Married to my Dead Mate’s Alpha Brother

Alpha Kylian “Alpha, you need to come.” Jason’s voice cracked through the phone like thin ice breaking under heavy boots. I sat up straight in my chair. I have known Jason since we were pups running through the woods together. I have never heard him sound like this. Not once. My stomach tightened. Whatever it was, it was bad. “What happened?” I asked, already on my feet. The elders around the long oak table looked up at me with worried eyes. “It’s Chase.” The world went still. The air in the room felt thick, like it didn’t want to move anymore. “What about Chase?” My voice came out flat, cold. I had learned a long time ago that an Alpha must stay in control, even when everything inside him wants to break. “Alpha… I’m sorry. You need to see for yourself. We’re at the southern border of the pack.” I ended the call before he could say anything else. The phone almost cracked in my grip. My knuckles turned white. “This meeting is adjourned,” I said, not waiting for their questions or nods. I pushed through the heavy doors and stepped outside. I couldn’t wait for my driver. I didn’t want to. The moment my feet hit the grass, I shifted. Bones cracked, muscles stretched, and my wolf burst free. Black fur rippled over my skin as I hit the ground running. The wind whipped past my ears. My paws pounded the earth hard, carrying me toward the southern border. The words Jason didn’t say kept echoing in my head, louder with every stride. It’s Chase. You need to come. I’m sorry. No. I refused to let my mind go there. Chase was fine. He had to be fine. He only went to a simple meeting with the Silverton Pack. Just talks about border territories. Peaceful. Safe. I would never have let my little brother walk into danger. Never. Chase was my baby brother. The one who still teased me about being too serious. The one who laughed loud and loved harder than anyone I knew. He was supposed to meet me for late dinner tonight. We were going to talk about his new duties in the pack. I was going to tell him how proud I was. How he was finally stepping up like the strong wolf I always knew he could be. The southern border came into view too fast. I skidded to a stop, shifted back into human form, and pulled on the spare clothes we always kept near the lines. My heart hammered against my ribs. Dozens of my men stood in a loose circle. Their heads were low. No one looked at me as I walked closer. They parted slowly, like the Red Sea opening for Moses, giving me a path. Their silence pressed down on me heavier than any weight I had ever carried. Jason rushed forward. His face was gray, like all the blood had drained from it. “Alpha, maybe you should—” I walked right past him. I pushed through the last line of warriors until I stood at the center. A white sheet lay on the ground. Dark stains bloomed at the edges, soaking through like spilled ink. It covered a body. I knew it was a body. I knew whose body it was. But if I didn’t look, maybe it wouldn’t be real. If I never lifted that sheet, Chase would still be alive somewhere, smiling, waiting for dinner. “Alpha.” Jason’s hand landed gently on my shoulder. His voice shook. “The Silvertons ambushed him. They shot him with a silver bullet. He never had a chance.” My knees felt weak. Me—Alpha Kylian, the one packs whispered about with fear and respect—felt my legs tremble like a young pup’s. I knelt beside the sheet. My hand shook as I reached for the corner. The fabric felt too heavy, like it carried the weight of the whole world. This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening. I pulled it back. Blue eyes stared up at nothing. Chase’s blue eyes—the exact same shade as our mother’s—wide and empty, dilated with death. His face looked almost peaceful, like he had just fallen asleep. But the two bullet holes in his chest told the truth. Dark blood stained his white shirt, spreading out like broken wings. My baby brother. Something inside my chest cracked wide open. The world narrowed until there was only his face. Only the blood. Only the knowledge that I had failed him. I should have gone instead. I should have protected him. “They’re all going to die.” The words left my mouth quiet but sharp as a blade. I carefully pulled the sheet back over Chase’s face. My hands were steady now. Cold. “Every single one of them,” I said, louder this time. “I’ll burn their entire pack to the ground.” The men around me stayed silent. They knew better than to speak when grief and rage mixed like this. With a heart that felt like stone, I rode back to the pack house with Jason. The truck was quiet except for the low rumble of the engine. My mind kept turning, planning how I would tell my family. How I would break their world the same way mine had just been broken. When we reached home, I found Mom and Dad sitting together in their private lounge. Soft lights glowed on the walls. A half-finished cup of tea sat on the table. It looked so normal. So peaceful. They looked up when I walked in. Dad smiled first. “Kylian. We heard there was some trouble at the border. Hope nobody was injured?” I stopped in the doorway. My hands clenched into fists at my sides. I cleared my throat, but the words still came out rough. “There was supposed to be a meeting with the Silverton Pack. Chase went in my place. It was all a lie. A planned ambush.” My throat tightened so hard I could barely breathe. “Chase is… he’s gone.” Mom’s face crumpled. A small sound escaped her first, then she burst into tears. “No! Tell me it’s a lie! It’s a lie! My baby… my baby!” She stood up fast, her legs shaking. Dad pulled her into his arms before she could fall. He held her tight as she sobbed against his chest, her whole body trembling. Tears ran down his own face, but he didn’t make a sound. He just rocked her gently, like he used to when we were little. I stood there watching them. My face felt like stone. As Alpha, I was expected to be strong. To hold everything together when the pack needed me. Even when my own heart was bleeding. After a while, the news spread through the house like wildfire. My other siblings rushed in one by one. Their faces pale with shock. They gathered around Mom and Dad, crying softly, holding each other. The room filled with pain so thick I could almost taste it. I stayed by the door, arms crossed over my chest. I didn’t cry with them. I couldn’t. Not yet. Inside my head, only one thought burned bright and hot like fire: The Silvertons will pay. Every warrior. Every elder. Every wolf who had a hand in this. They would feel the same pain they brought to my family. An eye for an eye. Blood for blood. I turned and walked out of the room, leaving my family to their tears. Outside, under the darkening sky, I looked toward the south where the Silverton lands lay. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, hungry for vengeance. This was only the beginning.