The Vengeful Sister, Blade of the Fallen Alpha

My mentor, Arthur Blackwood, the Alpha of the Moonshadow Pack, is dead.

He was murdered by his own daughter, my younger pack-sister, Sienna Blackwood.

Now, Sienna has used a stolen sacred treasure to climb her way into the arms of the most powerful werewolf in the country, High Alpha Gideon Sterling.

I watched my pack-brothers and sisters, their eyes bloodshot, cursing Sienna's cold-blooded cruelty.

They slumped in despair, mourning their own helplessness.

Without a word, I dug up the shattered silver blade I had buried in my backyard years ago.

A lethal, chilling aura surged from the steel, pointing straight toward the Sterling Pack's mountain.

If the world won't give my father justice, then I will take it myself!

1

I stood before my father's headstone, clutching his memorial plaque in my trembling hands.

The members of the Moonshadow Pack stood with me, offering him one last goodbye.

Usually, the duty of carrying the Alpha's plaque fell to his only biological daughter, Sienna.

Unfortunately, she no longer had the right to even stand here.

"Sera, this isn't fair!"

My pack-sister, Maya, asked me through her tears.

"She was his only daughter. He spoiled her more than anyone, never letting her suffer a single scratch, yet she killed him!"

"How can a monster like her get a fairy-tale wedding with the Sterling Pack while our Alpha dies in such misery? Where is the justice?"

I set the plaque down and gently brushed the dust off the tombstone.

"That traitor used the pack's secret elixir to buy her way into the Sterling Pack. They're the most powerful pack in North America!"

Caleb sat on the ground, his face twisted with the agony of his own weakness.

"No matter how much we hate it, what can we even do against them?"

I stared silently at the grave, arranging the offerings and lighting the ritual candles.

As the smoke drifted into the air, my mind drifted back to that day.

Our Moonshadow Pack was just a small community, barely known in the grand hierarchy of the werewolf world.

We were supposed to live a quiet, peaceful life.

But one day, Sienna got into a petty argument over a piece of jewelry with a stranger at the local mall.

We all thought it was a minor incident and didn't give it a second thought.

But when that woman returned with a band of rogue ferals, we realized she was a high-ranking member of the Crimson Fang.

Though we managed to drive the rogues back, my father was gravely wounded in the process.

To save him, I secretly traveled to the Silver-Grove Healers, braving their deadly ancient traps to beg for a drop of their legendary Lunar Elixir.

I thought my father was finally safe, so I went into a deep meditative sleep to heal my own broken ribs.

But I never expected that when I woke up, all I would find was my father's cold corpse.

From my pack-mates, I learned that Gideon Sterling, the High Alpha of the Zenith Pack, had been losing control to his feral side and desperately needed a cure.

Sienna had been obsessed with Gideon ever since she saw him at the National Pack Summit.

Knowing he needed the elixir, she stole her own father's life-saving medicine and delivered it to Gideon like a trophy.

The rest of the Moonshadow Pack wanted to rip her throat out when they found out.

But by then, Sienna was already protected. Gideon had promised her an engagement in exchange for his life.

Even though our people were consumed by rage, we were powerless against the strongest Alpha in existence.

The memory faded.

I jammed the candles into the earth and stood up slowly.

I walked back to my small cabin and dug up the broken silver blade I had kept hidden for five long years.

Under the shocked gazes of my pack-mates, I ignored the searing pain of my dormant powers awakening and let my aura explode.

"If they won't give us justice, we'll take it by force!"

I didn't bring the others with me; I traveled alone to the town at the foot of the Zenith Pack's mountain.

Today was the wedding of Sienna Blackwood and Gideon Sterling.

The whole town was decorated with lights and banners, celebrating the union.

Looking at this familiar yet distant place, my heart felt heavy with irony.

Before I joined Moonshadow, I was the High Alpha of the Zenith Pack.

Well, the former High Alpha, anyway.

Back then, I was known as the strongest wolf in the world, untouchable and proud.

Then the Crimson Fang rogues attacked, slaughtering thousands and turning the forests red.

