Crimson Moon Redemption: My Alpha's Brutal Mistake
Chapter 79: It’s time (Annabelle)

Chapter 79: It’s time (Annabelle)

The question seemed odd, but Zeke eagerly hugged him. "Dad, you should put some clothes on." This was the happiest I had seen him since he arrived with Zion to check on Zach.

Gaius was preoccupied with tribe responsibilities and wasn’t present, but I knew he would be thrilled to see his Alpha finally well.

However, the news reached him quicker than I expected, and he entered with a cloth for Zach, looking exasperated. "Alpha, there’s a problem."

Zach looked irritated. "Can’t you handle it? Let me spend some time with my mate and pup."

"I’m not a pup, Dad. I’m a boy," Zeke corrected, causing everyone to laugh as he already looked like a five-year-old.

"You’re right," Zach agreed before Gaius interrupted, "Alpha, the pregnancy prevention herbs didn’t work, but the healers kept it from us."

His message confused me as I had shut out everything about Zach and his tribe, but he seemed to understand what Gaius meant by that.

"What? So how many pups have died so far?" He asked, his expression intense. Even Gaius was upset when Zach left the room to speak with some of the healers due to the delay in his response to Zach’s questions.

The cries of a she-wolf indicated that she was in labor. "Why didn’t you tell me it wasn’t working?" Zach’s annoyed voice rang out, leaving Gaius looking lost.

"Alpha, we were exploring other options, so we kept pregnant she-wolves a secret. About ten pups have died in the last five months."

Zach looked as though something had pierced his heart, and I felt it too. "How could you? How many more are pregnant now?"

The healers hung their heads low, and one of them shivered before responding, "Alpha, you need to see for yourself." As he led the way, I sensed trouble ahead. In each of the four rooms we entered, there were at least fifteen pregnant she-wolves, totaling sixty in all.

"If it wasn’t working, you should have informed me. I would have found a way to prevent them from mating," Alpha Zach stated firmly.

"The mate bond is strong, and our nature doesn’t allow for abstinence," the healer argued. Zach countered, "There is a method called withdrawal. Have you not heard of it? Think about your punishment and let me know, or I will decide for you."

The concern in his eyes revealed a different side of Zach, showing that he was not as monstrous as he was perceived to be, including by myself. Instead, he was reasonable and caring.

"I may be able to help them," I offered unexpectedly, prompting a worried look from Zach. "How? For some time now, every she-wolf who goes into labor has lost her pup. Look at the fear in their eyes," he said sadly, gesturing to the she-wolves who appeared to have lost all hope.

"Alpha, wasn’t it said that this was due to your mate? If Anna is your mate, shouldn’t the curse be broken?" a pregnant woman, likely a tribe-born due to her flawless skin, questioned. Zach paused for a moment before replying, "I haven’t finished atoning for my sins, so I can’t be certain that the curse has been broken."

"Which sins are you referring to?" I interjected, and he gazed at me with a look of sorrow. "I can never stop paying for what I did to you. You should have let me die, and these people would have been free."

He turned away, but I reached out and grasped his arm, reassuring him. "Listen to me, you are not to blame, and you need to understand that. The one who cast the spell is the true culprit, and we will find them. My anger now is directed towards them, not you, so please understand that."

He seemed about to protest, but we were interrupted by the cry of a newborn pup, followed by the voice of a woman who seemed to be a midwife.

"Alpha, we have delivered the first pup after sixteen moons."

Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, Zach lifted me and kissed me passionately. His kiss was intense and fervent, making it difficult for me to respond due to its force, and when he finally pulled away, my lips tingled slightly.

"You are truly the savior of our tribe. The prophecy foretold that a curse would befall my tribe if I did not find my mate before my thirtieth birthday, and after what we did to you, our she-wolves began experiencing stillbirths until today."

My heart stopped momentarily, as I never expected to hear something like this.

"Are you serious?" He pulled me closer. "Please, Belle, be my Luna. We shall take care of everything together, and I will find your mother and make sure she attends our Luna coronation party."

It seemed strange that when he found Kari, he announced her at their engagement party, and with me, he just wants to make me a Luna straight away.

Besides, how did he know that my desire to delay things was because of my mother? "With Kari, you engaged her first, so why do you want a coronation so fast? And my mom. You know about her?"

"Of course, I know your mom. The last time we spoke, she was upset because I hadn’t found you, but when I went back to the cave, she wasn’t there."

Zach had been in touch with my mom, confirming that he had been searching for me. "Kari’s spells were inconsistent, and there were times when I was repulsed by her touch, so I had my doubts," he admitted, causing my eyebrows to raise.

It became clear why he could recall certain things more vividly than others. "The spell made you hate me, but those responsible will face consequences," I said tearfully as he embraced me. "Trust me, they will, but let’s go see that pup."

Hope returned to the pregnant she-wolves’ eyes. "She is truly the Luna we have been waiting for," they chanted as we approached the she-wolf who had just given birth.

"Alpha, you’re here? I can’t sleep because I’m afraid of losing him. Anna?" Her voice trailed off, and she looked down. I recognized her as one of the she-wolves who used to taunt me, though I didn’t know her name. "It’s me, and congratulations."

Remorse filled her eyes as she looked at me. "I’m sorry for everything. You are the chosen one, and yet, we..." She choked back tears, and I embraced her. "It’s all in the past. Let’s start anew."

After almost losing Zach, I couldn’t hold on to bitterness, except with those who would not repent and still had the tendency of using spells, including Kari.

"Your pup won’t die, so you have to rest. Giving birth isn’t easy," I consoled her, but she kept apologizing, even as we walked away.

Zach stopped abruptly and pinned me against the wall, his lips meeting mine and not caring who was watching. "I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you, but I promise that the next one, I will make it up to you," he said after breaking from the kiss, and I smiled. "Of course, you have to."

He nodded, but his gaze darkened suddenly. "It’s time to deal with Kari."