Necessary Evils

Declan’s POV

I was sitting at the head of the mahogany table in the private meeting room. This room is only used for serious and secret meetings.

The lights were turned down low so they were not too bright. This made long shadows fall across the faces of the six pack elders that I had specifically invited.

Dr. Priya Nair’s absence was deliberate. I didn’t inform her of this meeting and my plans because I know she would have fought this plan with every medical and moral bone in her body, so it’s better she remained ignorant for now.

My hands were steady on the table, but my stomach is twisted like it had been knotted with wire. As Aaron’s beta and cousin, I had watched him deteriorate for eight years but I can’t stand it anymore, I had to act.

“Another blood moon in three days,” I began, my voice low and clipped. “The last one nearly killed him. He destroyed two floors, three enforcers are still recovering. If the curse surges again like that, we won’t be able to hide it from the pack… or from Silas.”

Elder Marcus, with his broad shoulder and gray hair at his temples, leaned forward. “Silas is already testing our borders, I think someone’s been feeding him information, he perceives weakness. And you know a pack without a stable Alpha is a prey.”

The others murmured agreement, their expressions carved from the same desperation I felt, they were all cornered too.

I continued, laying out the logic with the brisk efficiency of a man trying to outrun his own conscience. “The ancient scrolls are clear on curses of this nature. A fractured bond like Aaron’s can only be anchored by genuine emotional connection, that is love, if we’re calling it what it is. The most potent vessel would be a fated mate, but he can’t sense her. The curse severed that too. So now we have to improvise.  And I’m suggesting we offer a sacrifice, an unmated f the pack won’t really miss, just to distract his wolf long enough for the blood moon to pass and give us breathing room.”

Elder Thorne cleared his throat. “You’re suggesting we chain a woman to his bed like some medieval offering?”

“I’m suggesting we save our Alpha,” I snapped, sharper than I intended. “And by extension, this pack. He may not necessarily harm her, the scroll says the curse needs something external to latch onto besides Aron’s mind. One night. That’s all.”

The room fell into tense silence broken only by the low hum of the ventilation system, I could see the conflict in their eyes, but also the grim acceptance. We had run out of options.

Elder Reyes tapped a finger on the table. “It has to be someone expendable and if possible no family ties that could cause backlash.”

“Agreed,” I said, forcing the words out. “I’ve narrowed it to three possibilities, they’re low-ranking, nothing remarkable.”

Names were discussed methodically. A quiet kitchen maid with a limp. A shy delta who rarely spoke. Each suggestion was weighed like livestock at auction. My jaw tightened with every passing minute.

“Enough circling,” Elder Marcus growled. “We need someone the pack won’t mourn. Someone whose absence changes nothing.”

The words landed like stones.

I exhaled slowly. “Then it’s Hannah Adler.”

The name fell almost as an afterthought. There was no pause or anything special about it. It was the last choice after we thought about all the others.The girl was just a lowly omega and a rogue. We took her in after the hill war, she has no family and no power, and definitely no one would care about her whereabouts. 

One elder actually shrugged. “The wolfless omega? She’s perfect, If it goes wrong, the pack won’t riot.”

I nodded, keeping my face neutral even as something sharp twisted in my chest. “We take her the night of the blood moon. Sedate if necessary. Dress her appropriately. Chain her in the Alpha’s chamber. Aron doesn’t need to know about the plan until we’re done with everything 

The meeting wrapped with terse nods and final instructions. No one met my eyes for long. We were men making a terrible decision while convincing ourselves it was mercy in disguise. 

Deep down we knew there’s an eighty percent chance whosoever we choose might ended up dead even before the blood moon is over.

As the elders filed out into the night, I remained seated, staring at the empty chairs. The thoughts and guilt of everything hits me harder than I expected.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose. Aaron was my Alpha. My blood. I had seen him tear things apart. I had seen him scream in pain. I had seen him slowly lose parts of himself. This is the best solution we can find for now, at least until we are able to capture Celeste.

But as I finally stood and turned off the lights, the maid girl, Hannah crossed my mind, I’ve come across the her quite a few times, she’s such a shy little thing but resilient and I know the pack members don’t really treat her so well, such a shame her life might end soon maybe this is just her destiny.

May the Moon goddess forgive us.