The Crimson Alpha
515 Words
# Chapter 12: The Crimson Alpha
The forest fell deathly silent.
Even the wind seemed to stop as the tall man stepped out from the shadows.
His black cloak brushed against the fallen leaves, and his crimson eyes glowed beneath the moonlight.
Elena instinctively took a step back.
Damon immediately moved in front of her.
"Stay behind me."
The stranger smiled.
"So protective."
His calm voice carried an unsettling confidence.
"I've waited a long time for this moment, Alpha Damon."
Damon's expression turned cold.
"I know who you are."
The man's smile widened.
"Do you?"
Ryan emerged from the trees moments later, breathing heavily after helping Mrs. Margaret escape the burning bakery.
"The townspeople are safe," he reported.
His relief vanished the instant he saw the stranger.
"...Alpha Lucien."
Elena frowned.
"Lucien?"
The stranger gave a slight bow.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
"My name is Lucien Nightshade."
"I am the Alpha of the Nightshade Pack."
He looked directly at Elena.
"And I've come for you."
---
Elena's heart pounded.
"I don't even know you."
"You don't," Lucien admitted.
"But I know everything about you."
His crimson eyes drifted to the hand resting protectively over her stomach.
"And about your child."
Elena froze.
Damon growled low in his throat.
"You'll never have either of them."
Lucien sighed dramatically.
"You always were stubborn."
With a casual wave of his hand, dozens of black-cloaked warriors emerged from the darkness.
They surrounded the clearing.
Elena's pulse quickened.
There were far too many.
Ryan quietly stepped closer to Damon.
"We're outnumbered."
"I know."
Lucien folded his arms.
"I don't wish to fight tonight."
"I simply want the girl."
Damon's aura exploded across the clearing.
"You'll have to kill me first."
For the first time, Lucien's smile disappeared.
"So be it."
---
Before either side could attack...
A powerful howl echoed across the mountains.
Another answered.
Then another.
Ryan looked toward the ridge.
"Alpha..."
"We're not alone."
From every direction, wolves burst from the trees.
They wore the silver crest of the Blackwood Pack.
More than fifty warriors flooded into the clearing, forming a protective wall around Damon and Elena.
Lucien clicked his tongue.
"You came prepared."
Damon never took his eyes off him.
"I knew you wouldn't stop."
The two Alphas stared at each other.
Neither willing to back down.
The tension was so thick it was almost impossible to breathe.
Finally...
Lucien laughed.
"This isn't over."
He looked at Elena one last time.
"No matter where you run..."
"The child belongs to destiny."
"And destiny always finds its way."
With that, he turned.
His warriors disappeared into the darkness as quickly as they had arrived.
The forest became quiet once more.
Elena let out a shaky breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
She looked at Damon.
"Who is he?"
Damon's face darkened.
"The man I hoped you would never meet."
Elena searched his eyes.
"You've known about him all along..."
Damon closed his eyes briefly.
"Yes."
"And everything that's happening now..."
"It's because of a secret I should have told you years ago."
**End of Chapter 12**
- Writer
