Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 224: Disagreement

Chapter 224: Disagreement

Liam’s P.O.V.

The world shifted beneath my feet.

I barely registered the moon goddess’s final words as she faded from sight, her presence dissolving into shimmering light. My heart pounded violently against my ribs, my breath shallow and unsteady. This was too much. Too big.

She had asked me—begged me—to take care of Mai and Eldur.

She had said I was the only one who could.

That their fate—and the fate of the entire world—rested on my shoulders.

I clenched my fists, struggling to make sense of it all. How could that be? I had spent my whole life believing I was insignificant, an average werewolf in a pack of warriors and Alphas. I had never been the strongest, never been the fastest. I was just Liam Rivers—the boy whose only dream had been to stay hidden from bullies.

And now... now I was supposed to be something more. Something special.

A shudder ran down my spine.

I didn’t want this.

I hadn’t asked for any of it.

Mai’s fingers tightened around mine, grounding me. I turned to look at her. She was still glowing faintly from the energy of her new form, but her wings—wings—were gone. Until today, I hadn’t even known she was part Fae. My Mai—my beautiful, fierce Mai—never ceased to amaze me.

And yet, even she looked afraid.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly, her eyes scanning my face.

I swallowed. "No," I admitted. "Not even a little."

She gave a small, knowing smile. "Me neither."

I wanted to hold onto that moment, to let it stretch forever, but the voices of the adults in the room pulled me back to reality.

Luna Teresa stepped forward first, her expression warm and filled with gratitude. Before I could react, she wrapped me in a hug—the kind only a mother could give.

"Thank you, Liam," she whispered against my hair. "You’ve been protecting my daughter all this time without even knowing it. And now... I am trusting you to continue. I know this is a heavy burden, but I promise, things will be better from now on."

My throat tightened.

I had spent most of my life feeling like an outsider, like I wasn’t truly needed. But here she was, thanking me like I was someone important.

Then Alpha Lucian stepped forward, placing a strong hand on my shoulder.

"I should have realized sooner what you meant to Mai," he said. "I should have protected you better. But you still found your way back to her. And for that, I owe you my thanks."

Even Adrian, the first vampire, nodded at me. "You have proven yourself, boy. You are stronger than you think."

One by one, they all stepped forward.

Ollie grinned as he hugged me tightly. "I always knew you were special, man. Everyone else is just late to the party."

Then Gamma Juliette, Eldur’s mother, faced me.

"You must watch over my son, too," she said, her voice softer than I had ever heard it. "I know he... isn’t easy. But please, Liam."

I barely had time to nod before Eldur himself scoffed loudly from the corner.

"Don’t act like I need him," he growled.

His eyes—so much like Mai’s, yet so much colder—burned with resentment. He had been scowling through the entire exchange, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

I sighed. If there was one thing I knew for certain, it was that this was going to be hell.

Alpha Lucian cleared his throat. "We should return home. Liam, I’ve already informed your parents that you’re safe. They were worried about you."

That sent a fresh wave of guilt crashing through me.

I had left without telling them. I had gone after Mai, been kidnapped, tortured, and nearly lost everything. But my parents didn’t know that.

They didn’t know how close they had come to losing me, and I, losing them forever.

After everything had been said, Mai stepped forward and offered to teleport everyone back home. Her parents looked proud as everyone accepted. Without hesitation, she raised a hand, the air around her crackling with energy.

"Hold on," she commanded.

In the blink of an eye, shadows twisted and light bent around them. The world blurred—space itself folding to her will. And just like that, we were gone, reappearing at the heart of the Moonpeak Pack, as if we had never left.

The Alpha’s residence was buzzing with tension when we arrived.

My parents were already there, waiting for me.

The moment I stepped through the door, my mother let out a choked sob and rushed into my arms.

"Liam!" she gasped, holding me tightly. "Oh, my baby—you’re okay! You’re really okay!"

I felt my father’s strong arms wrap around us both. "Where have you been? We’ve been out of our minds with worry!"

Guilt twisted deep in my gut. "I... I’m sorry," I murmured. "I didn’t mean to make you worry."

My mother pulled back, cupping my face in her trembling hands. "You left without a word. We thought—" Her voice broke, and she shook her head. "Why would you do that to us?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I had to find Mai."

