Edward's eyes snapped toward the grand entrance. In his shock, he nearly pulled the half-fitted crown off his head, but the Odell was quick, catching it and securing it firmly before turning to see the cause of the chaos.
Ephraim and his men stormed in.
"No!" Edward's voice boomed, rage boiling within him when he saw the crown resting proudly on Drake's head.
Drake stood motionless, heart pounding as he watched his people scatter in fear. His fist clenched by instinct. The disturbing images from the day before surged back into his mind. Blood, destruction, and screams.
Turning to the seers, he gave his first command. "Ensure my people are safe."
He moved swiftly toward the alphas, who sat there unmoving, as though the chaos didn't concern them.
"You will fight!" he ordered, eyes scanning for any sign of life or resistance.
One of the alphas sneered, "Who are you to order us?"
"A beta can never rule us," another spat, his voice high with anger.
Drake froze. They had planned this.
"Traitors!" he growled, storming toward the throne. With a quick glance at the seat, he took a deep breath and sat down.
He was the Grand Alpha now. His coronation was complete. The crown was on his head, his place secured.
The seers exchanged glances, a silent understanding passing between them. It was clear now, these alphas and the man charging toward them were all in this together. The seers could smell the danger in the air.
"I've completed my duty as Selene commanded. Leave," Odell ordered his colleagues, and they began to disperse.
Ephraim, however, didn't back down. "How dare you?" he roared as he approached the throne.
"A beta defiling the throne!" he barked, but Drake didn't flinch.
"Reject the pronouncement immediately!" Ephraim barked at Drake.
"Are you ordering your Grand Alpha?" Drake mocked, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"How dare you!" Ephraim snarled, raising his hand and delivering a brutal punch.
Chaos erupted in the hall. The Grand Alpha had been struck. It was a gross desecration. As Drake recovered from the hit, his eyes locked onto Ephraim, but then flickered to the entrance. A group of men in black stormed toward them. Too many. Too dangerous.
Drake felt movement behind him. He spun around to see more alphas closing in, their eyes flashing with fury. He could feel their wolves pushing to the surface.
"Reject the pronouncement," one of them demanded.
"Don't!" A voice broke through the mind-link. It was Vanessa, his mate.
Drake's eyes scanned the hall quickly. He spotted her, curled on the ground, panic written all over her face.
"Leave!" he ordered through the link. Just as the words left his mind, he saw the odell rush toward Vanessa, lifting her from the ground.
The seer turned and nodded to him before quickly taking Vanessa away.
"Remain with Odell. Take care of our child," he instructed her through the link, then shut it down.
Knowing Vanessa was safe, and that many of his people had managed to escape, Drake took a deep breath and crossed his legs.
"I won't," he declared.
If he rejected the pronouncement, it would nullify his selection and coronation, giving another the chance to rise and take his place. He could lose everything, but he refused to show weakness.
"You can do your worst, but I will not back down," Drake reaffirmed, his gaze daring Ephraim, whose chest swell with rage.
A cruel grin twisted on Ephraim's face. "I'll kill you, then kill your mate," he snarled, a dark laugh escaping his lips.
"I heard she's expecting," Ephraim added, the words dripping with malice.
Drake flinched. How did he know? No one else knew about the pregnancy, only himself and Vanessa. But before panic could take hold, he masked it, his expression turning cold and indifferent. "Do your worst," he spat.
Ephraim turned to his men. "No one leaves this hall. Find his mate!"
Drake scoffed inwardly. Odell was with Vanessa; she was in good hands. He'd make sure she stayed safe.
"If she isn't here, kill everyone!" Ephraim ordered.
Drake's heart clenched, but he stood tall.
"Don't, I'm here," a female voice rang out.
Drake frowned. That wasn't Vanessa.
"Kill me if you wish, but leave the rest," the woman said, stepping forward with boldness. Yet, a deep scan of her face would reveal the panic beneath her composure.
"Your mate is willing to die," Ephraim smirked, his hand grabbing the woman roughly and pulling her closer.
In one swift motion, Ephraim drew a small sword from his belt and drove it into her stomach.
A scream of pain ripped from her throat as she crumpled to the ground. Ephraim pulled out a gun, aimed it at her forehead, and pulled the trigger, silencing her forever.
Drake's blood ran cold. A shiver ran down his spine as he watched her take her final breath. His heart raced, his pulse quickened, and his jaw clenched with fury.
"You're just a beta," Ephraim sneered. "I will rule, not you!"
Drake's eyes burned with rage. Anger exploded inside him, and before he knew it, he was on his feet. His lips curled into a mocking sneer, and with a vicious sneer, he spat in Ephraim's face.
"The Goddess chose me," he said firmly, his voice low but filled with strength. "I won't let you defeat me."
The man's eyes narrowed, fury burning in his gaze. He could feel the wetness of the spit on his face. His fists tightened, knuckles cracking in anger.
He snapped an order, "Seize him!"
Drake's heart raced. He was surrounded. There was no way out, but he refused to be trapped, refused to let his enemies take him down that easily.
Without thinking twice, he shifted.
The pain of changing was sharp but familiar. Bones snapped, muscles rearranged under his skin, and in a few moments, he stood as a wolf. His senses exploded, everything sharper and clearer as he moved. The earth beneath his paws was solid.
The men around him hesitated for a split second, their eyes wide in shock. But they quickly shifted too, their wolves stalking forward, teeth bared.
Drake pushed forward, running faster than ever before. Trees blurred as he sped through the woods, the sound of paws pounding the earth behind him.
They were catching up, but he couldn't stop. He couldn't let them win. He was the Grand Alpha, the leader, and no one was taking that from him. He wouldn't back down. No way.
Behind him, wolves ran, their footsteps shaking the ground. So many of them, yet he kept going, refusing to slow down.
Ahead, the ground shifted, and Drake's heart skipped a beat. A deep trench appeared, stretching out in front of him. A natural barrier that could stop him cold. Push him to the enemies on behind.
With no choice left, Drake jumped.
His muscles coiled, and with a powerful push, he leapt into the air, hoping to clear the gap. But something unnatural tugged at him. He felt himself being pulled down, as if the very earth was trying to swallow him whole.
The fall was dizzying, the world spinning around him. He tried to shift mid-air, regain some control, but the pull was too strong.
His body was dragged into the endless trench below, until it became consumed by the darkness.