The days leading up to the Alpha trials were a blur, each one more intense than the last. The pack’s excitement hummed in the air, like the tension before a storm.Every corner of the camp was alive with preparation—sparring sessions, strategy meetings, and countless whispered conversations. The trials would decide not just the future of the pack, but the future of the three of us. And I couldn’t decide which one terrified me more.Harold or Dominic.Dominic, the undeniable Alpha—the protector, the one who had rebuilt this pack with his bare hands. His natural command, his strength, his unwavering focus made him the perfect leader. Then there was Harold, who had always stayed in the background, his quiet intensity making him a force to be reckoned with. But now, he was stepping into the spotlight, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that his decision to enter the trials wasn’t just about the pack. It was about something deeper. Something between him and me.The thought clung to me as
The days leading to the trials blurred into an unrelenting tide of preparations, training, and strained moments that refused to be ignored. As the pack buzzed with anticipation, I found myself standing in the thick of it—between two men whose rivalry was as fierce as the coming trials.Dominic’s presence had always been steady, a comforting strength I could lean on when the world grew too heavy. But Harold’s sudden transformation—his confidence and resolve—left me reeling. There was no denying the fire in his eyes, a fire that seemed to burn for reasons I wasn’t ready to face.Late one evening, I stood on the ridge overlooking the training grounds, the cool wind brushing against my skin as I watched Dominic work with the challengers. His movements were a symphony of precision and power, a testament to the leader he was destined to be.“Elise.”The voice startled me. I turned to find Harold standing a few feet away, his expression unreadable in the moonlight.“Couldn’t sleep either?” I
The arena erupted with cheers and howls as the trials began. Warriors from the pack stood at attention, their eyes fixed on the contenders, each step of the competition designed to test strength, strategy, and resolve.Dominic and Harold faced each other in the center, their contrasting energies creating a magnetic pull that silenced the crowd. Dominic exuded calm confidence, every motion deliberate, while Harold carried a raw intensity, his posture brimming with the determination of someone with nothing to lose.And there I stood, caught in the current of their battle, torn by emotions I couldn’t untangle.The first trial was a test of endurance, an obstacle course that spanned the dense forest. I stood with the crowd as the competitors plunged into the challenge.“Elise,” whispered Lila, one of the healers, standing beside me. “You seem more nervous than the competitors themselves.”“I’m fine,” I lied, my voice tight.She smiled knowingly but said nothing.By the time they returned
The silence in the arena was thick, each second stretching into eternity. Harold and Dominic exchanged one last glance, the air between them crackling with unspoken tension. Then, as if a silent agreement had passed, the fight resumed.Dominic struck first, his movements calculated, his footwork precise. Harold, bruised and battered, was slower, his strength waning but his resolve unbroken. He blocked Dominic’s strike and countered with a feral determination, his raw energy overpowering the technical finesse that Dominic brought to the fight.The crowd erupted in shouts, gasps, and cries of encouragement. Every blow landed like a thunderclap, every dodge a near miss that left hearts pounding. It was clear Dominic had the upper hand, his strategy and experience keeping Harold on the defensive.But then, fate intervened.As Dominic lunged for what seemed to be the finishing blow, his footing faltered—a patch of loose gravel underfoot throwing him off balance. Harold seized the moment wi
The celebration was alive around me—laughter, howls of joy, and the clinking of glasses filling the air. I stood off to the side, my heart pounding in my chest as Harold accepted the pack’s cheers. His face was bruised, his movements stiff, but there was a fire in his eyes, an energy in his stance that made him seem invincible.And yet, I couldn’t look at him without feeling a pang of confusion and something I couldn’t quite name.Dominic’s approach broke through the haze of noise. His calm precision was like a blade cutting through the revelry. The crowd seemed to hold its breath as he walked right up to Harold, his expression unreadable.I couldn’t hear my own thoughts over the pounding of my pulse when Harold’s voice rang out, steady despite his obvious exhaustion. “Dominic, I promised that if I won, I’d grant you one wish. You gave me the challenge I needed to prove myself. Name it.”My breath hitched. Dominic’s eyes flicked toward me, and a knot formed in my stomach. Why was he l
The celebration seemed to blur around me, colors and sounds melding into an indistinct haze. My heart was still pounding as I found myself retreating to a quieter corner, away from the revelry, away from Harold’s piercing gaze and Dominic’s unspoken accusations. I needed space, a moment to breathe, to make sense of the emotions storming within me.How could Harold say those things after all this time? How could he look at me with such vulnerability, such determination, after years of being so cold and unreachable? The Harold I had known before would never have made such a public declaration. He would have scoffed at the very idea of it.I ran a hand through my hair, the tremor in my fingers betraying how unsteady I felt.“Elise?”The voice, soft and tentative, made me turn sharply. It was Harold. He had followed me, of course. His eyes, normally so guarded, were open, raw with emotion. It was almost too much to bear.“Shouldn’t you be celebrating with the others?” I asked, trying to k
