Chapter 17

Anita’s Pov

I sat, frozen on the couch, my arms wrapped tightly around myself, trying to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions that had swept through the room since Damian had arrived.

Alpha Hades was acting out of character, more vulnerable and raw than I’d ever seen him, but the more he spoke, the more I realized there were layers to this man I didn’t fully understand.

As I stood there, trying to process the conversation between the two men, a heavy silence filled the room. Damian’s eyes flicked to me briefly before settling back on Alpha Hades. He had mentioned something about the Alpha’s injury, a piece of information that sent a chill down my spine.

Injuries to an Alpha were a serious matter, especially when it concerned the safety of the entire pack. The fact that I knew about it now, as a rogue, it complicated things further. I wasn’t supposed to know about it at all. I wasn’t supposed to be involved in any of this.

Alpha Hades turned toward me, his gaze dark and calculating. His eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I felt the weight of his power bearing down on me. He didn’t speak immediately, but when he did, his voice was cold and edged with something I hadn’t heard from him before .

“You shouldn’t know about this,” he said, his tone low and dangerous. “An Alpha’s injury, especially one like mine, is a matter of the pack’s safety. It’s not something that outsiders can know about. Especially not rogues.” he added.

My stomach twisted at the word 'rogue.' It wasn’t that I hadn’t heard it before, but the way he said it made me feel exposed and vulnerable.

I had worked so hard to keep a low profile, to avoid drawing attention to the fact that I wasn’t born into this pack. But now, the very thing I feared had come crashing down on me. I had been pulled into something much bigger than myself.

Alpha Hades took a step closer to me, his presence overpowering now. “You’re lucky, Anita,” he continued, his voice softening just a little, but there was still an unmistakable threat lurking beneath his words. “You’re lucky that you need my approval to stay in this pack. Because if you didn’t…”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but he didn’t need to. I could read between the lines well enough.

My heart felt like it was about to explode but I kept calm, putting myself together.

An Alpha’s power was absolute within his territory, and if he decided that I was a threat—or even just an inconvenience—he could make me disappear without a trace.

No one would question it. I was a rogue, after all. Rogues didn’t have the same protections as those born into the pack.

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady as I replied. “I didn’t mean to overhear anything,” I said quietly, my heart racing in my chest. “I won’t say a word. I swear.”

Alpha Hades studied me for a moment, his eyes narrowing. He seemed to be weighing my words, deciding whether or not he could trust me.

The silence stretched on for what felt like an eternity, and I could feel the tension in the room growing thicker by the second.

Finally, he nodded, though there was a glint in his eyes that made me uneasy. “I believe you,” he said with a sharp tone.

“But let’s be clear, Anita. It would be very easy for an Alpha to make a rogue disappear. So, don’t give me a reason.”

My blood ran cold at his threat. I had come here trying to help, but now it felt like I had stepped into a minefield. Every word, every action, felt like it had the potential to set off an explosion. And right now, I didn’t know if Alpha Hades was on the edge of losing control or if he was testing me, seeing how far he could push before I broke.

I nodded quickly, my throat tight. “I won’t. I promise.”

Damian, who had been watching the exchange in silence, let out a soft sigh, as if the whole situation pained him more than he let on.

His eyes moved between Alpha Hades and me, and for a moment, I saw something in his expression, concern, maybe, or a weariness that went deeper than the surface. He looked at the Alpha like a man who had seen his leader change, and not for the better, then he transfered it to me.

“You know,” Damian said quietly, “the Alpha wasn’t always like this.”

His words were soft, almost as if he were speaking to himself, but I heard them. I glanced at him, confused by the shift in his tone. Damian was the Beta, the right hand of the Alpha, the one who followed his orders without question. But there was something in his voice now, a sadness that made me wonder what had happened to make him speak like that.

Damian transfered his gaze directly at Alpha Hades, his expression filled with something close to pity. “You weren’t always like this,” he said, louder now, as if he was trying to break through the walls the Alpha had built around himself. “You weren’t always a heavy drinker. You weren’t always so…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “You’ve changed.”

Alpha Hades turned sharply to face him, his expression darkening. “Don’t,” he warned, his voice dangerously low. “You don’t get to lecture me, Damian.”

But Damian didn’t back down. “I’m not lecturing you, Alpha Hades. I’m just saying… this isn’t you.”

The tension between them was thick, like a thick storm cloud ready to burst. I sat frozen, unsure whether I should stay or leave, unsure of my place in this kind of situation.

I didn’t know what had happened between them, but it was clear that whatever had changed Alpha Hades had deeply affected Damian as well.

“It’s her, isn’t it?” Damian said suddenly, his voice barely above a whisper. “Your mate. She did this to you.”

Alpha Hades stiffened, his whole body going rigid at the mention of his mate. His eyes flashed with anger, and for a moment, I thought he might lash out at Damian. But instead, he turned away, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered, but the words lacked conviction. There was something broken in his voice, maybe something he was trying to hide.

Damian’s gaze softened. “I do know,” he said gently. “I know because I’ve been by your side all these years, and I’ve watched you change. Ever since she came into your life, you’ve been different. And not for the better.” He said firmly to Alpha Hades.

Alpha Hades let out a harsh, bitter laugh, shaking his head. “What did you expect, Damian? That I would just forget what happened? That I would pretend like everything’s fine?”

Damian’s expression remained calm, though I could see the pain in his eyes. “No, I didn’t expect that. But I also didn’t expect you to throw your life away like this.”

I felt like an intruder, sitting there listening to a conversation that was clearly more personal than I had ever imagined. But I couldn’t leave now. Not when there was so much at stake. Not when I had already heard so much.

The room grew quiet again, the tension heavy and oppressive. I could feel the weight of Alpha Hades’ pain in the air, even though he was doing everything he could to hide it. His mate—whoever she was—had clearly left a deep wound, one that hadn’t healed and probably never would.

“Maybe you should’ve listened to the elders,” Damian said quietly after a long pause. “Maybe you should’ve married a Luna of equal standing, the one they had suggested to you earlier.” he added.

The words hung in the air, heavy and filled with meaning I didn’t fully understand. I turned to look at Alpha Hades, waiting for his reaction, but his face remained unreadable, his eyes fixed on the floor.

I frowned, the pieces of the puzzle not quite fitting together in my mind. “The elders?” I asked cautiously, not wanting to interrupt but unable to stop myself from asking. “What do you mean?”

Damian glanced at me, his expression softening. “The elders wanted the Alpha to marry someone of equal standing with him,” he explained, though his tone was careful, as if he didn’t want to reveal too much. “A Luna. Someone who could strengthen the pack.”

I blinked, trying to piece it together. “But… his mate…” I trailed off, unsure of what I was even asking. “She wasn’t of equal standing?”

The idea sounded absurd. Alpha Hades was powerful, the strongest Alpha I had ever known. How could his mate not be someone of equal power?

Damian hesitated for a moment before answering. “No. She wasn’t.”

The revelation sent a shock through me. I had assumed Alpha Hades’ mate would be someone formidable, someone who matched his strength and status. But now, it sounded like she was something entirely different. A rogue, maybe? An Omega? The possibilities swirled in my mind, none of them making sense.