Chapter 73

DONNIE’S POV The atmosphere in Moon Shade had changed noticeably, filled with tension and a sense of urgency.

The increased number of guards around the Alpha’s quarters added to the feeling of foreboding. Their movements seemed to carry the seriousness of an important event.

As I watched the activity around me, pack members moved with determination, their faces showing the seriousness of the situation. Quiet conversations and whispers filled the air, reflecting the anxiety that hung over the pack.

Although there was curiosity in people’s eyes, there was also an unspoken understanding of the seriousness of the moment, keeping them from lingering too long. Moon Shade which was typically a place of peace now felt heavy with uncertainty, and everyone could feel it.

I made my way through the crowd, trying to catch snippets of conversations that might shed light on what was happening. It seemed like the whole pack was holding its breath, waiting for something important to be revealed, something that could change everything.

Filled with worry, I searched for Donald in the midst of the chaos, hoping he could shed light on what was happening in Moon Shade. However, I noticed that he seemed hesitant to talk, avoiding eye contact as if burdened by the weight of what he knew.

“Donald, I can see that something is going on. Do you mind sharing?” I asked, my voice tinged with concern, hoping for some clarity amidst the chaos.

He brushed off my inquiry with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Never mind about it. You can go ahead doing what you do best,” he replied curtly, avoiding my gaze.

Frustration gnawed at me as his response only fueled my anxiety. It wasn’t until I confronted him directly that I sensed a shift in his demeanor.

“Donald, what’s happening? Why are you shutting me out? And what do you mean by what I do best? I pressed, my voice trembling with a mix of anxiety and hurt.

His eyes, usually warm and reassuring, now held a flicker of conflict. With a heavy sigh, he seemed. to relent, realizing the depth of my concern. “Okay, since you really want to know,”

“Of course, I want to know. What are you hiding from me?” I insisted, my voice betraying my frustration.

“I’m hiding nothing from you, Donnie. I’m just carrying out my duties,” he replied, but his words. rang hollow, and I could sense he was withholding something.

“No, Donald, you can’t tell me that. Has it come to this state where we keep things from each other? I thought you called us friends,” I retorted, feeling a pang of betrayal.

“What exactly do you want to know?” he asked, his tone defensive.

“Everything. But let’s start with what you meant by ‘doing what I do best,” I insisted, my voice rising with emotion.

at, 2 Mar “By that, I meant caring all about yourself the way you do,” he shot back, his expression hardening.

His words felt like a blow to the chest, and I struggled to mask the hurt in my voice. “Why did you say that?”

“That’s because it’s the fact,” he replied bluntly, his tone devoid of empathy.

“And what fact is that?‘ I demanded, my frustration boiling over.

“Don’t query me too much, Donnie. I’ve got much other things to do,” he snapped, his patience.

wearing thin.

“And I’m not one of them, right?” I challenged, feeling a surge of anger.

“There we go again, he muttered, turning away as the tension between us reached its breaking point.

“You don’t need to feel offended, Donald. Just let me know if we can’t talk about things again,” I said, trying to maintain a sense of calm amidst the tension.

“Take a chill pill, Donnie. Let me talk,” he responded, his tone softer now.

“I’m all ears, then, I replied, willing to listen despite my lingering frustration.

*Carlyle has been busy since you came back. Since he was sick, he has left his part of the pack’s duties unattended to, and it’s high time he got back to doing them,” Donald explained, his words carrying a hint of concern.

“That’s normal given his status. I don’t think that calls for the increased security,” I countered, feeling defensive.

“You’re right. You may not know, but Carlyle suffered a relapse when you weren’t around. Before we came to rescue you, he exhausted his strength to take care of the kidnappers,” Donald revealed, his voice tinged with sympathy.

“Serves him right!” I muttered bitterly, unable to hide my resentment.

“Don’t start again, Donnie. At least care for him too. What happened wasn’t his fault really. We had no choice, Donald urged, his patience wearing thin.

