Claimed By The Alpha I Hated

Chapter 7a: The Ones Who Hunt

The room fell silent.

A silence so heavy it felt like it was crushing the air from my lungs.

"Not rogues?"

My voice sounded small.

The warrior swallowed hard.

"No."

Damien's expression darkened.

I had never seen him look like this before.

Not during the rogue attack.

Not when Marcus Thorn threatened me.

Not even when he shifted and tore through an entire group of rogues by himself.

This was different.

This was fear.

And if Damien Blackwood was afraid, then I had every reason to be terrified.

"What did the scouts find?" Damien asked.

The warrior hesitated.

Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of black cloth.

He handed it over.

The moment Damien saw it, his jaw clenched.

My stomach twisted.

"What is it?"

Neither man answered.

I stepped forward.

"What is it?"

Damien looked at me.

For a second, I thought he might finally tell me the truth.

Instead, he turned to the warrior.

"Leave us."

The warrior nodded immediately.

Within seconds, the door closed behind him.

I stared at Damien.

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Ava."

"No."

I pointed toward the door.

"That man looked like he'd seen a ghost."

Damien remained silent.

"And now you're doing that thing again."

"What thing?"

"The thing where you know something important and refuse to tell me."

His eyes narrowed.

"You're not in danger right now."

I laughed.

Actually laughed.

The sound came out slightly hysterical.

"People keep trying to kill me."

His jaw tightened.

"Exactly."

"That doesn't make me feel better."

For a moment neither of us spoke.

Then Damien looked down at the black cloth in his hand.

Something flashed across his face.

Recognition.

And concern.

Lots of concern.

A chill ran through me.

"Who do they belong to?"

Silence.

My patience snapped.

"Damien."

He closed his eyes briefly.

When he opened them again, they seemed older somehow.

More tired.

"They're hunters."

I blinked.

"Hunters?"

"They track powerful bloodlines."

My heart skipped.

A horrible feeling settled in my stomach.

"Why would they be looking for me?"

The question hung between us.

Damien didn't answer.

He didn't need to.

Because his silence told me everything.

The hunters were coming because of me.

And suddenly I wasn't sure which was worse.

The answers I wanted.

Or the ones I was finally starting to get.

The hunters were coming because of me.

And suddenly I wasn't sure which was worse.

The answers I wanted.

Or the ones I was finally starting to get.

I stared at Damien.

"Say it."

His gaze hardened.

"Ava."

"No."

I took another step forward.

"No more half-truths. No more secrets."

My voice shook despite my best efforts.

"Tell me why they're after me."

For a long moment, Damien said nothing.

Then he looked away.

And somehow that hurt more than if he'd refused outright.

"You already know part of it."

I laughed bitterly.

"Do I?"

"Your father wasn't a traitor."

The words landed heavily between us.

I swallowed.

Even hearing them again felt unreal.

My entire life had been built around that lie.

The shame.

The whispers.

The way everyone looked at my family.

All because of something that wasn't even true.

"Then what was he?" I asked quietly.

Damien's jaw tightened.

For a second, I thought he would retreat behind his walls again.

Instead, he surprised me.

"He was loyal."

My breath caught.

"He protected this pack."

I stared at him.

"What?"

"He protected everyone."

The room suddenly felt unsteady.

Nothing made sense anymore.

"If that's true, then why did everyone hate him?"

Pain flickered across Damien's face.

Gone almost immediately.

"Because blaming him was easier than telling the truth."

The same answer.

But this time it sounded different.

Heavier.

More personal.

As though he regretted it.

As though he hated it.

"What truth?"

His eyes met mine.

And for the first time, I didn't see the Alpha.

I saw a man carrying years of guilt.

"He died protecting something."

My pulse quickened.

Protecting what?

Protecting who?

The answer hit me before he spoke.

"No."

Damien remained silent.

"No."

My voice cracked.

His silence confirmed it.

Me.

My father had died protecting me.

The realization slammed into me so hard I almost staggered.

All these years.

All those nights wondering why he left.

Wondering how he could betray everyone.

Wondering if maybe the stories were true.

They weren't.

None of them were.

Tears burned behind my eyes.

I hated them.

Hated how quickly they appeared.

But I couldn't stop them.

"My father died because of me?"

The question came out barely above a whisper.

