The Alpha Who Couldn’t Reject Me

What They Buried

No packs's records were allowed after midnight.

And that's exactly why I was there.

I walked quickly across the eastern corridor and pushed aside a tapestry to reveal an ancient door fashioned from stone.

I nervously unlocked it with a key I had managed to filch from the records keeper.

My heart thumped erratically against my ribs as the door creaked open. Thousands upon thousands of documents crammed the shelves within the room.

Pack's histories.

Birth certificates.

Territory contracts.

Execution orders.

Everything the Alphas deemed best left in the dark and unremembered.

I retrieved a small lamp from my pocket and began to read.

The Vales.

No luck. I tried again.

Nothing still. Then I noticed that a shelf had been labeled Bloodlines-Restricted. My pulse jumped.

I carefully retrieved the oldest, bulkiest ledger and flipped it open.

My father's name, Rowan Vale, Alpha of Moonridge, sat prominently on the page. Stunned, I re-read the paper slowly, disbelieving my own eyes. My father had been an Alpha. The whole pack had told me that his place had been temporary; they all called him the betrayer who eventually abandoned his post.

The record claimed, however that he was unanimously votedAlpha.

The final entry on his account concluded: territory confiscated due to treason. No evidence, no witnesses, just a decree signed by the Alphas of three prominent pack families. One the name that immediately jumped out to me was Veyne.

I flipped further through the ledger and discovered that a bill had been attached, the details documenting payment being made from the Veyne pack and transferring a hefty sum to members of my father's counsel. My hands started to tremble. My council had taken a bribe.

Council members who had testified against my father had taken money.

"Liana."

I almost cried out. I spun around and found Kael standing in the doorway. Anger was evident on his face, "What are you doing here?"

"That's what I was about to ask you," I spat. He walked over to me.

"You disobeyed me," he stated.

"You don't own me," I reminded him sharply. He nodded with a grim look.

"That's true," he agreed.

"Then stop pretending you do."

He glanced at the documents in my hand.

"What did you find?"

I hesistated then thrust the bribe payments into his hand. His expression changed as his eyes scanned the paper.

"Do you know this family?"

"Darius Veyne," I said.

"The Alpha of the Ironclaw Pack?"

I nodded. "What does he have to do with my father?"

He took the bribe list again and examined it with newfound interest.

"I don't know."

I let out a brittle laugh. "That's been your standard answer."

"I'm going to find out," he assured me. I turned another page and my blood froze as my eyes landed on a handwritten note. The Vale bloodline must be eradicated before the heir awakes.

"What heir?"

I cried. Kael peered over my shoulder. His expression became sterner.

"Give me that."

"No," I said holding the piece of paper protectively to my chest.

"Liana."

"No." I looked up at him again. "What does this mean?"

"I don't know."

"You're lying," I accused.

"I am not," he promised, but his eyes wouldn't meet mine.

"Why are you afraid?"

Kael fell silent.

I knew immediately that I had the answer I needed.

"You know something."

"There are stories of your bloodline," he answered vaguely.

"Stories? What stories?"

"The bloodline that was discovered by the first werewolves is uncontrollable by any alpha. It is the nature of your lineage." I stared up at him wide eyed. "Are you calling me dangerous?"

"We don't know what you are," he replied. Just as I was about to ask my next question, I heard the footsteps of others enter the Archives. Kael swiftly put out his lamp and grabbed my arm pulling me behind a large bookshelf. I would have protested if I hadn't heard the men speak.

"Find them. Destroy every record that mentions the Alphas of the pack," Darius said.

I nearly suffocated. The men were searching for something specific. Kael's body was tense against mine as he whispered, "Don't move."

The men passed me closely; I could smell the stench of their wolf.

One man called out from the next room. "They have the old documents; kill me if the Vale pack can get them out." I couldn't believe what I had heard! Kael also stiffened.

They were not there to search for pack records.

They were there to execute my father's council members and to prevent the Val Vale bloodline from ever surfacing into the world. Five minutes passed until I heard the sounds of the door to the pack records slam shut. Kael tentatively looked at me again.

"It wasn't the documents they are looking for." I looked at him blankly.

"Then what is their concern?"

His gaze fell on my wrist where the silver mark on my arm now glowed again.

"You are."