My Alpha Faked His Defeat as a Prank, and Every She-Wolf Died

I had just hidden the pack's old, weak, and sick in a cave when I learned that my mate, Alpha Magnus Hale, had lost the battle. In an instant, the relief of having made it out alive turned into despair. Colt Mercer, the only warrior who made it back, was soaked in blood and barely breathing. "The Alpha's been taken prisoner. Both your sons are dead. Even your grandson... there's nothing left of him." At the same moment, the werewolves hunting us picked up our trail. They were right outside the cave, jeering. "It's just a bunch of she-wolves. When they come out, they're our sex slaves!" The cheering outside was deafening. Inside, every she-wolf around me had already made up her mind to die. "Luna, we'd rather die than bow to them." "Our men already gave their lives for this pack. We'll honor them by doing the same," another said. I looked at their steady faces and made my decision. I took out the wolfsbane I always carried and gave some to each of them. I watched each of them take her last breath. Only then did I pull out the silver dagger Magnus had given me for protection and drive it into my chest. My wolf howled inside me as I collapsed. Then, all at once, everything around me became sharp and clear. "The Alpha spoils his adopted sister Susie rotten. He got every warrior in the pack to join her prank on the Luna." "What can you do? He's spoiled her since they were kids. If she wants to play a game, he'll play along," another voice answered. Outside, the wolves burst out laughing. "When the Alpha and the others show up tomorrow morning, the Luna's going to be so happy she could die!" "Yeah. It's just a little scare. What could go wrong?" someone else said. With shaking hands, I reached for the she-wolves beside me, desperate for any sign of life. But the bodies beside me kept growing colder as the last of their warmth faded. Their prank of pretending they had lost the battle could end. But the she-wolves who had already died would never wake up again. Chapter 1 No. I can't let them all die for some stupid game! Then I remembered one last hope. The Starlight pack had a Flower of Life that had been passed down for generations. It could bring back anyone who had been dead for no more than three hours! If I could get to it, there was still a chance to save them all. I clenched my teeth, dug my fingers into the dirt, and dragged myself toward the mouth of the cave. But the opening, where a little light had shone through before, had been sealed off! All I could see was darkness. I pounded on the stone with my bloody palms. Smack. The sound was too faint. The wind outside drowned it out. I pulled the silver dagger out of my chest, gripped it, and slammed the hilt against the boulder. Thunk! Thunk! The chatter outside stopped. "Did you hear something in there?" one of the wolves asked. Another wolf hesitated. "Yeah, I think so. Should we move the rock and check? What if something's wrong?" If they came in and saw the bodies on the ground, Magnus would know the game had gone horribly wrong. He would bring out the Flower of Life and save them. But just as the footsteps approached, a third voice cut in. "We blocked the cave to keep word from getting out. "Besides, Susie's orders were clear. Nobody goes in. She wants them scared out of their minds all night so the surprise in the morning hits harder." The third wolf lowered his voice and warned, "The Alpha dotes on his adopted sister Susie. Defy her orders, and you're as good as dead." After a short silence, the two wolves by the stone backed off. "Fair enough. The rock's in place. They're not going anywhere." "Come on, let's go get a drink." My hand, still holding the silver dagger, went limp and slid down the rough stone wall, landing hard in the dirt. As if every bone had been pulled from my body, I went limp and collapsed. I turned my head and looked behind me. The bodies lay scattered across the floor. The truth was, I had wanted to wait one more night. Maybe things would turn around. Colt changed my mind with his graphic descriptions of the enemy's cruelty. He said any male who fell into their hands would have his arms and legs broken, then be penned up like livestock. And every female would become a sex slave! Those words were the last straw. That was what finally broke everyone. Looking back, Colt had probably been working for Susie Hale, Magnus's adopted sister. She'd insisted on going into battle with the males, and no matter what I said, I couldn't talk her out of it. Magnus was an Alpha who always followed the rules, yet he agreed to something so unreasonable. He even scolded me for trying to stop her. "Susie isn't like the rest of