The fire crackled softly inside the Alpha's chamber, but it did nothing to warm the tension in the air.
He stood alone now.
Silent.
Thinking.
Everything he had buried seventeen years ago… was coming back.
Stronger.
More dangerous.
Uncontrollable.
"A hybrid…"
He muttered under his breath.
"A witch and an Alpha."
His jaw tightened.
"That should not exist."
And yet…
It did.
And not only did it exist
It carried his blood.
His power.
His legacy.
That was the real problem.
Not the witch.
Not the past.
But the fact that the boy
That bastard
Was strong.
Stronger than he should be.
"If the pack finds out…"
His eyes darkened.
"They will question my authority."
Because an Alpha's strength wasn't just about power.
It was about control.
About purity.
And a hybrid child?
That was chaos.
Unpredictable.
Dangerous.
A threat.
Not just to the pack
But to him.
"And Lila…"
His expression hardened immediately.
His Luna.
His mate.
She could never know.
If she found out
Everything would collapse.
The pack.
His position.
His control.
"No one must know."
His voice was low.
Final.
But deep down…
He knew something worse.
The Beta's words echoed again in his mind.
"Untrained… but powerful."
That meant one thing.
The boy hadn't even awakened fully yet.
And still
He was already being sensed.
Already drawing attention.
Already…
Becoming a problem.
The Alpha walked toward the window, his sharp gaze cutting through the darkness.
Far beyond his territory.
Far beyond the forest.
He could almost feel it now.
That faint connection.
That distant pull.
Weak.
But real.
His blood.
His flesh.
His son.
His expression darkened instantly.
"No…"
He muttered.
"Not my son."
The word didn't sit right with him.
Would never sit right.
"That thing…"
His aura flared slightly.
"…is a mistake."
But even as he said it
Something deep inside him disagreed.
Something instinctive.
Something ancient.
The Alpha in him.
Recognizing another.
His fingers curled slowly.
"If I don't deal with this now…"
His eyes sharpened.
"…it will grow."
Stronger.
Wilder.
Uncontrollable.
"And when that happens…"
His voice dropped.
"…it won't just threaten the pack."
A pause.
"…it will challenge me."
Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Then
A slow, cold smile appeared on his face.
"Prepare a team," he ordered as the door opened slightly.
The Beta stepped in immediately.
"Yes, Alpha."
"We move at dawn."
The Beta nodded.
"And the target?"
The Alpha turned back toward the darkness outside.
His eyes glowing faintly.
Filled with something ruthless.
"Find the boy."
A pause.
Then
"…and this time…"
His voice turned deadly quiet.
"Make sure there are no survivors."
...
The night felt different.
Heavier.
Like the air itself knew something was coming.
Azaiah stood by the broken window, his eyes locked on the forest. The glowing eyes from earlier were gone… but the feeling hadn't left.
If anything
It had gotten worse.
"They're close," Leona said quietly behind him.
Her voice was calm, but her body wasn't. Her fingers twitched slightly at her side, faint traces of magic flickering around them.
His mom stood in the center of the room, the locket in her hand glowing faintly again.
"Not just close," she said.
Her voice was sharp now.
"They're here."
Silence.
Then
A sound.
A low rustle.
Not from one direction.
From all around.
Azaiah's body reacted instantly. His senses sharpened, his heartbeat rising as something deep inside him stirred again.
"They're surrounding the house…" he whispered.
Leona stepped beside him, her eyes scanning the darkness.
"No," she said.
"They're hunting."
Before he could respond
CRACK!
The front door exploded inward.
Wood splintered across the room as a massive figure stepped through the entrance.
Then another.
And another.
Three of them.
Large. Muscular. Eyes glowing in the dim light.
Not ordinary wolves.
Warriors.
Azaiah's chest tightened as their scent hit him.
Strong.
Dominant.
Familiar.
"Alpha's guard…" Leona muttered.
His mom stepped forward instantly, placing herself in front of him.
"Stay behind me."
But Azaiah didn't move.
He couldn't.
Because something inside him
Recognized them.
One of the wolves stepped forward, shifting slightly into a more human-like form. His voice was deep, controlled.
"We're not here to fight."
Leona let out a small, cold laugh.
"That's funny," she said.
"Because you broke into the house."
