A Sin of Her Own

Chapter 24

The days turned bitter as the frost rolled in. Low clouds created an eery mist upon Duskfall lands, despite being so high up in the mountains. The ground was starting to harden, unable to support agriculture while snowdrops popped up here and there signaling the official start to the winter season. 

"Any trace of her?" Garth asked Eóghan, who sat observing the warriors in training.

With a hand running through his beard he wearily shook his head, grunting under his breath as a warrior fell to the floor.

"Get up and keep going!" He shouted coldly at the Spaniard who shot him a look. Not that the Beta cared, for he had had enough of the childish aura that surrounded the egotistical wolves.

He was growing sick of the spreading revolt, a few Alpha's wanting Duskfall for themselves. With warriors and untainted DNA, it came to no surprise that many were back to challenging for the title. Unlucky for them, Eóghan and Garth were not going to bow down.

Garth plopped down beside him, "After two weeks? This is not looking good. Not at all..."

"You're telling me." 

Both males observed their training session, coaching the males and improving their overall technique. Since the months in natures purest form, it was clear to see the increase in stamina and endurance, a start, Titania would say but not enough to withstand winters cold tendrils.

A sour thought to Eóghan who only wished for Titania's return. He did not deem himself fit to aid these wolves through winter, he hadn't with his last pack and that thought itself utterly terrified the male. 

He was not what Duskfall needed. Titania was. And that was why he spent his nights endlessly searching for his lost Alpha, trying to find something, anything to indicate if she was even alive. Alas, so far he had come up empty.

Sensing Eóghan's pacing wolf and noticing the dark rings under his eyes, he laid a hand on the male's shoulder. Letting calm work it's way through the brief contact. Unfurling his shoulders,  Eóghan let out a deep breath.

"I'm not cut out for this. I can't emotionally go through with it again. What if the past repeats itself? What if-"

"You can't think about it that way. Titania made you her Beta for a reason." He cut  Eóghan's rambling, "We both know her judgment in terms of the pack is undeniable. On herself, however, is another matter of fact..."

"As much as I value your efforts Garth I know what being an Alpha means and I'm telling you right now that I can't". In a quiet whisper, he let a fleeting moment of weakness take over, his demons plaguing his mind. "It would break me."

Remaining silent, Garth let one of his closest companions have his minute of weakness uninterrupted. Everyone went through pain in one form or another. Some showed it openly and others, like Eóghan, hid it from the world until it simply got too much.

"You're a worthy Beta, we'll make her proud."

Splitting ways and letting Eóghan wonder, Garth went to check on the females and then he'd do a count of the local herds before they migrated for winter. His wolf was still in mourning and his jesty attitude had all but disappeared. Work had to be done to secure the lands for the winter to come and he was determined not to let the one that had ultimately saved his life, down.

A mellow undertone had continued to flitter through the pack grounds. The frost chilled the forest and mountains around them but the loss of their headstrong, stubborn leader had frozen many of their hopes for survival. While everyday life carried on, something felt stale. Even with all five Alpha's present, none filled the space with dominance such as Titania.