Chapter 229
Leon’s POV
The news hit me like a physical blow. George and Margaret Anderson would be leaving tomorrow to attend Skye’s marking ceremony with that… Oasisborn Alpha.
I stared out the window of my office, watching snowflakes dance against the darkening Alaskan sky. The pristine white landscape that had always brought me comfort now seemed to mock me with its emptiness.
“She’s really doing it, I muttered to myself, “She’s really becoming his Luna.”
I couldn’t help but wonder: if I hadn’t rejected Skye four years ago, would things be different now?
Would I already be Alpha King?
Would we have silver–haired children running around our territory?
The image came unbidden – a little girl with Skye’s silver hair and my blue eyes, laughing as she skied down a gentle slope. A son, strong and proud, taking his first shift under my guidance.
I slammed my fist against the window frame. The fantasies were pointless torture.
What had I done wrong?
I’d followed my duty to the pack. I’d honored my mother’s dying wish. All I ever wanted was to make Frostshadow Pack stronger, to become Alpha King like she believed I would.
“Was that so wrong?” I asked the empty room.
But now my years of training, my sacrifice of personal happiness for duty, all of it felt like some cosmic joke.
I grabbed my gym bag and headed to the training area. At this hour, it would be empty – perfect for working out the storm brewing inside me.
The outdoor training yard was covered in fresh snow, the punching bags dusted with white. I didn’t bother clearing them off. The resistance of the snow would only make my workout more challenging.
I wrapped my hands quickly and began hitting the largest bag. Each punch sent snow flying, my knuckles growing raw despite the wrappings. I welcomed the pain. It was simpler than what was happening in my chest.
“You’ll break your hands that way.”
I spun around to find my father standing at the edge of the training yard, snowflakes catching in his gray–streaked hair. Alpha James, still powerful at fifty–five, watched me with concern in his eyes.
“Just training,” I replied, turning back to the bag.,
“At midnight? In a snowstorm?” He stepped closer. “You’re punishing yourself.”
I stopped, breathing hard, watching my breath cloud in the frigid air. “I failed, Dad. I failed you, the pack, everyone.”
He moved to stand beside me, both of us now facing the punching bag. “You know, when I was your age, I thought every setback was the end of
the world.”
“This isn’t just a setback,” I argued. “I was supposed to become Alpha King. Mom’s last wish…”
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Chapter 229
“Your mother wanted you to be happy and strong,” he interrupted gently.
“But the pack was counting on me.”
He placed a hand on my shoulder. “The pack is fine, Leon. We’ve survived centuries without holding the Alpha King title. We’ll survive this too
I shook off his hand, returning to the punching bag. “I should have been better. Stronger. Smarter.”
“You’ve always demanded too much of yourself,” my father said, sighing. “Perhaps that old Shaman was right. If you keep carrying all this weight from the past, you’ll never move forward freely.”
“I feel like I’ve wasted years,” I admitted, my voice small against the howling wind.
“Trust me, son. What I lost when your mother died was far more devastating than any election defeat. Yet here I stand.” He gestured to the surrounding territory. “Life continues. The pack thrives. And so will you.”
He brushed snow from my shoulder. “Get some rest. Alpha Logan is visiting tomorrow. He wants to discuss potential cooperation between our packs.”
“Logan? Thomas’s son?” I asked, surprised.
“The very same. He’s gathering allies, and apparently, we’re on his list.” My father turned to leave, then added, “Don’t stay out too long. You’ll catch your death in this cold.”
