Chapter 145: A Claim to the Throne

Alessandro’s POV
I was still standing across from my father, the weight of his disapproval lingering in the room like smoke, when Rafael stepped inside.
“All is set,” he announced.
“The message has been sent to every pack member. They’ll be at the Grand Hall by nightfall.”
I gave him a tight nod.
“Good.
Now go and call the pack healer. Tell him to come here immediately.”
Rafael raised an eyebrow, confused but didn’t question me.
“On it.” He turned and walked back out briskly.
Alpha John shifted uncomfortably in his bed, his breath still faintly labored.
I moved closer to him, concern edging into my expression.
“Father,” I said carefully,
“I know you’re still recovering, but the council needs to see strength tonight.
If they see you too weak to stand, they might dismiss your words. Or worse… side with Leonardo.”
His eyes furrowed, but before he could respond, the door opened and the pack healer entered.
“You called for me?” he asked, bowing slightly toward my father.
I stepped forward.
“Yes. Alpha John intends to make a public announcement tonight in front of the entire pack.
We need him to walk on his own, speak clearly.
Is there anything you can give him… maybe an energy injection to help him appear stronger?”
The healer’s face grew tight. He shifted uneasily.
“There is something,” he said slowly.
“A temporary stimulant. It could help him walk, make him appear alert and stable… but—”
“But what?” I pressed.
The healer looked between me and my father.
“The dosage would be intense.
He’s still recovering. The side effects could include shortness of breath, intense fatigue after the injection wears off, even heart strain if the Alpha pushes himself too hard.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but my father raised his hand, silencing both of us.
“Do it,” he said, his voice firm, unwavering.
“If that’s the price I must pay to bring stability back to this pack, then so be it.
I’ve already given everything for this role. What’s a little more?”
The healer looked reluctant, but nodded.
“Very well. I’ll prepare it now.”
He turned and left the room, his footsteps brisk and determined.
Silence followed, thick and weighted.
Rafael turned to face me, arms crossed, brows furrowed with concern.
“I really hope this works, Alessandro.
That this plan of yours helps us catch the traitor… and maybe helps a certain someone get his head back on straight.”
I sighed, dragging a hand down my face.
“Yeah,” I muttered.
“I hope so too.”
Because if it didn’t… tonight could tear this pack apart.
The sky grew dark as night fell over the Shadow Pack. The air felt thick with tension.
When we arrived at the Grand Hall, it was already crowded.
The council members sat at the front, watching everything closely.
They whispered to each other, their voices quiet but serious. Warriors stood guard around the room, keeping everyone in line.
The pack looked restless uneasy.
They could feel it too.
Change was coming.
Behind the heavy doors, I waited with Rafael and Gabriel at my side, the weight of the night pressing down on my shoulders.
We stood in a quiet corridor just outside the hall, the dull murmur of voices bleeding through the stone walls.
Then the door to the Alpha’s quarters creaked open, and the healer stepped out. His face was tense, but he gave me a nod.
“He’s ready.
I gave him the lowest dose possible for his condition. He can walk, speak clearly… but he won’t have more than an hour of stamina. Less if his emotions spike.”
I gave a curt nod.
“That’s all we need.”
Moments later, Alpha John appeared, standing tall with more strength than I’d seen from him in weeks.
But I saw the flicker in his eyes the pain behind the pride. He was pushing through it, just like he always had.
He looked at me and said,
“Let’s go.”
We stepped into the Grand Hall together.
The entire room went silent the moment we entered.
All eyes turned to us some shocked to see Alpha John walking, others whispering behind hands and glancing at me.
I could feel Leonardo’s eyes from the far side of the room, a flicker of something unreadable flashing through his eyes.
The council rose respectfully as Alpha John approached the dais. Slowly, deliberately, he climbed the steps, refusing help.
His every movement was controlled, but I saw the tremor in his fingers as he gripped the edge of the podium.
When he turned to face the pack, his voice rang out clear, strong, and filled with the steel of a true Alpha.
“My pack… my family,” he began.
“Tonight, I stand before you not as a weakened leader, but as your Alpha. I may be healing, but I am not broken.”
A murmur of support echoed through the crowd.
Alpha John continued,
“There has been unrest. Whispers of doubt. Shadows moving beneath our feet. But tonight, I bring clarity.”
I swallowed hard. This was it.
“I have made my choice… the one who will stand as my successor, should I fall or when I finally step down.
The one who has earned not only my trust, but my respect.”
He paused, searching the faces of the crowd.
“I name Alessandro… as the one to take up the mantle of Alpha when the time comes.”
The room erupted.
Gasps. Shock. A few claps. Some silent. Others furious.
Leonardo’s face darkened, and even from across the hall, I could feel the heat of his fury.
Rafael and Gabriel flanked me, their presence a silent shield of strength and loyalty.
I took a steady breath and stepped forward, climbing the stairs toward my father, who stood tall at the podium, the eyes of the entire pack following my every move.
But just as I reached the halfway point.
Footsteps echoed behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder.
Leonardo.
He was walking up the stairs, slow and careful, his jaw tight and eyes blazing with a fierce emotion.
Each step he took made the room feel more tense. My heart skipped a beat.
The crowd started whispering again, their voices sharp and puzzled.
What was he doing?
Rafael shifted, immediately alert, while Gabriel’s eyes furrowed.
Leonardo didn’t speak.
He just walked, matching my pace, step for step, until we stood side by side both facing Alpha John.
The room fell into a tense silence, all eyes on us.
Alpha John’s gaze furrowed, and his voice cut through the air like a blade.

“Leonardo, what is the meaning of this?”
His tone was sharp filled with disappointment and suspicion.
Leonardo didn’t move. His eyes remained fixed on our father, his face expressionless.
I should be up here too," he said softly, but with a strong tone.
"I deserve a chance, just like him."
Rafael stepped forward, looking angry. Gabriel tensed up beside him.
Alpha John's face turned stern.
"This is not the time to bring up your personal problems, Leonardo.
I called this meeting to restore order in the pack, not to create more trouble.”
Leonardo’s jaw clenched. “Then let me be part of that order.”
I turned my head slightly, meeting his eyes. But I said nothing.
“I deserve to be the Alpha of this pack not Alessandro,” Leonardo said, his voice rising.
“The council thinks so too.”
He pointed to the council members sitting nearby. They looked uncomfortable, curious, and worried.
Some looked away. Others seemed unsure. But no one said a word.
“For years, I’ve carried this pack’s burdens.
I’ve followed every rule, every tradition. I sacrificed everything including her for duty,”
Leonardo continued, his voice gaining heat with every word.
“And what did I get in return?” he snapped, eyes blazing. “You want Alessandro to become the Alpha instead of me?”
He let out a cold scoff, shaking his head in disbelief.
“That’s never going to happen,” he growled.
“Not under my watch.”