Esther and Samuel had to stop Fortune before the ancient Alpha made his decision.
"We need to create a distraction," Esther whispered. "You can't fight him here, Samuel. The rules of this time might be different. If you reveal your controlled Change, it could confuse the timeline further."
"I have to get to the Alpha," Samuel insisted, his eyes fixed on his ancestor. "I have to convince him to choose the pact."
He plunged into the clearing, Esther following close behind.
"Stop!" Samuel roared, his human voice sounding strained and out of place. "Do not trust the creature of the Shadow! He is a liar!"
Fortune smirked, turning to face them. "More travelers? And look, Alpha, they carry the scent of the future, a future where your Pack is broken and enslaved."
The ancient Alpha looked at Samuel, instantly recognizing the powerful, but strange, heat of a wolf. "Who are you, stranger, to speak of our future?"
"I am Samuel, Alpha," Samuel said, bowing his head in deference. "I am the descendant of your bloodline. The truth he speaks of slavery is real, but it is not the pact that enslaved us; it was our fear of the beast."
He pointed to the silver bloom pendant on his wrist, which was now pulsing with a steady, stable light, channeling the energy of the Golden Leaf from the future.
"This is the proof of the future. The pact gives your descendants stability and control. The pact is what allows us to survive the Shadow. Do not break it, or you doom your bloodline to utter chaos!"
The ancient Alpha looked skeptical. "You speak of magic and future artifacts. Prove that your wisdom is greater than the Shadow's."
Fortune saw his advantage. "A trial by truth! Alpha, if this man speaks the truth, let him reveal a secret that only your line knows! Otherwise, he is an agent of the gods who seek to enslave you."
The ancient Alpha agreed. "Speak a truth of my heart, future son. A secret only the Alpha of this village knows."
Samuel was silent. He knew nothing of his ancestor's secrets.
Esther stepped forward, gripping Samuel's arm. She focused on the radiant energy of the silver bloom and the Golden Leaf's stable core. She closed her eyes and saw a fleeting image of the old Alpha standing under an ancient Iroko tree, holding a fragile wooden carving.
"Your secret, Alpha," Esther said, her voice clear and resonant, "is that you are terrified of the Change, not because of the beast, but because you fear harming your firstborn daughter, who has the gift of healing but is frail."
The ancient Alpha's eyes widened in profound shock. That secret was buried deep in his soul.
"The Keeper speaks the truth," the Alpha acknowledged, his gaze filled with wonder and belief. "But if the future holds pain, how do we heal it?"