THE ALPHA I WAS BORN TO KILL

Chap3

For a few seconds, the world seemed to freeze. Evara stood beside the window, staring down at the wolves gathered beyond the settlement. There had to be hundreds of them. They stood between the trees, on the hills, and along the road leading toward the pack house. Some were large enough to be mistaken for bears in the darkness. Yet, none of them attacked.

Rhyden stepped closer to the window. “Those aren't my wolves.”

Maevra looked at him. Veyron moved beside them toward the glass.

“Some of them are from neighboring territories,” Veryon murmured.

“How many?” Rhyden asked.

“Too many to count.”

Tavian came closer, his face had gone pale. Evara noticed his panic immediately. “You know what this means, don't you?”

Tavian remained silent, his eyes locked on the sea of fur outside.

“Tavian.” Evara pressed, her voice sharp.

He looked at her. “I've seen this once before. Twenty-three years ago.”

The room went dead still. Evara's eyes narrowed. “Why do you remember something from twenty-three years ago?”

Tavian looked uncomfortable. “Because my mother was the healer who recorded it. She never told me everything.”

Rhyden turned sharply, stepping away from the window. “Tell me what she did tell you.”

Tavian took a deep breath. “Wolves from different packs gathered outside the territory. They didn't attack, and they didn't communicate. They just waited.”

“For what?” Maevra asked.

Tavian glanced at Evara. “For someone.”

A chill ran through Evara. “Who?”

“We don't know,” Tavian admitted.

Rhyden's eyes hardened as he looked at the two of them. “Then why are you looking at her?”

“Because she was born that year,” Tavian said, his voice dropping. “Twenty-three years ago, a child was born in the western territories. The records said the child's wolf would change the balance between the packs.”

Evara stared at him, her defenses instantly flaring up. “I wasn't born there in the west.”

“No,” Tavian agreed, his voice dropping to a whisper. “You were born somewhere else.”

Evara's face tightened, her fists clenching at her sides. “How could you possibly know that?”

“Your blood.” Tavian pointed down at Evara's arm. “I saw your wound earlier.” Evara looked down at the cut on her arm, where a thin line of blood still ran along her skin. Tavian continued. “When I was treating the wounded, I noticed something. Your blood reacted to silver.”

Maevra frowned, stepping forward defensively. “All wolf blood reacts to silver, Tavian.”

“Not like hers,” Tavian replied, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a small metal vial, removing the lid. He held it out toward Evara. “Put your finger over it.”

Evara hesitated, her instincts kicking in. “What is that?”

“Silver dust. To prove something.”

She looked at Rhyden. The Alpha nodded once. Evara hated that she trusted that small gesture, but she stepped forward anyway and pressed her finger against the edge of the vial. Tavian tipped a little silver dust onto her skin.

For a second, nothing happened. Then the dust turned black.

Maevra took a step back, her eyes widening. Veyron cursed under his breath, and Rhyden stared at Evara's hand. “What does that mean?” he asked, concern etched on his face.

Tavian looked shaken as he sealed the vial. “It means her wolf isn't reacting to silver like a normal wolf would.”

Evara aggressively wiped the dust away, frustration bubbling up inside her. “Then what is it?”

Tavian looked at her with genuine gravity. “It means something is different about you,” he admitted, his voice heavy with uncertainty.

“That answer is getting old.” Evara let out a bitter, joyless laugh. “I figured that out years ago.”

Suddenly, a massive howl rose outside, louder than the others. The wolves moved, every head turning toward the forest, then the park parted to make the way.

A lone figure walked between them. It was a woman wearing a long dark coat, carrying no weapon. She stopped beneath the trees.

Rhyden's expression changed the moment he saw her. “Orelia.”

Evara looked at him. “You know her?”

“Of course, everyone does.”

Orelia Dusk lifted her head. Even from a distance, Evara could see that the old woman's eyes were fixed on her. Orelia lifted one hand, and in an instant the wolves lowered themselves to the ground. Not one remained standing.

