Chapter 5: Storm Pack's Arrogance
1965 Words
Chapter 5: Storm Pack's Arrogance
(Sarah's POV)
I sat behind my mahogany desk in the Silver Moon Pack's main office, struggling to maintain my composure as William, Alex's executor from the Storm Pack, strutted around like he owned the place.
My fingers drummed against the polished wood as he carelessly tossed a folder onto my desk.
"The guest list for the engagement ceremony," William announced with an insufferable smirk. "Though I must inform you that Alpha Heir Alex won't be able to attend."
I felt my blood pressure rising. "Excuse me?"
"He has more pressing matters to attend to," William said dismissively, examining his nails. "I'm sure you understand how busy an Alpha heir can be."
The casual way he delivered this shocking news made my wolf bristle with anger.
"More pressing than his own engagement ceremony?" I kept my voice carefully controlled, though inside I was seething.
William's lips curved into a cruel smile. "Well, once the Storm Pack takes over after the marriage, such small ceremonial matters won't be important anyway."
My fingers stilled on the desk. "Take over?"
"Oh, come now," he chuckled, leaning forward. "Surely you didn't think the Storm Pack would let a mere adopted daughter continue playing at being Beta? Your humble act is admirable, but let's be realistic.And your sister is Luna of the Storm Pack, then the Silver Moon Pack and the Storm Pack must merge into one."
The condescension in his tone made my wolf snarl.I was almost amused by his shameless tone.
"How... interesting," I said slowly, rising from my chair. "That you think Alex's position is so secure."
William's smirk faltered slightly. "What do you mean?"
"Tell me, William," I stepped around the desk, letting my Alpha power seep into the air. "How do you think a bastard son managed to become heir to the Storm Pack?"
His face paled slightly. "Through his own merit, of course."
I laughed, the sound sharp and cold. "Merit? No. He became heir because my sister Aurora spent years supporting him, using Silver Moon Pack's influence to silence his opposition."
William took an involuntary step back as my power pressed against him.
"Perhaps you've forgotten," I continued, advancing slowly. "That without Aurora's constant efforts, Alex would still be that unwanted bastard son, crying in the corners of your pack house.And you would not be standing here talking to me in a high and mighty manner."
"You... you can't speak about him that way!" William protested, but his voice wavered.
"I can and I will," I growled. "And if the Storm Pack continues this disrespect, I'll make sure everyone knows exactly how your precious heir gained his position."
My Alpha power flared, making William stumble backward. Despite being Beta now, my Alpha bloodline was still pure and powerful.
"You're... you're threatening us?" he gasped, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Consider it a friendly reminder," I smiled coldly. "Of who really holds the power here."I continued to increase my power, pressing into his body.
William scrambled toward the door, his earlier arrogance completely shattered.
"Alpha Alex will hear about this!" he spat, trying to salvage some dignity. "Your sister's marriage prospects..."
"Get out," I commanded, letting my power snap like a whip.
He fled, but not before throwing one last barb. "Even with all your power, you can't stop your sister from wanting him. The Silver Moon Pack will be ours, one way or another!"
The door slammed behind him, and I let out a frustrated growl.His final words left me feeling utterly dejected.
"Gamma Mark," I called out, knowing he was waiting outside.
Mark entered immediately, his expression concerned. "I heard everything."
"Can you believe their audacity?" I paced the room, my anger still simmering. "Not even bothering to attend his own engagement ceremony!"
"It's disgraceful," Mark agreed, watching me carefully. "But..."
"But what?" I stopped pacing to look at him.
Mark hesitated before speaking. "The real problem is that Aurora is still deeply in love with him, despite how he treats her."
"Don't you think I know that?" I snapped, then immediately regretted my harsh tone.
"Perhaps..." Mark began carefully, "it would be better if Aurora wasn't the Alpha heir. You could lead the pack better..."
I whirled on him, my power flooding the room. "Choose your next words very carefully, Gamma."
Mark raised his hands in surrender. "I meant no disrespect..."
"If I ever hear you suggesting something like that again," I growled, "you'll lose your position as Gamma. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Beta Sarah," he lowered his head submissively. "It won't happen again."
The last thing I needed was pack members questioning Aurora's position. Despite everything, she was the rightful heir, and I would protect her position with my life.
Mark quietly excused himself, leaving me alone with my troubled thoughts. I knew Alex's treatment of Aurora was getting worse, but I never expected this level of disrespect from the Storm Pack.
Something had to be done, and soon. But with Aurora still so blindly devoted to Alex, what could I really do?
I sat alone in my office. The soft ticking of the clock on the wall was the only sound as I stared blankly at the paperwork in front of me. It was useless to even try concentrating on these documents now.
William's earlier visit had stirred up a storm of emotions that refused to settle.
His arrogance still lingered in the air like a bitter aftertaste, each word a thorn in my mind.
