The Alpha's Abused Daughter

Jensen pov

I don’t understand why I feel the need to protect her.

I told myself it was because of the promise I made to her brother—and her mother. That I was just doing what I said I would,

Her mother told me how brutal Warwick can be but she also said he wouldn’t hurt her like he did his Luna.

Now I’m doubting that to be the truth.

But this… felt different.

Freya didn’t even realise how strong she was. How much power sat just under the surface. It frustrated me more than it should, I cannot imagine how much it would frustrate her.

I wonder if she even knew how powerful she actually was?

As her twin is?

Every few minutes, my eyes drifted back to her.

Something wasn’t right here.

Not with her.

Not with this pack.

Being a leader—a real leader—wasn’t about control.

It was about putting your pack before yourself. Protecting them. Earning their loyalty.

If you gave them that, they became family.

And family fought for you.

Freya stood and made her way to the front of the class, speaking quietly to Mrs Oakley.

I tuned in, letting my hearing sharpen.

Her heartbeat was too fast.

She was lying.

She just wanted out.

“She’s avoiding you,” Lucas muttered in my head, my wolf’s tone laced with amusement. “You should follow her. Make her come back.”

I rolled my eyes internally.

“k********g isn’t exactly subtle, Lucas,” I shot back. “And I’m not forcing her into anything. We don’t even know what’s going on yet.”

I shifted my focus and opened a mind link.

“Hey, you asleep already?” I asked.

Lawrence responded instantly.

“Nope. Just bored in class. What’s up?”

“I met Freya.”

A pause.

“I think I scared her off.”

“You i***t,” Lawrence snapped. “I told you she was fragile and to leave it to me. What did you do?”

I hesitated.

“I… grabbed her waist. Told her I’d kill anyone who hurt her.”

There was silence.

Then—

“Oh wow. That’s… impressive, Jensen. One day here and you’ve already messed things up.”

“I don’t know,” I muttered. “I just… felt this urge to protect her. To mark her. To make sure everyone knew—”

“Jensen,” Lawrence cut in sharply. “You did what?”

I frowned.

“I hope she showers,” he continued. “Because if her father smells you on her, this is going to get ugly fast. He’s not just overprotective—he’s dangerous. There’s a reason I mask my scent around her… and him.”

That made me pause.

“She’s usually alone for a reason,” Lawrence added. “And lately… she’s been getting weaker. Thinner. Something’s wrong.”

I clenched my jaw.

“I’ll fix it,” I said quietly.

“You better,” he replied. “Because if she gets hurt, that’s on you.”

The link cut.

I sat there, stunned.

Lawrence had just spoken to me like that.

To his Acting Alpha.

“Don’t even think about snapping back,” Lucas said lazily. “You deserved it. We’re here for intel, remember? Not whatever that was.”

I exhaled slowly.

He wasn’t wrong.

I reopened the link.

“She just left,” I said. “Keep an eye on her.”

“I always do,” Lawrence replied.

“I’m going to request a meeting with her father tonight. See where we stand. Trade. Alliances. I want to see how he runs things… and how she’s living.”

There was a long pause.

I knew Lawrence cared about her.

He’d been placed here for a reason—and he’d stayed longer than most would.

Her brother, Josh, was the same.

Strong. Capable. More than ready to take over.

But he refused.

Didn’t want to become his father.

Instead, he wanted to stand beside me—train my pack, build something better.

That kind of loyalty…

You didn’t take it lightly.

“I’ll keep watch,” Lawrence finally said. “You didn’t need to ask.”

Another pause.

“She’s a good person, Jensen. I just don’t want anything happening to her.”

His tone softened slightly.

“Do you think she could be your mate?”

Lucas stirred, a low growl rumbling through me.

“No,” I said quickly.

Too quickly.

“I respect Josh. She’s his sister.”

But even as I said it…

I knew that wasn’t the real answer.

Her scent had calmed me.

Grounded me.

Pulled something out of me I didn’t recognise.

Maybe.

But we wouldn’t know for sure.

Not until she got her wolf

The bell rang, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Chairs scraped. Voices filled the room. People moved like nothing had shifted—like the air hadn’t changed, like something bigger hadn’t just started.

I stayed seated for a moment longer.

Watching the empty space where she had been.

“She’s different.”

Lucas’s voice was quieter now. Less mocking. More certain.

“I know.”

“You felt it too.”

I didn’t answer straight away.

Because I had.

And I didn’t like how much.

I pushed myself up from my chair and grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder as I moved through the crowd. The scent of everyone around me was overwhelming—perfume, sweat, cheap deodorant, hunger, desire.

None of it mattered.

None of it compared.

I stepped out into the hallway and paused.

Closed my eyes.

Focused.

Her scent was faint now.

but still there.

Citrus.

Bright.

Alive.

And underneath it

Fear.

My jaw tightened.

“She didn’t just leave because of you,” Lucas said. “That fear? That wasn’t us.”

“I know,” I muttered.

I started walking.

Faster.

Ignoring the people in my way, the looks, the whispers.

I followed the fading trace of her scent down the corridor, through the main building, toward the front office.

By the time I reached it was gone.

“Shit.”

“She’s not here anymore,” Lucas said simply.

No.

She wasn’t.

I turned sharply and headed back outside, scanning the car park, the gates, the road beyond.

Nothing.

No sign of her.

“She left,” I said.

“And you let her.”

I ignored him.

My chest felt… off.

Tight.

Like something was pulling at me, urging me to move, to find her, to do something.

I’d never felt that before.

Not like this.

“This is stupid,” I muttered, dragging a hand through my hair. “I don’t even know her.”

“You don’t need to,” Lucas replied.

That didn’t help.

I forced myself to stop pacing.

Think.

Act like an Alpha.

If something was wrong—

I’d find out.

The right way.

“Tonight,” I said under my breath. “We go tonight.”

Lucas stirred in agreement.

I pulled out my phone and sent a quick message to my father’s Beta.

Requesting audience with Alpha Warwick. Urgent.

The reply came almost instantly.

Granted. Be respectful. Observe first.

A slow smile pulled at my lips.

“Oh, I’ll observe,” I murmured.

Because if even half of what I was starting to suspect was true…

This wasn’t just about alliances anymore.

⸻

This was personal.

⸻

I glanced once more toward the road Freya had taken.

The empty space.

⸻

“You better be okay,” I said quietly.

⸻

Lucas didn’t reply this time.

But I felt him there.

Watching.

Waiting.

⸻

And for the first time in a long time—

So was I.