The Fallen Alpha: Love Amid Betrayal

Luke was with Selene when the message arrived. He was teaching his younger sister how to hunt with a weapon. Despite the girl's protests, Luke remained insistent.

"I know we're wolves, but in certain situations, human skills are useful when we aren't shifted. Trust me."

Luke was with Selene when the message arrived. He was teaching his younger sister how to hunt with a weapon. Despite the girl's protests, Luke remained insistent.

"I know we're wolves, but in certain situations, human skills are useful when we aren't shifted. Trust me."

Selene rolled her eyes. She pulled the bowstring tightly. Her eyes narrowed as she aimed at a deer hidden among the trees. Just as she was about to release the arrow, Varek Bannon's footsteps were heard. The branch he stepped on snapped, causing the deer to run off.

Selene sighed in disappointment.

"Sorry," Varek said, grimacing. He asked Luke, "Your father is looking for you. He wants to meet you at the temple."

Luke furrowed his brow. "Now?"

"No. Ten months from now. Of course, right now," Varek grumbled.

Luke sighed. He asked Selene to return to their mother. Though still grumbling, Selene obeyed and left them.

Once her back was no longer in sight, Luke asked, "Why the temple?"

Varek shrugged briefly. "How would I know?" He then turned away, making Luke frown deeper.

"Aren't you coming?"

Without turning, Varek replied, "He wants to meet you alone. Maybe to talk about your coronation as the new Alpha."

Luke's face lit up. "Really?"

"Well," Varek shrugged again, "maybe."

As the future Alpha, Luke wanted to be like his father. Fenris was a strong werewolf. He was respected by the pack. No one dared to defy him. In resolving conflicts, he was always fair. Even when facing rival packs encroaching on their territory, he always wins.

His presence silenced everyone. His footsteps were intimidating, especially his gaze. His howl sent shivers down every soul. His charisma was undeniable. Some said the Alpha wasn't as strong as before. He was getting old. Age was catching up to him. But Luke didn’t believe it. His father wasn’t that weak. Still, the pack believed it was time for a new alpha to lead.

Fenris only had one son—Luke. From a young age, Luke was trained to be the Alpha. He couldn't wait to lead the pack. However, Theron Patheon, the elder, always advised Luke to be patient. Being Alpha wasn’t just about strength; it was about wisdom and blah, blah, blah. Luke didn’t pay much attention to it. To him, no one was more suited to being alpha than himself. Okay, maybe Varek Bannon was strong, but he was incredibly loyal to Fenris and Luke. He would never betray them. Besides, it seemed Varek was content being the Alpha’s right-hand man.

Besides Varek, there were Darius and Ragnar, both strong, but not as strong as Luke. Besides, they seemed more interested in women than becoming Alpha.

Luke couldn't wait to discuss his coronation. He hoped the ceremony would be grand. He wouldn’t hesitate to challenge all the werewolves there if needed. He wanted to be recognized as the strongest.

Impatient, Luke shifted into his wolf form to speed up his pace. His white fur looked like snow. His steps were light. The darkness of the night didn’t hinder his vision. He dashed through the forest.

The temple his father mentioned was a cave deep in the woods. The temple was rarely used except for certain events like: Full Moon Rites, Blood Bonding, and Luna’s Oath. Essentially, the temple was symbolic of important events, including the Judgment Fang.

Luke slowed down as he reached the mouth of the cave. He smelled blood in the air. But besides that, he also smelled his alpha's scent. He ventured deeper into the cave, step by step. He called his father's name several times, but the further he went, the more he sensed something was wrong.

Luke considered turning back, just to alert someone about the cave, but then he remembered that he was the future Alpha. Perhaps his father wanted to test him. Maybe the Alpha wanted to see his abilities. Luke steeled himself. He had to prove himself. So, he continued forward.

Luke's golden eyes shone in the darkness of the cave. The movement of small creatures scurrying inside was caught by his keen hearing. But he didn’t hear any breathing except his own. That made him suspicious.

The scent of blood grew stronger, like a mix of iron and copper. Luke could feel the blood sticking to the floor of the cave. He even licked the blood to check it. He was certain that it wasn’t human blood. It was animal blood. But what kind of animal had his father brought into the cave for a test? Luke couldn’t guess.

Luke was shocked when he reached the end of the cave. There, he found the lifeless body of his father sprawled under the altar. The wolf was massive. Its black fur blended with the darkness of the cave. Its mouth was open, showing its long, sharp fangs, which had been broken. As Luke stepped closer, he howled. The figure before him was his father’s corpse. The Alpha was dead.