I led the allied packs against them, finally facing the Rogue King in a death match at the edge of Desolation Cliff.

When I collapsed at the bottom of that cliff, exhausted and broken with nothing but a shattered blade, I thought it was over.

But fate was kind, and I was found by Arthur.

"What happened to you, little girl? How did you get hurt so badly?"

"Where's your home, honey? I'll take you back."

I was lost back then, not knowing where to go or if I even had a home to return to.

After all, everyone believed that Valerie Frost, the High Alpha, had died taking the Rogue King with her.

So, I just shook my head blankly.

Arthur sighed, but then he flashed a warm, fatherly smile.

"Here, eat this rotisserie chicken. Get some strength back. There's no hole in this world you can't climb out of!"

He watched me devour the chicken, then continued.

"Since you have nowhere to go, come back with me. I've just started a small pack, and I haven't even taken any disciples yet. You'll be my first! What do you think? Sound good?"

Watching that middle-aged man act like a goofball just to make me smile, a wave of warmth filled my chest.

The world had always looked to me as a pillar of strength, a god-like figure.

This was the first time someone had treated me like just a girl.

Because of that warmth, I followed Arthur to Moonshadow and became their eldest sister, the one who handled the chores and kept the peace.

I stayed there for five years.

I pulled myself out of my thoughts and followed the crowd of guests up the mountain path toward the Zenith Packhouse.

"Did you hear? This Sienna girl is only getting the title because she saved High Alpha Gideon's life!"

"I heard. That tiny Moonshadow Pack must have been desperate to give up a Silver-Grove elixir like that."

"A single bottle of medicine for a marriage to the most powerful man in the world? That's a hell of a deal!"

I felt a surge of cold mockery.

My father's life for a pathetic marriage contract, and everyone thought it was a bargain.

Did anyone care about the blood on that contract?

Did anyone care about the life of a small-town Alpha?

I raised my shattered silver blade and swung. With one strike, I cleaved the Zenith Pack's massive stone gates in two.

If no one cares, I'll make them care!

The attack was a direct slap to the Zenith Pack's face, and their guards were alerted instantly.

Dozens of young wolves swarmed out, surrounding me in seconds.

"How dare you! You have a death wish, attacking the Zenith Pack on a day like this?"

I stood in the center of the circle, my expression stone-cold despite their snarling.

"Hand over Sienna Blackwood."

"How disrespectful! You break our gate and then insult the Alpha's bride? You'll pay for this with your life!"

The guards shifted into their combat stances, ready to tear this arrogant intruder apart.

"The Zenith Formation is the most sophisticated pack tactic. This woman is dead meat!"

"High Alpha Gideon is getting married today. The pack sent their elite warriors to greet the guests. She really picked the wrong day to cause trouble."

I ignored the whispers. I flicked my broken blade, and a massive wave of energy shattered their formation before they could even lunge.

"The Zenith Pack has really gone downhill. You call yourselves elites with such sloppy footwork?"

Your movements are slow. In a real fight with a rogue, you'd be dead before you finished your transformation.

"Who are you to lecture us!"

A guard's face turned bright red as he pointed his claws at me, trembling with rage.

"You've insulted the Zenith Pack! High Alpha Gideon will make you regret ever being born!"

I turned my gaze toward five figures approaching rapidly from the packhouse.

"If you want to know who I am, why don't you ask your elders?"

"High Alpha! Elders! You're here!"

Seeing the leaders arrive, the guards' faces lit up with relief.

"High Alpha, this is the woman! She destroyed the gates!"

Their voices were thick with spite, practically begging their leaders to slaughter me.

"Who dares to commit such an outrage at the Zenith gates!"

I slowly lifted my head, revealing a face that caused their expressions to shift from fury to pure, unadulterated shock.

"Hey everyone. It's been a while."

"Valerie!"

"Alpha Frost!"

"You're alive? Where have you been all these years? Do you have any idea how much we worried?"

Luna, the youngest elder, was the first to rush toward me, her eyes brimming with tears.

