitality. The majority of the Cardinal Nation lycans were hospitable people, who looked intimidating but once spoken to acted much like a sibling.
"Go get'em big brother, I trust that you will say the right thing." Jeremiah said.
I took him into a parting hug and then turned to follow after the man leading me into the studio. Taking a deep breath I walked over to the empty chair in front of a blue screen and took my seat.
The cameraman counted down and then finished by signaling with his fingers that I was live. This broadcast would reach my Nation and I was hoping that the Alpha from the Palling Nation was also watching this broadcast.
"This is Alpha Ardent and this message goes out to my people and any who befall to this war and threat that has come over us. I plead to those who are watching this broadcast to not give in. I may not be there to fight along your side but you have the power in you to stand up for your Nation and your loved ones. We are not considered the number one force to be reckon with for nothing. Show them what we are made of. The Pallid Nation has made a grotesque mistake walking into our land. Unite and stand together. Leave the Alpha to your leader, he's going to wish he never stepped a foot into our territory. To the Admiral, General, and any other commander who still live, give them hell."
The screen went black and there was suddenly an applause filling the small studio. Members of the Cardinal Nation stood by and nodded as I stood from the chair and made my way over to where my family untied.
"No better words could have been spoken son, I am proud of you." My father said, as he squeezed my shoulder and then took me in for a tight hug. I failed to smile as he looked me in the eye.
"Spoken like a true Alpha." My mother encouraged as she embraced me as well.
"You should all be resting, go, Jeremiah and I will catch up with you guys in a moment. We still have a lot to talk about." I said.
My father nodded and rubbed at his weary eyes. He gathered the family and together they proceeded to walk out the door. I watched as one by one slipped out and said my last goodbyes.
"Have you made the necessary preparations?" I asked. Jeremiah frowned but nodded as I walked past him towards the back exit of the small studio. There a driver awaited our arrival.
"I still think you should tell mom and dad." He said as we reached the car and slipped in.
"Look, I am not strong enough to face Dreven on my own, not without a bond between my Luna and I. We both know that's out of the question. The only solution to all of this is for me to hand my title over to you. You are married and have mated, you wear your wife's mark. The power you will receive will merge with the one you have now. It will make you nearly impossible to kill. Dreven won't stand a chance then." I explained.
"I wish Mindy would just stop being so stubborn." Jeremiah muttered.
"She needs to find her own path. We left her emotionally broken, brother. Cadet Rivers needs to find herself once again before she decides what she wants to do with her life. We cannot hold it against her." I advised.
"I shouldn't have gotten in the way. I should have helped you find the positive in staying with her. Instead, I taunted you for having left her. I failed you as a brother, we wouldn't be in this mess if I hadn't stood in the way. I should have tried to convince you." Jeremiah said in a defeated tone.
"You were a teenager, and you thought you loved her. I don't hold it against you. I will admit I wanted to fight for her but seeing you two together...you were both happy. I had made my bed and I had no other choice but to lie in it. It is what it is." I replied.
"That may be, but I think you've suffered enough. This shouldn't be the way things end." Jeremiah argued.
"Look at it this way. They are not ending, they have just begun. Do the right thing, be fair and noble. Do not take anything for granted, treat your children with respect and admiration. Don't allow them to be raised the way I was. Let life and experiences teach them lessons that will help them on their journey to mature. And love them, with all of your might." I advised.
Jeremiah took a deep breath and then exhaled with a shaky aftermath. I knew it was a lot of pressure to place over his head, but I was also glad that he understood why things needed to be done this way.
The car came to a halt before the private home the Cardinal Alpha had personally chosen. Slipping out of the car I walked in with confidence and greeted the five women that would assist us, along with the Alpha of the pack and a few bodyguards.
Alpha Derrick Meyers greeted me with a pressed smile as he reached to shake my hand. "Gentlemen, I can't say that this makes me happy. I wish there were other means of solving this problem. But we all know an Alpha cannot be dethrone by a mere Beta or lycan, it takes one of us to do it." He said.
"Unfortunately." I replied.
"This way, we have made all the necessary preparations. These five women you see here are Cardinal's best doctors. You'd think men would rule supreme, but our women seem to have a knack for intelligence on a higher level than us men. They've helped secure our borders for nearly a hundred years now." He said.
I looked about the small one story, private home. There wasn't a single painting in sigh not a pot. It was completely vacant. Only white walls and solid hard wood floors stared back at us as we made our way into a room. The door closed behind us and the guards took their position all around the house before we began. I felt my heart slamming inside my chest as I turned to look at all seven people looking right at me.
"I am deeply sorry to hear about your wife and son, Alpha Ardent." Derrick said. I nodded as a sign of gratitude.
"Thank you for offering my family shelter, I hope that this is the beginning of a new friendship between our packs." I said.
"You have my word, and no harm will befall your family so long as they remain under my watch. I will be outside with the men, I wish you nothing but luck." He said before walking out.
The door closed and the doctors proceeded to have Jeremiah and I strip from our shirts and lie on the two single beds containing restraints. I laid my head over the plush pillow and tried to keep my heart steady as I closed my eyes and felt the women strapping my legs and arms to the bed.
"I hope mom and dad understand. Tell them I love them and that I couldn't have asked for better parents such as them. I want them to know that I am sorry that I didn't consult this with them, but I knew they would disagree if I did."
"I will, I promise." Jeremiah muttered. I could hear his voice break and it was then that I turned to look at him. Tears pooled in his eyes as he looked at me. He fought to keep a stern face but failed as his tears spilled.
"I love you brother." I whispered.
"Alright, Alpha Ardent, whenever you are ready." One of the female doctors said.
"Wait, Gunner...there has to be another way. I can't let you go through with this." Jeremiah protested.
Taking a deep breath I settled my head back and closed my eyes, leaving Jeremiah to protest and fight against the restraints holding him down.
"Here goes nothing." Talen said. I felt a smirk leave my lips as I felt him course through my veins.
"Take good care of him." I replied.
"I, Alpha Gunner Ardent do hereby hand over my title as Alpha to my Beta, Jeremiah Ardent. Let he be the one to rule over my Nation and my people!" I said loud and clear. The sudden electrical shock filling my body forced a scream from my lips as I felt Talen being split from my very soul. I could hear my brother's cries as he received what I was slowly losing.
"Brother, Stop!"
I kept pushing feeling my wolf being torn from every fiber of my being. I couldn't help but wither and scream as the last of my strength finally left my body. I collapsed back onto the bed. With weary eyes the last I would ever witness was my brother standing over me, his eyes blazing a fiery blue.