That evening, the packhouse was quieter than usual, as if the world around me was holding its breath in anticipation of the choices I was yet to make. I sat in my room, staring at the window where the moonlight spilled onto the wooden floor.Harold’s words from the night before echoed in my mind, intertwining with memories I’d tried so hard to bury. The cold stares, the dismissive tones—they clashed with the warmth and vulnerability he’d shown me by the lake. Could it be real? Could he truly change?A knock at the door jolted me from my thoughts.“Elise?” a familiar voice called.I hesitated before standing. When I opened the door, Dominic stood there, his expression unusually guarded.“What is it?” I asked, my voice laced with caution.“I need to talk to you,” he said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.I frowned but didn’t stop him. “Dominic, if this is about Harold—”“It’s about you,” he interrupted, his voice low and insistent. “I can see what’s happening, Elise. H
The pain was unbearable. It tore through me like fire, radiating from my side and making every breath a struggle. I was vaguely aware of shouting, the sound distant and warped, like I was underwater. My vision blurred, the moon above me a smudged white glow against the dark canvas of the night sky.“Elise!”Harold’s voice cut through the haze, sharp and commanding. I felt strong arms lift me from the ground, the scent of him wrapping around me—a mix of earth, wood, and something uniquely Harold.I blinked up at him, my vision swimming. His face was tight with panic, his jaw clenched, and his hands trembled as they pressed against my wound to stem the bleeding.“Stay with me,” he ordered, his tone almost desperate.“Harold…” I tried to speak, but the words came out weak, barely a whisper.“Don’t,” he said sharply, his eyes meeting mine. “Save your strength. You’re going to be fine.”In the background, I could hear Dominic snarling, his voice a guttural growl as he fought off the attacke
As the car roared to life, the tension between Dominic and me was thick enough to cut with a knife. He sat in the back, silent and brooding, his eyes flicking between the road ahead and the small stack of documents in my hands. I could feel his gaze on me, but I refused to acknowledge it. This wasn’t the time for distractions, not when we were heading straight into enemy territory.We drove in silence for what felt like hours, the city lights blinking past in a blur. I was processing Dominic’s words, the weight of the trap we were walking into pressing down on me. But even as I tried to focus, his presence in the backseat kept nagging at me, pulling at my thoughts.Creed was driving with determination, his jaw clenched as he muttered low under his breath. "This place better be worth it."I had half a mind to reply, but instead, I found myself stealing glances at Dominic through the rearview mirror. He was staring out the window, his face shrouded in shadows, but there was a quiet inte
The sounds of gunfire and shouting echoed down the corridor, sharp and frantic. Creed’s movements were precise, each shot calculated to neutralize our pursuers, but the growing number of guards meant we couldn’t stay and fight for long."Exit’s ahead," I shouted to Creed, my voice low and urgent. We had to push through—there was no other option.We barreled forward, ducking behind pillars and crates, our every step echoing in the cold, concrete halls. The weight of the files we’d grabbed felt like lead in my hands, but I couldn’t afford to drop them. This intel was everything. It was our leverage against the Director, our ticket to shutting down whatever operation he was running.Creed fired another round, hitting a guard square in the chest, but even that wasn’t enough to slow down the reinforcements pouring in from every side."Keep moving!" I yelled, taking point as we rounded another corner. We were close to the exit now. Just a few more yards and we could get out into the open. B
The next day, we were ready. The warehouse near the docks wasn’t far from where we were operating, so we had the advantage of familiarity with the area. Rina had briefed us on the specifics of the meeting—Asher’s conditions, the layout of the location, and the timing. We weren’t taking any chances. Every route had been mapped out, every angle covered. Dante had a few men placed on lookout, just in case. Creed had already checked the finances and made sure the Black Hand's accounts were less secure than they thought. I had prepared a few words, though I wasn’t sure what would happen once we walked into that room. It all hinged on Asher.We made our way to the warehouse at dusk, the sun barely touching the horizon as we pulled up in a black SUV, the city skyline just visible in the distance. The docks were eerily quiet, the only sounds being the occasional rustle of wind against the ocean and the distant hum of machinery. The perfect place for a secret meeting. Or an ambush.I stayed f
