The Truth 2

Near the end of my second year with Mira, she announced that we'd be attending something called the Lycan Summit.

"It's a gathering of all supernatural leaders," she explained. "Happens once every decade. It's... political, mostly but it's also the best way to understand the current power structures, who's allied with whom, and where potential threats might come from."

"And you want me to come?" I was surprised because I wasn't sure if I was ready to face people again. We'd been so isolated for two years that the idea of being around crowds of supernatural beings sent a shiver down my spine.

"I think you're ready," Mira simply said. "Besides, you can't hide forever, eventually, you need to learn how to navigate the supernatural world as yourself, not as a hidden omega. This summit is as good a place as any to start."

I was nervous but also... excited. For two years, I'd been training, learning, preparing. Maybe it was time to see if all that work had actually made me ready for the real world.

"Okay," I agreed. "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow," she said, and there was something in her expression I couldn't quite read. "And Rhea? When we get there, please stay close to me. The summit attracts powerful beings from all over. Some of them... won't react well to a white wolf."

"I can defend myself," I said confidently.

"I know you can." Mira smiled slightly. "That's what worries me."

***Meanwhile, at Ravenlaw Pack...***

Asher stood at his office window, staring out at the pack grounds without really seeing them. Two years had passed since Rhea left. Two years of him getting sicker and sicker despite having the best healers take care of him. His wolf was fading inch by inch, and he slowly watched his pack lose respect for him as his strength declined.

Vivienne had left six months ago, declaring the mating bond null and void when it became clear he was dying and taking nothing but his accumulated wealth with her. She'd never loved him. He'd known that from the start, but it still stung to be abandoned so casually.

Not that he blamed her. He'd abandoned his true mate first.

The door opened, and Kazel entered without knocking again, a liberty he'd earned by being the only person in the pack who still gave a damn about Asher.

"There's a mandatory council meeting," he announced. "The Lycan Summit and all pack alphas are required to send representatives."

Asher barely reacted. "You can go. I don't feel like going anywhere"

"No!!" Kazel's voice was firm. "You're going, I mean we both are."

"You can't be serious Kazel"

"No, you listen to me." His beta moved to stand in front of him, forcing eye contact. "You've been dying slowly for two years. The pack knows it. Hell, the neighboring packs know it but maybe, just maybe there will be someone at this summit who can help you. A witch, a healer, anyone who knows how to stop whatever's happening to your wolf."

"There's no cure for rejecting your true mate," Asher said weakly.

"Then we'll find her," Kazel said desperately. "We'll track down Rhea, and you'll beg for her forgiveness. Whatever it takes, Ash but I'm not watching you die without trying everything possible to save you."

Asher wanted to refuse. He could tell Kazel that he deserved this fate, that he'd made his choice and now had to live, or possibly die with the consequences but a small, selfish part of him still clung to hope. Maybe there was a cure. Maybe he didn't have to die for his pride and stupidity.

"When do we leave?" he asked quietly.

Kazel's shoulders sagged with relief. "We leave in three days so we can have time to look. The summit lasts a week and we'll bring our best warriors just in case, but it's neutral ground. No fighting allowed."

"Fine." Asher turned back to the window. "Arrange it, you don't need my permission."

Kazel left, and Asher stood alone with his thoughts.

He wondered, not for the first time, if Rhea was even still alive. She'd been an omega, alone in rogue territory, with no protection and no pack. The odds of her surviving two years were slim but something inside him, perhaps it was his dying wolf, insisted she was out there somewhere.

"Rhea," he whispered to his reflection in the glass. "If you're out there... I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry." But even he knew sorry couldn't undo the past and it probably wasn't enough to save his future.

He just hoped he would get the chance to try again.