Damien crossed the room before I even realized he had moved.

His hand settled on my shoulder.

Warm.

Steady.

"No."

I looked up at him.

"He died protecting you."

His voice was firm.

Certain.

"As any father would."

Something in my chest cracked.

Not completely.

Just enough to hurt.

And enough to heal.

For the first time in years, I wasn't remembering my father as a traitor.

I was remembering him as a father.

One who loved me enough to die for me.

The tears finally escaped.

Damien didn't say anything.

Didn't tell me to stop crying.

Didn't look uncomfortable.

He simply stayed there.

Silent.

Steady.

Present.

And somehow that made it worse.

Or maybe better.

I wasn't sure anymore.

I don't know how long we stood there.

Eventually, I wiped my eyes and stepped back.

The movement seemed to break whatever moment had settled between us.

Damien immediately retreated behind his usual mask.

The Alpha was back.

Cold.

Controlled.

Infuriating.

I hated how disappointed that made me feel.

"We need to increase security," he said.

Just like that.

As if he hadn't completely shattered my world five minutes ago.

I folded my arms.

"That's it?"

His gray eyes met mine.

"What?"

"You tell me my father died protecting me, and then you start talking about security?"

A flicker of frustration crossed his face.

"Ava—"

"No."

I shook my head.

"You're still hiding things."

His silence confirmed it.

Again.

A sharp knock interrupted us.

This time Damien looked relieved.

"Enter."

The door opened.

A tall man stepped inside.

Dark hair.

Broad shoulders.

A scar ran across his jaw.

I recognized him immediately.

Damien's Beta.

Ethan.

His gaze moved between us.

Something unreadable flashed across his face.

Then he focused on Damien.

"We need to talk."

His tone was serious.

Damien nodded.

"I'll be there shortly."

Ethan's eyes shifted to me.

For a second, sympathy appeared there.

Sympathy.

Like he knew something I didn't.

Then it vanished.

The door closed behind him.

I noticed Damien tense.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Damien sighed.

"Ava."

"No."

I pointed toward the door.

"He knows something too."

"He knows many things."

"Then maybe someone should start talking."

Damien pinched the bridge of his nose.

For the first time, he looked exhausted.

Not annoyed.

Not angry.

Just tired.

"I need to handle this."

I opened my mouth to argue.

He beat me to it.

"You'll have guards outside your room."

"What?"

"Ava."

"Absolutely not."

"You don't have a choice."

My eyes narrowed.

"I hate when you say that."

A corner of his mouth twitched.

Then he left.

The door shut behind him.

And I was alone.

Or at least I pretended to be.

Because ten minutes later, curiosity got the better of me.

Curiosity had always been my greatest weakness.

I slipped into the hallway.

The Alpha wing was unusually quiet.

Most of the pack was still recovering from the attack.

Following Damien wasn't difficult.

The man was many things.

Subtle wasn't one of them.

Voices drifted from a nearby office.

I stopped outside the partially open door.

Ethan was speaking.

"You should have told her."

My pulse quickened.

Told me what?

Inside the room, silence stretched.

Then Damien answered.

"No."

The single word was firm.

Ethan swore under his breath.

"She deserves to know."

"I know."

"Then why are we still doing this?"

My heart hammered against my ribs.

Doing what?

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Then Damien's voice came.

Lower than before.

Rougher.

Because I promised him.

Everything inside me froze.

Promised who?

Ethan exhaled sharply.

"That was years ago."

"I don't care."

"Damien—"

"I gave him my word."

Silence.

Heavy.

Painful.

My stomach twisted.

Because suddenly I knew exactly who they were talking about.

My father.

The realization hit me like a physical blow.

Damien had made a promise to my father.

Before he died.

Before my family was destroyed.

Before everyone started calling him a traitor.

What kind of promise could still matter after all these years?

And what was so dangerous that Damien would rather have me hate him than break it?

Inside the office, Ethan spoke again.

"What happens when she finds out?"

Damien didn't answer immediately.

When he finally did, his voice was barely above a whisper.

"That's what I'm afraid of."

A chill raced down my spine.

Afraid?

Damien wasn't afraid of rogues.

He wasn't afraid of Alphas.

He wasn't afraid of war.

So what truth could possibly terrify him?

And why did it involve me?