All Chapters of The Alpha’s Moonbreather : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

The next day didn’t start any better than the last.Elise stayed in her room longer than usual, trying to convince herself that today wouldn’t sting as much. That she wouldn’t feel so hollow. That Kai wouldn’t disappear into his duties without a word—again.But when she finally stepped out into the hallway, she already knew.He was gone.No knock. No message. No anything.She was used to it by now.The air in the packhouse was cold and sharp, like even the walls were irritated. Everyone moved like they had somewhere important to be, something urgent to discuss—except Elise. She walked past a group of warriors who didn’t even pause to acknowledge her.She made her way to the training grounds again, unsure what she was hoping to find—purpose, maybe. Connection. Maybe even just something to do so she wouldn’t feel so in the way.But what she found instead was Becky.And Luka.The two were standing near the weapons rack, sparring playfully while laughing a little too loudly for a day like

Elise didn’t stop walking, not even after Becky’s cruel words settled into her chest like thorns. She kept her back straight, her steps steady, even though the hallway felt longer than usual and every pair of eyes she passed seemed to slice through her.By the time she reached her room, her hand was trembling against the doorknob.But she didn’t let herself cry.Not this time, she was tired of how fast tears build up in her eyes at the slightest inconvenience.She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, trying to breathe past the tightness in her ribs. There was a heaviness inside her, like everything she’d been burying was starting to crack and shift, she could feel her heart breaking and swelling like it was trying to rise to the surface.She felt all these like a physical pain“He’ll choose the pack.”“She’s not going to last long.”“She’s exactly where she belongs.”Elise walked to the mirror, staring at her reflection like she didn’t fully recognize the girl standing

The council room smelled like unresolved conflicts and unrest.Chairs made scrapping sounds against the floor as elders filed in one by one, tension resting heavily on every shoulder. For once, even the guards posted at the doors exchanged uneasy glances. Something had shifted in the air over the past few days, something colder than fear.Elise stood to the side of the room with Kai beside her, arms folded tight across her chest. She wasn’t here by invitation, she’d never been in that room by invitation.But Kai made it clear to the guards: if the council wanted to talk about the threat, then the one person who had faced it firsthand would be in the room.Still, it didn’t feel like enough.Elder Harun’s voice echoed through the room. “Let us begin.”Elise scanned the circle. Elder Mena looked worn. Elder Kion, stiff. Others wore expressions carved from stone. And sitting quietly near the edge, her face unreadable and lips pressed together, was Aunt Thea.Her only family. Elise

The days following the council’s decision blurred together like ash in water.Elise no longer woke with purpose. She stirred from sleep because the sun found her through the thin canvas of her assigned quarters. She dressed because she still remembered what it meant to be part of a structure, even one that had rejected her. She ate little, spoke less, and trained alone with wooden weapons in a clearing no one else visited anymore.Thea had not spoken to her since the council meeting. Not once. Not even in passing. And Elise did not seek her out.What was there to say?That the betrayal hurt more than the exile? That she still dreamed of the day Thea found her broken and bloodied at the forest’s edge and whispered, “You’re safe now”? That, despite everything, she still looked toward her aunt’s tent in the evenings hoping—praying—for even a flicker of hesitation in the oil lamp that meant Thea hadn’t slept yet?No.Elise learned silence quickly. It was one of the few lessons that never

Thea did not sleep that night.She sat by the hearth in her private quarters, a cup of untouched tea cooling in her hands, her cloak pulled tight around her shoulders even though the fire burned strong. Outside, wind scratched against the wooden panes like a restless animal. Somewhere beyond the wall, Elise was moving through forgotten lands, and though Thea didn’t admit it aloud—not to herself, not to the council—she knew the girl would not return the same.If she returned at all.A knock came at her door just before dawn. Two short taps, then one long.A warning. And a request.She rose without a word, unlocked the door, and stepped aside to let Kai enter. He looked like he hadn’t slept either—eyes rimmed in red, a shallow cut still fresh on his cheek, his coat dusted with frost.“She’s crossed into the Northwood,” he said quietly.Thea said nothing.Kai continued, “Joren tracked her as far as the ridge. Beyond that, the mist was too thick. He swears he saw something move in it.”