The Choice

Alpha Eric's POV

The council has called a meeting. As alpha, Eric was in charge of the pack, but he still had to listen to the council. Granted, he still had the ultimate say in what he does and what happens to his pack, but if he goes against the council too much, they can attempt to force him out as alpha. He felt his wolf, Edward, grow impatient. Why do they want to see us? I want to go back to Nikki. Eric did too. Sarah was his soon-to-be luna. Her wolf was named Nikki. He had a feeling he knew what the council wanted to discuss with them. Sarah was half human, whereas Eric was full-blooded. His pack has a fear of the unknown. He feared they'd have an issue with a half-wolf being Luna. But Eric didn't care. Sarah was his second-chance Luna, and was given to him by the moon goddess herself.

Eric lost his first mate during a rogue attack five years earlier. He never thought he'd find love again. But he'd been given a gift. Surely the council would understand.

Eric had to leave Sarah at the pack house. She was with Eric's beta's wife. Ellen was helping to plan the ceremony in which Sarah became Luna, and Eric's wife. It was very familiar to a human's wedding ceremony.

Eric pulled his red pickup into a parking spot and prepared himself.

***

Eric stepped into the council room and felt the tension. There were ten members to the council board and nobody looked up at him immediately. He walked to his chair and waited for the council spokesperson to begin.

"Eric, we know how important Sarah is to you. We saw how your first wife's death almost destroyed you. However, we have to think of the pack. We can't trust Sarah. She isn't full-blooded wolf like we are. Her human side might be trouble. We have no choice but to reject her as our Luna," the spokesperson said in a rush, like he was scared to say it.

Eric felt Edward growl inside. "Is this how everyone feels?" Eric glanced around the table and a few of the members couldn't look at him. They just held their heads. He was angry. How dare they do this.

Eric pounded his fist on the table. He stood, glaring at each member, daring them to speak.

"Ok then. Thank you for your time," Eric stomped out before his wolf broke through. He could feel Edward wanting to push through and kill them all. Eric knew what he wanted to do. What he had to do.

***

Sarah's POV

"What do you think of these flowers, Ellen?" Sarah pointed to a selection in a catalogue from a nearby flower shop. She had been planning her special day most of the morning. It was supposed to be next month, though Sarah was worried some of the pack members didn't like her. The Blue Moon pack was a large and strong pack, thanks to her soon-to-be husband, Alpha Eric. They were known to be a trustful and loving pack, but she is half-human. which meant half of her was untrustworthy. Sarah's mom was human, her dad was a wolf, but was known as a rogue. He had been cast out by his pack years before he met her mother and went to live in the human world.

He met Sarah's mom in a cafe and it was like love at first sight.

Sarah first met Nikki, her wolf, at the age of sixteen and they've been like best friends. Sarah was often lonely growing up, so when she first heard Nikki, she was excited. She didn't know if she'd be more human or more wolf. She had prepared herself to never have a wolf. She was so excited to meet Nikki.

The first time she shifted, it hurt a lot. She heard and felt her bones breaking, causing her to cry out. But her wolf was soft, brown and cream colored. That first time Nikki was free to run, it felt exhilarating. She was able to just let her take over while Sarah could sit back and enjoy it. Nikki ran through the nearby forest, feeling the wind against her fur before she drank from the crystal clear lake.

She heard beta Tony walk in the room and she saw him hug Ellen, before they kissed. Suddenly, he stopped and his eyes glazed over. Sarah knew he was being mind-linked. She saw his face fall and he asked Ellen to follow him. She wondered what that was about.

She felt more than heard Eric come into the pack house. She felt Nikki purring as she always does when Edward is nearby. He appeared to have been crying. But he also looked determined.

"Sarah, I'm afraid the council refused to accept you as Luna. But I don't care. You and I are together. If they don't want you, they lose me," he hugged Sarah.

She felt heart-broken. She knew the ceremony was off. But she also didn't want Eric to leave his pack. The only option she felt was left was to be rejected.

"Eric, no. I can't ask you to leave your pack. Alphas don't leave. The only option I see is for you reje..."

"Don't even suggest that. You are the most important person in my life. Yes, I love this pack, but you are my mate, my love!" Eric felt Edward whine at the thought of rejecting Sarah. There was no way he would lose Sarah. "That's final," Eric kissed Sarah as a way to finalize his statement.

Eric felt heart-broken about having to leave his pack, but it was the only thing he could do. They refused to acknowledge Sarah as Luna, which meant they refused him as their alpha. He called a pack meeting for that evening to announce his decision. He had mind-linked his beta earlier to tell him about his choice. He asked him to get everyone together.

***

It was evening and he felt nervous. He knew he was breaking tradition by leaving the pack and he didn't know how they would respond, not that it mattered. He stepped up to the podium.

"I am sorry to announce that I am forced to resign from my position as Alpha. The council informed me that my pack was rejecting Sarah as Luna. Forcing me to choose." He heard gasps and whispers throughout the large room. Not every member attended but they would get the message. "Therefore, I, Alpha Eric, reject Blue Moon pack as my pack. I am now going rogue," he finished.