Chapter Five

Lucy’s POV

Chaos fell upon the hall like a cloud of dense fog, blinding those present. I rushed to my feet, nearly stumbling over my feet in the wild scramble to get away from the scene. Blood pounded in my ears, drowning out the sounds of people talking.

One of Daven’s sons barked an order to the other two before rushing off in the direction of the shattered window where the deadly arrow had come in through.

Daven's body laid motionless on his chair. The chair that he always sat in when addressing the pack members—the chair that singled him out as the Alpha of Moongrowl.

If only he could have known that his fate would have been cut short when he also sat in it.

His lifeless eyes burned into my brain, and I could just tell that this very scene would give me nightmares for weeks.

Someone roughly dragged me by the elbow, pulling me towards the exit of the hall. My mind detached from my thoughts and focused on the present.

“W-what?”

Somehow, I could just tell who he was from his other two brothers. They shared the same face, but they didn't have the same aura.

“Stop standing around like an idiot and get out of here!” he said harshly, throwing me out of the hall like I was nothing but a flimsy piece of meat.

One of the guards outside caught me, stopping me from falling flat on my face. For some reason, my legs weren't acting right.

“Take her away from here,” Shaun growled. He didn't even wait for a split second before rushing past us to follow his brother.

I only caught a glimpse of fur bursting out of his skin before the guard gently nudged me forward in the opposite direction. “Miss, it's time to go.”

——

In my anger and frustration, I had thrown a glass vase across the room and watched it shatter into numerous little fragments. The shards paid homage to my own broken plans and hopes.

Daven had somehow brought his sons back, and now they risked ruining everything I had been working so hard to put together. What a humorous twist of fate. From the frying pan and into the fire.

Three grown men to watch over me? From the way they had regarded me back in that hall they were more likely to sink their teeth into my flesh and rip me apart than protect me.

I knelt down before the glass shards, and picked one up to show it to the sunlight streaming in through the window. “There has to be something I can do,” I whispered to myself, biting back the frustrated tears pressing at my eyes.

My people were relying on me to free them, and I couldn't afford to let them down.

“No. I won't let them.” I rose to my feet, filled with a new resolve. I covered the glass shard in my hand and folded my fist around it—hard. I barely flinched when I felt it pierce my skin.

“I will come out on top.”

——

The pack remained abuzz with news of Daven's assassination, as well as the return of his triplet sons. Apparently, grief and awe could coexist, because whenever I heard someone talking about the death of the Alpha, it was always punctuated with the mention of his sons. Somehow, even in less than five days, people had started looking up to them as the saviours that would avenge their father and save the pack from the hidden evils prowling about.

No one ever for once, questioned how I felt about the whole thing. Not that I could blame them; all they saw when their gazes fell upon me was a clueless young woman who knew nothing about leading a whole pack. A woman who was only good enough for bedding by their dead Alpha.

Daven's Beta addressed us—the triplets and I—a few days after the gruelling event. Informing us about the leadership of the pack and what Daven's death meant for all of us.

“With the Alpha gone, it's imperative that his role is filled as soon as possible,” he said calmly. He was dressed in black to pay homage to the loss of his Alpha, who I suspected was probably his closest friend as well. A crease had appeared between his eyebrows since he went to check Daven's lifeless body, and hadn't left since then.

Seth, who I had come to know by his usual cool demeanour and long hair usually kept in a low ponytail, was the first to speak up. “My brothers are getting impatient. I suggest you get to the point quickly, Ahmad.”

I liked the way they all pretended to not notice my presence. It made things easier for me. The more they underestimated me, the more energized I became.

The Beta went quiet. His eyes brushed mine for a split second before he took a deep breath.

As Daven's wife, obviously I had rights to be Luna, that much was certain. He had triplets sons, and while one of them could have just been selected to lead, I didn't think he had enough knowledge about each one of them to select who would take his place.

Heat started to pool in my neck and forehead as we all waited for the Beta to speak up.

A thought struck me.

No! He couldn't have, could he?

“It seems that the Alpha knew that his time was near. He instructed me to pass this on the moment he was no longer with us,” the Beta said, opening up a scroll in front of him.

“Oh, just get on with it already. I don't want this any more than my brothers do,” said Shaun impatiently. He turned, and out of the corner of my eyes I could feel his gaze burn into me. “Although I'm pretty sure that this gold-digging whore here would be very much glad to know if my father left anything else for her.”

His words stung me right to the core, but I remained quiet. He was obviously trying to bait me, but I wouldn't give in.

The Beta sighed and shook his head. From the look in his eyes, I could already tell that whatever came out of his mouth wasn't what I wanted to hear.

“The pack will operate with an oligarchical system for the next one year. After which it will truly be decided who deserves to lead this pack. From this moment on, the fate of Moongrowl lies in the hands of you four.”