The Alpha's Secret

Chapter 5

Selena sat on the edge of her bed, the envelope resting in her lap like a heavy weight. The crude map inside marked the southern border, the same area where the patrol had been attacked by the rogues. Her brow furrowed as she traced the handwritten words: Be ready.

The room was lit, the flickering of the single candle stick casts a long shadows on the walls. Outside, the pack grounds were quiet, the usual nighttime bustle subdued by the looming threat of rogue attacks.

Who left this? And why warn me instead of Father? Is this a trap, or is someone trying to help?Selena muttered under her breath, “If this is a game, someone’s about to lose.”

Her instincts told her to go directly to her father, but a nagging doubt held her back. If there truly was a traitor in the pack, she couldn’t risk tipping them off.

Putting the envelope into her pocket, Selena puts on her cloak and slipped out of her room. The cold night air shooked her skin as she made her way through the southern border under the cover of darkness.

The forest was alive with henious sounds, the hoot of owls mingled with the rustle of leaves. Selena moved quickly but silently, her heightened senses alert to every movement.

Suddenly, she caught the faint scent of someone familiar. She froze, her hand directly going to the dagger strapped to her thigh.

“Leaving the pack grounds alone again?” Darian’s voice cut through the darkness, smooth and laced with amusement.

Selena turned around, her eyes narrowing as she spotted him leaning against a tree.

“Are you following me?” she demanded, her tone sharp.Darian smirked, stepping closer. “You’re not exactly wise, Selena. Wandering into rogue territory in the middle of the night isn’t the smartest move for an alpha-to-be.”

Selena crossed her arms, refusing to back down. “And yet you’re here. Maybe you’re the one who doesn’t belong.”

Darian’s smirk faded, replaced by a more tense expression.

“Look,” he said, his voice dropping. “If you’re investigating the map, I have a right to know what you find.”

Selena blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “How do you know about the map?”

“I have my ways,” Darian replied cryptically.The two of them moved cautiously through the forest, their unlikely meeting marked by tense silence. Selena couldn’t help but steal glances at Darian, whose casual confidence never wavered despite the danger surrounding them.

They reached the southern border, the area strangely quiet. The scent of rogues still lingering in the air, faint but unmistakable.

Selena crouched near a set of claw marks on a tree. “These are fresh,” she murmured. “They were here recently.”

Darian knelt beside her, his gaze sharp. “But they didn’t attack. Why would they mark territory without following through?”

Selena frowned. “A warning, maybe. Or a distraction.”Darian’s voice took on a darker edge. “Or someone’s them —for now.”

Selena looked up at him, her suspicion growing. “You seem to know a lot about rogue behavior. Care to explain how?”

Darian met her gaze, his expression unpredictable. “Let’s just say I’ve come across with rogues before. Enough to recognize when something bigger is at play.”

Before Selena could press him further, a low growl echoed behind the trees. Both of them froze, their eyes darting toward the sound.

A pair of glowing yellow eyes came out from the shadows, followed by a rogue wolf with matted fur and bared teeth. It was smaller than the rogues Selena had fought before, but its snarl promised no less danger.

The rogue leaped, and Selena moved quickly, drawing her dagger and slashing at its side. The wolf dodged but didn’t retreat, circling her with deadly intent.

Darian stepped in, his movements so fast as he shifted into his wolf form. His dark gray fur gleamed under the moonlight as he leaped at the rogue, his powerful jaws clamping down on its neck.

The rogue collapsed with a whimper, but Darian didn’t shift back immediately. Selena watched, her chest heaved, as his wolf form turned to her, his piercing gray eyes glowing intensifying.

There’s something about him.. something I can’t quite figure out. But why does it feel like he’s hiding even more than I thought?

As they made their way back to the pack grounds, Selena kept her distance, her mind racing. Darian, now back in his human form, walked beside her with an air of nonchalance.

“Thanks for the help,” Selena said begrudgingly, breaking the silence.

Darian smirked. “I didn’t do it for you. I just don’t like rogues.”

Selena stopped, turning to face him. “What are you really doing here, Darian? You’re not just some worker passing through. What’s your angle?”

Darian’s smirk fading out, his gaze darkening. For a moment, Selena thought he might actually answer, but instead, he stepped closer, his voice dropping to a near-whisper.

“My angle is to survive, just like yours,” he said. “But if you keep nosing around, you might not like what you find.”

What does that mean? Is he warning me —or threatening me?

Without another word, Darian walked away, leaving Selena alone with her thoughts.

As Selena returned to her room, she found another note waiting for her, this one scrawled in the same handwriting as the map.

You’re closer.

The words sent a chill vibe down her spine. Who was sending these warnings, and why? And more importantly, could she trust anyone in her pack—or even herself?