Crimson Moon Redemption: My Alpha's Brutal Mistake
Chapter 82: She chose him and paid the price (Annabelle)

Chapter 82: She chose him and paid the price (Annabelle)

Everything was just like the night I was condemned to die, with our roles switched. Kari was the one enjoying Zach’s warmth, but now it was me, and it felt so good.

None of the tribe members were there initially, but with Kari’s screams, they began appearing one by one until we had a crowd. No one dared to say a word because she was already locked inside the brazen bull.

I couldn’t watch, wanting to flee, but Zach refused, ever so gently. The screams eventually died down, but the brazen bull was not opened until around thirty minutes later.

All that met our eyes were ashes. The crimson moon did not appear, and the moon goddess did not intervene. Kari was gone forever, along with her pup and Gamma Reid.

"Can we leave now?" I asked Zach. He smiled at me. "Sure." He and Zion led me back to the pack house in the quietest walk of our lives after Zach addressed the few tribe members gathered around.

"Anyone caught practicing sorcery will face the brazen bull. For now, let’s rejoice in the return of peace. Everyone can now safely deliver their pups."

The mood shifted instantly to one of joy, and at that moment, his eyes rolled back. After finishing the mindlink, he shared the news with those present. "Great news. Four pregnant she-wolves have successfully delivered healthy pups."

The tribe members erupted in cheers as Zach quickly scooped me up in his arms. "Now, I must find your mother and inform the messengers to send out invitations to ensure your coronation proceeds without delay."

I was tempted to protest, but I knew it would be futile. Upon reaching the pack house, I noticed someone kneeling in the living room. "Hart," Zach identified. I didn’t know who he was, but he wasn’t an omega.

As for the omegas, I was sure to know all of them, except those who must have come after my banishment, but this Hart, or whatever, looked well taken care of.

He must surely be a pack-born. "Alpha, please, I’m here to see Beta Gaius, but he refuses to give me an audience," Hart said sorrowfully, Zach shrugged, quickly taking Gaius’s side.

"Gaius is very busy these days and won’t waste time on matters that don’t concern the development of the tribe."

"Alpha, that’s why I’m here to help. I was wrong. Please forgive and restore my position," he pleaded. I had to admit my confusion at this moment. "What is he talking about?" I asked Zach. He shrugged.

"Hart won the contest for Gammas and replaced Reid after I found out about his ties to Kari," he revealed, I raised my brows.

With how ruthless Zach was, Hart, or whatever, would have been dead by now if he committed a terrible offense, right?

"Strangers infiltrated our tribe and exposed Gaius as a Lycan, revealing him as the one who saved you."

My heart raced, imagining what Gaius had endured to protect me, but Zach provided all the answers I needed.

"I sentenced Gaius to the dungeon, contemplating his death penalty, but my supposed Gamma sided with the strangers, urging me to appoint one of them as my beta. I refused and stripped him of his rank."

It was a wise decision, but now I questioned if Hart, or whoever he was, had also been under a spell.

"You made the right choice, but I’m curious why he’s pleading now. Why didn’t he do so earlier?"

Zach paused at my inquiry. "I never considered the reason until you mentioned it." He glared at Hart, who spoke up without prompting.

"Alpha, I always believed I was right until you returned with our Luna. It felt like a bucket of cold water was thrown over me. Most of the healers and elders share the same sentiment, and now it seems like the entire tribe has been cleansed of some strange affliction."

Zach’s fingers clenched, indicating he was thinking the same as I was. "Gaius," he called out, and Gaius appeared to have just woken up as he descended the stairs.

How stressed must he be to be napping? With a yawn, he began speaking without prompting, as if he already knew the situation and the topic of discussion.

"Alpha, half of the tribe was under a spell, and those strangers were no ordinary beings."

"If you believe Hart is innocent, why haven’t you tended to him?" I inquired.

Gaius shrugged. "I just wanted to give him a small punishment to make him wary of meeting strangers. The witches are attempting to control us, but with you here, I have no fears." That was the extent of all the manipulations, but then a question arose, "Gaius, how do you know all of this?"

"I am a protective wolf. My powers grow when given the opportunity. You possess strong abilities, but your dual nature is a limitation. If you agree to be Zach’s Luna, you will forfeit your Lycan and vampire powers, but I will be here to safeguard you," Gaius explained.

May interjected, sounding afraid. ’That’s not the whole story. Being a Lycan is preferable.’

"Are you keeping something from us?" I inquired, prompting Gaius to avert his gaze. "If you choose your Lycan mate, you will exhibit my powers and strength," he revealed.

Zach appeared ready to confront Gaius, but I intervened, "Calm down, Zach. There is more to this."

Gaius added, "Indeed, there is. Your mother is being held captive by Draven and his family. They are relentless in their pursuit of you, but we have already emerged victorious," he assured in a composed manner.

"How can you say that?" I accused him, not enjoying this side of him until he began to explain. "Why do you think the witches have tried every means to break you two apart?"

"I’ve wondered," Zach mused, while Zion smiled knowingly. "Because the two of them are destined. It’s the reason I gave up pursuing Bella. The moment I realized she was the one who gave her life to save Zach, all I wanted was to protect her and was even ready to let my mate go for her."

So that was why he chose me over Elisa when the latter threatened to leave him.

"Well, I remember their souls being knitted through that sacrifice, so even when I found out she was a chimera, I knew her wolfy side would dominate all. She chose to be Zach’s savior, and that rewrote their destiny. Even if she chose another mate from another species, I knew she would never have the satisfaction she would with Zach.

She chose him, and not the other way around. This is the reason she paid a dear price for it."

So all along, I wrote my destiny with my own hands? Things would have been different if I hadn’t saved Zach then from what I gathered, and now, I didn’t know whether to be happy or sad about everything.

"Mom, Dad, when are you guys joining us for training? It’s so much fun," a familiar voice said. I turned to see that the voice belonged to our son, Zeke.

He looked the same as the last time we saw him, but his voice had matured, matching his height.

Suddenly, fear gripped me. "What about Zeke? If I become the Luna, will his vampire instincts disappear?"

The rapid pace of his growth was alarming, and I didn’t want him to continue at that rate. Gaius’s response only added to my anxiety.

"Who cares? We have a solution for his thirst, and fortunately, he’s comfortable with sunlight and possesses super speed, which works to his advantage," he shrugged, disregarding my concerns as a leader.

"Do you think the tribe would accept a chimera as a future Alpha? Something needs to be done because unlike me, all three of his sides are dominant. He was born a Lycan before shifting to a wolf, if you catch my drift," I hinted, prompting both Gaius and Zach to give me strange looks.

"Now, don’t stare at me like that. I never asked to be a chimera."

"Well, it’s just that what you are saying is unheard of. Pups are born human and shift during their teen years. In my case, I had my first shift around six or eight, I can’t remember exactly, but Zeke must be special," Zach said proudly. I was annoyed that they weren’t understanding it from my point of view.

"Zach, have you forgotten about the tribe? What will the members think?" I hinted again, met with his smile.

"I do understand what you are saying. What I mean is, Zeke will be judged by his strength if it’s used to the advantage of the tribe. The exact reason I didn’t banish Gaius is the same reason Zeke will be accepted and not rejected."

Now he was making sense, so my attention shifted to Hart. "What are you doing about him?"

"Well, everyone deserves a second chance since he was under a spell," Gaius said but threw the question at Zach. "But Alpha, you are the one who stripped him of his position, so what do you say?"