ASHER's POV.
THREE YEARS AGO.
Growing up in Raven's Peak has been nothing but torture to me, everywhere I go I hear snickers and gossips in the air, the Moon Clan has heard the stories about my father and his affection for humans—and it is believed that I am a seed of such affection hence the delay in my ability to transform into a wolf.
I have been the subject of curiosity and fascination among the Pack. Kids were warned against associating themselves with me, daughters told not to fall in love with me, it is believed I bring nothing but bad luck to the clan. I am viewed as a disease among the bloodline. My only source of strength is the love and support my father, Thane Nightshade and my best friend, Ethan Moore showed to me on a daily basis.
My father has been the Alpha for as long as I can remember, everything started to go downhill the day he decided to have an affair with a human, plots were made to remove him from his position, banish him from the clan but my father still had the support of some few elders who believed in his vision—but that is about to change today!
"Everyone's waiting for you, Asher" Ethan says, as he gently opens the door to my room behind me.
"I'll be out in a minute" I respond , taking a deep breath. I am still sprawled on the bed, unable to gather the strength to even stand up.
"You need the get up man" Ethan cajoles, "the sooner you get there, the sooner everything will be fine"
"I am already dressed up," I tell him.
"Fine, I will help with the tie"
He walks over to the bed and pulls me up, "What do you think the verdict will be" Ethan asks, as he helps me with my tie
"I don't know, and honestly? Whatever it is, I believe it will be for a good cause" I answer,trying to remain as calm as possible.
"Whatever happens Asher, just know we are in this together" Ethan says with a reassuring smile on his face.
I nod in agreement and we made our way into the Moon Room where a small crowd was seated facing my Alpha's chair.
"Let us begin," one of the elders of the pack says. From the look on his face, he clearly doesn't like me and I do not like him either.
"I know you all are wondering why I'm taking the Alpha seat today, I'll be in charge of the proceedings today because the fate of whom we are to decide is the son of the alpha, to ensure a fair and unbiased verdict, I. Akira will pass the judgement"
I feel a sense of fear and uncertainty about having someone pass judgement on my life who isn't family. I looked over to my father and he looked at me back with concern in his eyes but he tried to hide it from me, just so he could make me feel better about the whole situation.
There was a brief silence hovering around almost as if the elders were all in agreement. My father walked up to me and we both went to the center of the room.
"You may proceed, Akira," my father says.
"We are gathered here today to ascertain the consequences of a father's sins that have had a significant impact on the son's life. Thane Nightshade you have been accused of treachery against your clan and species, you've been accused of taking a human to bed and bearing a human child amongst us. How do you plead?"
"I stand in front of you today not as a perfect person, alpha and certainly not as a perfect father" father starts to speak, his voice cracking. Anger surges through me, how can his voice crack? He is the most ruthless alpha I have known and ever heard about so how can a group of people make him crack? I clench my jaw together but I don't say anything.
"I am guilty of a lot of things, but I am most definitely not a traitor to my kind. Everything I've done has been for the survival of our species. I've fought, bled, killed and gave up my whole existence for this clan. But is this the best way you can appreciate me? By making me take a stand with my son on the exact spot where criminals and rogue wolves are sentenced to death or sent into exile. Judge me all you can, but please keep my son out of this"
"You're not on trial for your service and leadership in ensuring the survival of our species. You've been accused of bedding a human and bearing a seed who lived amongst us for years. You've broken our sacred law. And that demands that you relinquish your position or you banish the half human" Lucas Darkfire yells out
"You would like that, wouldn't you? You've always had an eye for my position" my father fires back.
"Enough! Both of you" Akira yells out, " The atmosphere is already hostile, don't make it worse. We are here to find solutions not to cause more harm. Thane, I'll ask you one more time. What do you have to say about the accusations you've been faced with?" Akira asked with conviction.
"Before I start, I would like to make it clear to everyone in the Moon Room about how absurd it is to punish my son for something he didn't ask to be a part of. And I wish to remind you all why you chose me to lead the Pack. I have been the best warrior this Pack has seen in centuries, I have won countless battles for the survival of our species, like I said I have bled, I have taken lives….. I gave up.."
"Dad" I immediately cuts him off, my gaze darkening with each passing moment, "you do not need to explain anything to any one of them" my voice is laced with sarcasm and mockery, my eye devoid of any kind of emotions, "what do you expect from the same people who eye your position and want it for themselves?"
"Asher!!!" Akira bellows, "do not forget yourself and remember you are under trial"
I scoff, my eyes traveling around the room.
"You are all scared that one day I will become your worst nightmare and that's why you want to sentence me right?"
"Asher" Ethan calls out but I ignore him.
"Aside my father and I, none of you are worthy to take his place because you will be wiped out before you can even say your name"
Did they think I would come unprepared? That I will let weak omegas and betas like them make a decision on my life?
"You don't have to do this now, Asher" father whispers into my ear but I smirk.. hard.
I start taking slow steps towards Akira and as soon as I come to a halt in front of him, I roll up my sleeves, showing him the mark on my forearms.
Everyone's face opens wide, none of them expected this. Even father and Ethan. Actually this appeared last night and I know what It means, everyone knows what it means.
"How… Akira's words hang in his mouth.
"After my father, I am the next alpha of this pack. Do you still dare to convict me for a sin I know nothing about?"
Everyone looks surprised and I am glad, this was my plan to take all of them by surprise and show them that even though I am half human, I am more than any of them joined together.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Fathers asks.
"Kill him!!!" Lucas Darkfire yells out but before he can make a move, I grab him by the neck and fling him across the wall, my claws leaving marks on his body.
******
A knock on the door jolts me out of my thoughts and I look up to see Manny, My right hand man and beta.
"Alpha" he bows lightly, "the pack healer is here to see you"
"I will be with her in a jiffy"
"Okay" he bows again and makes his way out of the room while my mind drifts off to what happened three years ago. Due to that fight, I lost my best friend and my father that day and I made sure every single one of them gathered together to convict me, suffered my wrath. I took over the pack three years ago and the only thing I have heard people call me in secret is the devil.
Standing up, I pick up my phone and walk out of the study towards the living room.
This is no time for sentiments, I need to work hard to break the curse that the moon goddess had laid on me due to the massacre three years ago.