"How many of you survived?" Leland coldly asked. "I only see twenty of you and that is a pittance. I remember more than five hundred lycans have deserted me so why are you guys the only survivors?"
"About a hundred of us survived the battle, but we were all separated, Alpha," a lycan survivor explained. "The King of Riga sent many Royal Lycan Hunters after us."
"Did any of the lycan hunters follow you until here?" Lucas' eyes narrowed at them.
"No, Beta! We assure the Alpha and everyone else that we have escaped the Royal Lycan Hunters successfully." The survivors reassured the Blood River Pack's leaders.
"If there are at least a hundred survivors, why have they not returned here?" Leland asked. "Much time has passed but I only see you."
"Please forgive us, Alpha." The lycan was on his knees and trembling hard. They could see that the expression on his face was blank and did not show a hint of mercy. "We fear that they may have joined other packs that were closer to Riga."
Leland raised a brow. "And yet you have come here to return to Blood River Pack?"
"If you will accept us again, Alpha." All of the lycans bowed until their heads touched the ground. "We have done you a great disservice. We will do anything that you wish for if you can accept us back into the pack."
"We did not respect our Luna before, but now we will serve her with our lives, Alpha!"
Leland slowly walked towards the closest lycan whose head was bowed. Lucas and the rest of the lycans who were inside of the castle watched their Alpha move and held their breaths.
The Alpha stepped on the Lycan's head and crushed it.
All of the lycan survivors immediately raised their heads in shock. Some gasped, others growled and the rest were silently outraged.
"I have no use for people who betrayed me in the past." Leland kicked the body of the dead lycan towards the other survivors. "If you wish to return here, then die. Or save your pathetic lives and get lost."
"Alpha, why do you chase us out!" one of the lycans shouted and shook. "We have bravely attacked the kingdom of Riga and caused harm to them."
Leland stayed silent and turned back to the castle. He realized Sophie was awake. So, he decided to return to her side. He had no pity for disloyal people. If they betrayed him once, they could betray him again.
"The Alpha has no need to answer you," Lucas said to the deserters on behalf of the Alpha.
"This is that woman's fault." Several of the lycans growled underneath their breaths. Words of displeasure filled the air and they talked among them begrudgingly.
This must be because of the half-human female who was now controlling the Blood River Pack's Alpha. They hated her so much. Leland chose her over them, his pack members who had been part of his tribe for decades. His reaction today only cemented their assumption that the Alpha had changed and no longer focus on his mission to avenge their tribesmen.
They started shouting at the Alpha who entered the castle, followed by Lucas who closed the gates on them.
"You will regret turning us away, Alpha!"
"You are not leader material. Your mother was right. You shouldn't have been the Alpha of our pack!"
"She changed you and someday you will regret throwing us out…!"
Leland didn't pay them any heed. He walked faster to his chamber to check on his mater.
***
Time pass by so quickly when they were living in peace. Leland did his best to be strong for the sake of his mate. He trained himself harder and pushed himself to the limits by sparring with Lucas and his warriors.
When he had the opportunity to be with Luciel and Jan, who were growing each day, the Alpha spent more time with the boys outdoors to become stronger while maintaining his good relationship with his sons.
He also ate good food, choosing to eat a healthy and balanced diet and everything in order to maintain his physique so he could become stronger and share his strength with Sophie.
What the healers told him was true. Sophie only survived her failing health because she was his mate and she took advantage of the fact that mates could share their strength. If Leland was a weak man, Sophie might have died a long time ago.
This gave Leland the motivation to keep working out and training his physique. In one year his body had buffed up even more than before. He had excellent health and strength and he could share it with his mate.
It was not enough, but at least Sophie could stay alive and her health didn't become worse.
Sophie herself tried to eat well, but even the food that was prepared by the best cooks and delivered by Leland himself didn't sit well with her. The headaches she had grew worse despite the several healing tonics that the healers of Blood River Pack made for her.
Healing rituals were performed for Sophie's sake, offerings were even done for the Moon Goddess but Sophie's health could only maintain for a while, stagnating, but then worsening over time.
Sophie hated it.
She didn't like seeing other people pushing themselves for her sake, but there was nothing she could do. The best that Sophie could do was deal with the self-loathing that was building up within her.
Everyone was already doing their best, and it was up to Sophie to focus her attention on others instead of herself.
"Leland, thank you." Sophie's voice was hoarse and croaky as her husband placed her on a rocking chair.
"Please tell me if you need to head back inside, Sophia," Leland whispered as he placed his cloak over her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "I do not want you to force yourself."
"I'm fine, Leland." Sophie managed a weak smile. "I wanted to see you and the boys."
Leland his men were training on the castle courtyard as usual, and the boys joined them from time to time. Sophie who couldn't do much always asked her husband to take her to the terrace so she could watch them training.
Just seeing them looking healthy and spending a lot of time outdoors brought happiness to her heart. Luciel and Jan had grown so chubby. They looked like two fur balls rolling around among the older lycans who were sparring and training.
Sophie smiled so much whenever she saw her boys with their shenanigans. Even though she was too weak to be involved in any physical activities, she thought the happiness she got from watching them made her feel better and healthier.
***
< Six Months Later >
Isolde earned her place in the Obsidian Sand Pack again. People treated her as an important figurehead as the sister of Alpha Zaros and she was more than happy to take the role.
Respect.
Isolde craved it and was given it, not as much as she wanted to because the Alpha was still the head, but several opportunities came and blessed her.
There was also the fact that a great number of Blood River Pack warriors suddenly came here and tried to find a place among the Obsidian Sand Pack, and Isolde quickly took advantage of it.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel