Page 109 of Her Destined Alpha (Alpha #3)

Rayhan

N o!

It was like watching a horror movie from behind a screen. I could do nothing. I was stuck fighting off the wolves, most of our people were down. Only Dad, Chris, and I remained, and we were all losing.

The spell in the air was poisoning us. I heard Raihana whisper that the spell was done before she collapsed to her knees, coughing up blood. I was finally able to rip Blake to pieces, but just when I thought we had victory...

I heard Mom shout. I turned to see Delsanra working on the spell around us. Mom jumped in front of her, shielding her. My heart was in my mouth as I rushed to shield them from the attack, but I was too far. I saw Raihana raise her hands, ready to cast a spell, but she had no time…

Everything was too late…

Just then, Dad’s wolf landed before them, seconds before the spell hit him, obliterating him on the spot.

The smell of blood filled the air along with Mom’s scream, one I would never forget.

I felt the agonising feeling of something breaking painfully inside, the feeling that every pack member would have felt — the passing of their Alpha.

Then, there was a surge of power that grew within me, the power gained when one took the Alpha title. A power I was given by default. A power that clarified that my father was gone.

No…

I couldn’t breathe, and I was no longer sure if it was the pain of his loss or due to the darkness that was growing. I looked at Delsanra. Tears streamed down her face, her red eyes burning with anguish.

“Bastard!” Raihana cried out, slamming Reginald to the ground, only for Chris to rip his head from his body. She screamed in grief, falling to her knees, and Chris pulled her into his arms.

I ran to Mom and Delsanra, shifting back. I could feel their emotions as I wrapped my arms around Mom, who sobbed uncontrollably. I reached over with one hand, cupping my kitten’s head, and pressed my head against her shoulder from behind. Her heart was pounding, and her pain was palpable.

My vision was blurry as she pressed a soft kiss to my forehead before turning back to the wall. I could feel her powers swirling around us, coating those dark tentacles of darkness that had been climbing the building, engulfing them all in fire, and soon I felt the darkness lift.

Delsanra gasped as the spell began to shatter. Spinning around the moment it was complete, her heart thundered as she looked at Mom and the blood on the floor. She was shaking as she began to scoop Dad’s blood fruitlessly from the floor. Didn’t she realise it was all mixed?

“I can bring him back! I have dark magic, I just need-”

“No,” I said hoarsely. I knew what she was about to say. Try to bring him back using necromancy… “Dad wouldn’t have wanted you to do that.”

“I just need-” she whimpered pleadingly, staring at the blood that coated her hands.

“No, baby, Dad wouldn’t want that…” I repeated quietly just as the doors crashed open.

“But…” Delsanra whispered. I shook my head, and our eyes locked. She sobbed, clamping her hands over her mouth.

Uncle and several other wolves entered, along with a few witches. His eyes met mine, and I knew he knew it was too late.

“He’s right… a life for a life. Plus, you would have to use some of your own life force, Delsanra…” Raihana whimpered as she clung to Chris.

“Rafael would never want that,” Mom sobbed, pulling Delsanra into her arms. I heard Uncle suck in a sharp breath.

Fuck, it was real. Dad was gone. My head was squeezing in pain, and my chest felt excruciatingly tight. Dad…

Uncle dropped to his knees next to me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“I’m sorry… I should have been here.” The pain in his voice was unmasked, but right then, I couldn’t deal with any of it.

Dad was gone…

Fuck… I should have been stronger.

“Rayhan,” Uncle said hoarsely.

I clutched my head, fighting back my tears, my chest heaving. I gasped when my kitten’s trembling arms wrapped around me tightly from behind just as I roared in agony and rage, clutching my hair tightly.

“Mama…” Raihana’s voice was faint. Mom’s sobs…

No, this fucking wasn’t happening…

“Let me try,” Delsanra begged quietly.

Why didn’t she get it? Dad would never be able to live knowing what the repercussions of reviving the dead would have on her.

“You can’t. For him,” I whispered, turning and burying my head into her chest. She didn’t reply, simply caressing my hair as she sobbed silently.

“Take the injured… our dead… and burn the fucking rest,” Uncle said quietly.

We may have won… but at the cost of someone dear to us all. One of the greatest alphas of all time. The light that always shone, the glue that kept us together. Dad...

I hugged Delsanra tightly. The pain in my chest was fucking overwhelming… but I was Alpha now. I had to pull myself together.

I moved back forcefully, reigning in my emotions. I had to; I was Alpha.

There was not going to be any happy passing of the title down to me... there was not going to be any ‘I’m proud of you, son’. My father was gone, and I needed to hold the pack together.

Four days had passed since Dad’s death. We had lost nine in total, including Dad and Beta Jack. Several people had been injured, including Lola, but when she found out her dad had died. She had taken it in stride and taken her place as Beta by my side.

