Chapter 216: Shadow Pack’s New Alpha
Chapter 216: Shadow Pack’s New Alpha
Alessandro’s POV
The palace was chaos. I could hear it even from my chamber — servants rushing down the halls, omegas barking orders at each other, the clink of silver trays, the muffled thunder of footsteps.
Today was the day.
My day.
The day I became Alpha.
I stood in front of the mirror, tugging at my tie for the third time. Damn thing felt like a noose around my neck.
I’d fought rogues, bled for this pack, and still… this piece of cloth was going to be my undoing.
“Never thought I’d live to see this,” Gabriel said from where he leaned lazily against the wall, arms crossed, eyes full of amusement.
“Alessandro, Alpha of the Shadow pack. And choking on a tie.”
I shot him a glare. “I’m not choking.”
“You’re practically strangling yourself,” he smirked.
Rafael chuckled from the chair where he was sprawled, whiskey glass in hand like this was a tavern and not my coronation morning.
“Forget the tie, I still can’t believe you’re willingly walking into responsibility.
Remember when we were pups and you swore you’d never be tied down to anything or anyone?”
I smoothed my jacket, ignoring the burn of nerves in my chest.
“Keep talking. You’ll both be bowing to me in a few hours.”
Gabriel laughed outright.
“Bow?
Oh, I’m etching this into memory. The great Alessandro fixing a tie instead of sharpening a blade.”
Rafael pointed his glass at him.
“Don’t act smug, Gabriel. You’re just as bad.
A human girlfriend?
Never thought you’d have time to fall in love. Honestly, I figured books were your soulmate.”
Gabriel straightened, his tone calm, almost proud.
“They were. Until Annie.
She made me realize something no book could teach that not everything worth knowing is written on a page.
And definitely not found by sleeping around with every female beta in the pack.”
Rafael snorted.
“Love isn’t for me. I like keeping my life simple. No strings, no tears, no woman tying me down.
Freedom is sweeter.”
I raised a brow and glanced at Gabriel.
“Did he just say freedom?”
Gabriel shook his head, smiling wryly.
“He did.”
We both turned on Rafael at once.
“You are unbelievable.”
Rafael only grinned wider and took a lazy sip of his drink.
“And proud of it, brothers.”
I turned back to the mirror, adjusting the emblem of the crown pinned to my chest.
My jaw was tight, my reflection steady, but inside… the weight of what was coming pressed heavy against my ribs.
Alpha. Leader. Protector.
For one moment though, with Gabriel’s calm jabs and Rafael’s reckless grin filling the room, I allowed myself a small smile.
They would never admit it out loud, but I knew, they were proud of me.
The doors of my chamber swung open, and the noise from the main hall flooded in, drums, chants, the heavy hum of anticipation that filled every corner of the palace.
My heart thundered in my chest, not from fear but from the gravity of what was about to happen.
Rafael clapped me on the back, nearly knocking the breath out of me.
“Try not to trip on your way out. Wouldn’t want the pack’s new Alpha remembered as the guy who fell on his face.”
Gabriel rolled his eyes.
“Ignore him. They’re waiting for you.”
I gave them both a look half warning, half gratitude before stepping forward.
The great doors of the ceremonial hall loomed ahead. As they opened, a wave of sound struck me.
My pack. My people. Rows upon rows of wolves filled the massive hall, banners of silver and black draped high across the stone pillars, torches burning with steady flames.
The Shadow Pack had gathered in full, every eye fixed on me.
And in the front row, I found her. Aurora.
She stood in a pale gown, her hair loose, her gaze locked on me like I was the only one in the room.
My chest tightened. For a heartbeat, it wasn’t the crown or the pack or the weight of destiny that mattered.
It was her.
Then Alpha John’s voice broke through the silence, strong and commanding as always.
“Today,” he began, his eyes sweeping over the crowd, “we witness history.
Today we crown the next Alpha of the Shadow Pack — a man who has been forged in fire, in battle, in sacrifice.
A son who has carried not just his own burdens, but the burdens of all who looked to him.”
I felt the weight of his gaze land on me.
“When enemies rose against us, he did not waver. When betrayal threatened to divide us, he held strong.
When death itself stalked him, he did not bow.” Alpha John’s voice carried through the hall like thunder.
“He is not only my son. He is what this pack needs.”
A ripple of agreement surged through the crowd. Wolves pounded their fists against their chests, their growls echoing off the stone.
My father stepped down from the dais, standing before me now, face to face.
For the first time in my life, I saw something in his eyes I’d never expected.
Pride.
“You’ve walked a path few could survive,” he said quietly, just for me.
“You’ve made mistakes, Alessandro, but you’ve also grown. You’ve learned what it means to lead not through fear, but through loyalty, through love, through sacrifice.
That is why I step aside, and you step forward.”
The hall hushed. Every sound died into silence.
Alpha John lifted the ceremonial crown, silver wrought into the shape of a wolf’s head and placed it upon my brow.
The weight settled heavy, but it didn’t crush me. It steadied me.
He raised his voice, loud enough for the ancestors themselves to hear.
“Rise, Alessandro Prickette, Alpha to the Shadow Pack!”
The hall erupted in thunderous roars.
“All hail Alpha Alessandro!”
“All hail Alpha Alessandro!”
Their voices shook the very walls. My brothers’ cries joined them, even Rafael’s teasing grin breaking into a rare look of pride.
And through it all, my gaze found Aurora’s once more. Her lips moved with the crowd, whispering the words that mattered most.
“All hail Alpha Alessandro.”
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