THE ALPHAS' OBSESSION

SHADOWS OF THE PAST

The morning began in a haze of tension as Sienna awoke to the sound of raised voices coming from outside her window. Throwing on a sweater, she stepped out onto the balcony of her room and saw Damien addressing a group of warriors with his usual air of authority. Even at this early hour, his tone carried an edge that made everyone around him stand straighter, their attention locked on him.She couldn’t make out his words, but his posture and the clenched fists of the warriors told her it wasn’t good news. Whatever it was, it was enough to send a ripple of unease through the pack, and Sienna found herself wondering how much more there was to life in the Blackthorn Pack than just the strict training and traditions she’d witnessed so far.Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on her door. Turning, she found Dante leaning casually in the doorway, his ever-calm expression giving her a measure of comfort amidst the rising tension.“Rough morning?” he asked, gesturing toward the scene outside.“Looks like it,” she replied. “What’s going on?”“Rogue activity near the borders,” he said, his tone as even as ever. “Damien’s preparing the warriors for a patrol.”“Rogues?”“They’ve been a problem for a while now,” Dante explained, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. “Not just here, but across all the territories. Packs have been on high alert for weeks.”Sienna frowned. She hadn’t heard much about rogues beyond the whispered stories of loners who refused to align with any pack, often driven mad by the isolation. But the way Dante spoke of them, there was something more to it, something that made her skin prickle.“Are they dangerous?” she asked.“Some,” he admitted. “Others are just desperate. But in times like these, desperation can be as dangerous as malice.”---The day passed with a heavy air of anticipation. The warriors prepared for the patrol under Damien’s watchful eye, while the rest of the pack went about their duties with an undercurrent of tension that Sienna couldn’t ignore.She spent most of the afternoon in the library, hoping to distract herself, but her thoughts kept circling back to the triplets. Dante’s calm presence had been a comfort earlier, but it was Darius who lingered in her mind now.He hadn’t spoken to her since their sparring match the day before, but something about the way he had looked at her—both playful and serious—stuck with her. There was a depth to him, a shadow behind his easy smiles, that she couldn’t quite figure out.As if summoned by her thoughts, Darius appeared in the doorway of the library, his expression uncharacteristically serious.“Mind if I join you?” he asked, stepping inside without waiting for an answer.Sienna raised an eyebrow but gestured to the chair across from her.“What’s on your mind?” she asked as he settled in.“Just needed a break from all the chaos,” he said, running a hand through his dark hair. For once, the usual smirk was absent, replaced by a distant look that made her chest tighten.She studied him for a moment before speaking. “You’re not like Damien,” she said carefully.His gaze flicked to hers, sharp and assessing. “And what makes you say that?”“You hide things,” she said simply. “Damien doesn’t. He’s… blunt, almost brutally so. You’re different.”Darius’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, she thought he wouldn’t answer. But then he leaned back in his chair, his posture relaxing as he let out a low chuckle.“You’re observant,” he said. “I’ll give you that.”“Am I wrong?”He shook his head, his smile faint. “No. But some things are better left hidden, little wolf.”---That night, the pack gathered in the main hall for a briefing on the patrol. Damien stood at the head of the room, his presence commanding as he laid out the plan.“We’ll cover the eastern border first,” he said, his voice steady but firm. “Darius, you’ll lead the second group.”Darius nodded, his expression unreadable.Sienna watched from the sidelines, feeling out of place among the warriors. But as the meeting ended and the groups dispersed, she found herself lingering, her curiosity about the triplets growing with each passing moment.Darius caught her eye as he passed, and for a moment, she thought he might stop. But then he turned away, his expression shuttered, and disappeared into the crowd.---Later that night, unable to sleep, Sienna found herself wandering the grounds. The cool night air was soothing, and the silence was a welcome reprieve from the tension of the day.She was walking along the edge of the training field when she heard voices nearby.Pausing, she stepped closer, her heart pounding as she recognized Darius’s voice. He was speaking to someone, his tone low and urgent.“You don’t understand,” he said. “If they find out—”“They won’t,” another voice interrupted. It was Dante, his tone calm but firm.“They might,” Darius shot back. “And if they do, it won’t just be me who pays the price. The pack—”“That’s enough,” Dante said sharply.Sienna froze, her mind racing. What were they talking about? What was Darius hiding?Before she could decide whether to confront them or walk away, a branch snapped under her foot, the sound echoing in the stillness.The brothers turned toward her, their expressions unreadable in the darkness.“Sienna,” Dante said, his voice carefully neutral. “What are you doing out here?”“I could ask you the same thing,” she said, forcing her voice to remain steady.Darius stepped forward, his gaze piercing. “You shouldn’t eavesdrop, little wolf.”“I wasn’t,” she lied.For a moment, the tension was palpable. Then Dante stepped between them, his expression calm but firm.“Go back to bed, Sienna,” he said gently.Reluctantly, she nodded and turned away, her heart pounding. Whatever Darius was hiding, it was bigger than she’d realized. And somehow, she knew it was only a matter of time before the truth came to light.