The air was brittle with tension, silence stretching between us like a drawn bowstring. The Alpha strode ahead, his pace measured but purposeful. I trailed behind, the weight of his earlier command still heavy in my chest.
"Stay close, Siena," he said, not bothering to look back.
I gritted my teeth, forcing down the sharp retort on my tongue. This wasn't the time to argue, not when the Blackwood Pack loomed like a shadow over us. Instead, I tightened my grip on the dagger hidden beneath my cloak. The forest's shadows seemed to ripple with unseen threats, each snap of a twig a potential ambush.
"Where are we headed?" I finally asked, keeping my voice steady.
"An old Blackwood outpost," he replied curtly. "We need answers."
Answers. The word tasted bitter, like a promise I knew he wouldn't keep. The Alpha's motives were as veiled as the forest around us, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was a pawn in a game I barely understood.
We had barely covered half the distance when the first attack came. A low growl erupted from the shadows, followed by a blur of motion.
"Get down!" the Alpha barked, lunging toward me.
Before I could react, claws raked the space where I had stood moments ago. My back hit the ground hard, the air driven from my lungs. Above me, the Alpha shifted mid-leap, his powerful wolf form slamming into the attacker. The two figures clashed in a violent whirl of fur and teeth, the sound of snarls echoing through the trees.
I scrambled to my feet, heart hammering. A second wolf emerged from the darkness, its eyes glowing with malevolence. My hand found the dagger, and I stepped back, forcing my panic into submission.
"Not today," I muttered, steadying my grip. The wolf lunged, and I dodged to the side, slashing upward. The blade caught its flank, and it yelped, retreating into the shadows.
The Alpha finished his opponent with a savage bite before turning to me. Blood stained his coat, his golden eyes blazing. "Stay behind me," he growled.
"I can handle myself," I shot back, but he was already moving, his focus on the remaining threat.
The skirmish left us both battered but alive. The wolves—Blackwood scouts—had fled, their ambush thwarted. I leaned against a tree, my breaths ragged, while the Alpha shifted back to his human form.
"You're reckless," he said, his voice low and sharp.
"And you're controlling," I snapped, meeting his glare.
His jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. Instead, he gestured for me to follow. "We're close."
The outpost was hidden deep within the forest, a dilapidated cabin swallowed by vines. The air around it felt heavy, like the remnants of something dark still lingered. Inside, the stench of decay hit me first, followed by the sight of overturned furniture and claw marks scarring the walls.
"They left in a hurry," I observed, stepping over the debris.
The Alpha didn't respond. His attention was fixed on a desk in the corner, its surface littered with parchment. He sifted through them, his expression darkening with each discovery.
"What is it?" I asked, moving closer.
He held up a tattered note, the words scrawled in a language I barely recognized. One stood out: heir.
"This..." His voice faltered, uncharacteristically uncertain. "This mentions an heir tied to both of us."
My blood turned cold. "What are you talking about?"
He handed me the note, his gaze locked on mine. "They know more about us than we do."
The revelation sat between us like a living thing, its implications too vast to comprehend. My hands trembled as I set the note down.
"Why would they care about me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
The Alpha's expression softened, a crack in his usual stoic façade. "Because you're more than you realize, Siena. And so am I."
I waited, sensing the weight of what he was about to say.
"When I became Alpha," he began, his tone heavy with regret, "I inherited not just the pack, but its enemies. Blackwood's hatred runs deep, and it's tied to my bloodline. And now... it's tied to you."
His admission stunned me. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"Because it doesn't change anything," he said, his gaze hardening again. "We're still targets."
For a moment, I saw past the Alpha's unyielding exterior. His shoulders bore the weight of leadership, the mate bond pulling him toward me even as his duty pushed us apart.
"I didn't ask for this," I said, my voice breaking. "I didn't ask for any of it."
His hand hovered near mine, the hesitation palpable. "Neither did I."
The silence that followed was charged, our unspoken truths intertwining like roots in the earth. He pulled away first, turning toward the door. "We need to move. They'll be back."
We barely stepped outside when the first howl pierced the night. It was answered by another, then another, the sound growing closer with each breath.
The Alpha's eyes met mine, sharp and unyielding. "Run."
But it was too late. Figures emerged from the shadows, their eyes gleaming with malice. Blackwood wolves surrounded us, their numbers overwhelming.
My dagger felt small in my hand, but I raised it anyway, my heart pounding. Beside me, the Alpha shifted, his growl a low promise of violence.
"Stay close," he said, his voice steady despite the odds.
I nodded, gripping the blade tighter. The wolves closed in, and for a fleeting moment, I saw my reflection in the Alpha's eyes—fear, defiance, and something neither of us dared to name.
Then chaos erupted.