Bound To The Alpha She Left

Chapter 7

Raymond’s POV.

The ballroom was a grand sight, but amidst all the luxury, I felt only the restless pulse of my wolf.

It was begging me to go to Elena.

As Alpha, however, I had duties to fulfill before I could comply with my wolf’s demands.

I stood near the elevated platform, a glass of aged whiskey resting loosely in my grip as I navigated conversations with pack lords and elders.

“Alpha Raymond,” Elder Vance, the cousin to the incompetent Dr. Vance, nodded respectfully. “The trade agreements with the northern borders are secured, thanks to your swift oversight.”

“Good to hear,” I replied evenly. “We require stability this quarter.”

On the surface, I was the picture of unshakable Alpha dominance. But beneath the tailored black suit and the charm, my thoughts kept slipping elsewhere.

To when my head of security had pulled me aside ten minutes ago to deliver a report: She rejected the royal blue gown.

A low, dark surge of satisfaction had thrummed through me at the news. Royal blue was the traditional hue reserved for a Luna—a visual mark that would have publicly branded her as mine the second she walked through those doors. By snubbing the dress, she was making her stance loud and clear.

She wasn’t going to play my puppet.

God, I loved her fire.

My wolf roared in agreement, captivated by her bite. But beneath the intoxicating thrill of her rebellion, a quiet, agonizing ache settled in my chest.

Why are you fighting me so fiercely, Elena?

All those years ago, when she had vanished and left behind an infuriatingly formal letter claiming she couldn’t handle the pack life any longer. That the weight of being an Omega mated to an Alpha was too much. But as I had reread those faded lines a thousand times over the last five years, one brutal detail always stood out: she had never once written that she stopped loving me.

She had cited pack duties, social pressure, and political friction. Never once mentioned what was in her heart.

I suppressed a sharp, familiar stab of hurt by swallowing a sip of whiskey. I had built an empire, secured my territory, and tied myself to a sham marriage just to have a world where no one could ever force her out again.

I would uncover the truth of why she ran. And this time, I would make her stay.

A sudden shift in the room’s ambient noise broke my trance.

The low hum of chatter died down, replaced by a wave of sharp gasps and whispers near the grand arched doorway.

I turned. My breath caught in my throat.

Elena stood at the top of the marble staircase, wearing a breathtaking, blood-crimson floor-length dress that clung to her curves in all the right places, complete with a daring thigh-high slit and an off-the-shoulder neckline.

She wasn’t dressed as a submissive Omega or a second-tier Luna. She was dressed as a queen about to claim a battlefield.

Beside the platform, Biana’s face contorted into a mask of disgust. I knew she was about to stir the pot even before she opened her mouth. She took three sharp steps forward, raising her voice so the nearby elders and high council members would hear.

“Oh, would you look at that,” Biana sneered, her voice carrying across the ballroom. “Dressed like a common courtesan. I suppose we shouldn’t expect respectful behavior from an uninvited guest.”

Several elders murmured, shifting uncomfortably.

Before Biana could draw another breath in an attempt to humiliate her, I moved.

I walked straight up to Elena, stopping right in front of her. Her eyes flashed with defiance, her shoulders rigid, preparing herself for a fight.

Instead, I offered her the most devastatingly handsome smile I could muster. I reached out, gently taking her gloved hand in mine, feeling the subtle tremor of her pulse.

“You look breathtaking, Elena,” I murmured, loud enough for the surrounding lords to hear.

Without waiting for her permission—and ignoring the furious gasp from Biana behind us—I placed her hand over the crook of my arm and escorted her directly past the whispering crowd, leading her to the central head table.

“Raymond,” she hissed under her breath. “What are you doing?”

“Escorting the most important woman in this room to her seat,” I replied, pulling out the carved mahogany chair directly to the right of the Alpha throne.

Before she could protest, a loud clearing of a throat echoed through the audio system.

Elder Thomas—one of the most respected, iron-willed patriarchs on the High Council—stood up at the main table, holding his crystal glass high. His face, usually pale and drawn from years of chronic illness, looked remarkably vibrant.

“If I may have everyone’s attention,” Elder Thomas called out, his voice commanding silence across the hall. The crowd turned instantly. “Tonight, we gather to celebrate the prosperity of the Moon Pack. But I must call attention to a matter of life and death that occurred within these very walls earlier today.”

Beside me, I felt Elena go still.

“For months, my health has waned under the care of Dr. Vance,” Elder Thomas continued, casting a sharp, icy glare toward the disgraced former Head Physician standing near the back walls. “I was told my body was failing. But today, our new arrival took one look at my charts, identified a catastrophic misdiagnosis, and saved my life before the sun could set.”

Murmurs rippled through the council members. Vance turned beet red, shrinking back into the shadows.

“To Doctor Elena!” Elder Thomas declared, raising his glass higher. “A healer of unmatched brilliance and unwavering integrity!”

“To Doctor Elena!” the room echoed in a thunderous toast.

I smiled, taking the microphone from the podium beside the table. My voice resonated through the vast chamber.

“Elder Thomas speaks the truth,” I announced, my gaze sweeping over the council lords before settling directly on Elena’s stunned face. “Effective immediately, Doctor Elena assumes full authority as the Chief Healer of the Moon Pack Medical System. Her directives are thorough, her authority unchallengeable.”

With a single sentence, I had just stripped Dr. Vance of his political leverage and elevated Elena to a position of unshakable status within my pack. This would teach anyone not to ever oppose or attempt to shame my mate again.