Unclaimed Luna’s Desire
Chapter 48 Moonlight Herb

Aelros' POV:

I thought the food I prepped for Ellie would last her four days, but man, I really misjudged the situation. It was way tougher than I expected.

When I got to the secret meeting spot, everyone who'd been tailing me was already there, waiting. They were all gathered around the conference table, looking dead serious.

Even Paul, who's usually cracking jokes, was just scribbling on some paper, lost in thought.

"Aelros, you're here!" Amy, standing by the door, was the first to spot me and called out.

I gave her a nod and made my way to the empty chair at the center of the table, feeling everyone's eyes on me.

The room was thick with tension. No one was talking, just the sound of breathing and the occasional sigh.

"Aelros, we got word that your dad, Joseph, has noticed your growing influence. He sees you as a threat to his Alpha status," Mason said, sliding some papers my way. "He's sent a skilled team to gather intel on you. Joseph's planning to take you out, quietly."

Ryan, sitting next to me, chimed in, "Aelros, you should lay low for a while. It's too risky for you right now."

A lot of heads nodded in agreement. They all thought hiding was the best move for me.

Everyone knew Joseph wouldn't kill me outright because, well, I'm his son, even if my mom was human. As Alpha, Joseph was supposed to protect every pack member, including me. But let's be real, he did it out of duty, not love. "Once we take out this team and things are safe, you can come back and carry on."

"Joseph's gunning for you. If something happens to you, we lose our leader!"

They were all pushing me to agree, but I had a different plan.

If Joseph wanted to kill me in secret, I was going to make sure every werewolf knew about it. I wanted everyone to see that Joseph, as Alpha, had failed.

If Joseph killed his own son, he was incapable of protecting everyone in the Pack.

"I'm not hiding. I'm going to let everyone know Joseph wants me dead." I said, feeling oddly calm as I took a sip of my coffee.

"No! That's crazy! We can't risk your life!" Amy slammed the table, standing up.

Paul, catching on to my plan, said, "I think this is a chance to undermine Joseph's standing in the pack. When Aelros gets hurt, we'll spread the word. Joseph will have to send troops to protect him. If Aelros dies, Joseph's followers will doubt him, maybe even rebel."

I added, "This is a golden opportunity. Joseph wanting to kill me isn't all bad."

Paul was my rock, always on the same page as me.

I tapped the table, trying to convince the others, "If I hide, Joseph will come after you guys to replace me. I can't let that happen. Trust me, I got this."

I was a leader who cared about my friends. I wouldn't let them get hurt. That's not what a strong leader does.

I grabbed the cloak hanging behind the chair, threw it over my shoulders, and headed out. "I'm gonna stay away from you all to keep you safe. I'll go alone to the edge of the pack's territory, deep into the forest by the cliff. When I get hurt, I hope you can replace me first and get me out."

This time, Joseph sent out his top team, led by William. They were known as the Victor team, and they never failed. Joseph wasn't messing around.

I knew things were dangerous, but I wasn't about to tell anyone and make them worry.

I've always relied on my own strength, from childhood to now. This time wouldn't be any different.

I didn't need anyone's help.

I couldn't hide at my place where Ellie was. I didn't want her getting caught up in this mess. She was my partner, and I had to take responsibility for her.

It wasn't about feelings. I just didn't want Ellie getting hurt because of me. She's been through enough already. I didn't want to add to her pain.

I decided to hide by the cliff to also gather a legendary herb, Moonlight Herb.

It grows on steep cliffs and glows faint blue in the moonlight, sometimes even blooming small white flowers.

This herb helped werewolves with their transformation and eased the pain, especially as the transformation day got closer.

I've never used it before because I believed pain was a test for the strong. I didn't need stuff meant for kids.

But a lot of werewolves get it for their teenage kids. They love their kids and can't stand to see them suffer. I wanted to get some for Ellie too.

She's been good lately, not causing any trouble. Consider it a reward.

I jumped onto a tree branch, shifted into my wolf form, and headed into the forest under the moonlight.

It was quiet, just the wind rustling through the leaves.

It was getting colder.

As I moved, I wondered if I'd left a thick enough sweater for Ellie back at the house. Was she staying healthy? Not catching a cold because I wasn't there?

I was surprised to replace myself worrying. For a rising werewolf, having concerns meant having weaknesses.

"I'm just worried that if Ellie catches a cold, she won't be able to enhance my abilities as well," I told myself with a smirk. "That's all it is. Getting the Moonlight Herb for her is just for that reason."

When I got to the foot of the cliff, I looked up and saw branches hanging down from the cracks in the rocks, adorned with small white flowers.

Under the moonlight, the herb glowed blue, looking noble and mysterious.

The easier-to-reach plants had already been picked, leaving only the ones in the steep, dangerous spots.

I figured it wouldn't be too hard for me.

I wedged my foot into a crack and started climbing, moving quickly. Sometimes the rocks were unstable, and I'd lose my balance, making my body shake violently.

The climb took a while, and my nails tore open from gripping the rocks, bleeding heavily. My hands were pierced by stones and thorns.

It wasn't too painful, compared to fighting.

Sure, you could buy dried Moonlight Herb at the market as many people did.

But the fresh stuff was way more potent, and the price was sky-high. Some folks spent all their savings on just a tiny bit of fresh Moonlight Herb.

I wanted Ellie to have the best, to help her on her transformation day.