I reached out and patted her head, just as I used to do when I ran this pack.

"I'm back, aren't I?"

The crowd of guests erupted into a frenzy of whispers.

"Elder Luna called her Valerie? Is she... the former High Alpha, Valerie Frost?"

"But didn't she die at Desolation Cliff with the Rogue King?"

"Look at the elders' faces. It has to be her."

"If the former Alpha is back, and she's the one who saved the world... the throne of the Zenith Pack is going to be a bloodbath."

Gideon Sterling watched the crowd, his eyes flickering with complex emotions before he gave a stiff bow.

"Sister, welcome home."

I replied coldly.

"Are you really happy I'm back?"

Gideon's voice hitched in his throat.

We stared at each other, the tension thick enough to choke on.

I knew Gideon didn't want me back.

Because five years ago, my 'death' at the hands of the Rogue King had been orchestrated by him.

Gideon was my father's first protg, the Golden Boy of the Zenith Pack.

My father's original plan was for Gideon to marry me and inherit the title of High Alpha.

But my father hadn't expected me to have a natural talent that far surpassed Gideon's. In a few short years, my strength eclipsed everyone's.

My father tried to get me to lose to Gideon on purpose. He said a woman shouldn't be a warrior, that being the Alpha's wife was my best destiny.

But I was too proud back then. I refused to play small. Under public pressure, my father eventually named me the first female High Alpha in the pack's history.

Gideon acted like he didn't mind. He said he didn't want to win by default.

But I realized too late that a poisonous resentment had taken root in his heart that day.

The final battle with the Rogue King was actually a victory for me.

I had already decapitated the monster and was finally catching my breath when a silver blade pierced through my chest from behind.

I turned around, gasping for air, to find Gideon standing there.

"You..."

Blood surged up my throat, choking the words.

"Sister, the High Alpha title was always meant to be mine. It's time you gave it back."

Gideon's expression was ice-cold, devoid of any brotherly love.

As the pain overwhelmed me, he yanked his blade out and shoved me off the edge of Desolation Cliff.

For five years, I hated him.

I hated his ruthlessness and his betrayal of our bond.

I had planned to return and burn the packhouse down for revenge.

But Arthur taught me better. He told me not to let my life be consumed by hate, not to waste my soul on people who weren't worth it.

I listened to him.

I let go of my vengeance, considering my disappearance as payment for the years the Zenith Pack had raised me.

But now, because of Gideon and Sienna, the man who was like a father to me is dead.

I am once again a child without a home.

"Gideon, I could have ignored the past. I could have let your betrayal slide. But..."

I raised my shattered blade, pointing it directly at his throat.

"I will never forgive Sienna Blackwood. Hand her over."

"Valerie, did Sienna do something to offend you?"

Luna asked, her voice full of confusion.

Gideon took a deep breath, putting on a mask of humble sincerity.

"Sister, Sienna is my mate now. If she's offended you in some way, I apologize on her behalf. Please, for the sake of our history, let it go."

I stared at him with pure disgust.

"She murdered her father and stole a pack treasure. How much is your 'face' worth that you think it can pay for a life?"

"Murdered her father? What is she talking about?"

"Sienna is here because she saved the High Alpha. Is she saying the medicine was stolen?"

"I thought the Moonshadow Pack offered it voluntarily?"

"This is getting interesting!"

The faces of the Zenith leadership turned rigid. Gideon's expression darkened to a thunderous black.

I let out a harsh laugh.

"It seems you all know the truth. That elixir was meant to save my father's life!"

I knew Gideon knew the truthDhe was the one who sent men to rescue Sienna when the Moonshadow Pack tried to execute her for her crimes.

But what shocked me was that the entire Zenith leadership seemed to know.

And yet, not a single one of them had spoken up against the injustice!

"Sister, this is all a misunderstanding. My father gave me the elixir himself!"

As the atmosphere reached a breaking point, Sienna appeared, dressed in a stunning white wedding gown.

"Sister, my father heard that High Alpha Gideon was in danger of going feral. He insisted on giving up the medicine to save him."

