Free Web NovelChapter 126: Chapter 126 The Pack Kneels
Elena’s POV
"We’ll never know now," I replied, my voice steady despite everything we had just been through.
The journey back didn’t take long before our warriors caught up with us. We all shifted back into our wolf forms and ran together through the familiar territory toward home. The rhythm of paws hitting the forest floor felt different now, charged with the energy of victory and the weight of new responsibility.
The entire pack had gathered, waiting for our return. As we emerged from the treeline and approached the clearing near the packhouse, cheers erupted from the crowd. Every member of our pack had turned out for this moment, their voices carrying across the morning air in celebration.
I shifted back just inside the treeline, staying hidden among the trees alongside Damien. We quickly dressed ourselves before stepping out into the clearing where everyone waited. The sun had already climbed higher into the sky, but it was still early morning. The pack didn’t seem to care about the hour though. Parents had roused their children from bed so they could greet their warrior fathers returning home, and those without warriors in their families had come simply to welcome us all back safely.
The moment Damien and I emerged from the forest into the clearing, the entire atmosphere changed. Every conversation stopped mid-sentence, and hundreds of eyes turned toward us. The shift in energy was palpable, electric.
They had all felt it the instant I killed Marcus. The moment his life ended, the pack bond transferred to me immediately. The power that had once flowed through him now coursed through my veins, marking me as their new Alpha whether I had asked for it or not.
Standing there facing all of them, uncertainty crept up my spine. I wasn’t sure how they felt about this dramatic change in leadership. After all, these were the same people who had grown up hating me, who had made my childhood a living hell, who had watched me be treated as less than nothing for years.
But then something extraordinary happened. The first person dropped to one knee before me. Then a second person knelt. Then a third. Like a wave rolling across the clearing, every single pack member lowered themselves in submission and respect. They were kneeling to me. They were accepting me as their Alpha. freewēbnoveℓ.com
I stood frozen in shock, unable to process what I was seeing. These people who had despised me for so long were now acknowledging my authority, my right to lead them. Almost every single person in the pack showed their acceptance.
Almost every single person.
"This is complete bullshit!" Viviana’s shrill voice cut through the reverent silence as she shoved her way through the kneeling crowd. "I am not kneeling to you. I’m pregnant with Marcus’s baby, and this baby is the rightful heir to this pack."
Her words hung in the air like a challenge, but I felt surprisingly calm as I responded. "Alright then. I’m going to need you out of the packhouse by the end of today. And as for that baby you’re carrying, you’re going to get a test done immediately. They’ll use a long needle to extract amniotic fluid for a DNA test."
Viviana’s face twisted with confusion and anger. "And exactly what are you planning to test it against? Marcus is dead, in case you forgot."
I turned to look at Damien, seeking his silent support. He gave me a simple nod, encouraging me to continue with what needed to be said.
"We’ll test it against Caleb," I announced. freēwēbnovel.com
"What?" Viviana screeched so loudly that the sound actually hurt my ears. I had to shake my head to clear the ringing.
"Marcus and I were together the night before you announced your engagement to him. Caleb is his son," I stated clearly, making sure everyone in the pack could hear this revelation.
Viviana stared at me in complete shock, her mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air.
"You just wait until my uncle hears about this," she finally managed to spit out. "He is going to kill both of you for this."
Gage stepped forward, his voice dangerously low. "Did you just threaten your Alpha?"
"What?" Viviana asked, the realization of what she had just done dawning on her face.
She obviously hadn’t thought before speaking, and now she was facing the consequences of threatening the pack’s leader.
"Alpha? Should I take her to the dungeon?" Gage asked, looking to me for direction.
"Yes, for now," I decided. "And once she’s learned her lesson about respecting pack hierarchy, banish her. If she and her uncle are so close, she can go live with him instead."
Gage’s grin was wide and satisfied as he grabbed Viviana and began dragging her toward the packhouse. Her protests and struggles were useless against his strength as he hauled her down to the dungeons beneath the building.
Suddenly, the sound of running footsteps drew my attention. Caleb came racing down the packhouse steps and launched himself straight into Damien’s waiting arms. Damien caught him easily, and then leaned over to kiss me softly.
Skye appeared on the steps behind them, cradling Briar carefully in her arms. She walked over and wrapped me in a warm hug, telling me how relieved she was that we had made it back safely.
When she placed Briar in my arms, I held her tightly against my chest, breathing in her familiar scent. I looked over at Damien, and he leaned forward to kiss me again, this moment feeling perfect despite everything we had been through.
We both knew that managing two packs would require enormous effort and careful planning. But I had complete confidence that we could make it work. We just needed to develop a strategy that would benefit both communities.
As long as we faced these challenges together, we would always find a way to succeed.
