The alpha I hated

Chapter 27: Rebuilding and betrayal

NOAH'S POV

Three weeks of trying to put our lives back together after everything that had happened.

I stood at my office window, looking out at the pack territory. Construction crews were working on rebuilding the houses that had been destroyed during the shadow demon attack. The sound of hammers and saws filled the air, a hopeful sound that meant we were moving forward.

"The new security system is almost finished," Elias said, walking into my office with a stack of papers. "We now have guards posted at every entrance to the territory. Day and night shifts."

I nodded, still looking out the window. "Good. What about the pack businesses?"

"The lumber company is back to full production," he said, setting the papers on my desk. "The school reopened yesterday. And the pack store is getting more customers every day."

That was good news. For weeks, our pack had been living in fear. People were afraid to leave their houses. Children were afraid to go to school. But slowly, things were returning to normal.

"How's the hiring going for Daisy's care team?" I asked.

"We've hired six new maids," Elias said. "All of them have been background checked and cleared by Elder Sarah. They'll work in shifts so someone is always available to help Daisy."

I smiled at that. Daisy was now ten weeks pregnant, and her belly was starting to show. She got tired easily and needed help with daily tasks. I wanted to make sure she had everything she needed.

"And the doctor visits?"

"Dr. Martinez comes to check on her twice a week," Elias said. "He says both she and the baby are healthy. Though he's still amazed that she's pregnant at all."

I walked over to my desk and sat down. Being Alpha meant taking care of everyone in the pack, but it also meant a lot of paperwork and meetings. Sometimes I missed the simpler days when my biggest worry was patrol schedules.

"What's the status on the perimeter defenses?" I asked, looking through the reports Elias had brought.

"All the new motion sensors are installed," he said. "Plus we have the magical detection system that Alex and Maya set up. If anything supernatural tries to cross into our territory, we'll know immediately."

"Good. I don't want any more surprises."

"Speaking of Alex and Maya," Elias said, "they've been training some of our younger pack members in basic magical defense. Just simple protection spells and warning charms."

That was smart. We couldn't rely on Alex and Maya to always be there when we needed magical help. Our pack members needed to learn how to protect themselves.

"How are the families doing?" I asked. "The ones who lost people in the attack?"

Elias's expression became sad. "They're struggling. We lost twelve pack members that night. But the survivor benefits are helping, and the community has been very supportive."

I felt the familiar weight of guilt settle on my shoulders. Twelve good people had died because creatures were hunting my mate and unborn child. I would carry that responsibility for the rest of my life.

"Is there anything else they need?" I asked.

"Time," Elias said simply. "Time to grieve and heal."

I nodded. Time was something I hoped we now had plenty of. The creatures had stayed away since that night. The magical detection system hadn't picked up any supernatural threats. For the first time in months, our territory felt safe.

"Where's Daisy now?" I asked, checking my watch.

"In the garden with two of the new maids," Elias said. "She's been spending a lot of time outside lately. Says the fresh air makes her feel better."

I smiled. Daisy had been dealing with morning sickness for the past two weeks. Some days she could barely keep food down. But she never complained. She was handling pregnancy with the same strength she had shown through everything else.

"I'm going to go check on her," I said, standing up from my desk.

"Before you do," Elias said, "there's one more thing we need to discuss."

"What's that?"

"The pack council meeting is tomorrow night. We need to officially announce Daisy's pregnancy to the entire pack."

I had been dreading this conversation. So far, only a few people knew about the baby. But it was getting harder to hide, and the pack deserved to know that their future Alpha was on the way.

"Are you sure they're ready for that news?" I asked.

"They're going to find out eventually," Elias said. "Better they hear it from you than through gossip."

He was right. And besides, I was proud of my mate and our child. I wanted everyone to know how happy we were.

"Set up the meeting," I said. "We'll tell them everything."

"Everything?" Elias asked. "Including about the baby's... special abilities?"

I thought about that. The pack had seen what happened the night the creatures disappeared. They knew something powerful had driven the threats away. But they didn't know it had been our unborn child.

"We'll tell them the baby is special," I said. "But maybe not all the details. Not yet."

Elias nodded. "Probably wise."

I walked toward the door, ready to go find Daisy, when my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and frowned. I didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Is this Noah Blackwood, Alpha of the black Moon Pack?"

The voice was unfamiliar, but there was something about it that made my skin crawl. It sounded cold and mechanical, like the person was trying very hard not to show any emotion.

"Who is this?" I asked.

"Someone who has information you need," the voice said. "Meet me at the old bridge on Highway 47 in one hour. Come alone."

"I'm not meeting anyone without knowing who they are," I said firmly.

"You will if you want to learn the truth about your family," the voice said.

My blood went cold. "What is the truth about my family?"

"The truth about what really happened the night your parents died," the voice said. "The truth about your brother."

The line went dead.

I stared at the phone, my heart racing. My brother Lucas had died years ago when vampires attacked our pack. My parents had died that same night. It was the worst night of my life, the night I had lost everything.

"Noah?" Elias asked. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Maybe I have," I said quietly.

I walked to the window and looked out at the peaceful territory. Everything had been going so well. We were rebuilding. We were healing. Daisy and the baby were safe.

But now someone was calling me about my dead family. Someone who knew things they shouldn't know.

"Elias," I said, "I need you to double the guards around Daisy. And make sure Alex and Maya know where she is at all times."

"Why? What's happening?"

"I don't know," I said. "But I have a feeling our peaceful time is about to end."

I grabbed my jacket and headed toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Elias called after me.

"To get some answers," I said.

The drive to Highway 47 took forty-five minutes. The old bridge was in a remote area, surrounded by thick forest. It had been abandoned for years, ever since they built the new highway.

I parked my truck and walked to the center of the bridge. It was getting dark, and the shadows between the trees looked deeper than they should have. Every instinct I had was telling me this was a trap, but I had to know what this person knew about my family.

I waited for ten minutes before I heard footsteps approaching from the forest.

A figure emerged from the trees and stepped onto the bridge. In the dim light, I could see it was a man, tall and lean, wearing dark clothes. But his face was hidden in shadow.

"You came," he said, and I recognized the cold, mechanical voice from the phone.

"I'm here," I said. "Now tell me what you know about my family."

The man stepped closer, and the moonlight finally hit his face.

I felt like I had been punched in the stomach.

The face looking back at me was older, scarred, and harder than I remembered. But it was unmistakable.

It was my brother Lucas.

"Hello, Noah," he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Miss me?"

I couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe. Lucas was supposed to be dead. I had seen his body after the vampire attack. I had buried him myself.

"You're dead," I whispered.

"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated," he said, walking closer. "Though I suppose I have you to thank for that."

"What are you talking about?"