Alpha's Blind Luna novel Chapter 33

I grimaced and looked back over at the beautiful wolf that was my Beta. Moving, I wiped my eyes and carefully reached out to Leo. Hector tried to help but I growled. I needed to do this. He was my Beta, my friend, my family. His body was heavy but I made sure that his head rested in the crook of my arm. I didn’t want it to look like his neck was snapped. Pulling him close to my body, I tried to get up but I stumbled. Hector’s hand went under my arms and pulled me up, as though I weighed nothing, even with Leo in my arms.

I looked over at Lucy, who was sitting on a root, looking at the forest floor. She was lost in whatever she was thinking. Her eyes met mine but she looked away quickly.

“She blames herself because the wolf got past her post.” Hector said quietly.

Tears threatened again, but I didn’t say anything else. My arms tightened around Leo’s body and I started to walk back towards the pack territory. It was slow going but neither Hector, nor Auri, pushed me to go faster. Hector was walking behind us but Auri was walking next to me. She was still covered in blood but now, some of it had been wiped off on the forest floor or me.

The warriors sitting on the border were anxious and moving, but when they saw me, all of them froze. They stood to attention and I could see the tears in some of their eyes. Leo was beloved and I saw Owen, coming forward.

“Zeke…” He called me in a whisper but I shook my head.

Walking past him, my warriors separated, allowing me into the territory. Some of them followed, others looked like they didn’t know what to do.

“I’ll take care of the border.” Hector broke off as I nodded.

Auri didn’t move from my side as we walked. As afraid of her as I was, now, I needed her strength. I didn’t know how I was going to face Rose. How I could look her in the eyes? All of it, was my fault. It took a while to walk to the pack house and as I reached the front yard, Cory burst out, a smile on his face.

“Alpha! It’s a boy and he’s healthy! He’s…” His words died as he finally took in the scene before him.

He fell to his knees and yelled, turning into a howl mid-way. His head fell and I stopped. Leo didn’t have a mate and his only family at this point was Rose. My father had guided him into the position as my brothers Beta when he lost his father. His mother died due to complications with Rose when she was born. Their family went back generations but all they had now were each other. Now though, Rose was alone.

Slowly, I placed Leo’s body on the grass and I kneeled, my head bowed.

'Cory, please get Rose.'

He shook his head. 'She’s just given birth. Alpha, she can’t…she…'

I growled. 'Get Rose now.'

Cory bowed his head and squeezed his eyes shut. Getting up, he disappeared into the pack house. Auri was standing a little ways behind me but she still didn’t say anything. Owen was standing next to her, tears streaming down his face.

“Zeke, I just gave birth. What the hell…?”

I saw Cory, helping Rose out the front door. She was wearing a night gown and her hair was pulled up in a messy bun. My eyes looked down at the grass.

Taking a deep breath, I raised my head and I looked in her eyes. “As tradition, I, Alpha Ezekiel, bless your house as the moon goddess has chosen to reach her hand and guide Leonardo Sterling to his next life. He…” My voice caught as I heard Rose scream. “He died protecting his pack, protecting them from an evil that threatened not just us but other packs as well.”

“No! Leo! No!” She was crying and screaming, Cory was holding her back. Her hands trying to reach out.

“As Alpha, I promise to make sure your family is taken care of for the future and he will receive a warrior’s burial.” Tears fell as I watched her thrash against Cory. “I’m sorry, Rose. I’m so sorry.”

She growled and Cory couldn’t hold her back. Rose stumbled forward on the grass, falling forward as she lay on top of Leo’s wolf. Crying into his fur, her hands stroked his body. My head fell and I closed my eyes. Unable to see her cry, unable to take the sight anymore.

“Leo, come back to me. Don’t leave me alone. Please. Don’t leave me.” Rose sobbed and I bit my lip.

It was just her cries that filled the area now. I couldn’t move. My heart felt raw and I shook. Sure, I had made mistakes as Alpha. I wasn’t perfect and even though people loved to point them out, I never got anyone killed. Not until today. Suddenly, the thought of being unfit as Alpha drove further into my soul. My choice to leave the line, to ignore Bryan, ignore Leo, ignore Faris. I ignored them all and it cost me the life of my best friend and my Luna’s brother, the packs Beta, and his newborn nephew’s uncle.

“You! You did this! You killed him!”

My eyes flung open as Rose screamed at Auri. Auri didn’t move and didn’t even raise her head. Rose got up and started to throw punches at Auri. Rose was trained by Leo but she wasn’t part of the warriors. We didn’t allow women to fight in battles but we did allow them to train, just in case. I got up to stop her.

'Leave her, Ezekiel.'

I froze and just watched. Auri’s fists were balled up at her side but she let Rose punch her. Rose kept throwing punches at her. In the face, kicking her in the stomach and shoulder, Rose attacked in a fury of swipes. She threw punch after punch but Auri never moved. She never stopped Rose but she also never fell back. Rose’s claws came forward and she tore into her armor and clothes. She even swiped across her face but Auri never dodged.

“This is all your fault! If you never had come! If you never…if you never…” Rose sagged and started to fall to the forest floor.

Auri moved for the first time and caught her falling figure. She pulled Rose close and let Rose cry into her, just as she had done with me. I realized she was being the mother neither of us had. Her hand came up and rubbed circles on her back as she held her close.