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Amelia Jones POV 

Standing at the pack boundary and I felt as if I had walked into a horror movie. There were dead bodies of warriors and rogues littered everywhere, blood and even body parts sprawled out on the ground. 

I felt sick!

But I was relieved that my twin sister Freya wasn't with me at the moment to behold this horrific sight that would cause her nightmares. I took deep breaths to try and calm myself and slowly make my way forward. 

I stared at the crimson lettering of the rogue's threat nailed on a tree in the pack’s border. Taking a few steps back, I examined the words over and over again. “We will be back and this time we will take with us one of your precious jewels.” 

Precious jewels? What do they mean by that? Could they possibly be referring to Freya and me?

My eyes stung and I felt like a thousand needles were prickling on my chest. My heart pounded in my chest as the rain pelted against the grounds matching the rhythm of my agony. It's been three years since the rogue attack that took the life of my mother. Even after that rogues kept infiltrating the pack and Dad had been looking for ways to go into a treaty agreement to be able to protect our pack. 

After placing a strong patrol team around the perimeter, I sighed and dragged my aching feet back to the pack house. I needed to have a talk with Dad about the letter and also join the patrol group tonight. I got into the pack house, climbed the stairs that led to Dad’s office as I got closer I could hear voices talking in hushed tones. I leaned on the door frame trying to listen to their conversation. And all I could hear was: “You had to send her, it will benefit the pack. The pack needs a powerful influence and we finally got it with a treaty union.”

I couldn't understand what they were talking about, so I pushed the door to Dad’s office open and walked in, they all grew silent as if they were hiding something from me and Dad quickly grabbed a folder on his desk and shoved it inside one of the drawers. There was this weird and pitiful look that was etched in their faces. 

What was going on? What could Dad and the council elders be hiding? Was he trying to consent to an alliance between the rogues? Could it be that he has found a powerful pack to merge with but that wasn't supposed to be a secret? Something was definitely wrong and I was determined to find out.

Hunter Graham POV 

The weather tonight was turbulent, forcefully hitting the windowpane and threatening to separate it from its frame as the relentless rain drummed against the roof, each drop a whispered reminder of the sorrow that hung in the air. 

It has been five years but it has never gotten easier. They said time heals wounds but the void in my heart seemed to be an enormous pit of stabbing pain, piercing away at my body. Her death took away all the joy and light in my life and replaced them with gloom and misery. It took away my quest to live, it took away my appetite, took away my sleep, I couldn't focus on anything, and I didn’t care about anything. Life itself was practically miserable and meaningless to me. All my thoughts were about my mate Hera. I couldn't help but recall the memory of how warmth and life left her beautiful hazel eyes but somehow her death seemed strange. Werewolves don’t fall sick especially the ones with powerful positions but still she did and died leaving me in this cold world with a broken heart. I couldn’t find the will to live anymore and I could softly hear the whispers of death looming around. 

I was barely a shadow of myself, my body had weakened away and my skin was stretched tightly over my bones. My hair was overgrown and my beard was scruffy but I wasn't bothered about personal hygiene. I showered only when my stench was so suffocating that I couldn't stand it. All I did every day was to long for the cold hands of death but it seemed to be far away from me. But I knew that soon it would come knocking and I would finally unite with Hera, my beautiful muse. But there was still one thing I needed for my pack before I vanished permanently. I needed to assign a successor to my throne. 

Hera and I weren't blessed with the gift of having pups but she had a son from an earlier relationship before we met. Hades was ten years old when we met, and I gladly accepted him, trained and raised him as my own. 

I had given him all the luxurious life that came with being the son of an Alpha but I still had doubts about him fully taking over the pack. There was something weird about him whenever I stared into his orbs, it was devoid of warmth or love but rather it was cruel and brutal. At some moments I had contemplated omitting Hades and bestowing the Alpha title to someone else. But in the end, I always felt like I owed it to Hera to give my power and mantle of leadership to her only son.

Somehow, I still had little hope that once Hades finds his mate, his cold demeanor would soften. I believed that with the right woman beside him, he would become compassionate and a better version of himself. I had called for a meeting with the council and they had gathered around in the conference chamber as I sat at my throne for the last time. I leaned on the table for support to aid my shaking and withered body. I stared at the rectangular oak table and the council elders seated around it. The council elders still looked vibrant and young and I was the only one who had grown weak and feeble. I watched as they looked at me with a mixed expression of sympathy, misery, and grief. Even though the council elders had no real power in the pack but as elders I had chosen to accord them respect and seek their ideas and wisdom in matters concerning the pack. Although the final decision was mine to make. 

I cleared my voice and began “My beloved council elders, I think it is time for the changes to take place. It is quite obvious that I can no longer rule our pack. Therefore I have decided to appoint Hades as the new Alpha.” 

The chairs squeaked slightly as they shifted in their seats and passed uneasy glances among themselves. I knew that they had their doubts about me giving Hades the reins to lead the Dark Wood pack.

“Are you serious about this Alpha?” One of the council elders asked, his voice holding a tinge of pain and objection.

I stared at him unsure of what exactly he was asking for. Could it be that he was asking if I’m serious about stepping down or the decision of conferring the Alpha title to Hades?

Somewhere within my dark gloom memories, my wolf Tyler was whimpering. I couldn't tell if he was still grieving for Hera or if he was grieving over the new decision of stepping down. His feelings didn't matter at the moment. All that mattered at the moment was the security and protection of the pack. I have grown feeble and dying, the pack duties needed to be carried on by a strong and healthy person and Hades was the expected option. I gave the council elders a strong nod and without mincing words I voiced out “On the night of the first Selenic moon, I shall make it official to the whole pack. So I humbly ask that you all prepare the necessary arrangements for the coronation.” 

They all nodded sadly and said “Of course Alpha, your wish is our command. We shall see to it that everything is in order.” 

I stood up weakly and dismissed them with a wave of my hand as I walked dejectedly down to my chamber. But somewhere within my heart it felt as if I had made the worst decision of my life. Fearful thoughts about giving Hades so much power and duty niggled at me but I found it difficult to connect my thoughts rationally. I just did not have the energy or heart to weigh my choices. Gone were the days I could make good decisions. All that was left within me were the thoughts of Hera and the idea of being united with her again in the afterlife.