Shadows of The Past
416 Words
# Chapter 4: Shadows of the Past
Morning sunlight streamed through the small apartment window, gently waking Elena.
For a brief moment, she forgot everything.
Then reality came crashing back.
The rejection.
The humiliation.
The pack she had once called home.
And the tiny life growing inside her.
Instinctively, she placed a hand over her stomach.
"I promise," she whispered softly, "I'll give you a better life than the one we left behind."
After getting dressed, Elena headed downstairs to the bakery.
The sweet aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air.
"Good morning!" Mrs. Margaret greeted warmly. "You're here early."
"I wanted to help prepare before we open."
Mrs. Margaret smiled. "You're a hardworking girl. I like that."
The morning passed quickly as Elena arranged pastries, served customers, and learned how to decorate cakes. For the first time in weeks, she found herself smiling.
Perhaps...
This new beginning wasn't so impossible after all.
---
Meanwhile...
At Blackwood Pack.
Alpha Damon sat alone in his office, unable to focus on the documents spread across his desk.
Every few minutes, the same scent invaded his mind.
Vanilla.
Wild jasmine.
Elena.
His wolf paced restlessly.
**Find her.**
Damon clenched his jaw.
"I rejected her," he muttered.
His wolf growled in response.
**You lied to yourself.**
A sharp knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Enter."
Beta Ryan stepped inside.
"We've searched every nearby town, Alpha. There's still no sign of Elena."
Damon's expression remained unreadable, but his heart tightened.
"Keep looking."
"Yes, Alpha."
As Ryan turned to leave, Damon called after him.
"Don't let anyone know why we're searching."
Ryan nodded before leaving the office.
Once the door closed, Damon leaned back in his chair.
For the first time in his life...
He questioned whether rejecting Elena had been the biggest mistake he'd ever made.
---
That evening...
After closing the bakery, Elena walked through the quiet streets carrying a small bag of leftover bread Mrs. Margaret had insisted she take home.
As she turned into a narrow alley leading to her apartment, she heard footsteps behind her.
Slow.
Heavy.
Deliberate.
Her heart raced.
She quickened her pace.
The footsteps quickened too.
Elena spun around.
"Who's there?"
Silence.
Then a shadow stepped out from the darkness.
A man wearing a black hood smiled coldly.
"So... we've finally found you."
Elena's breath caught in her throat.
She instinctively stepped back, shielding her stomach with one hand.
"Who are you?"
The stranger's smile widened.
"Our Alpha wants you alive."
**End of Chapter 4**
- Writer
