I kept my eyes on the sun, and watched as it disappeared beyond the thick foliage of the surrounding trees; the sky turning from a brilliant blue to shades of orange and yellow. It was almost time, wolves were running here and there setting everything up, the pyre was being built very artfully too, not a mess of sticks and dried leaves, each log was laid and place in particular order at least we will have the dignity of a proper send off, however as legend goes, without a head we will be stuck here unable to find our way to the afterlife. It doesn't matter whether or not I believe in our legends and myths anymore, if I don't make it out of this then I will know one way or another if I should've feared how I died.
I turn my head to look at Cooper, he had his eyes closed, resting his head against the pole behind him. I watched as his chest rose and fell, resting his arms on his knees that were tucked up near his chest. He wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for me, I couldn't help but feel the guilt that now tugged at my heart, not just for this situation but for every situation where I have caused someone to be harmed. Against my will, the scene from Keith's death flashed across my mind, a life lost because I was too weak to take on the demon wolf.
"I'm sorry" I whisper under my breath, looking down at the ground in front of me, I was apologizing to Cooper, to Keith, to Eric, to Taylor, to Amber, To Lorraine. To everyone who has been effected by this senseless war, even before it was a war.
"There's no point in apologizing for something that isn't your fault" Cooper voiced beside me, I looked at him and his eyes were still closed, remaining still and calm despite the fact I haven't been able to come up with anything to get us out of this.
"It may not be all my doing but Keith would still be alive if I hadn't taken him from the bunker" I explained,
"You can't look back at the past, the what if will keep you rooted there, but you can't change what happened and you will never know the outcome if you had done something different so there is no point to dwell on things that can no longer be changed. You need to focus on the here and now, not the past, not the future, the minutes that are currently ticking away, that's where we are, that's what we need to focus on" he made it sound so easy, but he didn't know what it was like to watch the nightmare that was now my life through my eyes, had no idea of the pressure I constantly feel to do the right thing even if it means breaking away from everything I had known. Now I was here, awaiting my execution and all I can do is look back on my past actions and wonder what if I had done things differently, would the outcome be changed?
I closed my eyes and tried to feel out for Holden but I didn't get any reply, not a feeling or word, I could even latch onto his heartbeat, it was silent and I started to worry, why wasn't he there, what was he doing? I knew he was still alive, he wasn't injured or in pain he just wasn't there.
Voices started to fill the empty air as wolves returned from patrol, appearing from the tree line, making their way to the pack house, it was time. I looked at Cooper who had opened his eyes now and was staring at me, if he felt panic he was doing a good job at hiding it, but we both registered what was happening at the same time and I couldn't help my heart beat quickening. I needed to get us out of here, I tested the cuffs again but my skin was too badly burnt and injured for me to do anything. I leant on the post and rose to my feet, not wishing to give them even an inch of me underneath them, Cooper followed my movements, both of us standing as the wolves passed, giving us dirty looks, spitting at our feet, making comments to themselves. The sky took on the colors of the evening, the soft blue blending with orange and yellow as the sun continued it's decent.
We weren't alone anymore, wolves were running back and forth continuing the preparations, but I noticed the crowd started getting bigger as wolves took their spots below the stage. Staring and talking, waiting for the Alpha to show, so many of them looked as though they they relished the fact that we were to be executed, we were once family, comrades in arms and now they wanted to sentence us to death, for reasons they don't even understand, if only they could understand. The crowd hushed and I looked towards the direction of their stares, there he was, standing at the edge of the porch, dressed in a sapphire suit, immaculately dressed right down to the cufflinks, not a hair out of place. Beside him was our Luna, her hair down nicely, wearing a matching gown, but not smile grace her beautiful face, her eyes hid shadows, her shoulders that once stood tall and proud now hunched a little, as if she was shrinking, shying away from the man she loved, bad thoughts entered my head but even if the Alpha had killed that woman, would he so ruthless to lay a hand on his wife? On the other side of him was Cohen, he was a low rider, nothing compared to the higher ranking wolves, but with most of them defecting to join Alpha Vicera the Alpha didn't have many people to turn too. Cohen was dressed in a black button down and black dress pants, his hair gelled to stay firmly in place, he stood tall and proud beside the Alpha he's spent most of his life trying to suck up too. Laying across the top of his open palms was the Sword of Justice, in all it's blaze and glory, the legendary sword that was going to end our lives.
