The alpha's human mistake

Chapter4

Again, the warning cry echoed throughout the night, this time more clearly, piercing the stillness like a knife. The wooden wolf carving remained in my hand as I sat up in bed with my heart pounding against my ribs. I pondered for a moment whether it was just another nightmare that bled into reality.

The genuine, urgent, and coordinated howls then began.

The call to arms was going out to the pack.

I put on boots and a cloak without thinking about anything else. As I went outside, my hands started shaking. Tension filled the forest like it was alive. Wolves were already morphing into powerful beasts in the moonlight as torchlight blazed off into the distance toward the main hall.

Kael's steady and authoritative voice came from somewhere in the distance.

"Movement is reported by border patrol, at least twenty rogues. Hold your ground!”

I moved without thinking toward the noise. I knew in part that I should stay hidden in the cabin because humans were not allowed in a wolf fight. However, standing still was worse as I needed to see what was threatening this pack if it was my home, even if it was broken.

Mira found me halfway there with a bag of healing supplies slung over her shoulder and her braid already loose.

She said, "You shouldn't be out here," but she didn't really mean it. She already knew enough about me.

I said, "I can't just wait."

"Not any longer."

I was given a small dagger from her belt after she gave me a brief nod.

“Remain calm. Only use this if absolutely necessary."

Just as Kael and a group of warriors were getting ready to leave, we arrived at the edge of the group. Selene was already in a fighting stance and stood next to him with her silver-flecked hair pulled back. She seemed as brave and focused as Luna the warrior.

It came as no surprise when she briefly looked into mine.

Only a shared awareness of the fact that trouble did not wait for personal dramas to end.

Then, Kael saw me.

He looked worried, but he didn't tell me to go back. He gave a quick nod instead.

"Assist the healers. Get to safety if they manage to break through."

The group dispersed and dissolved into the trees. Mira and a few others and I followed from a distance, the forest path familiar to me even in the dark. The scent of wet earth and anticipation filled the air to the brim.

The same questions that had haunted me for days raced through my mind.

Was this the "problem" that Kael had mentioned?, what is the purpose of the partnership with Silvercrest?, and just how much more was he keeping from me?.

We arrived at a ridge with a view of the eastern border.

Rogues with wild eyes and scars, some in human form and others already shifted, the shadows below moved. In a flurry of fangs and claws, they engaged Thornwood patrols.

The night was filled with snarls and growls.

As I watched Kael fight at the front, I sank to my knees with my heart in my throat.

He was magnificent and terrifying, a terrifying black wolf whose powerful shoulders ripped through the enemies.

He fought alongside Selene.

Their instinctive, fluid synchronization of movement spoke to the bond. She swiftly guarded Kael's flank as she killed a rogue with a precise strike.

It was stunning, painful.

A glimpse of what the Moon Goddess might have planned for the future.

One rogue broke through the line and flew straight for our ridgetop position.

Mira pushed me behind her as she cursed.

White-knuckled, I took the dagger in my hand.

The beast was huge, and its eyes were glowing with wild hunger. It jumped and in a split second, Mira shifted and viciously snarled at it while it was in midair.

In a web of fur and teeth, they fell down the slope.

Fear gnawing at my chest, I dashed after them.

Mira was bleeding from her side when they parted ways, but the rogue was down.

I fell beside her and applied pressure to the wound with my hands.

"Remain with me, Please.”

She grimaced as she shifted back.

It's not very deep, help me tie it up!

The sounds of battle began to quieten down as I tore strips from my cloak to wrap her wound. The rebels were being driven back by Kael's forces as they retreated.

For now, victory.

However, the price was evident in the limping of wounded wolves and the metallic odor of blood.

We were found quickly by Kael. His shirt was torn and blood was streaking his arm as his wolf form returned to the person I knew.

Before turning his attention to me, he knelt beside Mira and quickly examined her.

There was a glimmer of relief and something deeper.

He exhaled, "You're safe."

I replied, "Barely."

The blood of Mira remained on my hands.

What did that mean?

Those rebels were well-organized, not merely strays seeking territory.

He supported Mira's weight as he helped her stand.

Selene joined us, despite having a hard time breathing.

She stated, "They're getting bolder."

She spoke calmly, but her eyes were scanning the trees as though she expected more.

My pack has fought groups that are similar. They are being guided, they're being gathered by someone.

Kael's jaw clenched, he gave me a quick glance before turning away.

That look once more, which suggested that he was concealing bits of the truth.

The healers cared for the more seriously injured as we slowly returned. While I stayed close to Mira and offered assistance wherever I could, my thoughts persisted.

The pack buzzed with a mixture of excitement and anxiety when they returned to the central hall to tend to wounds and light fires. The fight's stories quickly spread and already people were praising Selene for her part in it.

The ideal Luna, stepping in when called upon.

I was small – human not appropriate.

Kael found me sitting alone near the hall's edge, staring into a smaller fire, after the rest of the group had settled in.

He sat next to me without asking, getting close enough to touch our shoulders.

He whispered, "You shouldn't have been there."

"But... I'm grateful you helped Mira."

"Kael, I'm not useless. Not entirely."

"I never imagined you were."

He paused and rubbed his face with one hand.

Tonight, the exhaustion was even worse.

There are other issues as well as the rogues. In the mountains, there are rumors of an old power awakening. something that could put all of the packs in danger. The only way to face it, according to Selene's father, is through a strong alliance. The bond only sped up what was already happening.

I turned to fully examine him.

The old battle scar above his brow was highlighted as firelight danced across his features.

"Where do I fit into this grand scheme, too? Is it my job to stand by and watch you create this future while you disappear into the background?"

He tried to grab my hand.

With his familiar, warm grip, I let him take it.

"I don't want you to go away. Elara, however, the bond is pulling me in. It gets stronger each day. I feel as though I'm being split in two."

Between us, his confession was hanging, real and raw.

I saw him fully for the first time—not just as Alpha, but as a man torn between duty, fate, and whatever feelings he had for the person he had once saved.

Selene came up and stopped me before I could respond.

She came to a respectful stop some distance away.

“The scouts report the rogues have scattered for now. However, the eastern line should be reinforced tomorrow."

Despite his nod, Kael did not immediately release my hand.

Selene was aware.

Even though her expression remained composed, I noticed something—understanding? Jealousy?

It vanished too quickly to read.

Kael squeezed my fingers as she left.

"We'll figure out this, I do promise."

I wanted to have faith in him.

But previous promises had been broken.

Once more, I was unable to fall asleep that night in my cabin.

The wooden wolf was silently observing from the small table.

The forest outside was hushed by wind and distant patrols.

Incessant questions kept coming in.

What was the mountain's "old power"? How much did Selene already know about Kael's secrets and how deep did they go? Most importantly, as the new bond between the pack members grew stronger, was there still room for me, or would I have to transform into something else to survive?

Nearing midnight, there was a soft knock at my door, there was no one outside when I opened it.

Selene's cloak-like silver ribbon was all that was attached to the tiny bundle of wildflowers.

A donation?, a caution? or the first strand of something that I wasn't yet able to see?.

My tiny room was filled with there odor as I brought them inside.

The night was heavier, and the prospects for the future were worse than ever.

However, for the first time in days, I wasn't completely helpless.

The situation was changing, within me, within the package.

I wouldn't have to deal with whatever came next like the broken girl Kael had saved.