5. PLEASE SAVE ME

The elders were having a meeting over the cure Alpha Draco went to get from the person who was said to have the cure. They were waiting for his arrival while also discussing the way out if by chance, he fails to bring the cure with him.

“This strange illness is alarming”, the Elder of the seventh tribe sighed with his head hung low.

“What do you mean by strange illness? This has happened before and we were able to get rid of it. If the late Alpha hadn’t banished the scroll containing the method that was used for the cure, we wouldn’t be in this state right now. Our people are dying every passing hour and the isolation center we are putting them in to prevent them from infecting others is getting filled up every day. You still think the late Alpha did well by sealing away the scroll?” growled Elder Conri of the fifth tribe as he smacked his hand hard on the meeting room’s table.

Everyone jerked in shock at the suddenness and they all agreed with his claim, the late Alpha was the cause of all they were going through right now.

“That is why his child is looking for ways to bring in the cure, so let’s wait for him and trust him”, the Elder Boris of the tenth tribe persuaded them but only got lashed at by Elder Conri, who turned the tables on him.

“If you were not dense, you wouldn’t let the Alpha take away what your family developed with their blood and tears. You are just in the same category with the said Alpha” Elder Conri spat angrily, making Elder Boris swallow his words.

The meeting was getting longer with the hate blame and they were at each other’s neck until one of the palace’s messengers ran in to inform them that the Alpha was back at the palace.

They wanted to ask if the Alpha brought the cure along but they figured out that he might not have been informed to that extent. They all prepared to visit the palace with immediate effect when the messenger dropped the bomb.

“He came with his former fiancée though, I don’t know why” the messenger revealed, and they all exclaimed at the news.

“What do you mean by bringing along the child of a traitor?” Elder Conri growled and immediately, all of them pulled off their silky outer robe to reveal the sleeveless white shirt and long trousers that were underneath them and marched to the palace in protest.

They might disagree on most things, but they still have the same goal of protecting the pack. They just couldn’t understand why he would bring the daughter of a traitor to the pack.

They gathered at the giant hall where Alpha Draco came to join them.

“You cannot do this! How can you bring that filthy thing into the pack? Are you trying to make matters worse?” Elder of the first tribe began the protest and they all split into two to occupy their positions on the two sides of the hall.

“I know, right? How can she even be so shameless as to follow you down here? This is not the cure we told you to bring”, another Elder supported, while Draco just watched them rant on silently on his throne above.

They all went on noisily until a loud howl from him made them quiet down. A turn to face him, they saw Alfred already out with his thick and long claws digging into the floor beneath him. His eyes were glowing hard and his furs rose up in anger. No one needed to tell them to coordinate themselves before they get torn to pieces.

The silence in the hall could give out the sound of a pin drop as they waited for his next action and he shifted back before taking his seat. He motioned to Chief Kinn to fetch Helena from her quarters before attending to the fuming elders.

“Did I pass any announcement about her? I only brought back the one with the cure to the pack and nothing else. If you want to fight, then hear the conditions first and decide if you want her to stay or not”, he rebuked them and they all waited patiently for her to arrive.

“How can you bring someone like this back into the pack? Are you trying to get all of them killed?” the elder of the first tribe shouted. Immediately she stepped in and they all joined him to criticize her.

She looked around to see them pointing several fingers at her without even letting her talk or giving her breathing space.

“These old hags still haven’t changed a bit” she muttered, and reached for the golden statue by the door.

The outstretched arm of the statue was suddenly sent shattering to the floor by a powerful strike of the short staff under her robe.

They were still shouting and protesting with their voices clashing when a loud crashing sound was heard. They turned to see what had just happened and saw the golden statue standing by the door's right hand shattered on the floor with Helena beside it.

“You should direct any complaint you have at me instead of behaving like rabid dogs here. You can all choose. If you don’t want me to be the Luna, then smash the antidote here and I will take my leave” she gracefully said to them with a calm voice as she waved the bottle in front of them and finally dropped it on the floor.

“What do you mean be the Luna?” Elder Boris asked, glancing at the Alpha who was just watching them display their madness below.

“He didn’t tell you? That is the only payment I want instead of the cure”, she declared, and another commotion arose within them.

It was not enough that she came back to the pack with her reputation, she was still demanding to have Luna’s position.

“That wench must be crazy” the elder of the ninth tribe remarked with a scoff, and they all agreed.

Instead of replying to all their rants, she clapped her hands and pointed to the bottle on the floor. “If you are sure you don’t need the antidote, then I have no problem with that, you just have to break this bottle in front of me right now and I will leave the pack with immediate effect” she announced again.

Silence erupted in the hall for a while before the leader of the fifth tribe stepped forward to crush it, only for the door to yap open and someone rushed in with his face in panic.

“My Lord, your youngest son just got bitten” the servant informed him and his raised leg ceased in the air.

“What do you mean by my youngest son getting bitten? Why would he be bitten?” Elder Conri growled with his claws coming out in an instant.

“We went to tend to the garden and left the house but when we came back we couldn’t find the young master. On our way to look for him, we saw him being taken away by the people in charge of the bitten ones and he is being dragged to the isolation center as we speak”, the man explained, and a loud howl came out of his mouth.

He retracted his leg and turned to face Helena, who was waiting with her arms folded at the side of the hall. “Please save me! Please save my son” he begged desperately, but she didn’t flinch.

“Why should I save your son only? What would be my gain?” she replied, her eyes as cold as ice.

“What do you mean by what your gain will be? This is your pack! Your home! Are you going to watch all of us go extinct? He clamored but she was not moved at all.

“I am sorry to break this to you but I am a businesswoman and not a member of this pack. If anyone wants me to help them, then my condition must be met” she declared, and everyone grunted.

They were placed in a situation where they had to choose between life and the throne. After a brief discussion, they decide to pretend to accept her terms till she treats everyone before they gang up against her for the throne.

“Alright! We will make you the queen. We will give you our words now”, Elder Boris announced, and everyone turned to face the Alpha who had been quiet there all along.

“Why are you all looking at me? You have made the decision and I have no say about it”, he commented, before excusing himself from the hall.

Elder Conri turned to Helena and begged desperately for her to come with him in order to treat his son before he died and she told him to lead the way.

She was fully aware that they only agreed temporarily and wouldn’t make her the Luna, but she was not scared of that, she only used the scenario to buy enough time after all. As she headed out of the hall, she thought to herself that when the time come, none of them would be bold enough to make a move to block her path to the queen’s position.

She will surely become the Luna of the pack and find out what really happened between her parents and that of Draco that dreadful day.