The Blight

CHAPTER 5 - THE BLIGHT

Three years later

Cassiel’s pov

That sharp pain An Alpha feels when a mind link snaps, when the end of the link connected to pack member goes silent is heart wrenching.

In the literal sense.

This happens either when a wolf had gone rogue or had lost their life.

The latter is the case here.

Another sharp pain comes. Another link going silent. Another wolf under my care, gone.

My hand tightens around the biro in my hand, my eyes staring blankly at the death reports on my desk.

I have failed them.

A knock comes on my door.

“Come in.”

My friend and beta, Michael walks in, his face grim. He slumps into the chair before my desk. “Any news from Cody?”

“Not yet,” I reply, a cough coming up to my throat but I force it down.

If the pack finds out the blight is also crawling through their Alpha’s system, the whole place will be in chaos. They can't afford to know. Enemies can't either.

Michael drags his palm down his face.“It’s been two days. What’s keeping him so long.”

I don’t answer that. The blight has been appearing in packs for a year now and months ago, it appeared in my pack.

Wolves don’t get chronically ill but this disease has eaten its way through my pack. Killing my pack slowly.

It starts with a cough, weak limbs then burning pain everywhere. Then it gets worse until you are coughing out blood and the pain keeps you down.

Two days ago, I sent Cody to the witch’s territory. We aren't exactly buddies but desperate times call for desperate measures.

I try the mindlink, it finally connects after being able to reach him since he left.

“Where are you?” I demand.

“Oh well, it’s nice to finally hear from you too,” he replies flatly then adds,“I’m almost at the pack border.”

I cut it off and told Michael, “he’s almost at the pack border.”

He eagerly rises to his feet.“Let’s go meet him.”

I would have said yes but my whole body felt heavy as a log. With both my wolf weakened after Elaris’s rejection and the blight creeping in. I'm barely keeping myself upright.

“You go to welcome him and return here,” I say, waving him off.

He gives me a look. I couldn’t stop being overly eager to hear a report from Cody since he left and now content on being on my ass instead of rushing to go hear the news at the border.

A cough leaves my throat before I could stop it and from the way it forced its way out, anyone can tell ive been holding it back.

Michael brows shoot up to his hairline. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I say. “Just a cough.”

Annoyance rises in me, when he continues to stare.

“Leave,” I growl.

He raises his hand in surrender. “Alright. Alright Alpha,” he draws the title out in a way that gets on my nerves before he leaves.

I rub my forehead, trying to ease the ache forming. “Why am I surrounded by Idiots?”

The scent of Vanilla tickles my nostrils long before she walks in.

“You better not be calling me an Idiot too,” Melody says as she drops a cup of water with tablets on my desk.

I reach for the tablet and her hand closes around my wrist. A loud growl leaves my mouth before I could stop it. A warning from my wolf to let go.

She releases me slowly. “Did you eat something? You aren’t supposed to take this on an empty stomach.”

“I did,” I say, reaching for the tablet and glass of water.

She watches me swallow it. “You need to see the pack healer. You can’t keep treating yourself.”

I shake my head. “I can’t have them panicking over their Alpha having the blight. Besides, Cody has come back with news and hopefully a permanent cure.”

“Not for your wolf though,” she murmurs.

I bury my face in my hands and look into that part of me where my wolf resides. His glowing dark eyes glares at me before he turns his back on me like he has since the day of the Bonding moon.

I could remember the day when I returned to the pack house, only to find out she was gone. The guards had reported seeing a Lycan in the house.

The only explanation was that the rogue Lycan had found its way into the pack and taken the only person left in the house. Elaris.

I had ordered a search for her, both I and my wolf going crazy. But I knew she was alive, and could feel it through the weak thread of bond there.

That was when my dad and I had our first fight. Not physically. According to him, couldn't understand why I couldn't let go of the useless Omega.

But the old wolf is gone now, not by my hands. With the way my wolf is getting weaker and weaker from the rejection, I might be next.

Michael comes into the room with Cody.

“Alpha,” Cody greets, then glances at Melody, “Luna.”

“Any news,” I ask eagerly.

“Yeah, according to the crone. The only way to cure the blight is by...”