Eternal Chains

EC 91: Return

Everything was progressing very fast and Zael has yet to accept all of it. After he was informed by Elder Leonides that he will be the next Alpha of Ceurian, of course, he resisted and complained. He even threw a temper of not going to work but the Elder was persistent and continued to encourage him to take the role and even the elders agreed to the proposal so Zael could do nothing about it any longer.

He could only watch as they became busy with the preparations for the ceremony of enthronement that they do whenever a new Alpha was to ascend the position. "Can I not do this?" he looked at his brother with a face that was going to cry. He was not comfortable at what was happening and he wanted to run away.

"You can't, you already accepted the elder's offer so you need to own up to it. I'll still be here to support you so you don't have to be so worried about it." Zayier answered him as calmly as he could because he too was a bit nervous for his brother. Although Zael seemed to be a little bit childish, he was still responsible but he was not confident that he can do the role of an Alpha.

"I know! It's just that being an Alpha and a Beta is vastly different." He threw his hands in the air and started to pace once again.

"But I believe that you can do it," Zayier tried to placate him but his brother had already seen through him.

"You don't really believe that right?" he stopped pacing and stared at his brother. Zayier coughed and averted his gaze then he heard his brother uttering curses into air.

Zayier decided to just remain silent and support his brother from the sides because he could see that he was really stressed out because of this matter. He was right, an Alpha and a Beta are different position but he was not sure if his brother can handle the burden that comes with that title.

After the two days preparation, the pack was full of enthusiasm as they wait for the ceremony to happen. They were whispering and grinning from ear to ear which was a sign that they were slowly recovering from the trauma of that attack.

"This is making my stomach queasy," he muttered then squatted down on the floor while clutching his head.

Zayier sighed, "Stop doing that. Look your clothes are already crumpled and even your hair turned messy." He walked up to him then held him on the shoulder and pulled him up. Without missing a beat, he straightened his brother's clothes and fixed his hair. "There's only an hour left before you become an Alpha so I want you to calm yourself and present yourself with dignity befitting of your soon to be position. No more acting like a child or a petulant teenager, be more serious alright?"

Zael listened to all of these but there was still a tiny bit of hesitation in his heart and a hope that Alpha Amber would return and save him. "I know," he sighed in defeat. There was nothing he could really do. 'Should he just succumb to this fate?' He wondered.

The nearer the coronation was, the more tense the atmosphere inside the room became. He became more anxious and nervous that his wolf started to get agitated too. His pupils started to alternate from bright green to his hazel-colored eyes. All of what was happening right that moment slowly downed on him and when he was about ready to just do it all a strangely familiar voice echoed in the room.

"Don't be so nervous, I'm sure you'll do fine!" This cheerful yet chilly voice made the two occupants of the room turned around to a particular corner of the room. There they saw a face they had not seen for over a month now. She was smiling and glowing from head to toe. It seems that everything was fine.

Zael became elated when he saw his Alpha's face and like a child who saw his mom, he run to her and even gave her a hug. "You are back and you are fine!" he chattered without waiting for the woman to adjust from the sudden action.

Amber de Lune, chuckled at his friend's actions and helplessly patted his back and after some gentle tap she slapped his back a little bit harder which made Zael complain in pain. He let the alpha go and took a step back to look at her. His gaze roamed around her body and he sighed when he saw that she was really fine.

"How have you been alpha?" Zayier the calmest of them all, got back from his shocked state and instead gave the woman a small but warm smile.

"It was rough but I still survived," she also smiled. She had gone through a near death experience but everything was fine now and the moon goddess has not abandoned her.

Zael watched the alpha smile and even her demeanor, "You've changed alpha you became more...womanly?" This choice of word broke the warm atmosphere they had and in the blink of eye, Zael was punched in the face.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," the alpha gave her beta a glare and shook her head. "Nothing really changed even after you were left to oversee the pack, how can you be an Alpha if you keep acting like that?" Here eyebrows were raised and her gaze was as sharp as a knife.

Her beta felt fear and escaped the woman's gaze by running towards his brother who was standing amused on the side. "No! I am not going to be an Alpha since you are back," he declared followed by his sigh of relief.

But that relief was short lived when he heard Amber's next words, "I'm not coming back to be your Alpha anymore so I will be entrusting the pack to you."

Zael froze and Zayier was once again shocked. "What are you talking about?" Zael came out from hiding behind his brother's back and looked Amber in the eyes. He became serious and no traces of the playful Zael could be seen.

"That's more like it," she only smiled and even nodded her head in satisfaction when he saw this look from his beta.

"What do you mean?" He repeated the question but it seems that Amber was not going to speak. "Alpha!?" He roared but Amber did not even flinch.

"Stop being silly, this position I can't take it back..." She trailed off but the other two held back and did not speak.

She left them hanging for a couple of minutes before she burst out laughing. Zael and Zayier were taken aback by their Alpha's unusual actions and way of speaking that they could only stare at her with wide eyes.

"Wha-what's happening?" Zael asked but no one answered because Zayier had also no idea of what was going on instead they waited for the alpha to stop laughing and answer their question?

She wiped the tears on her eyes and cheek before she stood straight to look at his most trusted subordinates and friends. She was glad that there were these kinds of people who were supporting along the way and even after she was gone for long, they still did not stop to support her. "I won't be giving you the Alpha position well unless you defeat me."

The tension in Zael's body left after he heard those words. In face he was ready to lash at the alpha if she insisted that he should take the position. "Alpha, that's good to hear!"

"Will you be appearing tonight?" Zayier asked after that tense moment and confusing moment.

"Yes, since I won't be giving my position to Zael, I should at least show up to calm our people." She responded followed by a small nod. "But I won't be staying here after I let Ceurian know that I am alive, I will be returning to Lurea."

They both understand why the Alpha said all of that but as long as she was back and alright, it doesn't matter where she stays. "How is he?" this time it was Zael's turn to ask.

"He's doing fine but he still needs to recuperate and learn before he could return and start to socialize with the others." The smile on her face did not disappear while talking about her mate but the implication of her words only meant one thing, Xander has changed. "I'm just worried about his family, especially that child."

"Mayor Mykel did not stop monitoring and even Edrie stayed back to look after her. According to him, they are fine but to lose someone you love for the second time without news would have definitely broken their hearts," Zael shook his head and sighed. He was also concerned so when he called the mayor, he was glad that he was keeping tabs on them.

"I'll visit them soon and maybe tell them the truth because when Xander returns, he'll be a bit different from how he was before that way they won't be even hurt deeply." The wind blew from the outside as the three people maintained their silence until the time of the coronation.