The Alpha's Frozen Heart

Two

For a few moments, we just stood there, staring at each other in silence. It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that the Alpha of the moonlight Depths Pack—the most powerful werewolf pack in the world—is my mate. His eyes, where I can see his wolf’s presence, hold my gaze.

Then, suddenly, he blinks, and the wolf retreats. He’s hiding it from me. But why?

Instead of the warm, loving eyes I expected to see from my mate, his gaze is cold and distant. His face is an unreadable mask, devoid of any emotion. There’s not even a trace of happiness in his expression. Hasn’t he realized that I’m his mate?

He breaks the silence by turning to his Beta. "What’s the situation?" he asks, his voice firm and commanding.

"The woman here is the Beta of our neighboring pack, The Night Guardians. She claims that a rogue named Tim has dragged her friend onto our territory, intending to forcefully mate with her. She’s come to rescue her friend," the Beta reports.

The Alpha turns his cold gaze back to me. "What does the rogue look like?"

I describe Tim's height, his hair, and the clothes he was wearing.

"It’s him," the Alpha says, a note of recognition in his voice. Does he know Tim?

"Beta Jaxon, search for the rogue. Take the men with you," the Alpha commands. Beta Jaxon gives a quick nod and begins walking toward the forest, likely where their pack houses are. The four men who had surrounded me also followed him.

I want to help them search for Selena, but the Alpha didn’t give me permission to join them. I suspect he doesn’t trust me. Now, it’s just the two of us, alone.

When the Alpha looks at me again, I can't bring myself to meet his gaze, so I focus on the ground instead. His eyes seem filled with contempt, but I can't understand why. I can feel his intense stare boring into me, making me uncomfortable. I want to tell him to stop, but I doubt he will listen. He's an Alpha, and Alphas rarely heed anyone else.

"Eve!" a familiar voice calls out my name.

I whip my head around and see Selena running toward me, tears streaming down her face. Behind her, I spot Tim struggling against the hold of the men who have captured him. They drag him toward the Alpha, and now the two stand face-to-face.

The Alpha glares at Tim, his gaze so fierce it visibly frightens him. Tim, in a futile attempt, starts struggling against the silver handcuffs on his wrists. But it's hopeless—silver weakens werewolves, and there's no chance he'll break free.

Selena throws her arms around me, and I immediately notice her trembling. As I pull back from the hug, I start inspecting her for any signs of injury, my eyes scanning her body for bruises. Finding none, relief floods through me.

"Thank God you're okay," I say, pulling her into another hug. When we part, I gently wipe away her dried tears.

The Alpha’s voice cuts through the moment like a blade. "Just because I banished you from my pack doesn't mean you have the right to force yourself on someone outside of it. Tim, I warned you—if I caught you doing something like this again, I'd kill you."

Tim’s fear is palpable as he begins to shake uncontrollably. He clasps his hands together in a desperate plea, his voice trembling. "I'm sorry, Alpha. I won't do it again."

"That's what you said last time," the Alpha growls.

Selena and I watch in shock as the Alpha reaches out and effortlessly snaps the silver handcuffs from Tim’s wrists. How did he do that?

Tim tries to flee, but the Alpha’s men hold him firmly in place. He struggles against their grip, but they’re too strong. The Alpha wraps his hand around Tim's throat and lifts him off the ground. Tim flails, his feet kicking desperately as he tries to break free. He claws at the Alpha's hand, but it’s no use. His breaths become ragged, his face turning a shade of blue as he gasps for air.

Selena shakes me, her eyes wide with fear, trying to pull my attention away from the terrifying scene unfolding before us.

"Evelyn, he's going to kill him! Do something! I don't want Tim to die because of me!" Selena cries, her voice trembling with panic. I know her too well—she won’t be able to live with the guilt of someone’s death, even if that someone tried to force himself on her twice. She shoves me toward the Alpha, and I stand there, helpless, watching Tim struggle for breath.

"Please stop," I beg, my voice barely above a whisper.

The Alpha's grip releases immediately, and Tim crumples to the ground with a loud thud. I watch as he gasps for air, his chest heaving as he tries to fill his lungs.

"Lock him in a prison cell and make sure he rots there," the Alpha orders two of his men. They nod and move to lift Tim by his arms, dragging him away. Without sparing me another glance, the Alpha turns to Beta Jaxon and the remaining men. "Escort the Beta and her friend safely to their pack," he instructs, his tone final. Beta Jaxon and the others nod as the Alpha walks deeper into the forest, heading toward the pack houses, leaving me standing there, feeling both relieved and strangely unsettled.

My eyes catch a glimpse of the Alpha's hand—it's burnt. The realization hits me: when he broke those silver handcuffs, the silver must have seared his skin. Silver burns werewolves on contact, causing excruciating pain and leaving wounds that take longer to heal. Yet he didn't even flinch. How did he endure that kind of pain so effortlessly? And how was he able to break the silver handcuffs as if they were nothing? It doesn't make sense.

"Beta Evelyn," Beta Jaxon calls out, pulling me from my thoughts. I turn to see him gesturing for Selena and me to start walking. We both head back in the direction of our pack, with Beta Jaxon and his two men following closely behind.

As we near our territory, I spot Alpha Raven and a group of people waiting near the boundary. Their expressions are a mix of concern and relief as they see us approaching.

Alpha Raven visibly relaxes as I approach Beta Jaxon and his men trailing behind me.

"Alpha Raven," Beta Jaxon greets, bowing along with his men.

"Beta Jaxon," Alpha Raven acknowledges with a nod, then turns his attention to me. "Where were you, Beta Evelyn?" His voice carries both concern and authority.

"It's a long story, Alpha Raven," I reply, glancing around at the others. "One that I intend to tell you in private."

He nods in understanding, his expression softening slightly. I turn to Beta Jaxon, offering him a grateful smile. "Thank you for escorting us back to our land," I say sincerely.

Beta Jaxon returns the smile with a polite nod. "It was our duty," he responds before nodding at Alpha Raven and signaling his men to follow him as they head back to their territory.

"I'll just accompany Selena to her house and then I'll meet you at the pack house," I inform Alpha Raven, who nods in agreement.

Selena and I make our way towards her house, and as we approach, the other men start heading towards their respective homes. After ensuring Selena is safely inside, I head towards the pack house. The pack house, a sturdy structure made of dark wood, is shared by Alpha Raven, Gamma Liam, and myself. Gamma Liam is the third-in-command, responsible for the overall security and well-being of the pack.

I knock on the wooden door, and it swings open to reveal Gamma Liam standing there. His sharp eyes scan me quickly, likely assessing whether I’m injured or troubled. "Evelyn," he greets me with a slight nod, stepping aside to let me in.

"I didn't see you near the boundary tonight," I mentioned to Gamma Liam.

"Someone needed to handle things at the pack house," he replies, and I acknowledge his point with a nod. "Rav was concerned about you," Liam adds, referring to our Alpha by his first name.

The Alpha, Gamma, and I are close enough that we use each other's first names in private. When we're outside the pack house, we stick to our formal titles to maintain professionalism, as Rav prefers.

"He's been waiting for you in his study," Liam tells me.

"Lead the way," I reply. Liam guides me to Rav's study, where we find Rav standing by his desk, ready to discuss the events of the night.