The Alpha's Heir

CHAPTER 9

The beat in Elena's heart drummed as she and Marcus wove their way through the thick trees of the forest. The air had a crisp chill to it, while the earth beneath their feet gave the cooling touch of evening dew. Above, the low moon cast an eerie silver light on everything that surrounded them. It was the place Lucas had chosen for their meeting, but he made Elena nervous. Yet somehow she knew this place meant something more than being a quiet retreat-it is almost as if the very forest had secrets of its own, even from her.

"You sure about this?" Marcus asked in an almost inaudible tone.

Elena turned to him, the flicker of hesitation dancing in her stare. "We have no choice, for if we do nothing now, we will never know the truth.

She could feel Marcus's doubt, but deep down she just could not let go of the connection she felt with Lucas; there was something about him-something more than danger and mystery shrouding him. She needed to face him, herself, and find out who he was.

As they approached the clearing, Elena could see that Lucas was standing leaning against a tall oak tree; he acted as if he were at ease with his back to them, staring out across the distant treetops. Yet it felt as though the air was taut with tension, like the hum of a violin string, and Elena thought that somehow or other he knew exactly when they'd arrived.

"Elena," the deep voice of Lucas cut through the silence. He turned slowly, piercing eyes locking into hers. For a moment, the world seemed to stand still around them.

"Lucas," Elena said, stepping forward. "I need to know the truth. No more games."

Lucas's expression didn't change; his glance flickered to Marcus then returned to Elena. "It's not that simple."

"Not that simple?" Marcus huffed, crossing his arms. "You got her tangled up in this mess and now we're in danger. You owe her an explanation."

Dark tides stirred behind Lucas's eyes, and Elena, in the beat of a moment, could have sworn that there was something primaeval stirring in the depths behind his unruffled calm. "I never wanted to drag either of you into this," he whispered so low and soft. "But now it's too late."

Elena's anger overflowed. "Too late for what? You've been lying to me, Lucas. About everything. I don't even know who you are anymore."

Lucas flinched at her words but straightened almost immediately. "I haven't lied to you, Elena. I've kept things from you, yes. But it was to protect you."

"Protect me?" she echoed, appalled. "From what?

Lucas vacillated for a moment before stepping closer. "From them," he whispered with a weight in his voice she did not understand.

Elena frowned. "Them?"

"The organisation one Mia warned you about is more dangerous than you can imagine," Lucas explained in a low, urgent tone. "And it's not just me. They're after- they'll get anyone who gets too close."

Marcus snorted for the second time. "Sounds like a load of excuses to me. How do we know you're not just working for them? How do we know you're not one of them?"

Lucas's eyes flashed to Marcus and a low growl rumbled his throat. Elena's eyes went wide. It wasn't a human sound-it was guttural, feral as if something deep inside him and not quite human had let the noise loose.

Elena's breath caught in her throat. "What. What are you?"

Lucas's jaw clenched, his eyes softening on her. "I'm not the enemy, Elena. I'm a protector. A guardian. But the truth about who I am. It's something you're not ready to understand."

Elena's heart thundered. "Try me.

Lucas exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. "People I am working with, the ones I am trying to stop, have been experimenting with things that go way beyond human comprehension. They are playing with forces they should leave well enough alone. And it's not just humans that are in jeopardy."

"Not just humans?" Marcus questioned, an eyebrow rising. "What are you talking about?

Lucas's eyes locked onto Elena's, and for the first time, she saw a glint of vulnerability therein. "There are others like me," he whispered. "Others that are not human at all. We have existed here for centuries, even lived among them in secrecy, protecting our type. Now the organization has become cognizant of us, and they are out to use our existence to their advantage.

Elena's head spun. This couldn't be real, right? Was Lucas saying what she thought he was saying?

"You're. You're not human?" she whispered.

Lucas slowly shook his head. "I'm a werewolf."

It hung in the air between them, heavy and unbelievable. Elena just stared at him, trying to wrap her head around it. She knew there was something different about Lucas; just something which she could not quite explain. But a werewolf? The idea sounded impossible.

Before she could utter a word, he went on, "The organization's been k********g werewolves, experimenting on them. They want to harness our powers, to use us as weapons. I have been trying to stop it from within, but that is one fight I am losing.

Elena felt a shiver run down her spine. "Why didn't you tell me?

"I wanted to keep you safe," Lucas said, his tone so redolent with regret. "The less you knew, the less danger you were in. But now. Now you've been dragged into this world, and I can't protect you from it."

Marcus was quiet for a long while before bursting out. "So, what do we do now? We can't just sit around and wait for these people to come after us."

Lucas's face hardened. "No, we can't. That's why I'm going to take you somewhere safe. Somewhere they can't find you."

But before anyone was able to say anything, suddenly there was a rustling in the bushes. Lucas's body tensed immediately, his eyes flickering with the gleam of a predator. He stepped in front of Elena and Marcus, placing himself in a protective stance over them.

"We're not alone," he said in a low, dangerous tone.

Elena's heart was racing as her eyes scanned around, her stomach clenched in fear. "Who's there?

Lucas didn't answer. His gaze was fixed riveted on the treeline, muscles coiled ready to spring at any moment. His heightened senses told him they were being followed, watched. Whoever it was, they were getting closer.

Then a dark form exploded from the trees and started running with silent, fluid speed toward them. Lucas growled-low and deadly-and Elena felt the shiver run down her spine.

"Back behind me." he snarled.

Elena did what she was instructed to do, her heart pounding, grasping onto Marcus' arm. She did not know who or what was running towards them, but she knew one thing for sure: this was only the start of it all.