Alpha Knight waited for silence to fall over the crowd before descending the staircase, making sure to grab his wife's hand as he pulled her along in submissive obedience, her head never rising, not even look at Cooper and I, it was as if she was a shell of her former self. The three walked in sync but always was Alpha Knight the center of attention and the first one to ascended onto the stage that had been designed to showcase our death. Looking out over the crowd, he took a deep breath and let out a sorrowful sigh, my eyes rolled on instinct at the gold star performance he was giving.
"We all know why we are here tonight" he started, his voice carrying beyond the tree line and into the forest, growing in volume so it can be heard from the heavens.
"We have a traitor in the pack. For years she rose in the ranks, bringing honor to herself and her family, to our pack, she was a warrior, a fighter, someone to be envied and looked up too, to set an example for the new generation. What a disappointment" eyes turned and burned holes in me, but the Alpha did not even acknowledge my physical existence just a few meter's away, he was in his element.
"Lily Dexter, has not only proven that our trust in her was misplaced but that she would choose our enemy over her own family. With countless grievances that have been compiled against it is no wonder that this is the outcome. A war that has been brought to our front door has been centered around one girl claiming to be the Infinite White, a savior to wolf kind when all she has been doing is bringing about it's destruction, colluding with the enemy on numerous occasions. She has blatantly disregarded the orders of her Alpha and done underhanded dealings which ultimately lead to the escape and then death of a hunter" I was torn, part of me wanted to listen to the lies, to be appalled by his performance but the other part of me wished to lose myself in my mind, to reach for Holden and find him there, but even if I did that, there was no guarantee he would be there, the bond has been silent for a while and I didn't even have the time or energy to be worried about.
"Not only has she betrayed us but she has recruited for her own pack, using her bond with my son the future Alpha, she enlisted the help of two of our loyal wolves, Cooper and Roland and for this Cooper also faces the same end and the hunt for Roland is still ongoing. She has brought deceit and decent to our pack and I plan on weeding her and her influence out of our lives and out of existence and start to rebuild what she broke and make the Sapphire Shadows pack bigger and stronger than it ever has been before." I looked over at Cooper, he was trying hard to hide his fear but I could still see it, his eyes couldn't be hidden from me, nor the emotion that lie within them. I had to save him.
I hadn't been paying attention, for a split second I didn't know what was going on, until I saw four wolves walk over to Cooper and start to uncuff him. I heard him grunt as he tried to push and fight his way out of the vice grip the four wolves had on him but he couldn't, we were weakened from prolonged exposure to the silver cuffs.
"No!" I shout, my hearted pounding loud in my ears, my body reacting to the fear and terror that now flooded my body, I started to shake, my vision getting blurry.
"No, take me, it's meant to be me" I scream, but nobody pays attention, Cooper continues to fight but he doesn't manage to make any progress. I ignore the pain in my wrist as I rise to my feet, being given a good view of the podium, I watched as they forced Cooper to his knees, Coopers eyes never leaving mine which were now trying to force back the tears.
"Stop" I shout hoping I could get anybody to listen to me, but nobody was interested, we were traitors, liars, betrayers, nobody would show us sympathy, they would watch us die.
Alpha Knight reached for the Sword of Justice, his hand laying upon the hilt, but a growl caught his attention, caught everybody's attention, in the tree line that held nothing but black beyond it were glowing eyes, all along the tree line, they appeared out of nowhere, how did we not hear them? How did we not smell them?