"The rogues are still a threat to our world. Gideon is our strongest protector. If something happened to him, the rogues would tear us all apart. My father knew that."

Sienna's eyes filled with calculated tears.

"I know you're grieving, but my father died a hero for the sake of the supernatural world. As his daughter, I had to honor his sacrifice, no matter how much it hurt."

She was beautiful in a fragile, helpless way that easily earned the sympathy of the crowd.

"Alpha Arthur was a true hero of our kind!"

"And High Alpha Gideon is so honorable for marrying the daughter of his savior. Such a beautiful story of gratitude!"

Listening to their sickening praise, the fire in my gut turned into a blaze.

"The entire Moonshadow Pack knows you stole that medicine and left him to die. You can't lie your way out of this!"

"If he gave it to you willingly, why did his body show clear signs of nightshade poisoning?"

I threw a ledger at her feet.

"The pack's warehouse manager already confessed. You took the nightshade from the storage the night before he died!"

In small doses, nightshade is a sedative. But in large amounts, it causes immediate cardiac arrest!

Sienna didn't understand the chemistry; she was so afraid our father wouldn't stay down that she dumped the whole bottle into his tea.

The poison, combined with his existing wounds, killed him so fast he never had a chance to say goodbye!

"Sienna, the evidence is undeniable! Today, I'm sending you to hell to answer to him!"

The wind began to howl as I channeled every ounce of my remaining power into the shattered blade. A violent shockwave of energy tore through the air, aimed straight at her heart.

But just as I thought I would have my revenge, Gideon's shadow blurred in front of me.

His own blade flashed, meeting mine with a force far greater than my own.

"Sister, you can't kill her."

I was thrown back several feet by the impact. Before I could steady myself, the Zenith elders had already formed a wall in front of Sienna.

I shouted at them, my voice raw.

"Are you really going to protect this monster who murdered her own father?"

Luna's face was twisted with conflict.

"Valerie... Sienna has the Pure Lunar bloodline. She can't die."

Elder Silas stepped forward to explain.

"Gideon has the Pure Solar bloodline. Together, they can perform the Solar-Lunar Union ritual."

"The Rogue King is dead, but his son, Malphas, has emerged. He's a prodigy who has already mastered the Forbidden Blood ArtsDsomething even his father couldn't do!"

"You're weakened, Valerie. You're practically human now. No one else can stop Malphas. If we don't have the Union ritual, the world falls."

Gideon sheathed his blade, his expression full of fake sorrow.

"Sister, Arthur's death is a tragedy. But the safety of the world comes first. Once we defeat Malphas, I'll personally bring Sienna to his grave to beg for forgiveness."

I started laughing, a cold, broken sound.

"Begging for forgiveness is enough?"

My father's life is worth a half-hearted apology?

"Valerie, you were the High Alpha! How can you be so narrow-minded!"

"How can a personal grudge outweigh the lives of millions? Gideon said he'd apologize, why can't you be satisfied?"

"A tiny pack Alpha should be honored to give his life for the High Alpha's survival. Stop being so dramatic!"

Looking at these peopleDthe ones I had nearly died to protectDI realized I was the fool.

What 'greater good'?

They were just cowards, terrified that Malphas would come for their comfortable lives.

To save their own skins, they were perfectly happy to ignore a murder and protect a killer!

"You can't tell right from wrong. You're cowards waiting for a savior, too spineless to fight for yourselves. This is the 'justice' of the High Packs? It's pathetic!"

10

My words stripped away their mask of righteousness, and the guests' faces turned ugly with shame and anger.

"Valerie Frost! we've been patient because of your past service, but don't push it! You aren't the High Alpha anymore!"

"What does a backwater Alpha matter to you? Your real family is the Zenith Pack!"

"You're acting like an emotional child! You don't deserve to lead!"

I said coldly.

"I don't need your permission to know what I deserve."

I reached into my pocket and swallowed a small, bitter pill I had kept close to my heart.

It was a gift from the Great Healer of Silver-Grove.

