Werewolf Academy

Chapter XX

Just some wolf, I would have thought a few months ago. A few lives lost means nothing when there's more to the a battle. They took one for the team. Now I see the real side of things. The right side. Every man, women, and innocent child we add to the body count or the beds filled in the pack infirmary...They had families. Mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, brothers and sisters.

There were countless people who came to Brian and me for comfort after the pack meeting we called. If an Alpha and Luna don't show strength, pretend like we always know what to do...the pack as a whole is weak. When leadership is gone, a pack can easily fall to chaos.

I remember from all those years ago what it felt like. The pack knew the moment it happened. When my parents were killed, the tie we all felt was cut. While it is weaker in the warrior wolf than an Alpha or Luna, I felt it. I counted one by one as the pack members fell. I did it again today.

A knock comes at my bedroom door and I stand to get it. It would be important if anyone other than my mate was coming in at this hour. Our newest pack member stood in the doorway. her posture was rather tense and I furrow my brow in confusion, gesturing for her to come in. I jerk my chin towards the bed before turning to grab water from the small fridge near the bathroom.

Her steps were quiet, but the slight scrape of a blade leaving it's sheath was quite clear. I whirl, swiftly disarming the she-wolf and slamming her into the wall behind me. I had come to trust her. My mistake. Even as I turn the blade on her, drawing blood from her neck she only laughs.

"You don't remember me, do you? I wouldn't expect you to. The high and mighty champion the Master trained himself. Why would someone like that have time for a little servant like me. Just a girl with no name or training. Just a weak little wolf who fell for a few sweet words.

"He lost faith in you months ago. As soon as you made that first call back after finding that Brian was your mate, he knew you had become weaker. How disappointed he was to find out that he had lost his cold-hearted little bitch."

I don't let my anger influence my actions. "Why are you doing this? He doesn't pay his untrained in any way." The determination I see in her eyes falters. "You have a brother, don't you? Alive but locked away?"

"Don't bring him into this," she spits. "You don't know what it's like, having to protect someone."

I shake my head. "How right you would have been if you had said that just months ago. We were both given an opportunity by this pack. Where our loyalties lie was what makes us different. I want to lead this pack. You want to bring it down."

"Just as you once planned to yourself. Some still lack faith in you. The whispers are always around. No matter how many lives you save you will always carry the name of a murderer with you. Do you really want to keep leading a pack who doesn't trust you? Doesn't want you as their Luna?"

I hear footsteps from down the hall and pull her down from the wall just as my mate walks in, Jack at his side. "Adalynn, what are you doing?"

"Love makes you blind, Jack."

"What are you saying?"

"She's saying, she doesn't approve of my role here. Playing spy like she once did. Still does for all we know. He could be lying to me. What better position to be in than the Luna's place?"

"Enough," my mate says, spotting the knife that know lay between Alysandra and I on the ground. "For both working against the pack and attempting to take the life of the Nightshade Luna you will once again be held in the pack prison."

She looks to Jack, becoming an all too perfect actress again, a plea in her eyes. He only walks away.