you, staying behind in the pack to look after the women and children. She's a hero. She can fight beside us on the battlefield." But Susie had been sickly from birth. If not for years of herbal treatment, her wolf might never have awakened. Maybe that was when I should have known it was all fake. My vision blurred as I looked over at the corner. My two daughters-in-law, Lily Hale and Nora Hale, were huddled there. Lily, my older son's mate, held my three-year-old granddaughter, Poppy Hale, in her arms. Poppy hadn't cried at all before she died. She held the piece of wolfsbane, looked up at Lily, and asked, "Mommy, if I eat this, the bad guys won't get us?" Lily fought back her tears and nodded. "If you eat it, the bad guys won't get us." Poppy swallowed it without protest and slumped against Lily, her little hand still clutching the hem of her mother's shirt. Then Lily took the wolfsbane too. Nora followed, then every other she-wolf in the pack. Right up to the end, they believed they were defending the pack's honor. I looked down at the silver dagger lying beside me. The ruby glinted in the dim light, reminding me of the indulgent look on Magnus's face whenever he gazed at Susie. I had believed that choosing death alongside the pack's weakest members was a brave stand against the enemy. Now I knew the honor I had fought so hard to protect was nothing but a game to them. I could hear voices outside. "Think the Luna's going to burst into tears when she sees the Alpha tomorrow?" "This game is so much fun. I can't wait to see them cry tears of joy when they see the Alpha tomorrow." Tears of joy? A broken laugh escaped me as bloody tears blurred my vision. Then everything went black. There would be no tomorrow for us. Chapter 2 My soul left my body, passed through the boulder blocking the cave, and drifted back to the home Magnus and I shared in the pack. Ever since Magnus and I became mates, I had walked this path every morning to handle pack business. I had planted the ginkgo trees along it myself. Back then, I was pregnant with our older son, Luca Hale. Magnus had fussed over me, and his hand was on my belly the first time he felt the baby kick. His eyes lit up like stars. "Luca's kicking me." I touched his face. "When he's born, you have to teach him well." Now those trees stood taller than the houses. But the people beneath them had changed a long time ago. I drifted into the house and found Magnus sitting on the sofa. Susie clung to his arm, sweet and pouty. "Magnus, Carol won't be mad at me when she finds out this was my idea, will she?" Magnus patted her hand, his face soft with affection. "Of course not. She's the Luna. She's not going to get upset over something this small." Thirty years earlier, Magnus and I had held our mating ceremony right here. That day, he held my hand and made a vow in front of the statue of the Moon Goddess. "I'll love you forever and keep you safe." But now that same hand rested on Susie's as he comforted her, even though her concern was obviously fake. "It's just a scare. Nothing's really going to happen." Susie looked up, smiling so wide her eyes crinkled. "Magnus, I knew it. You love me best." She wrapped an arm around his neck and nuzzled against him. Magnus laughed and ruffled her hair. Luca sat in the armchair next to them. "Mom was always busy with pack business. She was never really around when we were kids. You were the one who played with us." My younger son, Felix Hale, chimed in, "Yeah. We're already doing her a favor by letting her keep the Luna title. If she dares to blame you, she'll have to go through us first!" Susie laughed even harder, and her eyes landed on my ten-year-old grandson, Ben Hale. "Ben, aren't you scared your grandma will be mad at you?" Ben shook his head. "Grandma raised me herself. I'm her favorite." He paused. "But she's so selfish. She won't even let you live in this house." I looked at Ben. I'd taken him in and raised him myself. I'd thought he would always remember how close we'd been. But now he was curled up against Susie, calling me selfish. As for this house, Susie was the one who'd said she didn't like the way it was decorated. She had told me, "Carol, I want a home of my own." I had felt sorry for her, so I gave her a house of her own. Susie looked caught off guard, and her smile was forced. The next day, the whole pack was saying I wanted to drive Susie out. Even Magnus came to talk to me about it. "Luna, Susie is family. Don't treat her like this." I explained, but he still wasn't happy. "Even so, you can't just give her some tiny little house." He built Susie a huge house in the best part of the pack, larger and more luxurious than the one he and I shared. After Susie moved