The Alpha's Prisoner

False Hope

GEMMA

I couldn’t look away. I walked away from the hole and against Dontrell’s plea, I moved closer to the tree. It wasn’t just any body.

“No.” My voice came out barely above a whisper.

It was David, one of our scouts. He’d been on patrol last night and didn’t return. I’d assumed he’d extended his routine or stopped to investigate something. His throat had been slashed and carved into a chest was a message. Two words in the language every wolf was brought to fear.

‘War’s coming’

“Kane.” Dontrell muttered beside me. “It has to be...”

“No.” I forced myself to step closer, studying the scene with a clear head even though fire burned in my bones. “Kane’s too weak for this. He can barely maintain his own alliances, let alone, orchestrate something this elaborate.”

“Whoever did this isn’t from this region.” I looked up at Dontrell. “It has to be someone powerful.”

My eyes fell on David’s clawed hands, still frozen in defensive positions. He’d fought back hard.

“Cut him down.” I ordered quietly. “Prepare him for burial. His family deserves better than this.”

Dontrell signaled to the recovery team but his eyes were fixed on me still. “I think the stranger could have seen something.”

I turned away from David’s body with a clenched jaw. “So do you still think we shouldn’t have saved him?”

He lowered his head, saying nothing. My head spun. Five years since I became the Alpha and never have, I been this challenged. Who could have done this?

**

Our pack doctor, Dr. Legend met me at the clinic entrance, exhaustion evident on her face. She’d been working on the stranger for hours.

“He’ll survive.” She spoke, just before I could ask. “He was terribly tortured.”

“How long until he wakes?” I crossed my hands behind me.

“His body needs time to heal. It could take days.” She paused. “Maybe longer.”

Days.... I didn’t have days. Whoever carved that message wouldn’t wait for me to prepare. I pushed past her into the examination room. The stranger lay motionless on the bed, bandages covering most of his torso.

With the sharp light, I could see him better. He was younger than I’d initially thought. He seemed to be in his late twenties. Dark hair, strong jawline, and even despite being battered and bruised, there was something striking about him.

“Let me know the minute he wakes up.” I ordered, leaving the room before the frustration could choke me.

**

“Get eyes on Kane’s movements.” I told Dontrell as we walked towards the training grounds. “I want to know everywhere he’s been or planning to be since he left our pack.”

“You really think he’s not involved?”

“I think someone wants us to think he’s involved.” I stopped at the edge of the field, watching young warriors run through the drills. “Kane makes threats. This is execution. There’s a difference.”

“What about the other Alphas you’ve rejected? The twenty...”

“Add them to the list.” I answered. “I want movements, anything that puts them near our borders in the last week.”

“That’s half the northern region.”

“Then we’d better work fast.” I turned to face him. “Double soldiers on every border. Ten more soldiers per checkpoint. Whatever’s coming, I won’t let it catch us unprepared.”

Dontrell nodded and walked off, already barking orders to the soldiers.

Three days crawled by. There were no answers, no leads, not even the stranger woke up. Every night, I stood at the window and waited for another body to appear at our borders. I could barely sleep all through those nights. No one came and somehow, that felt worse.

On the fourth morning, a knock jerked me out of thoughts.

“Alpha.” One of the clinic attendants stood in my doorway, almost out of breath. “He’s awake.”

Relief hit me immediately. “Get Dontrell.” I ordered, running off as fast I could.

The stranger sat upright in bed when I entered, staring at the wall like he’d been waiting for centuries. His gaze followed me as I walked into the clinic.

“Hi.” I let out a friendly smile. “I’m glad to see you’re recovering.”

He didn’t utter a word and instead, stared at me.

I glanced at Dr. Legend. “You’re certain his hearing wasn’t damaged?”

“Who are you?”

His voice was rough but the words were clear. I turned back to him, relief flooding me.

“I’m Gemma Nightshade, Alpha of the Frostfang pack. We found you four days ago at our border, near death. You’re safe here.”

“How did I get there?”

“I was hoping you could tell me that.” I moved closer, studying his face. “What’s your name?”

He blinked slowly and something flashed between his eyes. “I don’t... I don’t know.”

My heart skipped.

“I don’t know anything.” His hands curled into the sheets. “I woke up and... I don’t remember anything. Who am i?”

Fire crawled under my skin as I clenched my fist so tight, that my nails began to dig into my palms. I should have ended him right there instead of bringing him over. I had waited for four days and this is what I get?

“Memory loss isn’t uncommon with head trauma. It should return with time...”

“Should?” I cut her off. “Or will?”

She hesitated for a minute. “I can’t promise anything.”

“Our only witness remembers nothing. How convenient.” Dontrell muttered.

The stranger’s gaze moved between us and I saw a flash of panic and fear in his eyes. He was scared of us. Suddenly, I felt some sort of pity for him.

“Listen.” I moved closer. “I know this is overwhelming but someone tortured you and left you at my border. The same someone who murdered one of my wolves and declared war on my pack. If you remember anything... a face, voice or even a smell, I need to know.”

“I remember nothing.”

Rage burned inside of me as I stood up and headed for the door.

“Thank you.”

I paused for a second. “For what?”

“For saving me. For not leaving me to die.” He met my eyes and something in that gaze made my breath catch for a second. “I don’t know why but I feel like not many people would have made that choice.”

I left immediately, refusing to respond. I made it exactly six steps down the hallway before it hit me. A pull, a sharp and unmistakable, drawing me back towards that room. My wolf surged forward with desperate hunger.

Mate

“No.” The word barely made it past my lips.

“Gemma?” Dontrell’s voice cut through the confusion. “What’s wrong?”

“Stay with him. Make sure he doesn’t try anything stupid.” I ordered, walking to the one place where I was supposed to be. The guard at the heavy iron door nodded and stepped aside without a word. He knew better than to ask why I came here.

The lock clicked open and I pushed through into the dimly lit corridor lined with cells. Most were empty but one wasn’t.

I stood in front of the bars. I said nothing. Instead, I just stood there, staring at the man who’d taught me what betrayal looked like. What it cost and what it could destroy.

I shut my eyes and took in a deep breath. That was the reminder I needed to know I wasn’t like everyone else and I felt that raw fire lit up in me again.

Love was a weakness. The mate bond was just a lie and trusting either one would destroy everything I’d built.