Alec pulled me closer, his grip on my arm tightened. His face came near mine. His cold eyes made my stomach turn. The air felt heavy with stress pressing down on me.
"Corrigan, you're walking on thin ice," Alec said in a soft icy voice. "You've played both sides for too long."
My heart raced as I gulped. "Alec, I don't want to fight. I only want to keep my father safe."
Alec's mouth twisted into a wicked grin. "You want to keep him safe? You should've considered that before you took Lucien's side. Now, you've put your father in harm's way."
My head was spinning. I had come to warn my father, to shield him from Lucien's attack. But now, as I faced Alec, I understood how serious the situation had become. Whatever I chose, someone would pay the price.
Alec moved closer, his voice dropping to a threatening tone. "Here's the deal Corrigan. You turn on Lucien. You tell me about the attack plans. In return, I'll spare your father's life."
I gasped. My heart pounded hard in my chest. "You wouldn't"
"I would," Alec cut in squeezing my arm harder. "And I will. You know me well enough."
Fear rushed through me. I couldn't believe what I heard. My dad's life was at stake, and Alec gave me no real choice.
"I can't turn on Lucien," I said , my voice shaky. "He'll know. He'll find out."
Alec's eyes got darker. "Then your dad dies. It's that easy."
I looked at him, my mind in chaos. Betraying Lucien meant losing everything his trust, my place in the pack. But not doing so meant my father's death. I found myself in a bind faced with two impossible choices.
Alec let go of my arm and stepped back, eyeing me with a cold look. "You've got until tomorrow to make up your mind. If I don't get the info by then, your father's a goner."
I tried to speak, but words failed me. My brain went blank crushed by Alec's threat. He turned and left disappearing into the dark, while I stood there, stuck in fear.
Alec's words rang in my ears as I tripped through the woods. The weight of the choice crushed me. I fought to catch my breath. Betray Lucien or say goodbye to my dad. How did I end up here?
I tried to clear my head and fight off the fear, but thoughts of my father consumed me. My dad once a renowned fighter in Dante's pack. A man I believed in. A man who, in the past, had turned his back on everything we valued.
The memory of that day stuck with me. It happened when Dante led as Alpha, before Lucien took charge. I always thought my dad stayed true but I was wrong. His loyalty collapsed when we found out about his secret deal with the rogues.
I can picture the showdown . Night had fallen, and you could cut the anxiety with a knife as Dante and the pack met up. My dad stood in the middle, with angry pack members all around him. Dante's eyes looked ice-cold as he talked.
"You turned your back on your family, your pack," Dante said, his voice even but filled with rage. "You've been working with rogues behind our backs."
My father didn't deny it. He just stood there quiet, his face white. I stood at the edge of the group too stunned to talk too confused to grasp how my own father could have wronged us.
"You know what happens to traitors," Dante said, his voice icy and final.
I tried to speak up, tried to beg for my father's life, but it was too late. The pack kicked him out, banned him from our land. He left without a word disappearing into the wild.
For years, I didn't know his location or deeds. When I heard he had joined Alec and the rogues, I felt cheated all over again.
He stayed my father. Now Alec held him using him to control me. This thought made me feel ill.
I reached the pack's land when I heard moving behind me. I stopped, scared. I turned around, my heart racing.
A man emerged from the dark holding a small package. I knew him as one of the troublemakers. My gut clenched as he passed me the package without speaking then disappeared back into the night.
My fingers shook as I tore open the package. It held a lone piece of paper, with my father's messy writing on it.
"Corrigan, I need your help. Please, don't let them kill me."
The note fell from my hands as I gazed at the message, my thoughts racing. My father begged for his life, and now I faced a choice. What would I give up?