Boundaries.
1129 Words
Max and William were already waiting for me at the infirmary.
“How’s it looking?” I asked as I stepped inside.
“We have a few injured warriors,” William replied. “But nothing too serious. Two have already been sent home. The rest will stay overnight for observation.”
Max was watching me closely, like he had something on his mind. But before he could speak, I cut him off.
“Let’s go check on them. I want to talk to the guys.”
They both nodded silently and followed me.
We walked into the common recovery room, where three more warriors were resting. To my surprise, laughter echoed through the space. Despite the earlier chaos, they all seemed to be in good spirits. Relief washed over me. They were okay. I pushed aside my own problems and walked in with a smile.
“Come on, guys, don’t keep all the fun to yourselves.”
The men turned toward me immediately.
“ALPHA!” one of them beamed. “My mate showed up with the kids. Can you believe it? She fought her way past the nurses just to see if I was okay. She had nowhere to leave the little ones, so they came with her. My youngest, Ami, started crying—she didn’t understand why everything felt so scary. And then my son turned to her and said: ‘You’re right, I want to cry too… seeing that Dad didn’t even get a cool scar.’”
I blinked in disbelief, then glanced at Max and William. They were clearly trying to hold in their laughter.
The warrior grinned. “What can I say? He’s ten. Puberty is knocking at the door.”
I couldn’t help it—I let out a loud laugh and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. The others followed, filling the room with light-hearted energy.
“Robert, be thankful you don’t have any cool scars. Trust me, puberty will be worse,” I joked.
The laughter grew louder.
Once it settled, I looked around at them seriously.
“But really—how are you feeling? Is there anything you need? Anything I can do?”
“No, Alpha,” one of them answered with a grateful nod. “We’re okay. We’re just thankful to be here… and that you were there with us. If you hadn’t shown up, things might have ended very differently.”
I smiled. “Don’t sell yourselves short. I know this pack is in strong hands. Every single one of you is a top-tier warrior. I couldn’t be more proud. You honor me, your families, and most of all—yourselves.”
“Get some rest tonight. But I’d like you to come see me tomorrow. I want to hear what happened directly from you. And of course, if you need anything—you just let me know.”
As I walked out, a sense of peace settled in my chest. I may not be Alpha officially…
But to them, I already was.
And my father? In recent years, he’s shown just how far from that title he’s fallen.
"See you tomorrow, Will. Get some rest."
Will nodded and left, giving me and Max some space.
"So, are you going to tell me what happened?" Max asked, raising a brow.
I ran a hand down my face, exhausted from the day. "Honestly? We need that drink. Trust me—there's a lot to unpack."
"Dude, I left you alone for like… an hour," Max said, grinning.
That was Max for you. While I carried the weight of the world on my shoulders, he acted like life was one big joke. But that’s exactly why he was the best friend I could ever ask for. And the only one I trusted enough to be my Beta.
"Yeah, well… without you, I'm lost," I smirked.
In the distance, I spotted a group of girls heading our way—and instantly knew I was screwed.
Blonde hair, a tight pink dress with some kind of chicken pattern—or whatever it’s called—looked cheap at first glance, even though it tried to pass as something straight out of a Dior boutique."
It was Ember. Goddess, had I not suffered enough today?
"Dean, baby!"
Her high-pitched voice made my skin crawl.
Max and I shared a look—deadpan and exhausted. Even Madox, my wolf, growled in annoyance. He despised her even more than I did. If I let him loose, she wouldn’t last a second.
"Ember," I muttered with clear disgust.
"I've been trying to call you," she whined, pouting. "You won’t answer your phone, and you ignore my messages! Care to explain that?"
She stopped right in front of me, her usual posse flanking her like plastic backup dancers.
I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Sorry, but I didn’t notice anything coming from you that might actually matter. And while we’re at it, do me a favor—stop talking to me like you have a claim. I don’t owe you a response. Also, enough with the disgusting messages. Maybe grow some self-respect?"
A wave of shocked gasps rippled from behind her. Max snorted beside me, trying to suppress his grin.
Ember smiled sweetly—as if I hadn’t just insulted her—and boldly grabbed my hand, pressing her body against mine. Her dress barely held together, and that sickly-sweet perfume of hers made my stomach turn.
"So you did see the messages," she said smugly.
"Ember, you’re testing my patience." My voice was low, clipped. "Are you really the only one who doesn’t see how disgusting this is? Let me make it clear, so even you understand: I want nothing to do with you. I don’t care how hard you try or how many vile pictures you send. You have zero chance. You’re only still in this pack because, for whatever reason, my father refuses to listen when I ask him to remove you. I can only hope you find your mate soon, so I can finally have some peace. Now take your hands off me and get lost—before I stop holding Madox back."
Maybe I went too far. But I’d had enough. I couldn’t stand her presence, let alone her touch.
Her little minions looked horrified. Onlookers nearby began snickering and whispering. Great. I could only hope this didn’t reach my father’s ears.
Ember stood frozen, tears welling in her eyes. I shook her off and turned to leave.
"One day, you’ll beg for me!" she screamed after me.
I didn’t even flinch. I’d heard her empty threats before. And tomorrow? She’d probably show up in an even more vulgar version of herself, thinking she could still tempt me.
Not a chance.
- Writer