The air in the room was thick with tension as I processed everything Rina had just told us. The Black Hand. It was as if the very mention of them had cast a shadow over the room, a foreboding sense of doom creeping in. But in the midst of that darkness, there was something else—something burning deep within me. It wasn’t just fear. It was anger.I couldn’t let them destroy everything I’d fought for. My life. My freedom. My family. Not after everything.“We need to act now,” I said, my voice sharper than before. "The longer we wait, the more time they have to close in on us. We can’t afford to be passive. We have to hit them first."Rina nodded, though there was a caution in her eyes. “It won’t be easy. The Black Hand doesn’t make mistakes, and they don’t let their enemies live long enough to fight back.”I turned to Dante and Creed. “We’ll need to gather intel—everything we can about them. Who their allies are, their operations, weaknesses. We have to find out how deep they’ve infiltr
The cold air hit me like a slap when I stepped outside the safehouse, but it did nothing to chill the heat still burning in my chest. I couldn’t stop thinking about Rina’s words. There’s someone else after you, Elise. And they’re not going to stop.The rain had stopped, but it still felt like the storm hadn’t passed inside me. The weight of it all—the death of Callum, the betrayal, the bloodshed—was suffocating. And now, Rina had shown up. I should have felt relief. I should have welcomed her with open arms. But all I felt was a sense of foreboding, the sense that the past wasn’t done with me. That the worst was yet to come.I walked to the edge of the cabin’s porch, my boots sinking slightly into the damp earth. The night was eerily quiet, save for the rustle of leaves in the distance, whispering secrets I couldn’t hear. The storm had passed, but the silence lingered like an omen.Dante’s voice broke through the stillness. “You should come back inside.”I turned toward him, his silho
The rain hadn’t stopped by the time we reached the safehouse. It clung to me, soaking through my clothes, chilling me to the bone. My fingers were numb, but it wasn’t from the cold—it was from what I had done.Callum was dead.I kept replaying it over and over, the way my knife slid into his chest, the way his breath had caught in his throat. The look in his eyes—shock, then fear, then nothing. I should have felt relief, triumph even, but all I felt was an eerie silence settling inside me.Dante pushed the door open, his grip firm on my wrist. Creed entered first, gun still in hand, sweeping the room in one last precautionary check. It was a small, run-down cabin on the outskirts of the city, nestled between overgrown trees and shadows. The perfect place to disappear.“Clear,” Creed muttered, shaking off the rain. He glanced at me, his sharp eyes assessing, but he said nothing. He never did unless necessary.Dante let go of me, stripping off his soaked jacket before tossing it onto th
Callum lunged at me again, his knife flashing in the storm’s light. I twisted, barely dodging his attack, feeling the rush of air as his blade sliced past my cheek. The sting came a second later, warm blood mixing with the rain. But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.Dante fired another shot, taking down one of Callum’s men who had been closing in on us. Creed had disappeared into the trees, picking them off one by one, silent and efficient. But Callum was mine.I ducked under his next strike, driving my knee up into his gut. He grunted, stumbling back. I pressed forward, slashing at his arm, drawing another line of crimson. His face twisted in fury, but there was something else there—something I hadn’t seen before.Fear.“Not so confident now, are you?” I taunted, circling him.Callum let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “You think you’ve won?” he sneered. “You’re still that scared little girl, Elise. And deep down, you know it.”I ignored his words. He was trying to get inside my head, to make
The storm howled in my ears, but it couldn't drown out the pounding of my heart. There was no going back now. The wind whipped around us, cold and biting, but the warmth of Dante’s presence beside me grounded me. The rifle in his hands was steady, his eyes sharp as they scanned the shadows. Creed was to the side, his every move calculated, waiting for the right moment.We were surrounded.I could hear their footsteps on the wet earth, the crunch of leaves and dirt under their boots. Six figures, maybe more, closing in with a purpose. Callum was at the center of it all, standing tall with that sickening grin on his face. It made my blood boil.I couldn’t let them take me again. Not after everything I had fought for.Dante’s hand brushed against mine, a quick reassurance. "Stay behind me," he whispered, but there was no fear in his voice—only resolve.But I couldn’t hide behind him forever."I’m done running," I said, my voice barely audible over the storm. My grip tightened on the knif
Dante stepped closer, his dark eyes searching mine. The weight of unspoken words pressed between us, thick as the storm outside. I could feel the tension in his grip, the demand for answers."Tell me the truth, Elise," he said, voice low but firm. "Who are they? What do they want?"I exhaled, dragging a trembling hand through my damp hair. The truth was a wound I had kept stitched shut for too long, but now the stitches were unraveling."They’re the ones I escaped from," I admitted. "I thought I was free. I thought I could start over." I looked away, swallowing hard. "But no one ever really escapes them."Creed leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching me with an expression I couldn’t decipher."They were never going to stop looking for you," he muttered. "I warned you."Dante’s jaw tightened. "You knew?""I suspected," Creed admitted. "Didn’t have proof until now."Dante turned to me, his hands gripping my arms, grounding me. "Why didn’t you tell me?"My throat tightened. "Beca