Prologue#The Blood of the Alpha

Emilia’s POV:

The smell of blood lingered in the air like a heavy fog. It wasn’t the kind of scent I was used to—familiar, animalistic, clean. No, this was something different. Something wrong. The sharp, metallic scent clung to the air like a curse, and as I stood in the threshold of my father’s office, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was the first sign of something much darker to come.

My father, Gabriel Grant, had always been a towering figure. The Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack. A man respected by all, feared by many. He was a leader, not just of wolves, but of a family—a legacy that stretched back for centuries. For as long as I could remember, my father was invincible. The pack flourished under his rule, alliances were made, enemies were destroyed, and everything seemed to fall perfectly into place.

I never thought for a moment that he could die.

Not like this. Not so suddenly.

But here I was, staring down at the letter that had arrived only hours ago, the words echoing in my head, unable to comprehend the brutal truth:

Alpha Gabriel Grant is dead.

I was supposed to be the one to carry on his legacy. To one day take his place at the helm of the Crescent Moon Pack, but not like this. Not while I was still a teenager, unprepared for the weight of such a role. I wasn’t ready to face the decisions, the consequences, the betrayals that came with leading a pack. I wasn’t ready to be an Alpha.

I wasn’t ready to lead them without him.

My fingers trembled as I clutched the letter, the seal broken, the ink smeared with the urgency of its message. It felt wrong in my hands, like holding a piece of someone else’s life—someone else’s future.

I had been sitting in this room for hours, staring at the letter and replaying the events of the past few days over and over in my mind. The way the council had spoken of my father’s declining health. The whispers of something brewing behind the scenes, something I had been too naïve to notice. But what had really sent the shivers down my spine was the truth my father had hidden from me.

He hadn’t died of natural causes.

Someone had killed him.

And I was next.

I forced myself to stand, the weight of the letter in my hand pressing down on me like an anchor. There was no time to grieve. There was no time to feel sorry for myself. I had to act. I had to prepare.

I left my father’s study and stepped into the hallway. The house was eerily quiet, the silence suffocating. My mother had long since passed, taken by a rogue attack when I was younger. The pack had always been my family, but now they were more like strangers. I had always lived in my father’s shadow, never once thinking about the moment when I would be expected to step up and lead them. But now... now that moment was here.

I walked down the hall toward the council room, my footsteps echoing in the otherwise still house. The pack’s leaders were waiting for me.

I could feel their eyes on me the moment I entered the room.

There were twelve of them—the twelve Elders, each a powerful figure in their own right, leaders in their own territories. They had supported my father during his reign, and now... now they were looking at me, the only remaining heir to the Crescent Moon Pack, with the same calculating eyes they had once reserved for him. It was clear: they weren’t sure I was worthy of the title.

But I was their Alpha.

The thought should have been comforting, but all I felt was the weight of responsibility pressing down on me like the thick stone walls of the room.

“Emilia,” said Marcus, the eldest of the council, his voice low and grave. His dark eyes, sharp and unwavering, studied me. “We have much to discuss.”

“I know,” I replied, my voice tight, betraying the calm I tried to maintain. “My father is dead. I’ve read the letter.”

“You are aware that we have already begun preparations for the formal succession?” Marcus continued, not acknowledging my statement. “As Alpha, it is your duty to—”

“Don’t tell me about my duty,” I snapped, my voice cracking under the strain. “I know what my duty is. I know what is expected of me. But you’re not listening, Marcus. Someone killed my father.”

The room fell silent, every set of eyes locked on me.

“Emilia,” another Elder, Charles, spoke up, his voice low but full of warning. “We know what you’re thinking, but we cannot act on assumptions. We need more proof before we can make any accusations.”

I wanted to lash out at him. I wanted to tell them all that they were wrong, that I knew the truth. But instead, I took a slow breath, forcing myself to calm down. The last thing I needed was to lose control in front of these men.

“I don’t need proof,” I said, my voice steady now, though I was shaking inside. “I know someone within this pack is responsible. And I intend to find them.”

Marcus exchanged a glance with the others, his face hardening. “You are the Alpha now, Emilia. You must focus on the future. The pack is vulnerable without your father’s leadership. We must make sure the Silverthorn Pack does not take advantage of this situation.”

Silverthorn. Damian Wolfe. The rival Alpha who had always been a threat. A force I’d never wanted to face alone.

But now, with my father gone, I had no choice.

“I’m aware of the Silverthorn Pack’s movements,” I said, my gaze hardening. “I’ll handle Damian Wolfe. But first, I need to deal with the traitors in our midst.”

Marcus nodded, his approval clear. But there was something in his eyes I didn’t trust. Something that felt like a warning, but I couldn’t quite place it.

I turned and left the council room, my mind racing. The pack was mine now. I had to lead them. I had to be stronger than my father had ever been. But the truth was... I was terrified. I didn’t know if I was ready. I didn’t know if I could protect them.

I wasn’t ready to be an Alpha.

But I had no choice.

As I made my way down the hallway, I heard a soft sound behind me—a light footstep. I turned quickly, my hand instinctively going to the knife at my waist, but it was only Leo, one of my father’s most trusted warriors.

“Alpha Emilia,” he said quietly, his eyes cautious. “There’s someone you need to see.”

I frowned, the tension in my chest tightening again. “Who?”

“Damian Wolfe,” Leo replied, his voice laced with unease. “He’s waiting for you.”

I froze. Damian Wolfe. The last person I wanted to see right now.

But the danger was real. Silverthorn would come for us. Whether I was ready or not, I had to face him.

And I had to survive.