Reclaimed By The Alpha King -
Chapter 87
Chapter 87: Chapter 87
"I don’t know what is wrong with me," Mona said, pacing the room. Her usually confident demeanor was replaced with visible anxiety.
"Ever since Kimberly has been lying there lifeless, I should feel victorious... but instead, I feel so uneasy. Why do I feel like this?"
Her words were laden with frustration, and her restless movements mirrored the storm within her.
Alpha Derrick, seated in a nearby chair, looked just as troubled. "I feel it too, Mona," he admitted with a deep sigh. "It’s not just the guilt. Something about her death feels... incomplete. After the sacrifice, her body should have disappeared. But it’s still here. Why?"
Mona stopped pacing and stared at him. "Do you think this is a bad omen?"
Derrick shook his head, though his uncertainty was clear. "I don’t know. But I’m hoping Heliandriak will have answers when we meet at the pack house."
Mona nodded, her unease still evident. "We should prepare quickly. It wouldn’t do to be late."
As Mona headed toward the bathroom, Derrick stayed behind, lost in thought.
Why does it feel like a part of me is gone? Is it possible Kimberly is more than what we thought?
He clenched his fists, trying to shake off the growing sense of dread.
Once they were ready, the pair left their home, their steps heavy with the weight of the unanswered questions that loomed over them.
**At the Night Walker Pack House**
The grand meeting room was filled with tension as the elders gathered alongside Elena, the old physician, and Heliandriak, the sorcerer.
The Alpha’s absence was the only thing delaying the meeting.
When Derrick and Mona finally entered, all but the sorcerer rose to greet them. Heliandriak, being from another pack, observed his own customs and merely nodded in acknowledgment.
Derrick took his seat, his piercing gaze sweeping across the room. Once he sat, the others followed suit, except for the eldest of the elders, who stood to open the meeting.
"Greetings, Alpha, Luna, and all present," the elder began, his voice steady despite the underlying tension.
"We have gathered to address the unresolved matters surrounding the sacrifice. As we all know, the body of Kimberly remains, though it should have vanished if the silent beast accepted the offering. We are fortunate to have the sorcerer here to provide insight."
Another elder quickly chimed in, his tone filled with unease. "If the body still remains, how do we know the sacrifice was truly accepted? What if she died for nothing?"
The room erupted into murmurs of fear and speculation. The elders spoke over one another, their panic evident.
"Enough!" Derrick’s voice roared above the chaos. His fury silenced the room, and all eyes turned toward him. "We are here to solve this, not descend into madness. Let’s proceed respectfully. Sorcerer Heliandriak, tell us what you know."
Heliandriak rose, his staff tapping softly against the floor as he walked to the center of the room. His expression was calm but grave.
"The sacrifice was accepted," he said, his voice cutting through the silence. "The silent beast will no longer trouble your pack. However, what troubles me is that her body remains. This is... unusual."
"Unusual?" Mona’s tone was sharp, almost accusatory. "What does that even mean?"
"It means I have no explanation," Heliandriak replied, meeting her glare. "This is not something I have encountered before."
"What do we do with the body?" Derrick asked, his voice steady but filled with curiosity.
Mona, ever pragmatic, interjected. "We burn it. If the sacrifice was accepted, there’s no reason to keep a dead body lying around."
"No!" Elena’s voice rang out, startling everyone. Her frail hands trembled as she pointed toward Mona. "Do you even know what you’re saying? Her body has not decayed. It’s been three days, and she still looks... alive. You don’t burn something like that."
The room fell silent. Derrick’s brows furrowed as he turned to Elena. "What do you mean she hasn’t decayed?"
"I mean exactly that," Elena said firmly. "Her body hasn’t changed. It doesn’t smell. It’s as if she’s only sleeping."
Heliandriak’s eyes narrowed. "This cannot be," he muttered. "I must see her body for myself."
"Very well," Derrick said, rising from his seat. "Let’s go."
The group made their way to where Kimberly’s body was kept. The moment they entered, the truth of Elena’s words struck them all. Kimberly’s body lay peacefully, her skin still vibrant, her expression serene.
"It’s impossible," Heliandriak whispered as he approached the body. He knelt beside her, his hands trembling as they hovered over her form. Slowly, he began to examine her, muttering incantations under his breath.
After a moment, he suddenly recoiled, his face pale with shock.
"No... this cannot be happening," he stammered, his voice filled with dread.
"What is it?" Derrick demanded, his patience wearing thin.