"No, no!" Luke didn’t know who killed his father, but he believed the killer must be something incredibly powerful. The killer had torn through the Alpha’s body, spilling a lot of blood. They had also broken his fangs. Suddenly, Luke’s fur stood on end. Fear crept into him. But he reminded himself of who he was. He tried to be brave.

Luke couldn’t leave his father alone in the cold cave. He dragged the Alpha’s body out of the cave. With great difficulty, he managed to get his father out.

Luke hadn’t even had the chance to inspect his father’s body when footsteps approached. His ears perked up. His fur stood on end. For a moment, he thought the creature who had defeated his father had returned and was now after him. But when a familiar scent reached his nose, he sighed in relief.

"What are you doing?"

Luke stopped gnawing on his father’s body and looked up at Varek and several other werewolves surrounding him, watching him with suspicion.

"No, no! You’ve got it all wrong. I found him—"

"Did you kill him?" Theron asked. "Oh, Luke, you can’t just—"

"I didn’t kill him!" Luke interrupted. "I found him in the cave."

"But there’s no trace of anyone else here except you and your father," Darius sniffed the air.

"I can smell your father’s blood on you," Varek stepped closer. "Why did you do it?"

"Oh, come on! I’m not that strong."

"You have been trained as Alpha since you were a child."

"But not to fight my own father," Luke was frustrated now.

"I know you’re troubled by the rumors, but you shouldn’t have killed your father," Varek said, looking at Luke with disgust.

"Please, don’t start again." Luke wanted to cry, but he couldn’t show weakness now. "Those rumors are baseless."

"So, it’s true, you’re not your father’s son?" Darius then asked.

"Yes," Varek interrupted. "Fenris told me. He was going to discuss this here. I even warned him not to meet Luke alone."

"What? You didn’t say that earlier," Luke refused. "You said Dad called me to—"

"I think you’re angry because your status as the future Alpha is about to be replaced. So, you killed your father," Varek accused.

"No, I never—"

"This is treason!" Theron growled, glaring at Luke with fury. "I'd suspected this for a long time. You’ve always been too impatient to become Alpha."

"That’s not true. I...." Luke stepped back as the werewolves closed in. They were snarling, threatening. For a moment, Luke was afraid. But he reminded himself that he wasn’t guilty. He didn’t deserve to be treated this way. He snarled back. His eyes glared at the werewolves cornering him. Darius, still young, hesitated slightly. He stepped back. But Theron and Varek didn’t relent.

"You’re a traitor! You must be judged!" Theron barked.

"I didn’t kill the Alpha," Luke continued to deny. But then, Varek attacked. He tried to bring Luke down. His sharp fangs missed Luke’s body. Luke managed to dodge it. But Theron was waiting. He lunged at Luke, biting his neck and trying to rip it open. Luke evaded by scratching Theron’s eye, making the elder howl in pain before retreating. Luke ran.

Howls echoed again. First from Theron, then Varek, and the other werewolves responded. Luke knew he was being hunted now. He dashed into the forest, crashing through the brush and undergrowth. His mind was a whirlwind. He hadn’t had time to process what had happened. It felt like a nightmare turning into reality.

He saw a village ahead and intended to enter, disguising himself as a human. He planned to hide there for a while, while trying to figure out what had really happened. His instincts told him a werewolf was lurking behind a tree, waiting to ambush him. So, he turned. But unexpectedly, his foot got caught in a trap set by humans to catch wild boars. He shifted back into human form, struggling to free his leg from the snare. But it was too late. The werewolves had caught up and dragged him back to the temple for judgment.

The night sky was clear. A faint, thin smile of the moon stretched across it. Stars winked, as if teasing the creatures below. A gentle breeze swept through, rustling the leaves in the trees, as though whispering sweet nothings. Luke loved nights like this. They felt peaceful and serene. He had once dreamt that on such a night, he would be crowned the new Alpha. His father would proudly declare him the leader, passing down the crown of leadership. The werewolves would bow before him. Girls would line up to be his mate.

But his dream was shattered. The father who was supposed to declare his ascension now lay lifeless before the temple. His glossy black fur was soaked with blood. His body was torn apart, riddled with claw marks and bites. A gaping wound on his neck left no doubt—he had been attacked by another wolf. But Luke had no idea who it was.

The young man found himself shackled in front of a cave, surrounded by his pack. His body was battered, his silvery hair dishe