THE ALPHA'S DEADLY PROMISE

His warning

Chapter 4: His Warning

‎Rose didn't go back to the pack house.

‎She stayed in the forest, sitting with her back against the tree until the sky began to lighten. Her body ached from the cold and from fighting the bond all night, but she didn't move. Couldn't move.

‎Every time she thought about returning to her room, about facing Mary's questions or pretending everything was normal, her chest tightened until she couldn't breathe.

‎Nothing was normal. Nothing would ever be normal again.

‎The bond hummed steadily in the background, a constant reminder of Johnson's presence. She could feel him somewhere to the east, could sense that he wasn't sleeping either. The connection told her things she didn't want to know—that he was restless, that he was aware of her every moment, that the bond was affecting him just as strongly as it was affecting her.

‎She hated it.

‎When the first rays of sunlight broke through the trees, Rose finally stood. Her legs were stiff, her muscles protesting the movement. She brushed dirt and leaves off her jeans and started walking north.

‎Toward the border. Toward him.

‎Her wolf stirred with anticipation, and Rose shoved it down hard. This wasn't a reunion. This wasn't some romantic meeting between mates. This was survival. Nothing more.

‎The north border was marked by an old stone wall, crumbling in places but still standing after generations. It separated pack territory from the unclaimed lands beyond—wild spaces where rogues sometimes wandered. Rose had been here a few times before, always during daylight, always with others.

‎Now she was alone.

‎Johnson was already there.

‎He stood near a gap in the wall, his back to a massive oak tree. He'd changed clothes since last night—dark jeans and a black jacket that made him look even more dangerous than usual. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his eyes tracked her approach with an intensity that made her skin prickle.

‎Rose stopped ten feet away. The bond pulled at her to close the distance, but she planted her feet and refused to move closer.

‎"You came," Johnson said.

‎"Did I have a choice?" Rose's voice was flat.

‎"No." At least he was honest. Johnson pushed away from the tree and took a single step toward her. "But you could have made this harder. Thank you for not doing that."

‎Rose didn't respond. She wasn't here for pleasantries.

‎Johnson seemed to understand. His expression shifted back to that carefully neutral mask. "We need to establish some ground rules."

‎"Rules."

‎"About the bond. About what happens next." He paused, and Rose saw his jaw tighten. "About what you saw."

‎There it was. The real reason he'd demanded this meeting.

‎Rose's hands clenched into fists at her sides. "You mean the murder."

‎"I mean the execution of a rogue who betrayed the pack." Johnson's voice was cold, controlled. "That's what you saw, Rose. Nothing more."

‎"She was begging for her life."

‎"They always do."

‎The casual way he said it made Rose's stomach turn. "How many?"

‎Johnson's eyes narrowed. "What?"

‎"How many people have you killed?" Rose forced herself to hold his gaze. "How many executions have you carried out for the Alpha?"

‎For a moment, Johnson said nothing. Then, quietly, "Enough."

‎"That's not an answer."

‎"It's the only answer you're getting." Johnson moved closer, and this time Rose couldn't help but take a step back. He stopped immediately, something flickering in his eyes. "I don't expect you to understand my role in this pack. I don't expect you to approve. But I need you to understand something."

‎"What?"

‎"You can't tell anyone what you saw."

‎Rose's heart hammered against her ribs. "Why? Because it would expose what you really are?"

‎"Because it would put you in danger." Johnson's voice dropped lower, more intense. "The Alpha gave me that order directly. If he finds out you witnessed it, that you know about it—"

‎"He'll have you kill me too?" Rose finished.

‎Johnson's expression went dark. "He might try."

‎The words hung in the air between them, heavy with implication.

‎Rose felt cold wash over her. "You're threatening me."

‎"I'm warning you." Johnson closed the distance between them before Rose could retreat again. He didn't touch her, but he was close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off him. "Alpha Paul doesn't tolerate loose ends. If he thinks you're a threat to pack security, he'll eliminate you. With or without me."

‎"Then I'll tell him you said that. I'll tell everyone what kind of Alpha we really have."

‎"And who do you think they'll believe?" Johnson's voice was harsh now. "The Alpha's most trusted enforcer, or a mid-ranked wolf with no proof and a wild story?"

‎Rose opened her mouth, then closed it. He was right. She had no evidence, no witnesses. It would be her word against Johnson's, against the Alpha's. And in a pack built on hierarchy and loyalty, her word meant nothing.

‎"So I just stay quiet," Rose said bitterly. "Pretend I didn't see anything. Pretend that woman didn't die begging for mercy."

‎"Yes."

‎"And if I don't?"

‎Johnson's eyes met hers, and for the first time since the bond snapped, Rose saw real emotion there. Not anger or coldness, but something that looked almost like fear.

‎"Then we both die," he said quietly. "The Alpha will order your execution, and when I refuse to carry it out, he'll order mine too."

‎Rose's breath caught. "You'd refuse?"

‎"The bond won't give me a choice." Johnson's hand twitched like he wanted to reach for her, but he kept it at his side. "I can't hurt you, Rose. The mate bond won't allow it. My wolf would tear me apart from the inside before it let me harm you."

‎"But you could hurt that woman just fine."

