“Tomorrow,” Darius said at last, his voice resolute, “we begin. Dr. Grey and I will speak with her. And if her spirit resists… then I will fight for it. I will not let her surrender to the darkness.”
His mother reached across the desk, laying her hand gently over his. “Then may the Moon Goddess guide your words, my son. For Elaine needs more than an Alpha’s command. She needs someone to remind her of the light she has forgotten.”
Darius nodded once, his jaw set. “Then I will be that reminder.”
Blaine, who had remained silent through his wife’s words, finally leaned forward, his eyes narrowing on his son. His voice was measured, but firm. “Son, you are not her mate. Why do you feel this way?”
The question hung heavy in the air, more than curiosity. It was a challenge, a warning, perhaps even fear.
Darius’s gaze met his father’s, steady and unflinching. “I don’t know, Dad. The moment I met her, I felt… something. A connection I can’t explain.
It isn’t the mate bond. I know that. She has a mate, even if he has cast her aside. But I cannot help it. I feel protective of her in a way I’ve never felt for anyone.
The Moon Goddess guided me to her, and I cannot ignore that. Whether or not I understand it fully, I will not disobey the will of the Goddess.”
His words rang with a determination that silenced the room. Seline looked at him with quiet awe, while Blaine’s brows drew together in thought, conflict flickering across his stern features.
For a moment, the weight of generations pressed in-the old Alpha’s instincts clashing with the path the new Alpha had chosen.
At last, Blaine exhaled heavily, his jaw tight. “If this is truly the Goddess’s will, then so be it. But mark my words, Darius-such bonds, such… connections, they are not without cost. If you choose to walk this path with her, be prepared to bear the consequences.”
“I already am,” Darius said, his voice steady, his eyes hard with resolve.
The old clock ticked on, steady and sure, as the three of them sat in silence, each lost in thought.
Outside, the night stretched long and cold, but within Darius’s chest burned a quiet fire.
The next morning, Darius threw himself into his Alpha duties. The sun had barely risen, yet the training field already rang with the sounds of clashing claws, growls, and the thuds of warriors hitting the ground. Darius moved among them with a sharp, commanding presence, correcting stances, issuing challenges, pushing them harder than usual. His wolves followed his orders without hesitation, but even as he barked instructions, his thoughts kept slipping back to the one person not on the training grounds-Elaine.
The doctor had mind-linked him earlier, assuring him she was still asleep and her body was healing, though slowly. He had promised to notify Darius the moment she woke. That knowledge should have eased his mind, but instead it gnawed at him. He hated waiting. He hated knowing she was lying in that bed, fragile and recovering from wounds that should never have been hers to bear.
After training, he checked the patrol routes and spoke with his unit leaders about tightening border security. His orders were sharp and swift, though his focus wavered, and more than once he caught
Marcus giving him a knowing glance.
By the time he returned to his office, his desk was piled with contracts and pack reports. He sank into his chair, picked up the first document, and forced himself to read.
Duty first, he reminded himself. Always duty first.
A knock at the door pulled him from the paperwork.
“Come in,” he called, rubbing a hand over his face.
Marcus stepped inside, his expression unreadable, though there was a flicker of tension in his eyes. Darius, Michael of the Silverblade pack is on line one. He wants to speak with you.”
“
Darius froze, frown lines etching deeper into his forehead. The name alone was enough to sour his mood.
“About?” He asked, voice clipped.
“He didn’t say,” Marcus replied, though his tone carried weight. “But if I were to guess… It’s about Elaine.”
The irritation rolling through Darius sharpened into something darker. He picked up the phone, unwilling to let Marcus’s guess go unanswered. If Michael dared to call his office, then Darius would hear it from his own lips.
He pressed the receiver to his ear.
“Yes,” he said curtly, not bothering with politeness. His mother would have chastised him for such disrespect, but Darius couldn’t summon any courtesy for a man like Michael.
“Alpha Darius, this is Michael of the Silverblade pack.” The voice on the other end tried to sound authoritative, but Darius heard the hesitation in it.
“Yes,” Darius repeated flatly. He glanced up at Marcus, who was leaning against the wall with an amused expression tugging at his mouth.
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“Are you making him sweat?” Marcus teased through the mind-link, his voice echoing with laughter. Darius ignored him.
Michael cleared his throat. “I wanted to ask about Elaine. How is she doing?”
The words sliced through Darius’s patience. His fingers curled around the phone, knuckles whitening.
“And what right do you have to ask after her?” His voice was low, threaded with a sharp edge of annoyance.
Michael hesitated, then his voice dropped. “She is my mate, Alpha. The mother of my child.”
A growl rumbled from Darius’s chest before he could stop it. Fury stormed through him, his wolf clawing at the surface. He forced his voice into something controlled, though the contempt lacing it was impossible to miss.
“I do not know where you find the courage to say such words, Michael. She was your mate, yes, but you rejected her. You were the father of her pup, yet that pup died while you were too busy marking her sister. Do not speak to me as though you have any claim left on Elaine.” His words were cold as steel. “She is part of my pack now. And I protect my own.”
Without waiting for a reply, Darius slammed the phone down, cutting off the connection. His jaw tightened, and his wolf snarled in his head, rage barely contained. If Michael had been standing in front of him at that moment, Darius wasn’t certain he could have stopped himself from tearing the man apart.
Marcus let out a low whistle. “I cannot believe he still dares to call her his mate after everything.”
“Maybe he’s starting to regret his decisions,” Darius growled, pacing behind his desk. “But it’s too late for that now. Elaine is part of this pack. We do not abandon our own.”
His wolf surged in agreement, a steady hum of protectiveness threading through his body.
Marcus tilted his head, studying him.
“You speak as though you’re a wolf defending his mate. What’s going on, Darius?” His tone wasn’t accusatory, but as Beta, he had the right-no, the responsibility-to know what was happening inside his Alpha’s head.
Dar?us exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. For a moment, silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken truths.
Finally, he spoke, voice low. “I don’t know how to explain it. But when I’m near her… I feel this pull. This need to protect her, to shield her from everything. There’s attraction too, yes, but it’s more than that. My wolf feels it as much as I do.”
Marcus’s brows lifted slightly. “But no mate bond?”
“No,” Darius admitted. His voice was firm, though the confusion beneath it was evident. “If there was a mate bond, I would have felt it instantly. I would have done everything to take her away from that place the moment I met her. But there is nothing… at least, not in the way it should be. Even my wolf is unsettled by it. Still, we agree on one thing-Elaine needs our protection.”
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Marcus studied him a moment longer, then nodded slowly, accepting the answer though the questions lingered in his eyes.
Before he could respond, another knock sounded at the door.
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