The Alpha's Regret

The Unknown

Chapter Six

Vitani's POV

The night had settled over the pack by the time I finally laid the broom aside.

My shoulders throbbed with exhaustion, and my hands stung every time my fingers moved. Fresh blisters covered my palms, each one a reminder of the punishment I had silently endured.

I drew in a slow breath, letting the cool air soothe my aching body.

The training grounds were finally clean.

Moonlight spilled across the empty arena, turning the dirt silver and casting long shadows beneath the wooden training posts. Everything was quiet now. The warriors had long since returned home, leaving only the whisper of the wind through the trees.

I should have felt relieved.

Instead, I felt... empty.

Lifting the bucket, I began the long walk back toward the pack house.

Every step felt heavier than the last.

My stomach growled painfully. I couldn't remember the last time I had been this hungry, but Father's order had been clear. No dinner until the work was finished.

I wondered if anyone had noticed I hadn't eaten.

The thought disappeared as quickly as it came.

Even if they had...

Would it have mattered?

A bitter smile touched my lips.

Probably not.

The stone path wound between towering pine trees, their branches swaying gently in the night breeze. Crickets sang from the undergrowth, filling the silence with their steady rhythm.

For a moment, everything seemed peaceful.

Then a strange feeling settled over me.

I slowed my pace.

It wasn't fear.

Not exactly.

It was the unmistakable feeling that someone was nearby.

Watching.

I glanced over my shoulder.

Nothing.

Only shadows stretched across the path.

I let out a quiet breath.

"You're imagining things," I whispered to myself.

After the day I'd had, it wasn't surprising that my mind was playing tricks on me.

Still...

The feeling refused to disappear.

I tightened my grip on the bucket and continued walking, resisting the urge to look behind me every few steps.

Hidden beyond the trees, a silent figure remained perfectly still.

The darkness concealed every feature.

Only a pair of pale eyes reflected the moonlight for the briefest moment before disappearing once more.

The figure watched without making a sound.

Not a single branch cracked beneath their feet.

Not a single leaf stirred.

Their gaze remained fixed on the young woman walking alone.

She moved slowly, her steps unsteady with exhaustion.

Yet she never complained.

Never cursed.

Never looked toward the mansion with anger.

Interesting.

Silence lingered.

The figure's attention drifted briefly to the bandaged blisters on her hands.

Those injuries hadn't come from training.

They came from work.

Far too much work.

The figure looked toward the brightly lit pack house in the distance before returning their gaze to the lonely path.

Questions formed.

Why was the Alpha's daughter treated this way?

Why had no one stepped forward to help?

The answers remained hidden.

For now.

Vitani paused once more.

This time, the feeling was stronger.

She turned quickly.

The forest stood motionless beneath the moonlight.

Tree after tree.

Shadow after shadow.

Nothing else.

She frowned.

"Who's there?"

Her voice was barely louder than the wind.

No reply came.

After several long moments, she shook her head.

"I really am tired."

She turned and resumed walking.

Only after she disappeared farther down the path did the silent figure move.

A single step.

Smooth.

Soundless.

Almost ghostlike.

The distance between them never changed.

The figure followed only enough to make certain she reached the mansion safely.

Nothing more.

When the grand doors finally closed behind her, the watcher remained where they stood.

The mansion lights glowed warmly against the darkness.

For several silent moments, the figure simply watched.

Then a quiet breath escaped into the night.

"There is more to this story..."

The words were carried away by the wind.

Without another sound, the figure stepped backward into the shadows.

Within seconds, there was nothing left.

Only the empty forest...

And the lingering feeling that someone had been there all along.

Unknown POV

The meeting had gone on longer than expected.

Discussions about pack borders, trade agreements, and patrol routes filled the better part of the evening. Alpha Dante was a respectable leader, firm in his decisions and unwavering when it came to protecting his territory.

At least...

That was the image he presented.

I stepped out of his office, adjusting the cuff of my sleeve as the mansion settled into an unusual silence. A servant bowed politely before hurrying down the hallway.

"My car is ready, sir," one of my security guards informed me through the earpiece.

"I'll be there shortly."

Instead of heading for the front entrance, I wandered toward one of the large windows overlooking the estate.

Something outside caught my attention.

A lone figure moved across the training grounds beneath the moonlight.

She carried a wooden bucket in one hand while dragging a broom behind her with the other. Even from this distance, exhaustion was written across every movement she made.

She stopped for a moment, flexing her sore fingers before forcing herself to continue.

My brows drew together.

"Who is she?"

A young maid who had been arranging flowers nearby froze before answering.

"Miss... Miss Vitani, sir."

"Vitani?"

She nodded nervously.

"Alpha Dante's eldest daughter."

For a brief second, I thought I had heard her incorrectly.

"The Alpha's daughter?"

"Yes, sir."

I looked back outside.

The Alpha's daughter...

Cleaning the training grounds alone after dark?

It didn't fit.

Not with the image Alpha Dante had presented inside that meeting room.

The maid lowered her voice.

"She was punished."

I glanced at her.

"Punished?"

She immediately lowered her head.

"I... I shouldn't say any more."

She hurried away before another word could leave her lips.

Silence settled around me once again.

Outside, Vitani continued sweeping as though the weight of the world rested on her shoulders.

She never complained.

She never threw the broom aside.

She simply kept going.

A familiar presence stirred quietly in the back of my mind.

She's... different.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose.

"Quiet."

The feeling refused to disappear.

Special.

I exhaled slowly.

"I said enough."

The strange pull remained.

Annoying.

Persistent.

It made no sense.

She was simply Alpha Dante's daughter.

Someone I'd never met.

Someone whose life had absolutely nothing to do with mine.

So why...

Why couldn't I look away?

My eyes followed her every movement.

The moonlight revealed the blisters on her hands whenever she tightened her grip on the broom.

She was clearly in pain.

Yet there wasn't an ounce of resentment on her face.

Only quiet determination.

Most people would've complained.

Most would've demanded someone help them.

She did neither.

Interesting.

Minutes passed.

Eventually, she set the broom aside and looked up at the stars.

A faint smile touched her lips.

It wasn't the smile of someone who had won.

It was the smile of someone refusing to lose.

Something about it lingered in my thoughts.

"My car is waiting, sir."

One of my guards had approached without making a sound.

I gave a small nod.

"I'm coming."

Together, we walked toward the front entrance of the mansion where a sleek black SUV waited beneath the lights.

One guard opened the rear door.

I stopped before getting inside.

"...Sir?"

I didn't answer.

Instead, I looked back toward the training grounds one last time.

Vitani had picked up her bucket and was slowly making her way toward the mansion.

The night breeze played with strands of her hair as she walked.

Then...

She stopped.

A strange expression crossed her face.

Slowly, she turned toward the line of trees.

Toward where I stood.

For a single heartbeat, it felt as though she could sense someone watching her.

Instinct took over.

I stepped back into the shadows before her eyes reached me.

She searched the darkness carefully.

Nothing.

Only silent trees swaying beneath the moonlight.

After a long moment, she let out a quiet breath and shook her head.

"I must be imagining it..."

She turned away and continued walking toward the mansion.

The heavy front doors closed behind her.

Only then did I step out from the shadows.

My guard looked at me, clearly confused, but wisely chose not to ask questions.

Without another word, I climbed into the waiting SUV.

The engine hummed to life.

As we pulled away from the estate, I looked back through the tinted window until the mansion disappeared behind the trees.

The strange feeling remained.

I couldn't explain it.

I wasn't even sure I wanted to.

Yet one question refused to leave my mind.

Why did Alpha Dante's own daughter look like someone the world had forgotten?