0001: Leadership

JACKSON’S POV

The weight of leadership wasn’t just heavy—it was suffocating.

It had been three years since my father, Alpha Xavier, stepped down and handed over the reins to me. I was only fifteen then, barely old enough to tie my shoes, let alone lead the Shadow Moon Pack. But life didn’t care about age, and neither did the pack.

I’d learned quickly, but that didn’t mean it was easy. I still had so much to prove. I couldn’t afford to mess up, not with the pack’s survival on my shoulders. I had to be serious, dedicated—no room for childish mistakes. If I failed, the whole pack would feel it. That pressure was constant, a weight that never lifted.

Today was no different. I sat at my desk, the paperwork piled in front of me like a mountain I had to climb. Every sheet, every document, carried weight. The pack’s future, its well-being, depended on the decisions I made.

As I scanned through yet another pile of papers, a vibration in my pocket broke my concentration. I pulled out my phone and saw the message:

The new healer from Blue Cross Pack is arriving today.

Great. I sighed, setting the phone down. This healer was supposed to be the key to restoring my father’s Lycan. My father—former Alpha, strong and fearless to everyone else—had lost his Lycan a few years ago, and no one outside our closest circle knew.

It was a secret, one I could barely comprehend, but we’d all been doing what we could to help him. Now, after three long years of searching, we had finally found someone—a healer who might be able to give him back what he lost.

I stood up after a while, stretching my stiff muscles, and made my way to the quarters where she’d be staying. I had to make sure everything was ready for her arrival, even though I’d already assigned Laila and Sarah to it. If I don’t show up and shake things up, those two might spend the entire day gossiping, and I can’t have that.

When I reached the room, I was shocked to see that Laila and Sarah were almost done arranging everything.

“Impressive,” I said.

“Hey, Jackson,” Sarah greeted me with a shy smile. She was always so polite, so sweet. I couldn’t help myself—I reached over and ruffled her hair, making her groan in protest. I chuckled. She hated whenever I did that, and I just loved to rile her up either way.

“Stop it, Jackson!” she muttered, but I could tell she was trying not to laugh.

Laila, always ready to cause some chaos, stepped behind me, a mischievous grin spreading on her face. I knew what was coming. Before I could react, she lunged at me, but I was quicker. I sidestepped her, and she went crashing into the bed. She caught herself just in time, but the determined look in her eyes told me she wasn’t done.

“Nice try, kiddo,” I teased.

But she didn’t listen. She charged at me again, this time managing to slip past my defenses. Before she knew it, I had her locked in my sweaty armpit.

“Eww! Let me go!”

“Enjoy the divine aroma, little sis,” I said, grinning as she struggled against me.

“Ugh, gross!” Laila shrieked, stomping hard on my foot, making me yelp in pain. The grip I had on her loosened, and she wiggled free.

I cursed under my breath, nursing my sore foot. Sarah, watching the whole thing, crossed her arms and scolded us.

“You guys are impossible! We just spent hours setting this room up, and now it’s a mess!”

Laila, ever the troublemaker, pointed at me. “It’s Jackson’s fault. If he’d just let me win the first time, none of this would’ve happened.”

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. “Just arrange it again and stop whining. It’s not that bad.”

Laila grabbed one of the pillows and was about to throw it at me, but Sarah snatched it from her grip before she could, causing her to growl lowly at her best friend.

Truth was, I was only like this with my family and close friends. When it came to anyone else, I had to put on the mask of the serious, powerful Alpha King—the one they all expected me to be.

Just then, Liam, my other sibling and Laila’s twin, walked in and flopped down in the chair, a bored look on his face. “What’s all the fuss about?”

Laila grinned. “The healer’s coming today.”

Liam raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “She’s coming? I wonder what she looks like. Is she young? Old? Ugly?”

Laila shrugged, still skeptical. “Or worse—weak? I mean, how do we know she can actually help Dad?”

I thought for a moment. “I don’t think we’ll need to worry about that. Whoever she is, I have a feeling her presence will be impactful. Both Mom and Dad seem pretty confident about her.”

Sarah, always in the loop, added, “Well, I guess we’ll find out soon enough. I overheard my father talking about it earlier. She’s supposed to be the last healer in our region.”

I clapped my hands. “Alright, then. Let’s get back to work, ladies. We’ll see her soon enough.”

I motioned for Liam to follow me as I turned to leave. The two of us left the girls to finish rearranging the room while I finished off with other things.