"Don't worry Lil, I'm here" I hear Holden's voice through the bond and my body shuttered in relief when I let out a crying in happiness, I looked at Cooper who read it on my face and his eyes softened a bit, my eyes flicked to the Alpha's who were now looking at me red with rage.
"Your son is here" I announce, everybody turned to stare from the Alpha to the tree line where Alpha Vicera and Holden stepped out in human form but the rest of the wolves had already transformed ready to fight.
They walked a few meters out of the tree line, no close enough to be victims of a surprise attack.
"We did not come here to fight" Alpha Vicera announced,
"But we will if you do not hand over Lily and Cooper" Holden added,
"This is a pack matter, outsiders are not permitted" Alpha Knight, deepened his voice, asserting his authority,
"When it comes to the life of the Infinite White, it is a matter for all packs. Taking her life means declaring war, you won't just be fighting the Night Blood Pack, you'll be fighting all packs. The Sapphire Shadow pack may have been the biggest and the strongest but many of defected, your pack is weak and vulnerable, you will not survive. Surrender and we will let you and your pack live in peace, whilst me and mine will take care of the hunter threat and we shall all live in peace" to anybody listening it was a good offer but the one listening was Alpha Knight and he had secrets he had to keep and he would sacrifice this entire pack to make sure it stayed hidden.
"I will not be challenged by someone inferior, the Sapphire Shadow pack has always and will always be the strongest pack and today we will prove it" no command was given but the wolves gathered for the execution all transformed one by one, turning their backs on the podium they began charging towards the other wolves. Holden and Alpha Vicera seeing the attack of war, shifted giving the other wolves in the tree line the cue to attack. It was carnage, wolves on wolves, blood on blood, we were once a family, allies now enemies and I couldn't understand it, how Alpha Knight could allow this to happen, be ok with what is happening. Yelps and howls sounded throughout the still night, blood flowed. I drew my eyes away from the battle to find Cooper, struggling against Cohen and another wolf, as the Alpha gripped the Sword of Justice in his hands ready to swing.
Something snapped inside of me, exploding through my veins, a heat, a fire, I hadn't felt before, an anger was about to be released.
"STOP!" my voice was loud and low, authoritative, I shocked myself, it was like the world stopped, there was silence, the Wolves had stopped fighting, their animal eyes now trained on me, on the podium, Cooper looked at me in awe as Cohen let go of him. Alpha Knight struggled under the command but eventually he lowered the sword and dropped it beside him. What was happening? Something had changed, the pain in my wrist had subsided and I tested out the cuffs, with a little strength the cuffs snapped off, I looked down to inspect my wrists to see the scars quickly healing. I inspected myself, the canines were sharper, my nails longer, pulling my hair to the side, it was white, I had transformed again, into the Infinite White, into the Alpha, only it wasn't a product of fear, this felt different, permanent. I raced up onto the podium, grabbing Cooper out of harms way, I pulled him behind me, I raised my leg and kicked Cohen off the stage before grabbing the Sword of Justice and pointing it at Alpha Knight.
"I'm the Alpha now, kneel" I command me and onto his knees he fell, his eyes looking at me with hatred.
"Change" I told the other wolves and instantly fur gave way to skin and a sea of naked bodies stood before me.
"Have you forgotten who we are?" I shout, "We are wolves, we fight with each other, we fight for each other, our enemies are Hunters, not one another. Alpha Knight was correct when he said this pack was full of lies and betrayal but I'm going to set the record straight. My pack, my family, were ready to crucify me based upon the words of a man that we all should have trusted, a man we would have followed into war, but this man, is the biggest deceiver of them all and I need you all to understand why I have done the things I have done and also why the Alpha was adamant to silence me" they stood there staring up at me, unsure how to feel, what to do, they were naked, confused, the irresponsible, carefree girl they knew was no longer who they saw before them, I was an Alpha, an Alpha of Alpha's and I was unsure of what to do next.