Chapter 8 Episode 8

• Axelrod was perched on his chair in his room, having just tossed a heavy scroll onto the table, which crashed against the door with a loud bang.
• Sebastian entered just in time to dodge the scroll. He wasn’t scared at all. Instead, he looked around, picked up the scroll, and calmly placed it back on the table.
• Axelrod rose and sat at the table, his expression dark. He exclaimed angrily, "Am I really the monster here? Seriously? I’ve fought for this pack with everything I have, and this is how they repay me?" His voice filled the room as his claws extended and he growled.
• "Do they really think I need their approval to be in charge? If they refuse to recognize my strength, I’ll show them what true power looks like. If the council of elders doesn’t back me as their Alpha, I won’t hesitate to kill them all."
• A cold breeze swept in through the door.
• Even on a warm day, Sebastian felt a shiver from Axelrod's ruthless words.
• He looked at Axelrod’s troubled expression, sighed quietly to himself, and said softly, "Kill them all? Axelrod, are you really planning to take out every single soul who disagrees with you? Is that what you want them to see? An Alpha who doesn’t care about the pack?" Sebastian sighed again.
• "Show them you can be a good Alpha, and they will naturally follow you."
• Axelrod shot him a glance and replied, "Show them? What more can I do? I’ve fought on the front lines, defeated many enemy packs for them, and stopped the northern invasion. If that’s not enough, I guess I’ll have to force them to accept me as their Alpha."
• Sebastian frowned at Axelrod’s words but chose to stay silent.
• He understood it was best not to push Axelrod too hard, especially when he was feeling this way.
• He also knew that it would be tough for the pack members to accept Axelrod as their leader.
• So, he remained quiet.
• Axelrod suddenly asked, "I told you to look into it. What did you find out?"
• Sebastian replied quickly, "I asked someone to dig deeper. It looks like your father left some handwritten notes before he passed away, and the council of elders has them and is following what he wrote."
• Axelrod frowned and asked, "Who has them?"
• Sebastian listed off several names, all of them being prominent and older members of the council.
• Axelrod's hands turned into fists on the table.
• He scoffed and said, "Now I see why those elders had the nerve to send me that letter."
• Sebastian paused for a moment, then it clicked for him.
• It was clear that Axelrod's father's notes were in play. The elders were acting on those instructions.
• His father had set up many challenges for Axelrod on his path to becoming the Alpha.
• Axelrod's face went pale.
• Right now, he could hear his father's last words before he went off to the front line resounding in his mind.
• "Axelrod, you simply don’t have what it takes to lead a pack. You’re too cruel and bloodthirsty to be a good Alpha. If I didn’t trust your mother, I might think she cheated because you don’t act like my blood at all. Don’t even dream about sitting on that throne; I will never give it to you."
• Axelrod's fists tightened, and he slammed the table with such force that it shattered into pieces, making a loud crash.
• Sebastian stepped closer, saying, "Axelrod..."
• The splintered wood cut into the back of Axelrod's hand, leaving a deep, bloody mark that healed almost instantly. Yet, he still held his fist tight.
• Sebastian stayed quiet, not saying anything more.
• He understood Axelrod's inner struggles. Over the years, Axelrod had been unable to shake off this darkness inside him. No matter how well he fought or how he led his warriors, he couldn’t control it.
• The room fell silent, but Axelrod's mind echoed with his father's harsh words, Alpha Orion.
• "If I didn’t trust your mother, I would have rejected you as my son! You’re nothing like my bloodline."
• "Don’t even think about that throne while you’re alive!"
• "I will never give you the throne!"
• He frowned and covered his ears, but the words felt like they were coming from deep within him. No matter how hard he tried, they pierced his heart like invisible daggers.
• The noise was driving him to the edge.
• Then, amidst the chaos, he heard a faint but determined voice that he couldn’t ignore.
• Killing them all won't help you find the Alpha; it will just tarnish your already damaged reputation."
• Don’t pretend you’re unaware of the rumors about you, Prince Axelrod."
• "I can't say that everyone is innocent, but there are better ways to deal with this situation than just killing people and leaving bodies everywhere. If you keep taking innocent lives like this, even if you become king one day, people will only remember you as a cruel and harsh ruler."
• He looked up in surprise.
• It was her, the woman named Astrid!
• In the next moment, Axelrod kicked open the door to his room and stormed out, not looking back.
• Sebastian had initially followed Axelrod outside, but when he noticed where Axelrod was going, it seemed like a light bulb went off in his head. He stopped and ordered some few guards, "Follow him."
• At the same time,
• Astrid felt like she was on the verge of passing out from hunger. She was so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open, but she pushed through. Clenching her teeth, she used her last bit of energy to bang on the door over and over, mumbling to herself, "Help... Someone, please... Help..."
• Eventually, she was too weak to lift her arms anymore. She slumped against the door, and with the little strength she had left, she gently tapped her forehead against it, whispering in a tiny voice, "Help..."
• The light in front of her was fading fast.
• Just then, she heard footsteps approaching, getting louder and closer until they stopped right at the door.
• Then, the door swung open.
• As the wind rushed in, it swept away the last bit of Astrid's awareness, and she collapsed to the ground.