A day passed since I spoke with Kaelen and Kaela. Both of them seemed to be taking my words seriously, and it looked as if things were falling into place. Kaelen had summoned the entire village for an emergency meeting, but just a few minutes before we were all to gather, he was scouring the lodge as if searching for something.

He also seemed to be in a foul mood, lashing out at anyone who even came close to him. Kaela was the one who was trying to calm him down. She also seemed as if she wanted to speak to him about something, but she couldn’t even get close with him lashing out.

Soon it was time for the meeting that Kaelen had summoned everyone in the village for, so we were forced to leave the lodge. Everyone in the village was gathered together to hear why Kaelen wanted to meet with them. The consensus was that most of them thought he wanted to announce that he would become the alpha.

"Big bro Liam! So high up!"

"Hmm? What’s that?"

Lily had seated herself on my neck and was smiling happily.

"I think she’s saying you’ve gotten taller," Isabella said, explaining Lily’s words. "Not only that, but you’ve gotten more muscular too."

It was a product of my evolution, which was due in four days on the night of the full moon. Not only had I gotten taller, but my senses seemed to be getting sharper too.

"Maybe it’s because of how much we’ve been hunting lately," Selthia suggested.

Just then, Kaelen took center stage in front of the crowd of people who were all watching him tentatively.

"I know you are all wondering why I summoned you all here. It’s about the pack that is threatening us. The Nyx pack. I’m sure you’ve all been hearing that name for a long time now. And I for one am tired of it. That’s why I’m going to do something about it."

When they heard his words, a chatter began to ensue. Though they were all worried, seeing the courage their future alpha was showing, their burdens lessened slightly.

"I am suggesting that we take the fight to them! I am gathering up every able-bodied person in this village, and we are going to war! We’re going to avenge our alpha!"

"Enough of this!"

Suddenly, a loud roar cut through Kaelen’s speech like a knife. Immediately, everyone went quiet and turned to the source of the sound. Of course, it was none other than the warchief, Veyron. Only he had such power to interrupt the future alpha’s speech.

"Whether you’re with me or not, I will see this happen, Veyron," Kaelen said, glaring at the old man.

"Watch your tone, boy. I will not let you lead the people here to their deaths."

"Death is already coming; I’m saving them. And you can’t stop me. You don’t have any say in this pack anymore."

Veyron clenched his fist while glaring at Kaelen. He looked as if he wanted to strangle him right then and there.

Through their argument, my mind was mostly focused on one person. But that person seemed to be hesitating.

’Maybe I should give her a push,’ I thought, but just as that thought crossed my mind, she leaped into action.

"I think we should take another approach in dealing with this conflict," Kaela said, interrupting both Kaelen and Veyron.

"Stay out of this, Kaela," Kaelen said, but she didn’t back down. She seemed to have found her courage.

"No, I’m part of this pack too. Every decision you make will also affect me, so at least listen to what I have to say," she said adamantly. She looked as if she wouldn’t take no for an answer.

"Fine," Kaelen finally relented. "What do you have to say that is so important that you have to interrupt?"

Kaela cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

"I think we should do what the alpha wanted in the first place. My father’s dying wish was for Kaelen to get married to the moon princess."

The moment she said that, Kaelen’s entire expression froze stiff.

"You can’t be serious."

He glared at Kaela, his eyes turning red, and even claws began to grow from his fingers. Just the suggestion that he should marry the moon princess was enough to bring him over the edge after what I told him yesterday. How the moon princess ripped out the heart of his father and ate it.

He forcefully stomped over to Kaela and dragged her by the arm.

"Stop! Kaelen!" Lyanna shouted, but he didn’t even look in her direction.

Instead, he stared into Kaela’s eyes with his hand tightening around her wrist.

"Stop, you’re hurting me."

"How could you even suggest something like that?! Is this a joke to you!"

Hearing her brother’s harsh words, Kaela’s face paled, and tears began accumulating in her eyes.

"No, I just wanted to help. It’s what Dad would have wanted. That was the whole reason he went there in the first place."

"And they killed him for it! Do you want the same thing to happen to me. Is that it!"

"No, I just wanted to..."

"Kaelen, stop!" Lyanna shouted and grabbed him by the shoulder, but in a brute display of strength, Kaelen flipped her over, sending her crashing to the ground in a sickening thud.

A look of surprise crossed his face when he saw what he had done, but by then it was too late. The wheel had already started spinning, and as if by cue, Kaelen’s friends ran to his side to restrain him before he caused any more harm. But this act only made things worse.

Kaelen grabbed his friend up by the throat, threatening to strangle the life out of him, but in that one moment, something happened that changed everything.

A red amulet fell out of the boy’s shirt pocket. It was the same red amulet that Kaelen had been searching for. The one I took. He said his father had given it to him. Told him that it was sacred and that he was trusting him with it.

It was sufficient to say that this amulet meant a lot to Kaelen since it was the only thing his father left behind.

That same amulet went missing yesterday around the same time Kaelen’s friends came to visit. Kaelen looked at his friend in disbelief when he saw the amulet.

"You stole from me?" Kaelen mumbled looking a bi heart broken.

"Huh? I don’t know where that came from."

The boy wasn’t lying. He really didn’t know since I made sure the amulet leaped through the shadows and planted itself on him with the help of my shadow hounds.

This betrayal was just the icing on the cake. It was exactly what was needed to throw Kaelen over the edge.

Kaelen’s hands clenched tighter around the boy’s throat. How could he believe him when the evidence that he stole it was there for him to see? At that moment, all rational thought left Kaelen’s mind. He was too blinded by rage to even think of another possibility.

That boy who must’ve been his friend from childhood betrayed him. At that moment, the air was filled with dread and the screams of the villagers. Blinded by rage, Kaelen plunged his claws into the boy’s chest, ending his friend’s life instantly.