Crowned by Fate Chapter 227

Leon’s POV

The news hit me like a physical blow. George and Margaret Anderson would be leaving tomorrow to attend Skye's marking ceremony with that... Oasisborn Alpha.

I stared out the window of my office, watching snowflakes dance against the darkening Alaskan sky. The pristine white landscape that had always brought me comfort now seemed to mock me with its emptiness.

"She's really doing it," I muttered to myself, "She's really becoming his Luna."

I couldn't help but wonder: if I hadn't rejected Skye four years ago, would things be different now?

 Would I already be Alpha King?

Would we have silver-haired children running around our territory?

The image came unbidden - a little girl with Skye's silver hair and my blue eyes, laughing as she skied down a gentle slope. A son, strong and proud, taking his first shift under my guidance.

I slammed my fist against the window frame. The fantasies were pointless torture.

What had I done wrong?

I'd followed my duty to the pack. I'd honored my mother's dying wish. All I ever wanted was to make Frostshadow Pack stronger, to become Alpha King like she believed I would.

"Was that so wrong?" I asked the empty room.

But now my years of training, my sacrifice of personal happiness for duty, all of it felt like some cosmic joke.

I grabbed my gym bag and headed to the training area. At this hour, it would be empty - perfect for working out the storm brewing inside me.

The outdoor training yard was covered in fresh snow, the punching bags dusted with white. I didn't bother clearing them off. The resistance of the snow would only make my workout more challenging.

I wrapped my hands quickly and began hitting the largest bag. Each punch sent snow flying, my knuckles growing raw despite the wrappings. I welcomed the pain. It was simpler than what was happening in my chest.

"You'll break your hands that way."

I spun around to find my father standing at the edge of the training yard, snowflakes catching in his gray-streaked hair. Alpha James, still powerful at fifty-five, watched me with concern in his eyes.

"Just training," I replied, turning back to the bag.

"At midnight? In a snowstorm?" He stepped closer. "You're punishing yourself."

I stopped, breathing hard, watching my breath cloud in the frigid air. "I failed, Dad. I failed you, the pack, everyone."

He moved to stand beside me, both of us now facing the punching bag. "You know, when I was your age, I thought every setback was the end of the world."

"This isn't just a setback," I argued. "I was supposed to become Alpha King. Mom's last wish..."

"Your mother wanted you to be happy and strong," he interrupted gently.

"But the pack was counting on me."

He placed a hand on my shoulder. "The pack is fine, Leon. We've survived centuries without holding the Alpha King title. We'll survive this too."

I shook off his hand, returning to the punching bag. "I should have been better. Stronger. Smarter."

"You've always demanded too much of yourself," my father said, sighing. "Perhaps that old Shaman was right. If you keep carrying all this weight from the past, you'll never move forward freely."

"I feel like I've wasted years," I admitted, my voice small against the howling wind.

"Trust me, son. What I lost when your mother died was far more devastating than any election defeat. Yet here I stand." He gestured to the surrounding territory. "Life continues. The pack thrives. And so will you."

He brushed snow from my shoulder. "Get some rest. Alpha Logan is visiting tomorrow. He wants to discuss potential cooperation between our packs."

"Logan? Thomas's son?" I asked, surprised.

"The very same. He's gathering allies, and apparently, we're on his list." My father turned to leave, then added, "Don't stay out too long. You'll catch your death in this cold."

I nodded, watching him disappear into the swirling snow before landing one last, powerful punch on the bag.

***

The next morning, I walked alongside my father through the main packhouse, heading toward the meeting room where we would receive Alpha Logan.

"Remember," my father murmured as we walked, "Logan may be young, but he's ambitious. Whatever he's offering, he'll want something substantial in return."

I nodded, but my attention was suddenly drawn to raised voices coming from a side corridor. I signaled to my father to go ahead while I investigated.

Ducking behind a decorative column, I observed a heated argument. A man in his late twenties, expensively dressed with a commanding presence, was berating a young woman who couldn't be more than twenty. His grip on her arm looked painful.

"Our family is hanging by a thread," the man hissed. "Every member must contribute. Those who provide no value will be removed."

The girl lifted her chin defiantly, though I could see tears in her eyes. "Then remove me. I'm not a commodity for your trading."

The man's hand shot out, cracking across her face with enough force to make her stumble. My wolf growled, urging me to intervene, but something held me back - a need to understand what I was witnessing.

The girl touched her reddened cheek, tears now flowing freely. "I'm leaving. I won't do this anymore."

As she turned to go, the man grabbed her arm, yanking her back. "Dry your tears. The meeting starts in five minutes, and I don't have time for your dramatics."

He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and roughly dabbed at her face. "Remember your place. This is for the good of our pack."

They moved toward the main corridor, forcing me to retreat quickly to avoid being seen. I hurried to catch up with my father, my mind racing with what I'd just witnessed.

When we entered the meeting room, my suspicions were confirmed. The man from the hallway stood near the head of the table, now perfectly composed with no trace of his earlier anger.

"Alpha James, thank you for receiving me," he said smoothly, extending his hand to my father. "I'm Alpha Logan."

My father shook his hand firmly. "Welcome to Frostshadow territory. This is my son and Beta, Leon."

Logan turned to me with a practiced smile. "The famous Leon. I heard you put up quite a fight in the Alpha King election."

His words carried the faintest hint of mockery. I forced myself to remain calm as we shook hands. "Not good enough, apparently."

"Well, perhaps next time." He gestured to the young woman standing quietly behind him. "Allow me to introduce my sister, Hannah. She just shifted this year."

The girl stepped forward, her expression now carefully blank despite the faint red mark still visible on her cheek. Her dark hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail, highlighting sharp cheekbones and wide, intelligent eyes.

"Pleased to meet you," she said softly, extending her hand to me.

I reached out to shake it, our fingers connecting in a simple greeting.

In that instant, my wolf reared up inside me, a deep growl resonating through my mind.

Mate. She is our Second Chance Mate!

My eyes widened as I stared at the girl before me, feeling the unmistakable pull, the same one I had felt with Skye years ago, but somehow different - not replacing that bond but creating something new alongside it.

The world seemed to slow around us as her eyes met mine, a flicker of recognition crossing her face.

I couldn't breathe.

Couldn't think. After everything - after losing Skye, after failing in the election - the Moon Goddess had given me another chance.

Or it’s another joke?