Chapter 12

At first, when I hear the news, I cannot say a word. I stand in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do. My hands start to shake, and I hold on to Kiara for support.

"Wha….what did you…you ju…just say?" I whisper with a shaky voice. I do not want to believe what I am hearing.

"Alpha, Miss. Juliana just fell down in the hallway, and she has been rushed to the hospital." The Omega repeats.

"Leave us." Kiara instructs the Omega and the latter leaves the room immediately. "Alpha Kalista, are you okay?" She asks, holding my hand.

"I need to go…I need to go." I repeat severally as I race out of the room, with Kiara following closely behind me.

I get to the hospital and ask for the ward in which Juliana is being kept, and I am immediately directed to where she is. When I get to her, my heart breaks as soon as I set my eyes on her. She is covered up in a thick blanket and also in a lot of tubes and drips. In fact, there is another one in her mouth, a ventilator which she is breathing with. I walk closer to her bed and touch her, hoping in my wildest dreams that she will somehow wake up and flash me that beautiful smile of hers at me, but she does not. Instead, she is as still as a stone.

Tears stream down my face and I turn away from my best friend. I see that Kiara is right behind me.

"Alpha Kalista, are you okay?" She asks me but I do not answer her. All I want to do is get away from the hospital and think really hard about all the evil that has befallen me.

"I….I just wanna be alone." I finally speak and she nods in understanding.

I leave the hospital and walk into the garden. It is already night time and I am glad that everywhere is dark and no one can see me. As soon as I sit on one of the benches in the garden, I burst into fits of uncontrollable tears. I try to muffle my tears but I can't, as the emotions I feel overwhelm me up to the point where I cannot control myself anymore.

After crying for over an hour, I raise my head and tell myself the truth. Even though I know that I am scared of what is ahead, I must do what I need to do for Juliana's sake and also for the sake of my other pack members.

As much as I want to tell myself that there is another way with regards to finding a vaccine, I know that the only place in which I can get it is in Black Fur Pack as soon as possible or else my best friend in the entire world will die.

Juliana has been my friend for as long as I can remember, as her father was my late father's best friend, and this automatically caused us to bond. We grew up together, went through puberty and we were doing this adulthood thing together until the Blizzard decided to challenge our relationship.

I get up from the garden bench and go back into the mansion. As I step into my room, I ask one of the maids to call Kiara up into my room. I go in and freshen up quickly. Soon, Kiara comes into my room and I tell her that I cannot watch my best friend and more pack members die.

"I understand what you are saying, Alpha Kalista, but do you think you should give in to Alpha Gray's demand? It is just too humiliating for you, how can a whole Alpha like you submit to such a beast?" Kiara asks in anger.

"Kiara, I get what you are saying, bit this is why we are leaders; we must be able to do what is right and best for our people. The audacity of that Alpha unnerves me, but there is honestly nothing I can do about this because it is important that I get the vaccine before the entire pack is wiped out by this plague." I explain to my Beta.

"So, what are you saying?" Kiara asks in despair. "What is the plan now?"

"We send a letter to the Alpha with my seal, telling him that I have agreed to marry him." I state matter-of-factly.

"I do not think we should send him a letter, Alpha. I think you should personally see him so that you can negotiate with him. Even though you marry him, he will not have full control over your life and over your pack." Kiara suggests.

I reason with her and decide to go see Alpha Gray the next day. I go as early as possible so that I can be back at my pack before the night falls.

When I get to the Black Fur Pack, I am asked to wait as usual. However, the Alpha does not delay me like he did the other time.

"Well, well, well, if it is not Alpha Kalista." Alpha Gray announces as he walks into the waiting room.

"Good morning." I greet him with a straight face, looking straight into his eyes.

"To what do I owe this visit of yours?" Alpha Gray asks me.

"I am here to inform you that I have agreed to your terms and conditions as long as you give me the vaccine to the Blizzard." I state clearly.

"I knew you would come back begging on your knees. Set a date for our wedding and I will show up." He says and then looks at me with a sexy look. "I cannot wait to screw all of that Alpha behavior out of you!" He says.

I blink repeatedly at his words and the kind of humiliation that covers me is one that I have never experienced in my life.

I hate this man with so much passion!