Those that were injured had been healed by Raihana, Delsanra, and Kiara, but the ones that died… nothing could replace those.

I stood in Dad’s, my, office, looking out at the pack training grounds. Two squads were training, and from here, things looked like they were back to normal.

We had buried our dead and signed a treaty with the Coven with clear, ironclad rules.

I had taken over the Ahmar Qamar Pack under my grandfather’s decision.

There was no other heir after all. My anger still burned inside me.

If Zain hadn’t delayed so much, perhaps things could have been fucking different. I could have alerted Dad.

I clenched my fists. I needed to decide what to do with that pack. I had my ideas, but we’d see…

Mom was handling it well, but there were countless nights when Delsanra would wake me up unintentionally, crying, but she hid it well. If I went to ask if she was okay, she would pretend to be sleeping. She was strong, always hiding her pain.

I knew that either Mom or Delsanra could have been killed that day... and I knew Dad died knowing he protected them, his family. But it didn’t take the pain away.

Raihana wasn’t handling it well, blaming herself for not doing better, but Chris was being strong for her, and I was so fucking glad she had her mate to be there for her because she needed it.

Delsanra was staying strong, although on the day we looked down at the empty grave, there was pain in her voice as she whispered that she had lost her father before even getting to spend much time with him.

I knew she was staying strong for us all and doing a damn good job of it.

When I was handling stuff, she would keep Mom company, doing her best as Luna.

She was fucking strong. She had been through so much, and it showed.

Blake, the bastard, was gone. After some digging, we found out who his dad was, a man who had tried to rape two underage she-wolves from our pack, and Dad had ended up killing him.

He hadn’t known Blake’s link to him, no one had.

Even though he was dead, he didn’t suffer as much as he should have.

For all he did to Delsanra… I hoped he rotted in fucking hell and paid for his crimes.

If the Moon Goddess cared, she’d hold him accountable…

I still remember the pain that I felt as I tracked Delsanra and Raihana.

.. the pain Blake had inflicted upon her that I felt through the bond.

Once more, she had suffered. The fear I felt, wondering if I was too late, had engulfed me.

When I burst through that entrance, I had been relieved to see the fire of defiance and courage burning in the eyes of my survivor. She truly was strong.

A knock on the door brought me out of my thoughts, and I turned as Uncle stepped inside.

He and Kiara had been there through it all.

Even Liam had come, as well as his parents.

They had all gone back, but Uncle and his family remained.

Marcel had come, but he, too, had left yesterday with Leo, who had been very distant.

I had my ideas of why… but I wasn’t sure if I was correct.

“Mind if we could have a word?” he asked quietly.

“Sure,” I said, turning away from the window.

We hadn’t really talked much. He had been helping, and he had gone to do damage control with the Council as I had killed an alpha, not that I cared. Zain had deserved it. He closed the door and walked in, taking a drag on his cigarette.

“How are you holding up?” he asked.

“Fine,” I answered quietly. He walked over to me and looked me in the eye.

“It’s okay to fucking feel.”

“Don’t give me shit, Uncle,” I said quietly, unable to hold his gaze. He placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Well, I will, because just like Rafael was there for me, I’m going to be here for you,” he said quietly. “I wasn’t able to ever tell Rafael how the fuck I felt about him, but I’m not making that same mistake again. You’re my nephew, Ray. Don’t think you’re alone.”

“I know,” I said, refusing to let the pain that was crushing me inside take over. I looked at him, tilting my head. “How are you holding up?”

“You know how it is… Raf isn’t someone that can be replaced in my fucking life.

He was the first person to fucking care for me.

Even when I fucking beat him to an inch of his fucking life, every single time, he’d still smile and greet me the following morning.

Yeah, it fucking hurts…” He trailed off, frowning deeply as he tilted his head.

“Yeah… Dad isn’t someone anyone can forget,” I said quietly.

I had seen the effect his death had had on Uncle El. Dad was the last of Uncle’s closest friends. He had lost so many loved ones in the span of a few years. My mind flitted to the day of the funeral…

“Life’s too short to hold grudges, Liam, go home. Before life takes those that you love from you.”

Those were my last words to him. He hadn’t disagreed, and the following day he had told me he had decided to return home and take the title of Alpha so his father could take a break.

Whatever his reasons were, he was at least returning to his rightful place, because that was what we were, alphas with a duty to our packs.

We would make our fathers proud, dead or alive. We would continue their legacies…

“Where’s your mom?” Uncle asked. I looked at him, Mom?

“Probably home, ask Kiara.”

“Kiara has gone to visit the women who lost their mates with Delsanra... so Maria’s probably home…” He nodded to himself before turning. I looked at his back.

“Why are you asking?” I asked.

“Because it’s high time we had a fucking talk.”