REJECTED BY THE ALPHA KING

CHAPTER 6: THE ROGUE ATTACK

Kai's POV

The charity gala proceeded smoothly, but I could not focus on anything other than Asha. She moved through the venue with precision and purpose, checking security cameras, speaking quietly into her earpiece to her team, positioning guards strategically. She was professional, efficient, and completely unreachable. Every time I tried to approach her, she managed to disappear into another part of the building.

I watched her from across the ballroom, unable to look away. She was magnificent. The girl I had rejected had been innocent and hopeful. This woman was steel and fire. She commanded respect without demanding it. She had built an empire from nothing.

My wolf was losing patience, wanting me to go to her, to make her acknowledge what was between us. But I held back. I could see the anger in her, the careful distance she maintained. If I pushed too hard, she would run again.

Around midnight, as the gala reached its peak, everything changed.

An alarm blared through the venue—a high-pitched sound that made everyone freeze. Guests began to panic, confused and frightened. Asha's entire body went rigid. I watched her speak urgently into her earpiece, her face going pale as she listened to whatever information was being relayed to her.

She turned and looked directly at me across the crowded ballroom. Our eyes locked. In that moment, I saw fear in her eyes—not for herself, but for everyone in the venue.

"Alpha," Ravi said, suddenly appearing at my side. His voice was urgent and low. "We have a situation. Rogue wolves. Multiple of them. They are attempting to breach the east entrance."

My entire body went on alert. My wolf surfaced, ready to fight. Rogues attacking a public venue was bold and dangerous. This was not random. This was coordinated.

Without thinking, I moved toward the east entrance, my warriors following me. But Asha was already there. She stood with her security team, blocking the entrance with military precision. Her team had weapons drawn, positioned strategically. They looked trained and ready for combat.

The rogues came crashing through a service entrance, snarling and vicious. There were at least a dozen of them, their eyes glowing yellow with predatory hunger. This was a serious threat.

Everything happened in moments. Asha's team engaged the rogues immediately, fighting with skill and coordination. I shifted into my wolf form along with my warriors, meeting the attack head-on. The ballroom erupted into chaos. Guests screamed and fled toward the exits.

Asha fought like a woman possessed. She moved with deadly grace, disarming rogues with precision and efficiency. She was not just a businesswoman. She was a fighter. She was dangerous.

During the battle, a rogue broke through the security line and lunged for Asha. Acting purely on instinct, I shifted back to human form and intercepted him, throwing him across the room with force. Asha's eyes met mine for a fraction of a second, and I saw something flicker across her face before she turned away and continued fighting.

The battle lasted less than five minutes, but it felt like hours. When it was over, all the rogues were either dead, captured, or fleeing. Asha's team had sustained minimal injuries. My warriors were relatively unharmed. But the elegant venue was now a crime scene.

Emergency services arrived quickly. Police and paramedics flooded the building. Asha coordinated with them professionally, giving statements and explaining what had happened. She was all business now, completely detached.

I tried to approach her as the chaos was being managed, but she deliberately avoided me. Every time I moved in her direction, she found a reason to be elsewhere.

Finally, as the evening was winding down, I cornered her in a quiet hallway near the back of the venue. She had no escape route. She had to face me.

"That was not random," I said, my voice low and commanding. "Those rogues were organized. Coordinated. This was planned."

Asha's jaw clenched. She did not look at me directly, instead staring at a point over my shoulder.

"I am aware," she said coldly. "My team is investigating now. We will find out who sent them."

"And you fought like a warrior," I continued, stepping closer. "You have training. Combat training. Where did you learn that?"

"That is none of your concern, Alpha King," she said, her voice sharp as a blade.

"It is my concern," I said firmly. "Because whoever attacked tonight attacked you to get to me. You are a target now because of me."

For the first time, Asha looked directly at me. Her eyes were dark and angry and conflicted.

"Then I will resign from the contract," she said coldly. "I will remove my company from your employ. Problem solved."

"No," I said, my voice brooking no argument. My Alpha authority was bleeding through. "You will not. You will stay. You will continue the security contract. And you will move into my penthouse where I can ensure your safety."

Asha's face flushed with anger. "Absolutely not. I will not—"

"This is not negotiable," I interrupted. "Pack law allows me to demand protection for anyone connected to my business interests. You are connected. You are staying at my penthouse, or I will pull the contract from your company and announce publicly that Sharma Security Solutions is insufficient. I will destroy your reputation."

Asha stared at me, her hands clenched into fists. I could see her calculating, deciding if I was serious. I was completely serious.

"This is temporary," she finally said, her voice like ice. "And it is under protest. The moment this situation is resolved, I am out."

"Fine," I said, though we both knew that once she was in my penthouse, once she was that close to me, I would find a way to make her stay.

As she turned to walk away, I caught her wrist gently.

"And Asha?" I said softly. "I know who you are. I have known since the moment you walked into the gala. The bond between us is real. And I will prove to you that I have changed."

Asha pulled her wrist away and walked toward the exit without responding. But I caught the scent of her fear and something else—hope, no matter how much she tried to hide it.

Later that night, as Asha arrived at my penthouse with a small bag of belongings, I received a call from Ravi that made my blood run cold.

"Alpha," Ravi said urgently. "I have identified the rogue pack that attacked. They are from the Shadowfang Pack. The rival pack that has been testing our territory for months. But there is something else. Our sources indicate that someone inside the Crescent Moon Pack is working with them. Someone in a position of power is feeding them information about your movements and your vulnerabilities."

I felt betrayal settle on my shoulders like a heavy weight.

"Find out who," I commanded, ending the call.

As I looked out at the city lights from my penthouse window, I could hear Asha moving around in the guest room down the hall. She was here. Finally, she was within my reach. But I had just learned that we had a traitor in our pack, someone working against us from the inside.

And I had no idea how to protect her from what was coming.