The wolf ignored her, his gaze fixed on Azaiah.
"The Alpha sent us."
The words landed hard.
Azaiah's fists clenched.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said.
The wolf tilted his head slightly.
"That's not your choice."
The air shifted.
Danger rising instantly.
Leona stepped forward, placing herself between them.
"It is," she said.
Her voice dropped.
And then
The room lit up.
A burst of magic exploded from her hands, slamming into the nearest wolf and throwing him across the room.
The others reacted instantly.
"Attack!"
Everything happened at once.
One lunged forward, claws aimed directly at Azaiah.
But his mom moved faster.
She raised her hand
And a glowing barrier formed instantly.
The wolf slammed into it and was thrown backward violently.
"Don't hold back!" she shouted.
"I'm not!" Leona replied, her eyes glowing faintly now.
Symbols formed in the air around her as she chanted rapidly, her magic twisting into sharp, glowing strands that shot toward the wolves.
One of them dodged.
The other wasn't fast enough.
The magic wrapped around his body, burning as he growled in pain.
Azaiah stood frozen for a second.
Watching.
Trying to process everything.
But then
Another wolf came from behind.
Fast.
Too fast.
Azaiah barely turned before it grabbed him, slamming him hard against the wall.
"Ahh!"
Pain shot through his back as the wolf pinned him.
"Got him!"
Leona's head snapped toward him.
"Azaiah!"
The wolf's claws tightened slightly.
"You're coming with us."
Something inside him snapped.
His eyes darkened.
"No…"
The word came out low.
Different.
The wolf paused.
"…I'm not."
A sudden surge of power exploded from Azaiah's body.
His grip broke free instantly as he shoved the wolf back with unnatural strength.
The wolf stumbled.
Surprised.
Azaiah's breathing grew heavier.
His veins pulsed.
His vision sharpened.
"You should have stayed away," he growled.
Leona froze for a second.
Not because of fear.
But because of what she heard in his voice.
Alpha.
The wolves felt it too.
They hesitated.
Just for a second.
And that was enough.
Azaiah moved.
Fast.
Faster than he thought possible.
He slammed into one of them, knocking him to the ground with force.
The impact shook the floor.
"Impossible…" one of them muttered.
"He's not fully awakened"
"Yet," Azaiah said, his voice low.
Dangerous.
Outside
A louder howl echoed.
Deeper.
Stronger.
Everything froze.
The wolves immediately stepped back.
Leona's expression changed instantly.
"No…"
Azaiah turned slowly toward the door.
His heart started pounding again.
But this time…
Not from fear.
From something else.
Recognition.
Heavy footsteps approached from outside.
Slow.
Confident.
Dominant.
Even before the figure appeared
Azaiah felt it.
That connection.
Stronger than before.
Pulling at him.
Calling him.
The wolves lowered their heads instantly.
Respect.
Submission.
And then
He stepped in.
Tall.
Powerful.
His presence alone filled the entire room.
His eyes locked onto Azaiah immediately.
Sharp.
Cold.
Unforgiving.
Azaiah's breath caught.
Because even without being told
He knew.
"…You."
The man's voice was deep.
Controlled.
Dangerous.
Seventeen years of silence.
Of lies.
Of hidden truth.
All crashing into one moment.
The Alpha tilted his head slightly, studying him.
"So… you're still alive."
The words hit like a blade.
Azaiah's fists clenched.
"You tried to kill me."
The Alpha didn't deny it.
Instead
A faint, cold smile appeared on his face.
"I see the witch told you everything."
Leona stepped forward immediately.
"Stay away from him."
The Alpha didn't even look at her.
"You," he said, his eyes still on Azaiah.
"Come with me."
Silence.
Heavy.
Tense.
Azaiah's chest rose slowly.
His heart pounding.
His power stirring.
"I'm not your son," he said.
The Alpha's expression didn't change.
"But you are my blood."
A pause.
Then
"You belong to me."
The words snapped something inside Azaiah.
"No," he said.
Stronger this time.
"I don't belong to anyone."
The air exploded with tension.
Leona's magic flared.
His mom's locket glowed brighter.
The wolves tensed.
And the Alpha…
Smiled.
"Good," he said softly.
Then his eyes darkened.
"Show me."
And in that moment
Everything was about to explode.