Heliandriak’s eyes darted around the room, as if searching for an explanation. "Her soul has left her body, but she is not dead."
The room erupted into chaos once more.
"What do you mean she’s not dead?" Elena asked, her voice trembling.
"It means she exists between realms," Heliandriak explained, his tone laced with fear. "Her body is alive, but her soul is trapped elsewhere. This is a rare phenomenon—one I have only read about. I never thought it could happen."
The sorcerer’s words left the room in stunned silence. Each person’s face showed a mix of disbelief, confusion, and fear.
"No, that’s not possible!" Mona exclaimed, her eyes wide with denial. "How can a soul leave the body and still be alive?"
The sorcerer sighed heavily, gripping his staff tighter. "It’s rare, but not impossible," he began, his voice calm but serious. "A soul can defy death if the moment of passing wasn’t truly destined. Perhaps the forces meant to claim her were not strong enough, or her will to survive was greater."
Mona’s lips twisted into a scowl. "You’re saying this is normal? This... abomination?"
Elena glared at her. "Stop calling her an abomination! You’re too quick to condemn a soul you don’t understand."
Mona scoffed, crossing her arms. "I understand enough! Keeping that body here is a danger to all of us. We should burn it before her soul brings disaster."
Elena stepped closer, her voice rising. "Burn her? Have you forgotten your place? Can you create life? If not, then don’t speak so lightly of destroying it!"
Their argument escalated, voices overlapping until Alpha Derrick slammed his fist on a nearby table. "Enough!" His roar echoed in the room. "Both of you will hold your tongues, or I’ll silence them for you."
Mona and Elena exchanged heated glares but fell silent, their tension palpable. Derrick turned his attention to the sorcerer. "What do we do about her body?"
The sorcerer hesitated, his eyes narrowing as if searching for answers in the air. "We wait," he said finally. "If the soul returns, we will learn what it encountered. If it does not..." He trailed off, his meaning clear but unspoken.
"And if the soul returns but is... tainted?" Elena asked cautiously.
The sorcerer’s expression darkened. "If her soul has touched the dark forces of the universe, it will crave blood, not food. She will become a vessel of destruction, driven by forces beyond our control."
The room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the crackling of a nearby torch.
Mona broke it with a venomous sneer. "So we wait and gamble with all our lives? Brilliant."
The eldest elder raised a hand. "Patience, Luna. The sorcerer speaks wisdom. Acting in haste may lead to regret."
Mona rolled her eyes but said nothing, though her lips pressed into a thin line.
Alpha Derrick took a deep breath, trying to ease the tension. "How will we know her soul hasn’t been corrupted?"
The sorcerer nodded. "If she awakens, she will show hunger. Real hunger for food and water, not blood. That will be our first sign of hope."
"And if she’s... corrupted?" Derrick pressed.
"Then I will destroy her myself," the sorcerer vowed, his voice heavy with resolve. "She will not take a single breath as a threat to this pack."
***
Meanwhile, in the distant chambers of Alpha Theo, the air was thick with tension. He was rifling through documents in his briefcase when a hesitant knock interrupted him.
He paused, his sharp senses tuning in to the irregular heartbeat on the other side of the door.
"Who is it?" he demanded, his voice a low growl.
"It’s Jamie, Alpha," came the trembling response. "I have news... urgent news."
Theo opened the door, his piercing gaze locking on Jamie. "Speak."
Jamie swallowed hard. "The woman you asked me to investigate... Kimberly. She’s dead. She sacrificed herself to save her pack."
Theo’s eyes burned with anger, a growl rumbling in his chest. "Are you sure?"
"Positive, Alpha," Jamie stammered. "The information is solid."
Theo waved him away with a flick of his hand, his mind already churning. As Jamie left, Theo’s fists clenched.
*Kimberly sacrificed herself?* He couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that there was more to the story.
"I will go to the Night Walker Pack myself," he decided, his jaw tightening with determination.
***
Back at the Night Walker Pack, the meeting was coming to an uneasy close. Alpha Derrick addressed the room, his tone weary but firm.
"We’ll adjourn for now. If there are any changes, we’ll reconvene."
Everyone stood, relief visible on their faces as they prepared to leave the tense atmosphere. Suddenly, a faint sound froze them in their tracks—a soft sneeze.
"It wasn’t any of us," Elena said, her voice trembling as all eyes turned toward Kimberly’s body.
A second sneeze followed, this one louder. Kimberly stirred, her chest rising and falling as she opened her eyes, blinking slowly...
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