The Alpha’s Command
1467 Words
Chapter 3
The three wolves did not wait for me to answer. The moment I opened the door, one of them stepped inside my apartment like he owned it.
“Alpha Thorne wants you at the estate. Now.”
I crossed my arms, trying to hide how badly my hands were shaking. “It is two in the morning.”
“He does not care what time it is,” the tallest one said. His eyes were cold. “Move.”
I grabbed my jacket and followed them outside. They put me in the back of a black SUV without another word. The drive back to Blackthorn territory felt much shorter than it should have. My stomach twisted tighter with every mile.
When we arrived, they led me through the quiet halls of the main house. Most of the guests had left. Only a few staff remained, cleaning up the aftermath of Lila’s party. They avoided looking at me.
I was taken to Alpha Thorne’s office on the second floor. The door was already open. Kael’s father sat behind a massive wooden desk, still dressed in the formal suit he had worn earlier. His silver-streaked hair was neatly combed and his expression was carved from stone.
“Leave us,” he told the three wolves. They closed the door behind them.
I stood in the middle of the room, refusing to sit even though my legs felt weak.
Alpha Thorne studied me for a long moment. “You caused quite a scene tonight, Miss Voss.”
“I did not cause anything,” I said. My voice came out steadier than I expected. “Your son rejected me in front of everyone. I was the one humiliated.”
He leaned back in his chair. “And yet the bond between you is not fully severed. My son told me as much when he returned.”
My breath caught. Kael had gone straight to his father after calling me.
Thorne continued, “That should not be possible after a public rejection. Unless one of you is refusing to let go.”
“I did not ask for this,” I said. “I did not want to be his mate.”
“Want has nothing to do with it.” His voice turned sharper. “Kael is the future Alpha of this pack. He cannot afford distractions. Especially not a weak human girl who brings nothing to our strength.”
The words stung, but I kept my chin up. “Then tell him to finish the rejection properly. I am not the one holding on.”
Thorne stood and walked around the desk until he stood in front of me. He was taller than Kael, broader in the shoulders, and the power radiating from him made the air feel heavy.
“I am giving you one chance to walk away cleanly,” he said. “Leave this territory tonight. Do not contact my son again. Do not speak to Lila. If you do as I say, I will make sure you are compensated. Enough money to start fresh somewhere far from here.”
I stared at him. “You are trying to buy me off.”
“I am trying to protect my pack,” he replied. “And my son’s future. A political alliance with Alpha Rowan’s daughter will secure our borders for the next generation. You standing in the way of that is unacceptable.”
The door opened behind me. I did not need to turn around to know who it was. The faint pull in my chest told me before his scent reached me.
Kael stepped into the room. He had changed into dark jeans and a simple black shirt. His face was unreadable, but his golden eyes flicked to me for half a second before locking onto his father.
“I told you I would handle this,” Kael said.
“You are handling nothing,” Thorne replied. “The girl is still here. The bond is still active. Fix it.”
Kael’s jaw tightened. “It is not that simple.”
“It is exactly that simple.” Thorne’s voice dropped lower. “Reject her completely or I will do what needs to be done to remove the problem myself.”
A cold silence filled the room.
I looked at Kael. For the first time since the rejection, I saw something crack in his expression. Not quite regret. Something closer to conflict.
He turned to me. “Go home, Elara. Do what he says.”
The words hit harder than I expected. I had thought maybe the phone call meant something. Maybe the fact that the bond remained meant he was fighting this too.
Apparently I was wrong.
I nodded once and turned toward the door. My hand was already on the handle when Alpha Thorne spoke again.
“One more thing, Miss Voss.”
I paused but did not look back.
“If you are still in this territory by sunrise,” he said, “I will consider you a threat to the pack. And I deal with threats permanently.”
My fingers tightened on the handle.
I walked out without answering.
The same three wolves were waiting in the hallway. They escorted me back to the SUV and drove me to the edge of Blackthorn land. They dropped me off on the side of the road without a word and drove away.
I stood there alone under the dark sky, the cold night air biting at my skin.
Alpha Thorne had just given me an ultimatum.
Leave or die.
I started walking toward the main road, my mind racing. I could not go back to my apartment. They would find me there easily. I needed somewhere safe. Somewhere they would not think to look.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out.
Lila.
I answered. “Lila, I cannot talk right now.”
“Where are you?” she asked, her voice urgent. “Kael just left the house looking furious and Father is in one of his moods. What happened?”
I hesitated. “Your father gave me until sunrise to leave the territory. If I do not, he will treat me as a threat.”
Lila went quiet for a second. Then she said, “Come to the old cabin by the lake. The one we used to play at when we were kids. No one goes there anymore. I will meet you there in an hour.”
“Lila, if your father finds out you helped me—”
“He will not find out. Just go. Now.”
She ended the call.
I changed direction and headed toward the lake trail. My legs were tired, but fear kept me moving.
I reached the old wooden cabin just as the sky was starting to lighten. The door was unlocked. I slipped inside and sat on the dusty couch, trying to catch my breath.
Ten minutes later, the door opened again.
Lila stepped in, carrying a backpack. She locked the door behind her and dropped the bag on the table.
“I brought clothes, some food, and cash,” she said. “Enough to get you out of here if you need to run.”
I looked at my best friend. The girl who had stood by me through everything. Now she was risking her own family to help me.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked.
Lila met my eyes. “Because you are my sister in every way that matters. And because I think my brother made the biggest mistake of his life tonight.”
Before I could answer, we both heard it.
The sound of multiple cars approaching through the trees.
Lila’s face went pale. “They found us.”
I stood up fast. “How?”
The door burst open.
It was not Alpha Thorne’s wolves.
It was Kael.
He stood in the doorway, breathing hard, his golden eyes locked on me. Behind him, two of his own men waited.
Lila stepped in front of me. “Kael, do not do this.”
He did not look at his sister. His gaze stayed on me.
“I told you to leave,” he said, voice rough. “Why are you still here?”
I lifted my chin. “Because your father threatened to kill me if I did not. And because the bond you tried to break is still fighting to stay alive.”
Kael’s expression darkened.
He took one step inside the cabin.
Then he said the last thing I expected.
“I am not here to take you to him,” he said quietly. “I am here to get you out before he sends the real hunters.”
- Writer
