THE HEARTLESS ALPHA

EPISODE 12: THE DARK ARRIVAL

James pov:

My breath caught.

If I took another breath, the beast would lunge.

I couldn't move. I was frozen, staring at the massive shadow in front of me.

It wasn't human. My whole body shook. This wasn't a dream. This reality alone could destroy me.

Then I saw it move.

The wolf passed my car and walked, slow and deliberate, toward Alen's house.

The second it turned that way, something inside me snapped.

Fear disappeared.

Rage took its place.

"Alen. No. I won't let anything happen to her."

My heart slammed against my ribs. A power I had never felt before surged through me and burned away the ice in my veins.

I was not the man who ran from monsters.

Alen was mine. And I would walk into death to protect her.

Love turns cowards into fighters. It makes impossible things possible.

And love was why someone like me, who never cared if he lived or died, was ready to face a monster.

I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles went white, watching the wolf get closer to her door.

My mind was chaos. The wolf on one side. Alen's pain on the other, tearing through my chest.

My phone vibrated. Dad.

I hung up and got out of the car.

Before it could break into her home, I had to reach it.

Cold air hit my skin. I didn't know where this strength came from. I didn't care about dying.

There was only one name in my head. Alen.

I walked toward it through the dark, fury burning in my eyes.

I looked for a weapon.

A thick, rusted iron rod was jammed into an old gate.

No normal person could pull it out.

I grabbed it and yanked.

I felt nothing.

The heavy rod came free like it weighed nothing. Like it had been waiting for me.

My eyes widened.

I stared at it in my hands.

My body wasn't normal anymore. I had pulled iron like paper.

The shock froze me, but the wolf was still there. And now I had a weapon.

"Hey!"

My voice cut through the night.

I was shaking from cold and fear, but underneath it was resolve.

I will not let anything happen to Alen.

That thought was the only thing keeping me standing.

The wolf turned its head slowly.

Red eyes burned in the dark. Then they locked on me.

I swallowed.

This is it, James.

Its body lowered. Claws dug into the ground.

A low growl. It was about to attack.

The ground fell away under me.

I wanted to run. But Alen was behind me.

I couldn't.

"Stay away from her!" My voice shook. I raised the rod.

Sweat ran down my face. My hands trembled.

I knew I couldn't win. I was sure it would tear me apart in the next second.

But for Alen, I would be its meal.

Then our eyes met.

And everything stopped.

In its red eyes I saw a reflection.

But it wasn't me.

It was like the wolf was looking past me. At something standing behind me.

The wolf froze. The growl died.

Its eyes widened. It stepped back.

I held my breath. Was this a trick?

But its gaze stayed on my eyes.

Before I could think, it slowly lowered its head.

A soft sound escaped it.

The rod almost slipped from my hands.

I thought it was a trick to get closer.

Then, without a sound, it turned and ran into the darkness.

Gone.

I dropped to my knees, gasping.

Still shaking.

I looked at the rod. At the darkness. At my hands.

"Hmph. Guess it was scared of the iron."

I lied to myself to hide how terrified I was.

I had no idea it hadn't run from the weapon.

It had run from the green power behind my eyes.

But something was still burning in me.

Like something in my blood had woken up.

And only one thought repeated:

Alen. I will never hand you to anyone. Not a man. Not a monster.

Alen pov:

The sound of heavy black cars shattered the quiet. The air turned to ice.

Zooi smoothed her coat. A greedy, fawning smile spread across her face.

My breath stopped. My heart pounded like something terrible was about to happen.

The door opened.

Two tall bodyguards entered and took position on either side.

Then he walked in.

Mr. Robert.

Fifty. Silver hair slicked back. An expensive black suit.

Arrogance in every step. A golden cane with a lion's head in his hand. Eyes cold enough to freeze blood.

Neither Dad nor I knew who he really was.

He wasn't a businessman.

He was the most ruthless Mafia King in the city. A monster who played with lives.

But right now he was hiding it. He was here to ask for my hand.

"Mr. Robert. Welcome. Please, come in," Zooi said, bowing like a servant.

Robert didn't answer. He sat on the sofa and set his cane down. He removed his gloves and placed them on the table. Then he lifted cold, sharp eyes and looked at me.

Seeing him hit me like a punch.

Thirty years older than me. Lines on his face. Eyes that crawled over my body.

I felt sick. Trapped. Helpless.

"So. This is the girl?"

His voice rolled through the room. A cruel smile. "Beautiful. Exactly what I expected."

My mouth went dry. I wanted to scream. To run.

A man my father's age. And my fate was about to hand me to him.

I hid my fists in my sleeves. My heart hammered so hard I thought my ribs would break.

Inside, I was screaming. No. Never.

But helplessness was stronger than refusal.

Life was cruel. I was falling apart. And I couldn't even cry.

All of this was because of Reyan. I hated him for it.

Dad took a deep breath. Worry and defeat were all over his face.

With shaking hands, he set his cup down.

"Mr. Robert. Before we finalize anything, as a father I have to ask," his voice trembled. "Who is in your house? Where are your parents? And Alen is still young. Very innocent. Will you keep her happy? You'll need to adjust for her age. Give her time."

The room went cold.

Robert's smile vanished. His grip tightened on his cane.

This was the city's biggest Mafia King. He wasn't used to questions.

"My family is me," he said. "And as for happiness, money buys it. You don't need to worry."

My throat closed.

Reyan on one side. Robert on the other. And my father begging in the middle.

My father was a good man. But desperation had brought him here.

"Mom... what do I do?" I begged silently.

Dad looked at me. Fear, helplessness, defeat.

No father wants this. But Reyan had tied his hands.

Seeing him break broke me.

I swallowed my tears. Swallowed poison.

And said yes.

In a quiet, shaking voice, "I... agree to the marriage."

Silence fell.

It felt like I had killed my own life with my own words.

Robert smiled. He stood and rested his hand on his cane.

"Good. The wedding is in two days. I don't wait. I'll handle your father's debt. But Alen. The day after tomorrow, you will be in my house."

His words felt like glass in my ears.

Two days.

Zooi's face lit up with greedy joy. She couldn't hide it.

I didn't know it then.

She wasn't marrying me off. She was selling me.

Dad thought this was about honor. Only Zooi knew the truth. She had sold me behind closed doors.

"Tomorrow night is perfect, sir. We'll be ready," Zooi said quickly.

Tomorrow night? One day?

The floor dropped out from under me.

Dad nodded, with no other choice.

He stood to see Robert out. Pain and regret on his face.

A broken father.

While Zooi celebrated in silence.

Robert adjusted his coat and left.

It felt like my last moments of freedom were gone.

And I had no idea the morning ahead would change my life forever.