“Don’t even talk about that now. Let’s talk about something else,” I deflected, unwilling to dwell on Carlyle’s actions.

“No, I’ll speak. I have to say what I feel. When I said you care much just about yourself, I meant every bit of it,” Donald insisted, his frustration evident.

“It’s quite understandable that you were hurt by what transpired, but it would have been better if you saw things from his perspective too,” he continued, his tone imploring.

I wanted to talk, to express my own point of view, but Donald cut me off, leaving me silenced and frustrated.

“I’m not trying to justify his actions here. Fine, things happened the way they did, and he was at 12:03 Sat, 2 Mar F fault, but more than normal, you need to explain to him. What did you do? You remained strong-

headed instead. Do you know what he has been through just after you returned? He had to face the rebellious elders and pack urembers who were against having you and Mason in the pack,” Donald explained, his tone earnest.

“I wasn’t aware of that, I admitted, feeling a pang of guilt.

“Sure, you can’t be aware. He didn’t want you to know so you wouldn’t feel bad. It took a lot from him already to convince them that you leaving in the first place was his fault. Him getting poisoned wasn’t planned for, but when we saw the cure, we found out that we could only get a first cure from Rex’s pack. Luckily the cure was with Raina. Since the Lupicure Essence couldn’t work without a royal from Raina’s pack to activate it, we had her stay around him for full recovery,” Donald continued, his words sinking in.

“Carlyle didn’t want to see you worried about him, and he didn’t want the rebellious ones in the pack to start talking. If they saw you with him at that time, it’s only a matter of time before rumors started about you being a bad omen to him and the pack,” he added, his voice filled with concern.

“Donnie, there are so many things you don’t know, Carlyle really cares about you. Fine, he made mistakes, but he’s willing to make up for it. Did you give him the chance? No! You didn’t. You only care about how hurt you were without considering him too,” Donald emphasized.

“I’m not trying to blame you here; I’m only analyzing this. Donnie, I won’t lie to you, it’s high time. you stopped ghosting Carlyle. If there’s anything, speak to him about it. Ever since he rescued you, he was supposed to rest, but because of the so many things left undone, he’s overworking himself again. Else, it’ll mean death, Donald urged with a serious tone..

“You may not know, but the Lupicure Essence can only be used twice on the same being. Another trial could lead to a more fatal injury,” he warned, his words weighing heavily on me.

“Sincerely, I never meant for things to happen this way,” I admitted, feeling a wave of remorse.

“It’s fine. There’s still time to make amends,” Donald reassured me.

“Thank you,” I said sincerely.

“You’re welcome, and I’m sorry if I ever acted badly toward you. I’m just frustrated one of these days, Donald apologized.

“It’s fine, I understand,” I replied, feeling a sense of relief and gratitude for his honesty.

He left me with a pat on my shoulder and I flashed him a little smile.

As the hours passed by when I returned to my quarters, a heavy silence settled within me, accompanied by the weight of guilt that gnawed at the edges of my conscience. Indeed, Donald was able to make me see reason. Athena sensed the turmoil within and, with a gentle touch, asked, “What weighs so heavily on your heart, my dear?”

A sigh escaped my lips, laden with the burdens of remorse. “Athena, I can’t shake the guilt. I played a part in the unraveling of things with Carlyle. Though, I was hurt, his life was at stake here. Then, I’m beginning to wonder if I could have done things differently and spared us both this pain.”

12-03 Sat, 2 Mar +1.

Her eyes showed that she understood and cared. She said gently, “Feeling guilty is tough, but it can also help us grow. Mistakes are part of life. What matters is how you fix them.”

Tears filled my eyes as realized my part in what happened. “I didn’t mean for things to go wrong, Athena. It hurts to see the mess I made.”

Athena comforted me, “Admitting mistakes is the first step to getting better. Learn from this and become wiser. Forgiving yourself is important too, then make amends.”