The Shadow of the Alpha
My skin still burned. No matter how hot I turned the shower or how hard I scrubbed, I couldn’t wash off the memory of last night. The masquerade ball was a blur of loud bass and cheap liquor, but what happened in that VIP lounge was entirely too clear.
The guy was older. He didn't ask for permission; he just took over, commanding my whole body with a rough whisper against my ear. I didn't even get his name. In the dark, surrounded by hundreds of masked people, I just let myself break.
Now, I was paying for it in pure panic.
"Ethan! Move it or we're going to miss the morning run!" Julian banged hard on the bathroom door, making me jump.
"Coming!" I choked out, trying to steady my voice.
I looked in the foggy mirror. My lips were swollen. When I pulled my shirt collar down, a faint bite mark stared back at me. I quickly buttoned the shirt all the way to the top, sweating despite the morning chill.
When I walked out, Julian was already geared up, tossing a sneaker in the air. He’s been my closest friend for years—loud, fiercely loyal, and the heir to the biggest territory around here.
"Man, you look wrecked," Julian laughed, throwing an arm around my neck as we headed down the hall. "Did you stay out late at that masquerade? I told you to come to border patrol with me instead."
"Yeah," I mumbled. The guilt was already setting in. "Just drank too much. Lost track of time."
"Well, breakfast will fix that. Plus, you finally get to meet my dad today," Julian grinned proudly. "He got back from the council summit late last night. He’s terrifying before he has coffee, but I told him all about your transfer."
"Meet who?" I asked, barely listening. My mind was still stuck in that dark lounge, hearing that low growl whisper, 'You're mine tonight.'
"My dad," Julian said, pushing open the heavy double doors to the dining hall. "The Alpha."
The room was flooded with bright morning sun. Sitting at the head of the long table was a broad-shouldered man in a dark suit. His sleeves were rolled up, showing off muscular, scarred forearms.
As the doors opened, he looked up.
My breath caught. My heart stopped completely.
The sharp jawline. The silver in his dark hair. And those eyes—those piercing, intense eyes.
It was him. The man from the masquerade. The same guy who had pinned me down just hours ago. Arthur Vance. Julian’s father.
"Father," Julian said, completely oblivious to the fact that I couldn't breathe. He dragged me forward. "This is Ethan. My best friend from the academy."
Arthur didn't blink. He just sat there, his gaze dropping deliberately from my panicked eyes down to my tightly buttoned collar, then back up. A tiny, almost invisible smirk played at the corner of his mouth. He knew exactly who I was.
"Ethan," Arthur said. His deep, gravelly voice sent a violent shiver down my spine. It was the exact voice from last night. "It's a pleasure to finally have you in my house."
My knees shook. Oh my god, I thought, a wave of sickness hitting me. I slept with my best friend's father. If Julian ever finds out, it's over.
The nightmare only got worse at the training grounds. The fields were a massive stretch of cleared forest, smelling of damp earth and sweat. Normally, I’d be locked in. Today, I was a ghost.
"Keep your guard up, Ethan!" Julian shouted, throwing a light punch that I barely blocked. "A rogue will tear you apart if you drop your shoulder like that."
"Sorry," I breathed, wiping sweat from my forehead. "Just lost focus."
"You’ve been in space since breakfast," Julian said, handing me a water bottle. He looked worried. "Is it my dad? Look, I know he’s intimidating, but you don't have to be terrified of him."
I wanted to laugh. Terrified? Yes, but not for the reasons Julian thought. I was scared because my body still remembered his weight, and the guilt was eating me alive. Every time Julian smiled, it felt like a punch to the ribs.
"He's just... a lot," I muttered, taking a sip of freezing water.
"Speak of the devil," Julian said, straightening his posture.
The whole field went quiet. The shouting and sparring stopped all at once.
Arthur walked onto the field, wearing a tight tactical shirt and heavy boots. He had that effortless, predatory grace that made everyone freeze. Two commanders walked behind him, reading reports, but he wasn't listening. His eyes scanned the crowd.