The guest list he tossed onto my desk lay untouched, mocking me silently. But it wasn't just William's blatant disregard for our pack that fueled the fire within me.
It was Alex.
His shameless absence from his own engagement ceremony—his disregard for Aurora. My little sister deserved better. She always had.
I closed my eyes and leaned back in my chair. With the sounds of the ticking clock fading into the background, my thoughts drifted to the past.
I never asked for this role. Not as Beta, not as Aurora's shield, and certainly not as someone who had to bear this weight. My life had always felt like a lie, ever since the day the truth came out.
Fourteen. That was the age when my world twisted into something unrecognizable. The day I discovered I wasn't truly part of the Silver Moon Pack's bloodline.
"You're not ours by birth, Sarah," my father Liam had said that day, his voice heavy, but his love for me never wavering. "But you'll always be our daughter."
They kept me because they loved me, because to them, I was still their child. I remembered how my shoulders shook as I cried in my mother's arms that day.
Alpha and Luna treated me like I belonged. And the pack—I thought for sure they'd change, treat me differently.
But they didn't.
They stood by me. They accepted me as one of their own. My wolf, Ava, appeared shortly after, as if to reassure me I still had a path in this world. But fate wasn't done with me yet.
My parents just discovered this matter, but they passed away before they could find their biological daughter. They died in a territorial dispute with a pack of storm wolves.
The overwhelming grief has almost crushed me during the endless nights, and I have been wondering what the meaning of my existence is.
I have endured those endless nights until the elders finally brought good news, which gave my life a new purpose. Aurora -- the true heir -- the biological daughter of my parents, is still alive.
Her fate was swapped with mine, abandoned in an orphanage, she thought of herself as a lonely, helpless girl, burdened by the scars of being abandoned, relying on herself to survive in a cruel and heartless world.
"Aurora," I had said that day, taking her shaking hands within mine. "You're home now. And I promise you, I'll do everything in my power to make you happy."
That vow was easy to make back then. The guilt of taking her place, living with the love of parents meant for her—it weighed on my soul.
For years, I worked with her, teaching her what it meant to lead. To be the heir. To ensure she could take her rightful place when the time came.
I believed it was enough. I believed I was strong enough to step down quietly, to make her new path as smooth as humanly possible.
Even if it meant swallowing my pride to support Alex. I had worked tirelessly to help raise him, too. Worked through the politics, through the judgment of choosing someone so unstable for Aurora's mate.
But for her sake—for her love—I had done it. I had supported his every step until he no longer needed me. Until he no longer needed her.
A bitter laugh escaped me as I sat back up, the memories dissipating like smoke. What an absolute joke. Everything I had done for Alex, for her, and now…
My phone buzzed loudly on the desk, breaking through my anger. I glanced at the screen, my pulse speeding up the moment I saw Aurora's name flashing across it.
I answered sharply, "Aurora."
Her voice on the other end was soft yet firm, as though she were trying to mask something. "Sarah… I'm coming home now."
"Good," I said curtly, my eyes narrowing. "We need to talk. I'll see you within the next half hour."
I didn't wait for her reply. I hung up and tossed the phone down. If this was going to be another argument about her mate—no, her former mate—I needed every ounce of composure to hold my ground.
I couldn't let her carry on blindly supporting Alex while he dragged her heart through the mud.
------
Twenty-five minutes later, I stood stiffly by the front door. I heard the rumble of a car outside, and my stomach churned with a mixture of anger and anticipation.
My wolf Ava paced within me, bristling with irritation but ready to shield Aurora from the world if need be.
The door opened with a creak, and my breath hitched when I spotted her. Aurora stepped inside hesitantly, her silver hair falling over her shoulders like a veil of moonlight. But it wasn't just her.
Beside her stood a man—a tall, imposing figure with sharp golden eyes that dominated the room's atmosphere within seconds. His black suit showcased his lean muscular form, but it was the presence that accompanied him that froze me in place.
The air shifted, and the sheer magnitude of his power made Ava growl protectively within me.
Marcus Black.
The heir to the Alpha King.
My mind reeled.A man who wasn't just infamous—he was untouchable. And here he was, standing in my pack's territory, his golden gaze sweeping over the surroundings with something akin to ownership.
But what struck me harder than his presence was how he stood close to Aurora. His stance was protective, as though he were placing invisible barriers between her fragile heart and the world outside.
"Aurora," I managed, finding my voice. "Who… why is he here?"
I didn't need an answer. I knew the moment our eyes met. Marcus's gaze didn't waver, but there was something startling in those sharp, golden depths. An unspoken promise. A declaration of war against everything threatening her.
Aurora stepped forward, her voice breaking the tension that had seeped into every corner of the room.
"Sarah," she said softly. "We need to talk."
It wasn't her words that left me shaken, though.
And I discovered that Marcus's power and her power were naturally intertwined, almost instinctively, but she seemed unaware of it.
- Writer
