Alpha Alec's Redemption by Kathy M

"We reached out to other packs," added Elder Thorn, his tone clipped with frustration. "We thought perhaps they'd have some forgotten text buried in their vaults. But even with access granted, we came up empty."

"There's no record of Kaden," said Elder Mira, her silver braid falling over her shoulder. "Nothing about demigods. Nothing about what's keeping him locked. Nothing about how to undo it."

Each elder took a turn, each report a variation of the same grim truth: nothing. Not even breadcrumbs.

The silence after their words felt louder than before. I turned my gaze toward Raven.

She leaned forward slowly, resting her forearms on the table. Her dark hair was pulled into a low bun, strands loose around her temples. Even in stillness, she looked exhausted-more so than any of us. Her eyes were ringed with sleeplessness, her voice barely above a whisper when she spoke.

"I haven't found anything either,” she admitted. "I've followed every lead I could think of. I even reached out to some of my mother's old contacts."

She paused, pressing her fingers to the bridge of her nose for a second before continuing.

"As for the spell itself... I still haven't figured out a way around it. It's layered, ancient, and laced with magic I have no clue about. To unravel it safely would take more time than we have. And even then, I don't know if it's possible."

A cold hush fell over the room as her words settled in.

"Are you saying," I began slowly, "that the only way to break the spell is to release him?"

flicked up to meet mine,

escaped me. So that was it. All this time we'd been trying to find

to the

nodded and remained quiet, trying to decide if I should let them in on my discovery or not. Finally, I decided on telling them.

the table. "There's something else," I said, my voice steady but

Even Micah, who rarely betrayed anything, leaned forward slightly. The elders, in contrast, looked mildly curious-but

a conversation with Nyx yesterday," I said

A pause.

woman is Nyx's sister and her

out a slow, quiet curse. Alec's

Only the elders remained still,

all," I continued, because I couldn't stop

suspected for a while, but I didn't want to bring it up until I was

gaze locked

a breath, the words heavy in my throat. "They're somehow connected. Nyx didn't

silence that

like she was trying to process it. Micah sat back in his chair, exhaling

And the elders?