When his gaze passed over Julian and me, I held my breath, waiting for the ground to swallow me.
Instead, he looked right through me. Like I was made of glass. He ignored me completely and focused on Julian.
"Julian," Arthur’s voice carried across the quiet field. "Report on the northern border."
"Sir! The perimeter is secure," Julian responded instantly, stepping forward.
As they talked, I leaned against a wooden post, chest heaving. A toxic mix of relief and anger hit my stomach. He ignored me. He acted like I didn't exist. Last night he couldn't keep his hands off me, and today I was just dirt on his field. It was a game to him.
"Hey, new guy!" a loud voice interrupted. Leon, one of the elite fighters, walked up with a smug grin, holding a training staff. "Julian says you were top of your class. Let's see if you can actually fight."
Before I could answer, Leon swung.
I ducked, the wood whistling past my ear. Frustration and fear boiled over, giving me a sudden burst of energy. I swept his leg, throwing him off balance, but he recovered fast, driving his shoulder into my chest and slamming me into the dirt.
We scrambled, grappling in the dust. Leon was heavier, pinning my wrists down. "Give up, academy boy," he grinned.
"Get off me," I hissed.
Suddenly, the air grew incredibly heavy. A thick, dark wave of pure Alpha pressure crashed down on the field, so intense it made my lungs ache. Leon froze mid-motion.
I looked past his shoulder.
Arthur was standing ten feet away. He was still talking to Julian, looking at the maps. He wasn't even facing us. But his jaw was clenched tightly, and the raw aura radiating off him was focused entirely on our corner. It was a silent, lethal warning: Take your hands off him.
Leon went pale, swallowing hard as he quickly let go of my wrists and scrambled up, bowing his head. "Apologies, Alpha. We were just sparring."
Arthur finally turned his head, his dark eyes locking onto mine while I lay in the dirt, disheveled. There was no warmth—only a promise of total control.
"Train harder," Arthur said coldly. "Weakness isn't tolerated here. From anyone."
He walked away, leaving me shivering. He might ignore me in front of his son, but he had no intention of letting me go.
By evening, the trap snapped shut.
An alarm flared along the northern riverbed. Since it was an essential trial for the heir, Julian had to lead the squad immediately.
"I'm sorry to leave on your first night, Ethan," Julian said breathlessly, strapping on his vest in the foyer. "But the house is totally safe, and my dad will be in his study working all night. Just grab some food and sleep. I’ll be back before dawn."
"Be careful, Julian," I said. I wanted to beg him to take me along. Leaving me here felt like a death sentence.
"Always am," Julian grinned, squeezing my shoulder before sprinting out into the dark forest with his men.
The heavy doors shut, and the manor went completely quiet.
I stood alone in the hallway, shadows stretching across the marble. Just go to your room, I told myself. Lock the door.
I turned toward the stairs, but a deep voice cut through the quiet from the top landing.
"Running away so soon, Ethan?"
Arthur stood there, wearing a simple black shirt with the top buttons undone. He walked down the stairs slowly, eyes locked on me.
"Alpha Vance," I gasped, backing up until my spine hit the wall. "I was just going to bed."
"Is that so?" He reached the bottom, closing the gap until he was right in front of me. The scent of cedar and rain filled my head. He planted his hand on the wall next to my head, trapping me.
"You didn't seem this eager to run last night," he murmured, his voice dropping to a low growl. His other hand reached out, fingers deliberately brushing my collar, tracing the hidden bite mark. "Did you think a mask changed anything?"
"Julian..." I choked out, guilt stinging my eyes. "Julian is my best friend. If he finds out..."
"Julian isn't here," Arthur interrupted, his thumb roughly tracing my lower lip, forcing me to look up into his dark eyes. "And what happens behind these doors stays between us. Now, are you going to keep fighting me, or are you going to let me finish what we started?"
I looked up at him, terrified and completely desperate, knowing that the moment he leaned in, I was entirely ruined.
