Chapter 6: Secrets, Shadows, and a Scarred Alpha
775 Words
Chloe avoided him for two days.
Two full days of silence, of locking her bedroom door, of walking around the house like he wasn’t there. She told herself it was necessary—that space would cool whatever the hell that thing was that had taken hold between them. That if she didn’t look into those burning amber eyes, the truth wouldn’t unravel her.
But deep down, she knew better.
Avoiding Dante didn’t kill the pull. It only made it worse.
Every time she breathed, she could still smell him. Still feel the heat of his mouth on hers. Still hear the low, guttural sound of his voice calling her mate. And worst of all—she wanted to go back.
She wanted to believe him.
It was evening when she finally left the house, claiming she needed air. The moment the door closed behind her, she felt it—eyes on her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood. She wasn’t alone.
Her pace quickened.
She didn’t make it to the gate.
A hand clamped around her wrist and dragged her into the shadows between the hedges. She nearly screamed until the light caught the man’s face—
It wasn’t Dante.
It was someone else.
Tall. Scarred. Eyes darker than midnight.
And for a second, he looked just as shocked to see her.
“You’re the girl,” he murmured. His voice was smooth, but rough around the edges, like smoke and gravel. “The human. The one Dante’s been hiding.”
Chloe’s blood ran cold. “Who are you?”
The man didn’t let go. Instead, he tilted his head and sniffed the air, his expression darkening.
“Impossible,” he said under his breath. “You smell like—”
“Let her go.”
That voice. It ripped through the tension like thunder.
Dante.
He stepped into the shadows, his body a wall of rage and restraint. His eyes were glowing, full-on golden now, and his fists were clenched at his sides.
“Luca,” he growled. “Back. Off.”
Luca.
The name punched a memory in her head—something Dante had said once. “Luca was once like a brother to me.” And yet here they were—opposite sides of a battlefield.
“She’s your mate?” Luca asked, disbelief tainting his tone. “You, of all wolves, bonded to a human?”
“She’s not just a human,” Dante snarled, moving forward now. “She’s mine.”
“You’re out of your damn mind,” Luca said, laughing bitterly. “Do you have any idea what this will cost you? The Council won’t—”
“I don’t give a damn about the Council!” Dante roared.
Chloe had never heard him like this. Wild. Unhinged. Animal.
Luca looked at her one last time before releasing her wrist and backing off. “This is bigger than you, Dante,” he said coldly. “You can’t protect her from everything.”
“She has me,” Dante said without looking away from Luca. “That’s more than enough.”
With one last glare, Luca disappeared into the shadows.
Chloe could barely breathe. Her hands were shaking.
Dante turned to her, and the moment their eyes met, the rage in him melted—just a little.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, reaching for her. “I didn’t think they’d come for you. Not this soon.”
She let him touch her. Let his hands cup her cheeks. Let her body tremble under the weight of what just happened.
“Who was that?” she asked.
“My old pack,” Dante said. “The one I left behind when I swore never to follow anyone again.”
“And Luca?”
He hesitated.
“He was supposed to be my alpha,” he finally said. “Until I realized he only cared about power. About control. He wanted me to kill someone to prove my loyalty. I refused. I walked away.”
Chloe swallowed hard. “And now he’s here. For me?”
“No.” Dante’s voice was pure steel. “He’s here because I claimed you. Because mating with a human breaks every unspoken law in our world. But I don’t care what they say. You are mine, Chloe. And I’ll burn down the entire pack system before I let them take you from me.”
She believed him.
God help her… she wanted to believe him.
But as she looked into the fire in his eyes, one thought refused to leave her mind:
What the hell had she gotten herself into?
- Writer
