Mated To My Cheating Ex's Alpha Uncle

The Weight Of The Past

Elena’s POV:

The blood on the book was fresh.

I stared down, my hands turning so uselessly cold I accidentally dropped my sweater. The messy writing near the floorboards belonged to my younger sister, Lyra.

Caleb stayed on his knees. He looked from the bloody book to my scared face.

"Elena," he said softly. "Do you know what this is?"

"No," I whispered. Fear gradually overtaking me. "Why is Lyra's book hidden under my floor? What does she have to do with you?"

Caleb stood up, slightly confused,He stared at me like a puzzle.

"Lyra..." he muttered. He went silent in his thoughts. He looked back at the book.

"That was her daughter of the maid who worked here before you," Caleb said. "She came back here for answers about her mom."

My knees gave out. "A helper? My sister's mom?"

"Yeah," Caleb said, watching me close. "She grew up here. But how do you know Lyra?"

"She's my step-sister," I stammered. "Years ago, after Lyra's mom died, her dad married my mom. That's how we're related."

Then it hit me. Everyone always whispered that Lyra's mom didn't just die, she was murdered by bad wolves in the pack. Seeing her actual blood on the cover made the scary stories real.

"Oh god," I gasped, hugging my chest. "The pack men killed her mom."

I stumbled back until I hit the wall. "If They figure out Lyra is my sister. They're going to come after me next!"

"Look at me," Caleb said trying his possible best to calm me down. He stepped close and grabbed my shoulders. His hands were warm and steady.

"Listen to me Elena, you’re safe here.”

What happened to her mom was wrong, but nobody will touch you. I'm the alpha. Not a single person lays a finger on you while I'm breathing."

His calm voice made the room stop spinning. I looked up at his face.

"We're moving right now," he added. "You aren't staying another second in this room."

I crossed my arms, my voice shaky. "Caleb... wait. If her mom worked here, was killed hete, and you didn’t stop it or “protect her”. How would my case be any different? Why did the bad guys get away?"

His body got stiff. The warm feel in his hands went away. He looked away and bit his lip.

"Some fights wait until you are strong," Caleb whispered.

He Was hiding something . There was something he didn’t want me to know about what happened that night. He turned his back.

"Pack your bag. Now."

---

I froze. My shoes stuck to the floor. My chest hurt. This small room felt like a cage.

"I do not have much," I said softly.

I grabbed my old bag. I put in one cotton dress, the only good thing I owned. Every noise in the hall made me jump. I kept picturing bad eyes staring at me through the cracks.

Caleb did not rush me. He stood by the door, blocking the way, watching the dark hall. Just having him there kept me from falling down.

When I pulled the bag tight, he took it right from my shaking hands.

"Stay close to me," he said.

He took my hand. His warm fingers pulled me out of the broken room and into the cold hall.

Walking to his big room felt like walking through a graveyard. Every helper was locked in her room, safe and not knowing about what was going on outside those walls. When we walked into the big part of the house, the air smelled fresher.

He opened the doors, leading me to a huge room with a warm fire and a big bed. He threw my bag on a bench and looked at me, his amber eyes shining.

"Nobody gets past these doors," he told me, stepping close. "You're safe here Elena. Rest I have to deal with the elders."

**Caleb’s POV:**

Being an alpha hurts, but tonight feels worse. It is right there on a bloody book. Seeing that name brings back a ghost I tried to bury years ago, the quiet woman who cleaned these floors before they killed her.

When she died, the elders called it a sad accident. I knew there was more to it, but I had no proof to stop them without hurting the pack.

And I also had a dark secret that could’ve been used against me if I overstepped. So I had to let it die.

I remember that night like it was today. I stood outside, knowing the elders were going after Lyra's mom because she found their stolen money. I had a hard choice: start a big fight that would get innocent people killed, or stay quiet and wait to get stronger.

I chose to take power, I chose to wait.

And because I did nothing, an innocent woman died, I let her bleed so I could live to fight another day.

And now, looking at Elena's scared face, it hurts. She has that same strong fire as the woman I could not save. Every tear she cries feels like a punishment on my soul. If she ever finds out I let her step mom die just so I could wait for my time... I doubt she would ever forgive me.

I look back at Elena. She is shaking and hugging herself. Seeing her scared makes me sad. Part of me wants to keep her safe, but the other part is drowning in my own guilt.

She was supposed to be a quiet helper, a girl hiding as a maid. I only brought her here to watch her. But somewhere along the way, every wall I built around my heart fell down.

Then she says the one thing I did not want to hear, “They are going to kill me just like they killed her mother.”

Hearing that makes me angry. The thought of those bad men touching her makes my wolf want to fight. And unknowingly I realize that I’m ready to burn this whole house down to keep Elena safe.

I hold her shoulder and make a quiet promise. I will break the elders apart. But first, I will be her shield.

She thinks she is alone. She does not know she is the only thing holding this pack together.

"You are safe here," I tell her. I keep my voice low.

I mean it. Let the elders try. Under my roof, Elena will never bleed alone, and she will never know what I did.