Chapter 7 Mistake

• Friedrich's POV
• The moon hangs low in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the old mansion adding more errieness to its appearance. The place feels quieter than usual, tense even. I push open the door to the pack house and am immediately greeted by an older pack member, Ricardo. He nods to me, his usual stoic expression unreadable.
• “Your father and Victor left immediately after you did,” Ricardo says, cutting straight to the point. “Meeting with the royal blood family. Unfortunately, neither of them are back till now.”
• I stare at him for a moment. I knew the meeting was important, but still, the reality hits me, my father is gone. The Beta too. That means... I’m in charge.
• The weight of responsibility settles deep within me, although I try not to show it. “Is there anything to report?” I ask, keeping my voice steady.
• Ricardo's stoic expression turns into a slight frown, glancing over his shoulder before leaning in. “There’s been a situation. Not yet a fight, but... could be. Two of the packmates Martez and Godson are at each other’s throats.”
• “What happened?” I ask, wondering why two best friends would be at each other's throat.
• He clears his throat before answering. “Martez slept with Godson's mate.”
• The words hit me like a sucker punch.
• We wolves are fiercely and deeply committed to our mates, and cheating, especially with someone else’s mate is a real form of betrayal in the pack. I don’t need to be told how serious this is.
• “Where are they?” I demand.
• “In the pack meeting ground,” Ricardo replies. “We have to go now.”
• I nod and head out the door, Ricardo at my heels. I can see the fire from the torches as I get closer to the spot in the woods where our pack meetings are held. The voices and low growls of the assembled wolves are audible to me as they attempt to control the situation.
• Godson paces back and forth, fists clenched at his side, his whole body tense. A few feet away, Martez stands with his arms crossed, staring blankly. There’s no smugness, just a look like he knows this won’t end well. As for Brenda, she sits on a piece of log, one foot tapping restlessly on the ground.
• Godson turns to me, his eyes radiating with anger. “Can you believe it? He slept with my mate! You know the rules, Friedrich. Mates are sacred. I want a fight to the death.”
• I raise my hand, and Godson purses his lips in pain. “I know the rules, but the rules also forbids us from killing our own.”
• Godson replies tersely, “The rules forbid killing without cause, but this? This is more than enough. And don’t act like you don’t know the traditions, Friedrich. Fights to the death have always been how this kind of betrayal is settled. I demand justice!”
• I glance at Martez, who maintained an air of calmness. “Martez… why? Why would you do this? Why her?”
• He just shrugs, not even looking at me directly. His face twists in this half-pained, half-indifferent way. “I don’t know... it just… happened, okay? And there's nothing I can do to change it, so I'm sorry.”
• “Sorry?!” Godson’s voice cracks, and he steps forward, fists clenched, veins popping out on his neck. “You’re only sorry because you got caught, you piece of crap! Don’t even pretend this was the first time.”
• “It was,” Brenda counters.
• Before I can react, Godson lunges at her, growling, poised to smack her, but a few pack members quickly grab him and hold him back. He struggles, breathing hard, his eyes wild. “Let me go! Leave me! Brenda, I swear if you say one more word in this place, I'll kill you with my bare hands.”
• I step between them, raising my hand again. “Calm down Godson. Let's work this out.”
• Godson’s jaw tightens. “I want a fight to the death, nothing else. I want blood!”
• “If he wants it so badly, let him have it,” a pack member cries out and others murmur in agreement.
• Our law says we should solve such issues by restoring honor, but it doesn't say how. I thought about punishing Martez or even banishing him, but Godson and the others wanted it resolved by granting them a fight to the death. Whatever I choose will affect how they see me as a leader.
• “No,” I say, maintaining my stand. “Martez you'll be severely punished. And you won't speak to Godson's mate ever again.”
• Godson’s body trembles, his eyes filled with rage. “That’s it? That’s all you’re going to do?” he snarls. “You think punishing him and asking him to speak to my mate again is enough? You don’t deserve to be Alpha.”
• I clench my jaw, my patience thinning. “This is the final decision. You’re going to accept it.”
• “I won’t,” Godson spits out. “I’ll never accept it!”
• Before I can react, Godson springs at me, claws bared, going straight for my throat. My instincts kick in and I shift partially, and before I know it, I rip out his heart.
• The impact is immediate, brutal even. Godson’s body crumples to the ground. His eyes, wide with shock, meet mine for a fleeting second before they dim. He falls face flat, blood oozing out of his chest—and then he’s still.
• Silence. Complete and suffocating silence.
• My heart thunders in my ears as I stand frozen, staring down at his lifeless form. I didn’t mean to… I didn’t mean to kill him.
• The pack stares at me in shock. Ricardo takes a slow step forward, his expression horrified. “What have you done?” he whispers.
• I look at my blood stained hand, my claws retracting. “It was an accident…”
• Before anyone else can voice out their opinion, a familiar voice cuts through the thick silence.
• “What is going on?” My father’s gruff voice demands from behind me.
• I whirl around to see him standing at the edge of the clearing, arms crossed, eyes narrowed in cold judgment.
• Ricardo bows his head immediately. “Alpha… there was an altercation.”
• My father’s eyes drift to Godson’s motionless body, then back to me. His face is unreadable, but I can feel the anger simmering just beneath his calm exterior. “An altercation? That’s what you’re calling this?”
• “I didn't mean to—” I start, but my father raises his hand, silencing me.
• "You didn’t mean to, but you did. Killing one of your own… I leave for a few hours, and this is how you handle things?"
• “I was trying to keep the peace,” I say, struggling to maintain my composure. “Godson attacked me."
• He circles me slowly, like a predator eyeing its prey. “As is our custom, you’ve taken a life from the pack, so you must restore it. You’ll turn a human to replace the life you ended.”
• I feel a cold shiver run down my spine. Turning a human is a dangerous, unpredictable process. Not all survive the transition, and those who do are never the same.
• “You have three days,” he continues, his voice low and firm. “Find a human. Turn them. Or face the consequences.”
• Three days. That’s all the time I have to fix my mistake.