Mateless and Home Bound

Chapter 56: Friendship

The whole pack felt the shifting of the leadership. It wasn't everyday that it happened like that. Normally, there would be a giant celebration where everyone would give their blessings for the new reign. There would be food and laughter and dancing.

Now all he felt was a heaviness. It didn't take long to realize that it was the heaviness of the pack. They had all been waiting for some kind of news about their Luna. They were all praying for some kind of sign that this would all wind up being alright. Hardly any of them slept well at night because of it.

The guard was raised to the max, everyone pushing themselves to find and kill the rest of the hunters. They didn't even know how many there were. All they knew was that they had to find them. They wanted revenge for what those monsters did to their Luna. The council took care of the warriors, while Grandpa Leo took care of the paperwork, along with anything else. Him and Reggie told him that they would handle it, but he refused, saying that it was the least that he could do at the moment.

Eric walked down the halls slowly, feeling the heaviness that the pack was under. Pop had been too worried to see just how upset the pack was. Eric didn't blame him, though. He had never seen Dad that hurt before.

He wasn't getting better.

The main room that the event happened was where he walked to. The council followed him there, curious for answers. His personal council was too young to take leadership. They hadn't even figured out an official Delta or Gamma for the council yet. He knew one thing, though. He needed Reggie on his council for now. He was the best at strategizing. And he needed some kind of plan for all of this.

Those purple eyes hit his right as he walked in. They looked shocked. But it only took one second for him to notice the heaviness of the situation. Those eyes swirled with questions, as he was sure the council's did as well. But this wasn't the place for it. Eric motioned for them all to go outside, through the doors that had broken due to the warriors that had shifted fast to make it to the hunters. Everyone was too confused and scared to even think about fixing that room. Most avoided it altogether.

The outside was frigid. The wind greeted them strongly, nipping at their noses and blasting their hair away from them. Winter had indeed come early, and it was the coldest winter that Eric had ever had. No amount of sunshine could warm up this house they were walking out of.

He waited a few seconds as everyone gathered around him. He was still trying to look for the right words, himself. There were so many thoughts going through his head, but the image of his dad laying on the bed, pale and thin, stayed at the front of it.

"He's dying," Eric said. He had no idea how he was able to get those words out. It felt like a knife in his chest when he spoke them. He never would have thought that he would see the day that he would have to say those words. At least, not so soon. Dad wasn't that old. Sure, they had been worried about his back at one point, but no one was ever afraid of him losing his life so soon.

He looked up at all the ones who had followed him outside. The council that was his Pop's all looked at him with remorse. Tyler, Ed, and Sam looked as if they couldn't believe what had just happened. While Leah put her hand to her mouth to try and cover her sobs.

"He gave the title to you?" Tyler asked.

"Temporarily," Eric told him, straightening his back and squaring his shoulders. "He has given me leadership while Dad rests. He's too weak to lead at the moment."

"An Alpha without a Luna always is," Martha came from the house to speak with them. Her old grey eyes looked sad as they recalled a memory. "Their Lunas are what gives them strength, even when the world is against them. Without them, the Alpha is wounded."