‎The words came out sharp, accusing. Johnson flinched, and Rose saw something crack in his carefully controlled expression.

‎"That was different," he said, but his voice lacked conviction.

‎"How?"

‎"She wasn't—" Johnson stopped, his jaw working. "She wasn't you."

‎Rose stared at him. The confession hung between them, raw and uncomfortable. She could feel the truth of it through the bond—Johnson hadn't cared about the woman in the clearing. Maybe he'd felt nothing at all when he killed her. But now, with the mate bond in place, everything was different.

‎He couldn't hurt Rose. Couldn't even contemplate it without his wolf revolting.

‎It should have made her feel safer. Instead, it just made her feel sick.

‎"So your solution is for me to stay quiet and let you keep killing people on the Alpha's orders," Rose said.

‎"My solution is for both of us to survive this." Johnson ran a hand through his hair, frustration bleeding through. "I know you don't understand. I know you think I'm a monster. But I'm trying to protect you."

‎"By threatening me into silence."

‎"By keeping you alive." Johnson's voice rose slightly. "Do you think I want this? Do you think I wanted to be bound to someone who looks at me like I'm something she scraped off her shoe?"

‎"Then reject the bond yourself," Rose shot back. "If it's so terrible being tied to me, end it."

‎"I can't."

‎"Why not?"

‎Johnson stared at her, and the vulnerability in his eyes made Rose's chest tighten. "Because despite everything, despite what you think of me, my wolf has already decided. You're mine. And I'll be damned if I let anything happen to you, even if you hate me for it."

‎The words hit Rose like a physical blow. She could feel the truth of them through the bond—the fierce possessiveness, the desperate need to protect. Johnson meant every word.

‎It terrified her.

‎"I need guarantees," Rose said, forcing her voice to stay steady.

‎Johnson's eyebrows rose slightly. "What kind of guarantees?"

‎"That you won't hurt anyone else. That you'll question the Alpha's orders."

‎"I can't promise that."

‎"Then we have nothing to discuss." Rose turned to walk away.

‎Johnson grabbed her arm, his grip gentle but firm. The moment his skin touched hers, the bond flared with heat and light, sending sensation racing through her body. Rose gasped, and she saw Johnson's pupils dilate as he felt it too.

‎"Let go," Rose whispered, but her voice shook.

‎Johnson's thumb moved against her wrist, almost unconscious. "I can't promise I'll defy the Alpha. Not yet. But I promise you this—I will keep you safe. No matter what it takes, no matter what I have to do, you will be protected."

‎"That's not good enough."

‎"It's all I have." Johnson's grip loosened, and Rose pulled her arm free. The loss of contact made the bond ache with protest. "Rose, please. Just give me time. Let me figure this out."

‎"Figure what out?"

‎"How to be what you need me to be." The confession seemed to cost him. "I've been the Alpha's weapon for so long, I don't know how to be anything else. But for you—" He stopped, something vulnerable crossing his face. "For you, I'll try."

‎Rose wanted to stay angry. Wanted to cling to her hatred and disgust. But looking at Johnson now, seeing the conflict written across his features, she felt something shift inside her chest.

‎He was a killer. A monster who followed orders without question.

‎But he was also her mate. And through the bond, she could feel that he was telling the truth. He would try. For her.

‎It wasn't enough. It would never be enough to erase what she'd seen.

‎But it was something.

‎"I won't tell anyone what I saw," Rose said finally. "Not yet. But if you kill another innocent person, if you execute someone without proof of their crime, I will expose you. Mate bond or not."

‎Johnson's expression hardened. "That's a dangerous promise to make."

‎"So is yours."

‎They stared at each other, locked in a silent battle of wills. Finally, Johnson nodded. "Fair enough."

‎"And I want space. Real space. I can't—" Rose gestured between them. "I can't do this every day. I can't be near you and feel the bond pulling at me and pretend everything is fine."

‎"The bond won't like that."

‎"I don't care what the bond likes." Rose's voice was sharp. "I need time to process this. All of this."

‎Johnson was quiet for a long moment. Then he said, "Three days. I'll give you three days to yourself. But after that, we meet again. The bond will demand it."

‎"Fine."

‎"And Rose?" Johnson waited until she met his eyes. "If you're in danger, if anything happens, you come to me immediately. The bond means I'll feel it if you're hurt, but I need you to promise me you won't try to handle it alone."

‎"Why would I be in danger?"

‎Johnson's expression went dark. "Because now that the bond has snapped, other wolves will sense it. They'll know you're claimed. And some of them won't like that the executioner has a mate."

‎Rose's blood ran cold. She hadn't thought about that. Hadn't considered what it would mean for others to know she was bound to Johnson.

‎"Three days," she repeated, her voice hollow. "Then we'll talk again."

‎Johnson nodded. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but instead he just stepped back, putting distance between them. The bond protested immediately, pulling at Rose's chest.

‎She turned and walked away before she could change her mind.

‎Behind her, she felt Johnson watching until she disappeared into the trees.

‎And even then, she could feel him. Could sense his presence like a shadow that would follow her for the rest of her life.

‎Three days. She had three days to figure out how to survive being bound to a killer.

‎Rose wasn't sure it would be enough.

‎