"Some truths are too dangerous to speak aloud, especially when your best friend would never let you live them down."
The BlackThorne Security office felt suffocating tonight, though the room was wide and bare. The dull glow from the overhead fluorescent lights cast a sterile pallor over the metal desks and scattered monitors, but it could not bleach away the tension that hung thick in the air. Outside, Roanridge slept beneath a cold Appalachian night blanket, but inside, the restless energy was palpable.
I paced the length of the room again, running a hand through my dark curls as my mind churned. The scent of cedarwood and damp earth from the cracked window barely cut through the cloying feeling in my chest. It was the scent of secrets, heavy, pressing, impossible to shake.
Across from me, Juno Reyes sat patiently. My Beta, my closest ally, and the only man who understood most of what I carried, though not all. He studied me quietly, his sharp eyes following every twitch of my jaw, every clenched fist. His calm demeanor was the steady anchor I desperately needed tonight.
"You look like hell, and your power is all over the place," he said finally, voice low and rough but filled with concern.
I snorted bitterly. "Could say the same for you."
He smirked, but it did not reach his eyes. "So, what's got you pacing like a wolf stuck in a trap at midnight?"
I hesitated, words thick in my throat. I wanted to tell him everything about Alaric Vayne; about the storm he had brought with him. But the most dangerous part, the bond, was a secret I was not ready to share, and instead, I forced out what I could.
"Alphe King Alaric Vayne came to Roanridge."
Juno's eyebrows shot up sharply. "The Alpha King? The one the whole continent whispers about like he is some ghost story. The cold-hearted monster ruling with iron claws and the king of the Shifters."
"Yeah. That one."
I could see the gears turning behind his eyes as he tried to piece them together. "Why would he show up here, of all places? Roanridge's barely on the map," Juno said, voice laced with suspicion.
I shrugged, though the weight on my shoulders made the motion heavy. "I don't know, but I bet it wasn't for a casual visit."
Juno leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "You met him?"
I nodded. "I had no choice."
His gaze sharpened, and I could almost hear the silent question hanging in the air.
"And?"
I ran a hand through my hair, the memory vivid and raw. "He is different. Not just some distant tyrant in a castle. There is power about him that stops the world, and his presence is like a force of nature.
Juno's lips twitched into a faint, knowing smile. "Sounds like you're impressed."
I shook my head quickly, irritated. "Do not mistake wariness for admiration. This is politics, ruthless, brutal, and he is the fucking king of the entire damn shifters."
The room fell silent, heavy with the weight of my words, and Juno's eyes searched mine, looking for the pieces I was not telling him.
"You're holding back something."
I clenched my jaw, refusing to meet his gaze. "Nothing for now."
Juno's expression softened, but his voice grew more insistent. "What is it?"
My throat tightened, and I forced out a dry laugh. "I am not sure yet. I will share when I am ready."
His gaze hardened, but he dropped the subject. "Fine," he said quietly. "But secrets like that have a way of coming out." I nodded, but inside, I was anything but ready.
I sank onto a battered leather chair, the weight of the night pressing down. The scent of Alaric still clung to my skin deep, commanding and impossible to forget. It was the scent of an Alpha King's wolf, and it stirred something in me I had not felt in years: confusion, fear, and something dangerously close to desire. Black, my wolf, whimpered softly in the back of my mind, pushing against the walls I had built around myself.
"You bowed to him," I whispered aloud, almost accusing.
Black growled low and defiant. "He is ours to claim."
I shook my head fiercely. "He's a cruel monster, and he will destroy us if he has the chance."
Black rose, his presence filling the room with raw power. "He is our mate."
I cried out in frustration, the word burning like acid in my throat, and before I could sink deeper into chaos, the door opened, and Juno stepped back in, eyes wide with concern.
"Elias? Your power's all over the place like you a storm about to break. You cannot be going wolf mental in the office; it will affect everyone, and especially the Alpha wolves."
I looked up at him, my guard momentarily faltering. "He's different," I admitted. "Alaric Vayne is different."
Juno paced slowly, hands clasped behind his back. "Different how? What did he want?"
"He did not say. But I know one thing: his arrival here was not an accident."
Juno stopped and looked me in the eye. "Do we need to be ready? "
I nodded grimly. "Just get everyone ready, I have a feeling he will find me here at the office sooner than I want."
Juno's voice dropped to a whisper. "You've been through worse."
"Not like this," I muttered.
The hours dragged on as we strategized, weighing the dangers and the stakes. Every plan felt fragile, every alliance tentative. But the secret gnawed at me, and the truth that Alaric's Alpha Wolf had claimed me. That Black had bowed and whined like a love-sick pup. That the bond, impossible, forbidden, was real. I refused to admit it, even to myself, but the truth was that the fire was burning brighter by the minute. As dawn crept through the windows, washing the office in pale light, Juno placed a firm hand on my shoulder.
"We'll face this together," he said. "Whatever comes, you're not alone."
I swallowed, voice raw. "Thanks, Juno. I do not know what I would do without you."
He gave me a small, wry smile. "Probably still pacing."
And this forced a laugh out of me, and the tension around us lessened.
"Come on, it is time to go home," Juno stated, and we left the office. I climbed into my armored truck as we parted ways, and I drove off deep into the mountains straight for home.