CHAPTER 4

Selene's Point of view

“You... you... You do not mean this, do you?” I gasped.

“Yes, I do,” Father replied, without emotion.

“I mean it. That's all you've ever wanted, right? So I'm giving you all of that. Get close to him, and do with him as you please!”

My heart thumped loudly as I registered his words.

“You will be doing your pack a favor. You will also be saving your brother's life,” Father said as he returned the dagger into its sheath and thrust the blade into my hands. “I'll give you time to think it through, Selene, but while you're at it, you should know this: the future of your pack and your brother's life hangs in the balance. Choose wisely.”

With that, my father turned and exited the room, his robes flowing and sweeping the floor as he left.

The moment he was out, the maids and servants returned quickly and began to tend to my brother again with the ointments and balms. This didn't heal him, but I could see it all had a cooling effect on him.

I moved closer to him and slowly stroked his hair affectionately with my heart in shambles.

“Se… se… Selene?” He tried to talk. The very effort was putting him through so much pain.

“I'm here, Liam,” I spoke in a calm and soothing voice.

 “Hush… don't talk. I'm right here.”

“Make it all stop.” He forced out the words. “Please… make it… s… stop.”

My eyes flashed at the dagger I still had in my hand, and my jaws clenched tightly. I knew my father was most likely full of himself, but I wouldn't pass on any chance to save my brother's life, and I'd do even more to drive a blade through that bastard's heart, the ash king, the one responsible for the death of my mother.

“I'll find a way, Liam,” I whispered. “I'll get that cure!”

***

Logan's POV

“We should accept their proposal, Alpha Logan.” Elder Edgin suggested.

 “I see a man desperate to end the war. We should accept their offering.”

I said nothing. I was standing on the balcony of my pack house with my eyes fixed intently on the barren wasteland I called home. My hands were clasped behind my back as I calmly surveyed the wasteland.

“Do you believe this could all end one day?” I asked calmly.

“I'm sorry, Alpha... I do not quite understand your question,” the elder replied.

“Our land is dying. The crop yield becomes less and less with each passing day. Instead of grass, we have scorched earth. Instead of trees, we have volcanic mountains. This was once a peaceful valley filled with the laughter of our children and the chatter of our women, our beautiful women…”

I trailed off as the thoughts filtered into my mind, memories of what the pack used to be, way before it had all happened, way before I burnt Lyra alive.

“Alpha?” Elder Edgin called behind me.

“I'm not sure if I still follow.”

“Do you believe that this would all go away if we made peace with our enemies?” I snapped.

 “Do you believe that this would all go away if we began to accept peace offerings from the very people who swore to destroy us?” I asked.

“No. But we should consider peace at this point.”

It wasn't Elder Edgin who replied. I knew that voice too well to mistake it. It was the only voice I could remember from the golden era of our pack. I turned around to see Beta Gareth approaching calmly.

“Leave us,” I said to the elder. He immediately bowed and left the balcony.

“Alpha Logan.” Beta Gareth bowed respectfully as he approached.

“Beta Gareth. Welcome home.” I replied calmly.

The Beta stood straight, and I could still see the unmistakable glint of respect and loyalty in his eyes. He had been in service to the fire lineage before I was even born and was the only person in the pack I could say was older than I.

I knew I somehow deserved what I got from the moon goddess; I knew I deserved every ounce of it, the cursed burning touch, the cursed immortality, but the Beta? He didn't choose any of this; I felt he was only affected by this because he served me and my family. While I still looked to be in my prime, Beta Gareth had aged with time.

“What news have you brought from the front lines?” I asked.

“Not much,” he replied.

“And I'm afraid you've heard most of it already. Alpha Borin Thorne indeed plans to offer a peace offering, a tribute to you, and he hopes you accept it wholeheartedly.”

I was barely paying attention now. My attention was diverted to a small scorpion that had just stung my foot. Its venom was too weak to get to me. I could only feel the tingling sensation as it kept stinging relentlessly.

I reached down slowly and caught the scorpion. It burst into flames the moment I touched it, and I held it before my eyes, silently watching the little attacker burn into ash under my touch.

“Alpha Logan?” Beta, Gareth called to my attention.

 “We also heard something else.”

“What is it, Beta?” I asked, clapping the ash off my hands. “Spill it out.”

“Our spies have confirmed that the peace offering is Borin Thorne's own daughter.”

My eyes immediately snapped to the Beta. He was serious. I could tell that much from his eyes.

“What does that mean?” I snapped.

“The Alpha's own daughter?”

“Yes, Alpha.” Beta Gareth nodded.

“We do not know his full intentions yet, but we suspect he will offer her to you as... as a potential mate.”

My heart constricted with pain the moment I heard the word 'mate', a torrent of memories immediately flooded my mind again, and amidst all of them, her screams of pain rent the air. I heard her shouting, I heard her shrill voice as she called my name painfully, while I only stood there and watched the unquenchable flames engulf her.