"Alpha Valerie, I cannot fully repair the damage to your core, but I have a pill that can temporarily restore your prime strength."

The Healer's voice had been solemn.

"It will give you your power back for a short time, but the side effects are devastating. Once it wears off, your wolf will be permanently shattered. You'll be less than human."

As the familiar, surging power flooded my veins, I let out a sharp, lethal smile.

So what if I'm shattered?

I, Valerie Frost, was born a predator, and I will die at the top of the food chain!

11

With my power restored, I swung my blade, clearing the elders away like dry leaves. I lunged straight for Gideon and Sienna.

Gideon raised his sword to parry.

"Sister, are you insane? You're attacking your own kind for a nobody from a small pack?"

I didn't answer. I poured every bit of my life force into the attack.

The clock was ticking; I didn't have time for his excuses.

My strikes were relentless, forcing the mighty High Alpha into a desperate defense.

"Gideon can't keep up with her!"

"Of course not! Valerie was the one who won the trials fairly. Gideon only took the title because she was gone!"

"Is he actually going to lose?"

Gideon grew more frantic, his face darkening with humiliation.

Just as I was about to break his guard, a flash of silver lunged at my back.

I twisted instinctively to block it, but the distraction gave Gideon the opening he needed. His heavy blade slammed into my back.

I crashed to my knees, using my broken sword to prop myself up. I looked back and saw Sienna holding a blood-stained dagger.

"Gideon, are you okay?"

Sienna rushed to his side, checking him for wounds.

Gideon pushed her away and stood over me, looking down with cold triumph.

"You lost, Sister. If you stop this nonsense about Arthur, I'll let you live out your days in the packhouse."

"Ha!"

I spat blood at his boots.

"'Arthur'? Gideon, his name was Arthur Montgomery. Remember it!"

I suddenly gripped my broken blade and shattered it into a thousand tiny shards with a burst of energy. I flung them outward with the last of my strength.

The shards flew like lethal rain, hitting everyone nearby.

Gideon scrambled to protect himself, ignoring Sienna for a split second.

Sienna was quick; she dove for the floor, avoiding the fatal pieces.

But one jagged shard sliced deep across her left cheek, leaving a wound that would never fully heal.

In the chaos, I turned and vanished into the treeline.

I couldn't kill her today, but as long as I draw breath, the hunt isn't over.

Sienna, I'm coming for your life!

12

Once I was clear of the Zenith territory, my body gave out. My wolf felt like it was being shredded from the inside.

The agony was so intense I collapsed, the veins in my neck bulging.

It took hours for the initial wave of pain to pass.

But when it did, my internal power was gone. I was truly broken.

But Sienna was still breathing. My father was still unavenged. I couldn't accept this!

I forced myself up and began to stagger toward the Silver-Grove.

I refused to believe there wasn't a way to fix this. As long as I was alive, I would find a way back!

Suddenly, I dove to the side as an arrow hissed past my ear. A group of masked men in black emerged from the shadows.

"Who are you?"

One man pulled off his mask. It was a senior disciple from the Zenith Pack.

"Valerie Frost, you ruined the High Alpha's wedding and scarred his bride. Surrender now, and we might make your death quick."

I laughed mockingly.

"Gideon and Sienna really are a perfect match. Cowards to the core. They're so afraid of their reputation that they sent you kids to do their dirty work!"

"Shut up! You're a dead woman! We're sending you to the pits of hell today!"

The boy lunged with his sword.

In the past, I could have ended him with a flick of my finger.

But now, I was powerless and wounded. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't dodge them all.

They played with me like a cat with a mouse, opening shallow cuts all over my body until my clothes were soaked in crimson.

I stumbled backward, one step at a time, until I reached the edge of Desolation Cliff.

The Zenith disciples seemed to lose interest in the game.

Two of them kicked me to the ground, hauled me up by my hair, and tossed me over the edge like a piece of trash.

"Goodbye, Valerie. In your next life, learn to know your place!"

13

The freezing wind screamed in my ears as I fell.

I almost let go. The despair was so heavy it felt like lead in my chest.