Evara felt the hairs rise on her arms. Orelia began walking toward the house. Rhyden opened the door before she reached it. Maevra stepped in to stop him. “Alpha...”

“She came here for a reason.” Rhyden cut her off, stepping outside.

Evara followed him closely, the sudden cold hitting her face. The wolves remained still on the ground. Orelia stopped several feet from Rhyden. Her gaze drifted past him, landing squarely on Evara. Her expression changed to fear.

Evara stepped forward to the edge of the stone steps. “Do you know me?”

Orelia didn't answer her.

Rhyden asked, “Why are they here?”

Orelia looked directly at Evara's chest. “Because they felt her wolf.” She whispered, gesturing vaguely to the silent pack outside.

Evara's heart began pounding heavily at her ribs. “What is wrong with it?”

Orelia finally looked directly into her eyes. “Nothing is wrong with it. It is remembering.” She hesitated, letting the heavy words hang in the wind, shifting her gaze toward Rhyden. “Remembering who she belongs to.””

Rhyden's expression darkened.

“I don't belong to anyone.”

Orelia looked back at Evara, her old features softening to pity. “That is what your family told you.”

Evara went still, her hand drifting toward the hilt of her hidden blade. “Don't talk about my family.”

“You should be angry with them,” Orelia said calmly, “Because your father didn't protect you from the truth.”

Evara stepped closer. “What truth?”

Orelia looked at Rhyden again, and said something that made the entire courtyard go dead silent. “Your wolf was born tied to his.” Evara stared at her, completely stunned. Rhyden's jaw clenched so hard the muscle leaped. Orelia's voice remained calm. “One of you will eventually destroy the other.”

Evara felt her stomach violently twist. Rhyden turned his head to look at Evara, his eyes boring into hers. “What did you say your order was?” Evara didn't answer. He stepped in closer. “You were ordered to kill me. Why?”

“I don't know.” she whispered.

Orelia closed her eyes, shaking her head. “You do.”

Evara snapped her attention back to the old woman. “No, I don't.”

“Yes, you do,” Orelia countered, pointing her finger toward the wolves. “They aren't here for Rhyden. They came because your wolf has awakened.”

Evara turned, shaking her head vigorously in denial. “My wolf has always been there.”

“Not this part of it.”

The words sent a chill through her. Rhyden stepped between them. “What happens now?”

Orelia looked at him and offered a tired, sorrowful smile. “Now? Now everyone who has been waiting for this night will come.”

Right on cue, a horn sounded in the far distance. Then another followed. Veyron ran from the gates. “Alpha!” Rhyden turned.

“Riders are approaching from the southern road. More than fifty.”

“Which pack?” Rhyden demanded.

Veyron looked toward the darkness and shook his head. “No markings.”

Rhyden's expression hardened into pure focus. “Get everyone inside. Now”

Veyron bolted to execute the command while Maevra began giving orders to the perimeter guards. Evara stood frozen, looking at the old woman. “You knew this would happen. Tell me how to stop it.”

Orelia looked at her sadly. “You can't.”

The old woman reached into her coat and pulled out a small, worn book. Its cover was almost completely black from age. She held it out toward Evara. “This belonged to your mother.”

Evara froze. “My mother died when I was six.”

Orelia shot a glare at her, signaling she knew and, in fact, she knew her. Evara slowly reached out and took the book. The moment her fingers touched the cover, a hot, blinding pain shot through her hand. She gasped and dropped it.

The book hit the ground, its pages flipped wildly open by themselves. A single sentence was written across the first page. Evara stared down at it.

It was her name. Then Rhyden's name. And right beneath them, a date. A date that hadn't happened yet. Evara's blood ran entirely cold.

Rhyden crouched down and picked up the book. His eyes scanned the page, his brow furrowing deeply. “What is this date?”

Orelia turned her head, looking toward the dark forest. “It's the day your wolf dies.”

Evara looked up at Rhyden. They were both lost for words because the date was only six months away.