in, that was where everyone went to party. I was always left alone in this empty house. Back then, Ben used to throw his arms around my neck and promise, "Grandma, I'll always stay with you." Now Ben complained, "Even though you finally let me come to the party this time, I still can't forgive you for always leaving me out and making me stay with Grandma!" Susie ruffled Ben's hair, took off her necklace, and handed it to him. Ben didn't even hesitate. He yanked the chain from his own neck and snapped it. That was the gift I'd put around his neck the day I brought him into the pack. "I like this one!" Magnus watched them fondly. He took a jewelry box out of his pocket. Inside, a ruby sparkled. He smiled. "You gave yours to Ben, so here's one from me." Susie covered her mouth, her eyes instantly filling with tears. "Isn't this the ruby from Carol's silver dagger? How can there be a second one?" Magnus didn't seem to care. "Hers is fake. I took the real one off. "She's in the pack all day. What danger is she ever in? That dagger's just sitting there going to waste." He paused, sounding a bit dismissive. "But a stone like this shouldn't go to waste. She's too old to wear something like this anyway." Magnus put the necklace on her himself. "But you're different. You're young. You deserve a stone like this." Magnus had once told me the ruby was the only thing his mother left him, and that he would give it to the person he loved most. He'd set it in the silver dagger and said it would keep me safe. Now that dagger had killed me, and the ruby had become a gift to make Susie smile. "Anything but the Luna's title. Anything else you want, it's yours." Susie huffed playfully. "I don't want anything else from you. "I just want you to play with me." Magnus tapped her forehead. "What do you want to play next?" "How about tomorrow you pretend to reject Carol as your mate?" Magnus looked confused. "Why?" Susie raised an eyebrow. "Then you get to win her back. She'll love you even more." "That's a fun idea. Come on, Dad, say yes!" My sons joined in, egging him on. Magnus gave a helpless smile and finally gave in. The living room filled with laughter. My translucent fingers passed through his cheek. There was no tomorrow for me. Chapter 3 Magnus leaned back on the couch, puzzled. "Why haven't we heard anything yet? "Knowing Carol, she should have sent someone to report back by now." Felix sat with his legs crossed, like he couldn't care less. "Our guys are right outside, and there's water in the cave. What could happen in one night?" Magnus nodded and relaxed a little. Luca wasn't so calm. His voice was tight. "Lily scares easily. What if she really believes something happened to us? "And my daughter's only three." Felix waved it off. "I assigned guards to watch the cave. If anything seems wrong, they'll go inside and check immediately. "It's just a game. Nobody's actually going to get hurt." Susie smiled and chimed in, "Exactly. What could possibly happen? "When they see you come back safe tomorrow, they'll be laughing and crying at the same time." Luca relaxed, but a strange look flickered in Susie's eyes before she made an excuse to leave the living room. I followed her. Garrett Reed, one of the pack's Omegas, was leading a male werewolf inside. I recognized the other wolf. It was Colt, the warrior who'd come back covered in blood to bring us the news. But now there wasn't a single scratch on him. He looked completely at ease. He even took the time to straighten his collar. "Susie, I passed along everything you told me. The guards at the cave have their orders. "No matter what happens in there, nobody goes in to check. "Just to be safe, I had them seal the entrance completely." Susie smiled, pleased. "Good." She pulled a bag of money from inside her coat and tossed it to him. "Here's your payment." Colt caught it, weighed it in his hand, and gave her an even more ingratiating smile. Garrett spoke up. "The Alpha and both his sons are playing along with your game, Susie. The guards at the cave wouldn't dare disobey, would they?" "Of course not." Colt thumped his chest. "They all know crossing Susie is a death sentence." I hovered in midair, my fingers passing right through their faces. I wanted to wrap my hands around their throats. I wanted to tear them apart. But I couldn't do a thing. All I could do was watch as they finished talking and went their separate ways. Back in the living room, the conversation continued. Luca kept pressing the point. "The wolves Susie hired to play the enemy won't actually hurt them, right?" Right as he said it, Susie pushed the door open and walked in. Her eyes immediately filled with tears. "Luca, what's that supposed to mean?" Her voice trembled as she said, "I just wanted to liven things up and bring everyone together. "But now you... What kind of person do you think I am?" Tears slid down her cheeks. "If you're so worried, go end the game right now. "I'm just an outsider anyway. What I say doesn't count." Magnus frowned and turned to Luca, clearly annoyed. "It's just a game. Why are you overthinking it? "At worst, we'll give them a proper apology tomorrow." Felix backed him up. "Yeah. Lily's always so understanding. She won't hold it against us." Luca lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Susie." Only then did Susie smile through her tears. Relieved, Luca sat back down. Felix raised his glass. "Anyway, Nora never holds anything against me." "Your mom's stubborn," Magnus said. He paused, and a smile crept onto his face. "But she's soft-hearted. Tomorrow, I'll bring her favorite fried apples when I go see her. "Then we'll all sit down to a nice family dinner. She won't be able to stay mad." They clinked glasses, and laughter filled the living room. I turned and drifted out of the house. The night wind blew straight through me. In the cave, 56 bodies were slowly going cold in the dark. And the people in that living room were still dreaming about tomorrow's family dinner. Chapter 4 Early the next morning, Felix held a bouquet of bluebells, Nora's favorite. "She must have been terrified last night. "Still, it's not a bad thing. Now she knows she can't live without me." Luca was holding a fuzzy teddy bear. "Poppy must have cried last night. A three-year-old can't handle something like that." Ben hunched over the table, piecing bits of clay together into something lopsided. He held up what he'd made. "I made a new necklace out of clay. Grandma's going to love it." Magnus wore an apron as he fried apples in butter. Golden apple slices sizzled in the pan, and the smell of butter filled the room. Susie stepped up beside him, her voice sweet and coy. "That smells so good. Magnus, I want some too." Magnus kept turning the apples without looking back. "I'll make you your own batch next time. "We really went too far this time. I need to make plenty of Carol's favorite apples to win her over. "When you see her today, remember to apologize to her too." He paused. Then they all left the house. Felix hurried ahead with the flowers. "Nora must have been up all night, waiting for me to come get her." Luca tucked the teddy bear against his chest. "If Poppy's eyes are swollen from crying, I'll let her cuddle the bear all day." Ben walked next to Magnus, holding up the necklace. "Will Grandma like the necklace I made?" Magnus smiled but said nothing. Outside the cave, the guards were already lined up and waiting. When they saw Magnus coming, the lead guard stepped forward and bowed his head. "Alpha, we stood guard out here all night. Nobody got out." He sounded as if he expected praise. "Even when we heard noises inside, we didn't let anyone out." Felix frowned, confused. "And nobody went in?" The guard nodded eagerly. "Of course! We..." "Didn't I tell you to go in and check the second anything seemed wrong?" Anger flared in Magnus's voice. The guard froze and looked at the others. Another guard scratched his head. "Susie told us not to go in, no matter what... "She said it was the only way they'd believe they were really in danger." Magnus swallowed his unease and demanded, "What did you hear?" "At first, we heard people talking. Then it sounded like something fell. "After that, I think we heard someone yelling to be let out." Alarm flashed across Felix's face. "Isn't that cave open?" The guard pointed at the entrance. Huge rocks were piled there, sealing it shut. "Susie had us block it off." Magnus spun around to look at Susie. She took a step back, twisting her fingers together. "I... I only wanted to make the game feel more real." Her voice shook. "But I never told them to stay out if something actually went wrong." Luca had already reached the entrance and was clawing at the outermost rocks. "Poppy! Daddy's here!" He screamed himself hoarse. "Lily! Can you hear me?!" Ben dropped the necklace and ran to the entrance. "Grandma! Grandma!" Magnus's eyes turned red. He shifted into his wolf form and threw his huge body against the pile of rocks. Dust flew everywhere, too thick for anyone to see through. Magnus lunged forward, shoving aside the rubble that was still falling. "Carol! I'm here to take you home." As the dust settled, my body came into view at the entrance, slumped against a rock. Relief lit up Magnus's face. He hurried toward me, then stopped dead when he stepped into a pool of blood. His eyes followed the blood to my gray, lifeless face and to the dead she-wolves behind me.