Author's Note: I know that last chapter was on the short side, and I feel giving so . . . Early Happy Valentine's Day and here's a bonus chapter! <3 As always, THANK YOU for reading - it means the world!
The Alpha felt an immense weight of guilt upon his shoulders that he had simply ignored what he could only term 'the Vincenzo drama' for so very long. Simply put: he didn't want to have to face reality and make the decision on whether or not a member of the pack should live or die. He didn't want any more deaths in the White Lightning Pack, or any pack that he cared for, and his avoidance was a sign of his inability to come to terms with having to make an executive decision.
Guilt weighed the dark skin beneath his haunted brown eyes as he pressed his large body down into a chair beside the young she-wolf's bedside. He cleared his throat, but Isolde made no move to acknowledge his presence. Perhaps she was asleep, he hoped. His mind was racing and there were so many things he wished to say, and no interruptions would be a gift from the goddess.
He listened closely to the sound of her rhythmic breathing and decided to speak his piece, whether she was awake enough to hear and understand his words or not. He placed his large hands atop his knees, drew in a breath, and greeted softly, "Hello, Isolde."
The frail body buried beneath the mountain of blankets slowly pivoted, and her haunted gemstone irises met his. "Hello, Alpha."
"How are you feeling?" he inquired curiously, his voice gentle. "Rick tells me that you are eating again, which is wonderful news."
"I still see no reason that I should live," she stated bluntly, never breaking their intense eye contact.
Looking a bit stunned and feeling a piercing pain in his heart, the Alpha crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "I cannot do that, Isolde. I'm sorry. There have been too many deaths in this pack and I blame myself for every single one of them. Your death would be another on a tragically lengthy list and, I am sorry, but I have grown selfish."
Seeing that his eyes had grown watery with unshed tears, Isolde reached a delicate hand out slowly to touch his right knee. "You are a wonderful Alpha and I am certain that no deaths were at your hands."
Drawing in a shaky breath, he turned away from her gaze and shook his head slowly. "Isolde, may I tell you a little about myself? Perhaps when I am done you will understand how I can sit before you and beg you not to make me make this decision. Will you give me a chance to explain?"
She nodded her blonde head once and then retracted her fingers from the denim of his black jeans. "Go on, please."
The Alpha continued to eye the floor, drew in a long breath and then exhaled slowly. "Isolde, when I was much younger, about your own age, I was mated to a beautiful she-wolf named Serenity. She was stunningly beautiful but, more importantly, she was kind and intelligent. We made a pup together and I felt that my world could never be better. I was awaiting my father's time to step down as Alpha, training so that I could take his position with pride and do right by our people, and I had a wonderful, loving mate in my bed who was carrying my pup. An heir, in fact." Tears welled in his eyes, threatening to fall but he remained stoic. "One day, Serenity woke up not feeling well and, before the day had ended, she and the pup were both lost."
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White Lightning
Werewolf[Ongoing Serial Novel][Werewolf] [MIW] In our world, for every female pup born there were five very eager and wanton males waiting for her to turn of age. Some packs considered their females to be ripe at sixteen, but my great-grandfather had establ...