But the biting cold snapped me back to reality.

I haven't avenged Arthur. Sienna hasn't suffered yet. I can't quit now!

I forced myself to focus, slowing my breathing and watching the cliff face. At the right moment, I slammed my fingers into a crevice.

The weight of my fall nearly tore my fingers off. The pain was blinding, almost making me black out.

But I held on.

I grabbed a thick vine and slowly lowered myself into a hidden cave halfway down the cliff.

The moment my feet hit the cave floor, I collapsed and didn't move for a long time.

I was alive. But my injuries were too much, and darkness finally took me.

The next morning, sunlight hit my face, and I woke up groggily.

As I tried to sit up, a raspy, ancient voice echoed from the shadows.

"It's been a long time since I've seen a little girl with a will that stubborn!"

"Who's there!"

I pulled myself into a defensive crouch, heart hammering.

"Don't be nervous, child. I won't hurt you."

I tracked the voice to the back of the cave, where a door was hidden behind thick vines.

I touched the door cautiously, and it swung open on its own.

"Come in, child. I haven't seen a living soul in decades."

I stepped inside. The space opened up into a massive chamber where an old man sat in rags.

Behind him were eight heavy silver chains, each one bolted directly into his flesh.

The old man stared at me for a long time.

"You look just like your father, Silas Frost. You have his eyes."

I froze. How did this man know my father?

"Who are you?"

I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"Aha... they used to call me Zephyr."

"High Alpha Zephyr?!"

I gasped. The legendary High Alpha from two generations ago was still alive!

14

How could the great Zephyr be in this state? Who did this to him?

I asked the questions as fast as they came to me.

"No one did this to me. I did it to myself. I was losing my mind to the feral rage, and I didn't want to slaughter my own pack. So, I locked myself away. But tell me, child, how did you end up here?"

Out of respect for the legendDand because my heart was overflowing with bitternessDI told him everything.

"Elder Zephyr, can the world really be this cold? To protect the 'greater good,' they protect a murderer? Is there no justice left?"

"Child."

I looked into his eyes; they were sharp, wise, and terrifyingly bright.

"The world is full of injustice. But if you are strong enough, you can cut through it with a single stroke!"

An immense aura exploded from him, transforming him from a withered old man back into the apex predator he once was.

I had never felt anything like it. Even at my peak, I was nothing compared to this.

But the fire of ambition was quickly put out by the pain in my body.

"I'm broken, Elder. My wolf is gone. How can I cut through anything?"

Zephyr pulled back his aura and beckoned me over.

"Come here, child."

I walked to him. I had nothing left to lose, nothing left for anyone to steal.

As I got close, Zephyr's energy wrapped around me like a cocoon.

Suddenly, a massive flood of pure Alpha essence began to flow into me.

"Elder? What are you doing?"

I looked at him in shock.

He smiled, a peaceful, radiant expression.

"You said you lacked the power to fix the world, didn't you? I'm giving it to you."

"Elder, you'll die! This is your life force!"

I tried to pull away, but his grip was like iron.

"Child, this power is just rotting here. It can't cure my madness, and it shouldn't go to waste."

He looked at me with pride.

"I've lived long enough. Knowing the Zenith Pack still produces wolves like you is enough for me."

My eyes blurred with tears as the essence began to stitch my shattered core back together.

Finally, the transfer ended.

His hair had turned snowy white, and his breathing was shallow. The legend was finally fading.

I knelt and pressed my forehead to the ground.

"I will never forget this gift. Is there anything you want me to do for you?"

His eyes began to glaze over as he looked toward the cave entrance.

"A wish? Just take me out to see the sun, child. It's been so long."

I nodded. I shattered the silver chains with a flick of my hand and carried the feather-light man out of the cave. We sat on the ledge, watching the sunrise.

"Valerie... the Zenith Pack has forgotten what it means to be wolves. They've sat on their thrones so long they think they own the world. Go remind them that the world belongs to the people, not the kings."

I held his body as he took his last breath, staring out over the vast forest.