8:ALPHA DECLAN.

DECLAN’S POV

I woke up to the harsh morning light filtering through the curtains, casting a cruel glow on the invitation letter that lay on my bedside table. My eyes narrowed at the elegant script, my anger bubbling just beneath the surface.

It hadn't even been up to twenty-four hours since the meeting ended and he had already sent an invite. Just what exactly was he trying to prove? That he was better than me?

It was already stupid enough that all the Alphas made a unanimous decision to make Tristan the head of the alliance three years ago and now they do the same by agreeing to hold the party in Tristan's pack.

It was a slap on my fucking face. Another salt rubbed on my wound that has refused to heal in the last three years.

Tristan—the mere sound of his name sent anger coursing through my veins. He was an arrogant man who thinks he can do whatever he wants however he wants just because he is the closest thing to stand as a true competition among the other Alphas.

It’s no news that of the packs in the northern hemisphere, our packs are the most powerful. Hence, the fight for dominance.

Tristan has always managed to get under my skin since the formation of the alliance. As the leader of the alliance, his decisions are final and waiting for the day he makes a bad call is stupid because he is never wrong.

He had the upper hand and always did. A mate and an heir. The thought nipped at me, a bitter pill I couldn't swallow but despite that, I never gave him the satisfaction of thinking his pack was better than mine in any way. The other Alphas were only blinded by his smooth voice and holier-than-thou attitude.

Hosting this party would only strengthen his standing, earning him the respect of Alphas far and wide. The mere thought was enough to ruin my day. I turned away from the invitation and tried to think of something else other than Tristan and the party.

My gaze met with the framed photo on my dresser. My fingers traced the edges, aching for the woman captured within.

Ellena.

Even after all these years, I still can't get over her death. Her memory haunted my every waking moment. I wondered if things would be easier if she was still here.

The burden of her absence bore down on me— a void that my wolf and I both mourned. No one else could understand how I felt other than both of us. No one ever really understood the pain of losing someone who is meant for you and you alone. Not even my parents.

Thinking back to those years when they were alive, I couldn’t help but hate and blame them for Ellena’s death.

She was an Omega and that didn’t sit well with them. They couldn’t bear the thought of me having an Omega for a mate not to talk of her being my Luna. It was hard but I fought them. I fought for my love with Ellena.

When I couldn’t resist anymore, I planned to elope with her. We were supposed to meet at the borders, to run together while I damned the consequences and my role as the future Alpha of the pack.

We didn’t even make it out.

I waited for hours at the borders but Ellena never showed up and all that was left of her when I saw her again was her clothes in shreds and the necklace I’d given her.

Every waking moment is filled with her thoughts and each day, I wished I never tried to elope with her. Even if she didn’t end up being mine, just looking at her from afar would have been enough for me.

As if the day hadn't been sour enough, a knock resounded through the room, announcing the arrival of the men with news I had anticipated but not welcomed.

"The elders have arrived and they are waiting, Alpha." one of my maids announced.

A heavy sigh escaped me as I prepared to face their inevitable demands. Reluctantly, I went into the study to meet the elders, only to be welcomed by their disapproving gaze. Well, the feeling was mutual.

The same faces that had requested that I take another Luna, stood before me, unable to hide their disappointment. The reason for their anger was obvious— they were mad at the way I used them. More than anything, they were mad about how their plan backfired.

What they said was for me to take another Luna, and not send away or reject the previous one.

"Alpha, for how long are you going to deceive us? For the last three years, your words have remained the same.”

"It was enough that you sent out the previous Luna even though nobody requested that of you. All we said was for you to get another Luna that would provide you an heir— but what did we get in return? Nothing— you rejected the previous Luna and you refuse to take a new one." Another one added.

The elders spilled out their annoyance and I just watched them speak. Do they even realize how they have been repeating the same thing over and over?

"It is high time you stop sleeping around with any woman you find pleasing to satisfy your desire. If you can't already see this, your marital status is affecting our pack as a whole."

"I can’t believe I am saying this but we regret our decision to ask you to take a new Luna. We should have left the poor girl be and now I can’t even hide my guilt towards Vanessa.”

The sound of Vanessa's name fueled my anger and all I wanted was to put out my frustration on these elders who don't know how to respect boundaries.

It’s been three years.

Three fucking years and I can fucking breathe and not feel like I’m being suffocated.

Her thoughts have never crossed my mind in those long years, and the mention of her name now only reminded me of how much she disgust me. Her every being annoys me so much that being far away from her feels like freedom from bondage.

The thoughts of her manipulation and her ill intentions and then the final stunt she pulled to make me sleep with her, all made me want to break something again.

It was a thing to be shameless, it was another to be a lying little bitch and an attention seeker. She had always been like that since the very first day my parents brought her to our home.

I still remember their words clearly, so damn clear because it was the beginning of my misery. Her father, the then Beta to my father, has just died.

“Declan, Vanessa here will be staying with us from now on and I hope you can help her settle in.” My father had said. The girl has been hiding behind his back, peeping at me with stars in her eyes but I never really cared.

Since then, she used the opportunity to seduce me at every chance that she got. She would do anything to gain my attention— I ignored them all and when I lost Ellena, it was worse because my parents instantly proposed a marriage between us like they’d been waiting for that moment.

I watched as she secretly enjoyed my discomfort over the thought of our marriage—it was sickening. I watched her all along, but she crossed the line when she tricked me into sleeping with her.

Fucking whore.

And so, when the elders provided me an opportunity to get rid of her, I embraced it. It would really bring me a lot of trouble rejecting and sending her out on my own and they gave me that chance just when I needed it the most.

The elders couldn't hold back their disappointment and one of them spoke once again. "Your father was the most powerful Alpha among all the neighbouring pack but you have ruined that Legacy with your nonchalant attitude. Look at you, struggling for power with that Alpha.”

"The Iron-Hide pack keeps on getting stronger each passing day! It is only a matter of time till they would take charge of most of the affairs of the northern wolf community. We are losing face.”

They went on and on and goddess, it was infuriating.

The sound of losing to Trisan pissed me off even more and I finally voiced out.

"I don't need a Luna nor do I need an heir to rule this pack. I am Declan, the Alpha of the most powerful pack among all the alliance andI will not allow anyone take that away from me. And you all as an elder of this pack, if you can't support your Alpha, then I don't see any use of you here!" I yelled angrily.

I didn’t wait for them to speak before I stormed out of the study. To hell with them all. I went back into my room angrily as I resumed back to the bottle of whisky on the nightstand and gulped it down.

My eyes found the silly invite again and my anger intensified. There was only one way to get back at Tristan and quell the rage burning inside of me.

Tristan wants a party? So be it.

How hard could it be to sabotage a party and ruin his reputation while I’m at it?