The Alpha Forgets 의 모든 챕터: 챕터 131 - 챕터 138

132 Three months transformed the region. Not through war. Through peace. The old regional council was gone. In its place, the newly formed Allied Council met every month, rotating between pack territories. Every pack sent three representatives, an Alpha, a Luna, and either a Beta, healer, or archivist. It wasn't perfect. Arguments still happened. Disagreements still filled meeting halls. But they happened openly. Nothing was hidden behind sealed doors anymore. Edgewater Falls had become a full member of the alliance. The first time Adam signed an alliance treaty beside Decker instead of across from him, every wolf in the room paused. Years of hatred ended with the stroke of a pen. The irony wasn't lost on anyone. The packs began sharing patrols along disputed borders. Young warriors trained together. Healers exchanged knowledge. Trade routes reopened. For the first time in generations, wolves traveled through neighboring territories without wondering if they would return home. Th

134 The drive from Edgewater Falls to Dark Mountain should have taken nearly four hours. Adam and Matthew made it in less than three. Neither spoke much. Matthew drove like every road belonged to him and every speed limit was a suggestion. Adam sat in the passenger seat, one hand gripping the door handle, his phone in the other, waiting for updates that came too slowly. Tony called twice. Once to say both babies were born. Once to say Lotty was still in surgery. That second update nearly destroyed Adam’s restraint. “She’s still bleeding?” Adam demanded. “Dr. Maren is handling it,” Tony said. “That is not an answer.” “It’s the only one I have.” Matthew pressed harder on the gas. Adam stared out the windshield, jaw locked so tightly it ached. His sister had gone into surgery. His nephews had been born. And he was still too far away to do anything. By the time they pulled into Dark Mountain’s hospital lot, Adam was out of the SUV before Matthew fully stopped. Tony met him at the

136 It was sometime after midnight when Adam and Maren finally emerged from her office. The hospital was quiet. The hallway lights had been dimmed, and only a few nurses remained at the station, pretending very hard not to notice when the door unlocked. Adam stepped out first. Maren followed. His hand was wrapped around hers. Not loosely. Not politely. Firmly. As if letting go was no longer an option. Evelyn looked up from the desk. Then looked down again with a knowing smile. “Everything alright, Doctor?” Maren’s cheeks warmed. “Yes.” Adam’s expression remained unreadable, but his thumb moved over Maren’s hand in a small, possessive stroke. Evelyn’s smile widened. “Good.” No one asked why Adam escorted Maren out of the hospital and toward the packhouse. No one needed to. By afternoon the next day, Lotty had been awake long enough to be annoyed. That was, according to Decker, a good sign. She sat propped up in her hospital bed, one baby asleep against her chest while Decker he

138 Three years. It amazed Decker how quickly they had passed. Three years since Liam and Callum had entered the world several weeks ahead of schedule. Three years since the old Regional Council had fallen. Three years since wolves who had once stood across battlefields from one another had chosen something better. Peace. Not perfect peace. There were still disagreements over borders, trade routes, hunting rights, and the occasional young warrior who believed common sense was optional. But those disagreements were settled around conference tables instead of battlefields. The new Regional Council had become exactly what they had hoped. Not rulers. Representatives. Each allied pack sent an Alpha, a Luna, and either a Beta, healer, or archivist. Every voice mattered. Decisions were debated openly, recorded honestly, and shared with every pack. The council served the packs. Never again would the packs serve the council. It wasn't perfect. It never would be. But it worked. That alone m