A heavy silence stretched between us.

Then my father sighed. "You’re just like your grandfather," he muttered, ruffling my hair. "Stubborn as hell."

I finally allowed myself to smile. "I recovered my memories," I admitted. "I remember everything now."

My mother’s lips parted in shock. "Oh, Liam..."

"I’m sorry for everything," I whispered. "For putting you through this."

My father shook his head. "You’re home. That’s all that matters."

But the relief didn’t last long.

The Alpha gathered us all in the living room and explained everything—the goddess’s orders, the looming Red Moon, and the revelation that I was some kind of shield, the only thing standing between the world and destruction.

By the time he finished, the room was thick with tension. My mother had gone pale, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"No." Her voice cracked as she took a shaky step forward. "No, this is too much. He can’t—he shouldn’t have to do this!" She turned to my father, as if pleading for him to fix this.

My father’s fists were clenched so tightly and his face turned bright red. "He’s just a kid who has suffered a lot." His voice was low, dangerous. "You’re asking us to send our son into the jaws of a demon?"

Alpha Lucian met his glare without flinching. "Please don’t put it like that. I’m not asking for anything. This is the goddess’s will. If we fight it, we lose everything."

My father took a step closer, the air between them charged with fury, forgetting he was facing his alpha. "Then let everything burn! I won’t sacrifice my son for some prophecy!"

Luna Teresa, her voice trembling but firm, placed a hand on my mother’s shoulder. "I know you want to protect him, but this isn’t a choice we get to make." She turned to me, her eyes pleading. "Liam, say something. Tell them you understand."

I swallowed hard, but before I could speak, my mother snapped back at her. "You’re asking him to stay and protect Eldur and Mai, the two people who have hurt him the most in his life! How can you expect me to accept this?"

A low, smooth voice cut through the chaos.

Adrian leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, his sharp purple eyes steady. His voice was calm, but there was an edge of sorrow beneath it.

"I can never undo what my son did to Liam," he said, his tone heavy with regret. "Not in this lifetime, not in my immortal existence. But right now, that doesn’t matter." He pushed off the wall, his gaze sweeping over the room. "If Liam doesn’t step up, we all die. You think you’re protecting him, but all you’re doing is stalling the inevitable. And when it comes? You’ll wish you had let him stay."

My mother scoffed, stepping forward. "Easy for you to say. He’s not your blood."

Adrian arched a brow. "No, but I know what’s coming. And trust me, if you don’t let him be with them, you’ll be begging for a fate worse than death when the evil takes over."

Silence followed.

My mother looked at me, eyes brimming with tears. My father’s breathing was heavy, his rage barely restrained.

Alpha Lucian took a step forward, his voice softer now. "I know this is hell for you. If there were any other way, I’d take it. But Liam is our best chance. And I swear on my life—I will protect him, no one would harm him again."

Minutes passed. My father’s fists slowly unclenched. My mother looked down, shoulders shaking.

Finally, my father exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening as he nodded. "You’d better keep that promise."

My mother let out a quiet sob but gave the smallest, reluctant nod.

They weren’t happy. They never would be especially when it had to do with Mai and Eldur.

But they understood.

And then Alpha Lucian turned to us.

"Liam. Mai. Eldur." His voice was firm. "From this moment on, you are joined at the hip. You cannot be apart—not even for a minute—until Liam’s birthday."

I immediately grimaced. "That’s—"

"And to make sure you obey," he continued, ignoring my protests, "Elizabeth will perform a binding spell on you all."

Mai groaned. "Seriously?"

Eldur let out a sharp laugh. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

But Elizabeth smirked. "Oh, I never joke about spells," she said cheerfully. "Once my magic is in place, if any of you tries to leave the others behind... you’ll experience a pain so great you’ll have no choice but to return."

A shiver ran through me.

North let out a long sigh in my head.

"This is going to be hell." I said.

"Maybe," North admitted. "But on the bright side... at least you get to be with Mai all the time. No one can take her away from you now."

That thought alone kept me from breaking apart completely.

But as Elizabeth stepped forward, her hands glowing with magic, I had a sinking feeling that this month was going to be the longest of my life.