Chapter 22

                                    

                                          
ZALE's POV;
                       I headed straight to my office as soon as I left Amora's room. There were matters demanding my attention, more than I cared to admit. As Alpha, the weight of the pack's problems always fell on my shoulders. I had an endless list of issues to resolve, but there was one that overshadowed them all: how to get Amora to understand my world, our world.
She was human. She had no idea of the dangers lurking in every shadow, the politics of our kind, or the power I wielded over it all. How could I make her see the truth without terrifying her? This was the hardest challenge of all—far more difficult than leading a pack or defending my borders. Amora was delicate, yet there was an unspoken strength in her that intrigued me. She didn't belong here, but somehow, she was now bound to my world, to me.
Midway through my work, Wilder's voice interrupted my thoughts through our mind link. Alpha, we've found rogues on the east side of the border. The words snapped me to attention.
Who the hell dared to step foot into my territory without permission?
Alpha, you need to come yourself. We've captured one alive, Wilder continued.
Good. That rogue would pay for his insolence, but before I left, there was something more pressing. I couldn't leave Amora here, not unprotected. Despite everything, she was still my priority. I couldn't let her out of my sight for too long, not after what had happened recently.
Wilder, I called through the link.
Yes, Alpha? His response came swiftly.
I need you to return here and keep an eye on things. I won't be back for a while. Tell them to take the rogue to the east dungeon, and have Jax meet me there.
Understood, Alpha.
I paused for a moment, knowing what I had to say next was crucial. I wasn't just dealing with a rogue—there were forces at play that I had yet to uncover. But Amora... she was vulnerable, and in this world, being vulnerable was a death sentence.
One more thing, Wilder... I began, my tone darker, more serious. Keep your eyes on Amora. Do you understand?
Wilder's response was instant and filled with conviction. Don't worry, Alpha. The Luna is my responsibility to protect.
Good, I replied before cutting off the link. I trusted Wilder, but that didn't mean I wasn't anxious. Amora had already proven unpredictable, and with her not fully understanding the dangers of this world, she could easily fall into the wrong hands—or worse.
I walked to the woods behind the house, the moonlight barely piercing the canopy above. I could feel my wolf, Lace, restless beneath my skin. Shifting came as naturally as breathing, the familiar crack of bones as I let go and allowed Lace to take over. My silver fur shimmered in the moonlight as I took off running, the wind rushing past me, pushing me towards the east border.
The rogue would regret setting foot on my land.
When I reached the border, the rogue was barely clinging to life. My guards had done their job well. Despite the pain, the rogue had stubbornly refused to give us any useful information about who had sent him. That didn't sit well with me.
No one—I circled the rogue, my fury rising—no one dares to step foot on my land without my permission. Not even the other Alphas.
They all knew the rules. If they wanted something from me, they wrote. But this? Sending rogues onto my land was an insult I couldn't tolerate.
Just as I was about to command the rogue's final moments, something caught my attention. A scent. Familiar. Impossible, yet undeniable.
Amora.
Her scent—sweet, intoxicating, and unmistakably hers—was mixed with mine, lingering faintly in the air. My chest tightened with realization.
Alpha. Wilder's voice snapped me back to reality, but this time, it was filled with panic. The Luna... she's gone. She ran away.
I felt a surge of anger course through me, hot and unrelenting. What do you mean she's gone? How the hell did you let her escape?
She started a fire in the room, Alpha. The guards were distracted for just a moment, and she slipped out. His voice wavered, knowing the full weight of his failure.
Take the guards and come to the woods now! I commanded, cutting off the link before I could lose control of my temper further. I needed to focus. Amora was out there, alone, in the woods—my woods—without any idea of the danger she was in. Lace pushed forward again, running faster than ever. Her scent was getting stronger, and my panic grew with each passing second. What if the rogue wasn't alone? What if there were more?
Then, I saw her.
Amora.
She was on the ground, backing away, her eyes wide with terror. I could see her lips trembling, her hands shaking as she tried to scramble away from something hidden in the shadows. I didn't need to guess what it was.
A rogue.
Just as the rogue lunged for her, I let Lace take full control. My wolf, larger and more powerful than any other, crashed into the rogue with a force that sent him flying. The rogue may have been big, but in front of Lace, he was nothing more than a pest. My wolf, with his massive silver form, stood towering over the rogue, his snarl a deadly warning. This wasn't just any wolf—this was an Alpha's wolf, a Lycan.
The rogue didn't stand a chance.
With one swift move, Lace's jaws clamped down around the rogue's neck, and with a violent twist, he snapped it like a twig. Dead. Simple. Clean. But it wasn't enough for Lace. He wanted to tear the rogue apart, limb from limb, for daring to even come near Amora. But I held him back. We couldn't afford to lose control. Not here. Not in front of her.
Amora's terrified gaze was fixed on us. She didn't know. She couldn't know. To her, we were just a beast—a monster. And I couldn't risk her seeing us as anything else.
I growled lowly, keeping Lace in check as we turned to face her fully. She was still trembling, her eyes wide with fear. My heart clenched at the sight of her so terrified, so vulnerable. She didn't know it, but she was safe now. She was always safe with me.
Wilder, I called through the link, my voice hard and commanding. Get here now. Take her back to the pack house. She can't stay here.
Within moments, I heard the rustle of leaves and the approach of Wilder and the guards. They moved swiftly, understanding the urgency. Wilder's eyes met mine, and without a word, he carefully approached Amora.
I watched silently as he lifted her limp form into his arms. Wilder knew what to do. He didn't need instructions. His responsibility, above all else, was to ensure her safety.
As they disappeared into the trees, I shifted back into human form, pulling myself together. The rogue was dead, but the bigger threat still loomed. Someone had sent him, and that someone would pay dearly.
But right now, all I could think about was Amora. Her fear, her vulnerability, and the terrifying reality of what had just happened. She had no idea what I was. No idea what she was tied to.
And soon, I would have no choice but to tell her.