Alpha's Bond

Chapter 13

The forest vibrated with tension, the kind that made every living thing hold its breath.

Damian’s presence filled the clearing, his growl rolling like thunder. Ronan didn’t flinch, though his rogues bristled, hackles raised, ready to lunge at the first command.

Evelyn stood frozen between them, her heart hammering against her ribs. The weight of two Alphas in one place was suffocating. Power pressed down on her chest like a stone, making it hard to breathe.

Damian’s voice was low, dangerous. “You come here with rogues, into my territory, and think you’ll walk away with her? You’re either a fool or already dead.”

Ronan smirked, though his eyes glowed with barely contained rage. “Funny. I could say the same to you. She was mine long before she ever crossed your path.”

Damian stepped forward, his dominance slamming into the clearing like a crashing wave. Evelyn staggered back under its weight, though his fury wasn’t aimed at her. His voice was a growl edged with fire. “She was never yours. You don’t own her. You don’t touch her. You don’t even breathe near her.”

The rogues lunged first.

Damian moved faster.

The clearing erupted into chaos—snarls, snapping jaws, the crash of bodies colliding. Damian shifted mid-stride, his wolf bursting forth in a blur of black fur and golden eyes. He was a storm unleashed, tearing through the rogues with brutal precision.

Evelyn backed against a tree, her wolf urging her to join the fight, to defend—but her gaze locked on Ronan. He hadn’t shifted. He stood watching, calm amid the violence, his smirk never faltering.

“You’ve grown bolder,” he called over the din, his voice carrying. “But tell me, Evelyn, how long before he learns the truth? How long before your precious Alpha realizes what you kept from him?”

Her blood ran cold.

Damian ripped down the last rogue with a final, savage snap. His wolf lifted its head, muzzle stained with blood, eyes locked on Ronan.

But Ronan only laughed, stepping back into the shadows of the trees. “Enjoy your protector while you can. I always finish what I start.”

And then he was gone.

The silence that followed was almost worse than the battle. Evelyn’s chest heaved as Damian shifted back, his body trembling with the force of his rage. His eyes still burning gold fixed on her, searching, demanding.

“Evelyn,” he said, his voice raw. “What truth?”

Her throat closed. The forest swayed around her, and for the first time in years, she felt the walls she’d built starting to crack.