Broken Alpha

CHAPTER EIGHT

The figure stumbled into the room and the weak firelight flickered over their face. My breath caught in my throat. It wasn’t Luke. It wasn’t Evelyne. It was a man I had never seen before. He was tall with dark hair and a scar across his cheek. His clothes were rough and torn like he had been in a fight.

I tightened my grip on the fire poker. My heart pounded in my chest. He looked at me then at the door like he wasn’t sure if he should be here.

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice sharp but quiet.

The man took a step forward, his eyes scanning the room. "You need to come with me," he whispered.

I didn’t move. My legs felt frozen. "Why would I go anywhere with you?"

He frowned like he was frustrated. "Because if you stay here, you won’t make it out alive."

My pulse raced. "Luke will kill you if he finds you here," I warned.

The man let out a short laugh. "Luke has bigger problems right now. He won’t notice I’m gone."

Something about the way he said it made me uneasy. "What do you mean?"

He walked closer, lowering his voice. "The pack is turning against him. Some think he’s too weak. Others think he’s too dangerous. And then there’s you."

I swallowed hard. "Me?"

He nodded. "You’re a problem, Audrey. Some want to use you against him. Others want you dead. If you don’t leave now, you might not get another chance."

I hesitated. Evelyne had said the same thing. But was this man telling the truth? Or was he just another person trying to use me?

"Who sent you?" I asked.

"A friend," he said quickly. "Someone who doesn’t want to see you die here."

I gripped the poker tighter. "I don’t trust you."

He sighed like he expected that. "You don’t have to trust me. But you need to decide. Now."

The door creaked again. My breath hitched.

The man spun around, reaching for a knife at his belt.

But it wasn’t Luke.

It wasn’t Evelyne.

It wasn’t a guard.

It was Aiden.

And he did not look happy.

Aiden stood in the doorway, his gray eyes scanning the room. He wasn’t surprised to see me awake, but his expression darkened when he saw the man standing near me. His jaw clenched, and his hand moved toward the sword at his side.

"You have exactly three seconds to explain what you’re doing here before I put a blade through your throat," Aiden said coldly.

The man didn’t flinch. Instead, he turned slightly, keeping one hand near his knife but not drawing it. "I’m here to get her out."

Aiden let out a dry laugh. "Is that so? And where exactly do you plan on taking her?"

The man didn’t answer right away. I could see his muscles tense. He knew he was at a disadvantage. Aiden was faster, stronger, and didn’t hesitate to kill.

I glanced at Aiden, trying to understand what he was thinking. His posture was relaxed, but I knew better. He was watching, waiting, deciding whether this man was worth keeping alive.

I took a step forward. "Who is he, Aiden?"

Aiden’s eyes flicked to me, his expression unreadable. "An i***t," he muttered. Then he turned back to the man. "Step away from her. Now."

The man hesitated, then slowly raised his hands in surrender. He stepped back toward the wall, but his eyes remained locked on me. "You don’t belong here," he said again, his voice lower this time.

Aiden sighed like he was tired of the conversation. In one swift motion, he closed the distance between them and slammed the man against the wall, his forearm pressing against his throat. "I don’t care who sent you," he said. "You’re leaving this place in pieces if you don’t start talking."

The man choked slightly but didn’t struggle. "You think I’m the only one trying to get her out?" he rasped. "You think she’s safe here?"

Aiden’s grip tightened. "She’s safer with Luke than she is with whatever group you’re working for."

The man’s lips curled into a smirk. "You actually believe that?"

Something in Aiden’s eyes shifted, but he didn’t loosen his hold. "I believe Luke is the only one who decides what happens to her."

I felt my breath hitch at his words. It wasn’t about what I wanted. It never had been.

Aiden shoved the man back and stepped away. "You have ten seconds to get out of this room before I decide to kill you anyway."

The man exhaled sharply and straightened his clothes. He gave me one last look. "If you stay here, you’ll regret it," he murmured. Then, without another word, he turned and disappeared out the door.

Aiden didn’t move right away. He stood there, watching the open doorway, his fingers twitching like he wanted to go after him.

I let out a slow breath. "Who was he?"

Aiden finally looked at me. "Nobody important."

I frowned. "That’s not an answer."

Aiden ran a hand through his blonde hair. "Just another fool who thinks he can play hero."

I narrowed my eyes. "He said Luke has enemies inside the pack."

Aiden sighed. "Everyone has enemies, Audrey. You think Luke got to where he is without making some?"

I stepped closer. "Are you one of them?"

Aiden’s expression didn’t change. "If I was, you wouldn’t be asking me that question right now."

I studied him carefully. Aiden had always been hard to read. He wasn’t like Luke. He didn’t carry the same cold cruelty. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous.

"Why are you here, Aiden?" I asked.

He let out a slow breath. "Luke sent me."

I stiffened. "Why?"

"Because he doesn’t trust you," Aiden said bluntly. "And after what just happened, neither do I."

I felt my stomach twist. "I didn’t ask that man to come here."

"I know," Aiden said. "But it doesn’t matter. The fact that someone did means you’re a liability."

I clenched my fists. "So what? Are you here to lock me up again?"

Aiden studied me for a moment, then shook his head. "No. I’m here to give you a choice."

I hesitated. "What kind of choice?"

Aiden leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "You can either stay here, under Luke’s protection, and stop trying to run. Or…"

I swallowed hard. "Or what?"

Aiden’s gaze darkened. "Or I can make sure you never get the chance to leave again."

Silence filled the room.

I felt my blood turn cold. "You’d kill me?"

Aiden didn’t blink. "If I had to."

I took a shaky breath. "Luke wouldn’t let you."

Aiden smirked. "Wouldn’t he?"

I stared at him, searching for any sign that he was lying. But Aiden wasn’t the type to bluff.

My heart pounded in my chest.

I had no real choice.

Luke had made sure of that.

I exhaled slowly. "Fine."

Aiden nodded, pushing off the wall. "Good. I’ll let Luke know."

He turned to leave, but I wasn’t done. "Aiden."

He paused, glancing back at me.

I met his gaze. "Why are you really helping him?"

For the first time, Aiden hesitated. It was brief, but I saw it.

Then he gave me a small, unreadable smile. "Because I owe him."

And with that, he walked out, leaving me alone with more questions than answers.