Alpha Alec's Redemption by Kathy M

I stare at the occupants of the room, letting my eyes settle on each of them.

Micah and Jason both look expectant, which isn't surprising-we're all hoping Raven cback with nothing but good news.

Piper looks expectant too, but she also looks nervous. She's fidgeting with her hands, shifting from one foot to the other like she's unsure of whether she should be here or not.

"Hi," she says with a tentative smile.

I want to respond, I really do, but my voice catches in my throat. Instead, I just give her a brief nod before turning my attention to Raven.

My sister. My friend. She looks... exhausted. It looks like she hasn't slept for days. Her body is slouched, and dark circles cling stubbornly under her eyes. Her hair is dull and limp, and her clothes hang looser on her frame. It's as if the days she's been gone have aged her.

I ignore everyone else and rush to her side.

"Are you okay?" I ask, sitting beside her. "We don't have to do this now. You should get srest first." Raven reaches for my hand and squeezes it gently.

"I won't be able to sleep until I get this out of my head," she murmurs with a yawn.

"Let's just get it over with." "Fine," I sigh. "But after this, it's straight to bed. Deal?" "Deal," she whispers with a tired smile.

Alec appears besideand places my plate of food on the table. Then he turns to Raven.

"Did you eat?" he asks, concern lacing his voice. "I can get an omega to bring you something." If I'm being honest, then I'll admit that Alec has been surprisinglately. In fact, The keeps surprising me. Thoughtfulness like this? It's not something I'm used to from him. This is a side of him I'm not used to. This is a side of him I haven't seen before.

The Alec I was used to was always arrogant and selfish. He only ever showed real affection to Piper, Jason and Micah.

There are different kinds of leaders. Those that lead with authority, but also with warmth and care. Those that are ruthless and don't really give a damn about those that they rule and finally those that rule because it's their duty. They do to sextent care about those they rule over, but to them it's just a job. They take care of those under them, but there is a certain coldness to their rule. Alec fell under the last category.

He was distant, always operating with a sense of duty but never warmth. As Alpha, his leadership was cold and mechanical.

But lately... this version of him? The one who notices Raven's exhaustion, who offers food before information? This is a man I don't quite recognize but I'm starting to see him in a different light. It shows growth in his character. "We can share mine while they prepare something for you," I offer. "I'm good," Raven replies. "Don't worry. I already had breakfast." I exhale in relief. At least she's not running on an empty stomach.

Alec sits across from me, and I send him a small glance of gratitude before taking a sip of my coffee.

Piper finally settles into her seat. She looks calmer now, and I have a hunch her earlier restlessness was less about the meeting and more about how I'd react to Ther being here.

Silence settles over the room, thick and heavy with anticipation. All eyes are on Raven, while hers stay fixed on a spot on the table.

I know her-she's organizing her thoughts, pulling the threads together before she speaks. So, I dig into my eggs, unhurried. No one rushes her. I know she'll speak when she's ready and it seems everyone has figured that out too.

Finally, Raven speaks.

"So," she begins slowly, "the spell is still draining the pack." Wait-what? I freeze. I thought my presence had somehow put a barrier between the spell and the pack.

"I thought Sadie being here stopped the spell," Micah says, echoing my exact thoughts.

""I found out that her presence hasn't really stopped the spell," Raven replies. "It has muted it. Slowed it down. But the spell is still drawing energy from the pack- just in smaller amounts." "How?" Alec asks, voice calm but sharp. I can't tell if he's asking how she knows or how it's still happening or maybe both.

Raven looks up at him. "When I tried to do another reading, I realized it was still pulling power. Just less of it. The spell is tethered to the pack's life force-it needs it to function.

Sadie's presence didn't severthe tether; it just weakened the flow." "What happens if Sadie leaves?" Jason asks.

"Then the barrier breaks," Raven says, her voice serious. "And the spell will start siphoning huge amounts of power again-just like before." I frown. "But if I'm acting as a buffer... shouldn't the spell be getting weaker?" "In theory, yes," Raven nods. "But this spell has been in place for generations. It

would take decades or the skind of power that created it in the first at place to "weaken it." So, in other words, my presence is like slapping a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. It Thasn't really solved the problem.

Piper, who has been quiet this whole time, finally speaks.

"You said the spell is still draining energy. What would happen if the e entire pack were destroyed? If no one from this pack was left to sustain the spell?"

Raven glances at her, then answers matter-of-factly. "It's simple really? e Without a power source to feed from, the spell will collapse. And when that happens...

Kaden will be released from his prison." The room turns to ice.

Even hearing his nsends chills crawling down my spine. My heart clenches, fear rooting deep in my chest.

Something flickers in the back of my mind an image, a memory? But it's gone before I can grasp it.

No. Not now. Focus. I push the fear down, willing my brain to stay in the present.

Kaden won't be released. I won't allow that.

"It won't cto that," I say, my voice sharp and steel-edged.

Raven nods slowly. "I've considered every possibility. Sadie can't be the barrier forever-we all die eventually.

And at the rate the spell is feeding, it's only a matter of time. A century at most. That gives us a deadline...

As much as we weren't there when the spell was first cast, we now know about it. It's our duty to make sure Kaden doesn't leave his prison. We need a solution." "Go on," Alec urges when she pauses.

"So an idea began to form," she says, her eyes brightening ever so slightly. "What if we could find a way to break the spell's dependency on the pack... without releasing Kaden?"