Chasing Moon

// the New Alpha

"Joe..." Henry called as he tried to stand on his feet. The injury, however, made it impossible for him to.

"Don't 'Joe' me, Henry," the man spat as he gestured for his men to gather, "Soon, I will be called 'Alpha Hart' by your own pack."

"Why?" Henry asked, feeling the pain stinging not only from his injuries but his heart too.

His own brother had betrayed him and he had no idea why. Up until now, he had always thought his brother would always have his back.

"This is why you should have never been an Alpha—you're too blind to what's going on around you. You think the world is made up of sunshine of happiness and cotton candies of hope. But you're wrong, Henry, the world is nothing but those."

A tear fell as Henry crawled his way closer to his brother.

"You are so naive, you think that the world can exist without war and despair. You painted Hart as a perfect picture, ignoring all the pains and sufferings that you should have dealt with as an Alpha. You are a coward, Henry, and you are always wrong—wrong about the world, wrong about your ideals, wrong about me."

Two men went up to Henry's side and bashed his legs with their metal rods. A loud defining sound of bones breaking did not stop the man from talking.

"I was never the quiet and supportive brother you thought I was. Not since I was eight and you became the Alpha when our dearest parents died. I saw it right away then, that you were one pathetic coward who would eventually lead Hart to our downfall."

Henry's throat stung of his own blood, the red viscous liquid already trickling down his neck.

"But it's all good now! So don't worry, my brother. Leave Hart in my hands and everything will fall back to place. The only way to make sure the once powerful pack gains back its glory, is for you to disappear, Henry."

More hits by the metal bars.

"But where's the fun in that? Won't it be so much more interesting if you are dead?"

The man laughed maniacally.

"Imagine that! The weak, soft Alpha takes his own life under the pressure of a rebellion—what an image that will be painted for everyone to believe! People may mourn you, but they will never miss you, because you had never deserved their respect as a capable Alpha—because they will have me then."

The man walked forward, crouched down, and lifted Henry's chin up with his fingers.

"Any last words?"

"Joseph," Henry croaked, barely keeping his body up from the ground.

The man smirked.

"Joseph, please," Henry tried again, as the first drop of rain hit his nose.

"My, what a weather. Looks like we have to quicken things up now," the man sang as he looked up to the canopy.

A cry escaped Henry as he took more beatings.

"What a pity—I thought we could drag things out and make your death a little...more fun. Guess the Moon Goddess is showing some pity for you."

"Joseph, please... Just answer..."

"What, brother?" the man snapped, impatient and annoyed with Henry's pleading.

"My child..." Henry managed as the strained to move his mouth. His own blood was choking him, giving him difficulties in speaking.

The man burst into a maniac laugh.

"Oh, Henry... That's so like you."

Bending down, he placed his hand on Henry's cheek, patting it lightly.

"Don't worry, brother. My dearest sister-in-law gave birth to the baby safely."

"Wh..."

"A girl, brother. You have a baby girl," the man whispered into Henry's ears, before exploding into chuckles again.

Despite his bloodied self, Henry choked up and tears brimmed his eyes, mixed with the rain which began to pelt down harder and faster.

Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to stop fighting, knowing that his child was saved. His brother might plan to kill him, but he knew he would do no such act to an innocent child. If he was lucky enough, his brother might even spare his wife.

"Mare's dead. I thought you should know this before I leave you dead."

Henry sucked in a breath. An excruciating pain like no other hit him right in his heart. His mate, dead, because of him.

But as he listened to the rain hitting the soft ground, his mind felt hazy and his vision blurred. Maybe this was for the best. He could join Mare at the other side of life, looking after their daughter from afar. And maybe his brother would bring up his daughter like his own. He allowed himself to believe that his brother still had the good in him to do so.

With that, he used his last strength to extend his canines and plunged them right in his wrist before his brother could do anything.

"Oh, brother... If only you were always as courageous as you are now," the man said before gesturing for his men to leave.

Not long later, the last pair of footsteps fades out into the distance, leaving a beaten, bloodied, cold, and wet body to be rotten in the deep, forgotten jungle—alone.

// here's an early update to make up for the previous week's one :))

hope you enjoyed the backstory of Hart's pack; the story will center around Craw's pack from next chapter onwards!! 

p.s. who's excited about Markus cause I am :DDD

hit dat star if you enjoyed this and want more hohoho

avocados,
Jia Yue