THE ALPHA'S FIERY REIGN

Chapter 2 Hidden

Fifteen years later…

I woke up to total darkness. Everything felt wrong… the air, the room, my own body. My head was pounding like I’d been hit with something heavy.

I blinked a few times, trying to get my bearings. There was a fire somewhere nearby, casting flickering shadows on stone walls that looked like they hadn’t been touched in years.

Where… am I?

My body was stiff, like I’d been asleep for forever. Sitting up felt like lifting weights with my brain still foggy and limbs that didn’t feel like mine.

The place was small… bare walls, a few crates, one tiny cot, and the smell of smoke, earth, and old wood. Definitely not somewhere I’d call home.

That’s when the panic hit. I couldn’t remember anything.

No name. No past. Just flashes, like broken dreams or pieces of a memory I couldn’t hold onto. I pressed my palms to my head, trying to calm down. “What happened…?” I muttered, my voice dry and cracked.

The door creaked open.

A tall man stepped in, older, rugged looking. There was something intense in his eyes, like he’d seen a lot and didn’t trust easily.

He looked at me for a few seconds, then said calmly, “You’re awake. That’s good. How are you feeling?”

I stared at him, confused and shaky. “Who… who are you? Where am I? What happened to me?”

He didn’t answer right away. He just studied me. There was something almost… sad in his eyes, but it was gone before I could really figure it out.

“You’re safe,” he finally said. “We found you unconscious in the woods. Brought you here. You’ve been out for a while.”

Safe. Right.

I swallowed, my throat burning. “I don’t remember anything. Not even my name.”

He nodded, like he’d expected that. “I’m Lucien. That’s my son, Lukas,” he said, pointing to the guy standing quietly in the corner. Lukas looked my age, maybe a little older. Quiet. Watchful. Like he didn’t say much unless he really had to.

I looked between them, my chest tight. “Why can’t I remember anything?”

Lucien rubbed his face, like he didn’t want to have this conversation. “We don’t know who you are,” he admitted. “But… you weren’t from the village. You were left behind.”

“Left behind?” I echoed. “By whom?”

He looked away. “That’s not important right now. You’re safe here. That’s what matters.”

That didn’t sit right with me. Something about the way he said it, too quick, too final… made me feel like he was hiding something.

Like there was more to the story. And deep down, I felt it too. There was more. I just couldn’t remember what.

“I don’t even feel like… me,” I whispered, staring at my hands. They were mine, but I felt like a stranger in my own skin.

Lucien stepped closer, resting a hand on my shoulder. “You will. Give it time. Your memory will come back eventually. For now, just rest. You’ve got us.”

Then he said it.

“Braxton.”

I flinched when Lucien said my name.

Braxton.

It echoed in my head like it meant something, but I couldn’t grab onto it. It felt real… but not mine.

I rubbed my temples, frustrated, trying to focus… and then something cracked.

Not in the room. In me.

A sudden flash of memory hit me like a punch to the chest.

I was small… maybe three? Running barefoot through the woods. The world looked huge, the trees towering, the air thick with smoke. Someone was carrying me.

I couldn’t see their face, but I could feel the panic in their heartbeat. The scent of blood. Screams in the distance. A shadow chasing us.

“Don’t look back,” someone whispered. “We have to keep him hidden.”

Then... darkness. I gasped, nearly falling off the cot. Lucien was by my side in seconds, gripping my shoulder. “Breathe, Braxton. It’s okay.”

“No… it’s not,” I choked out. “I saw something. I, someone was running with me. They were trying to hide me.”

His eyes flickered, jaw tight. “You must’ve hit your head harder than we thought.”

“Don’t lie to me,” I snapped, anger flaring in my chest. “You know something. I wasn’t just ‘found.’ I was running. I was being hidden.”

Lucien let out a heavy breath and stood, running a hand through his hair. “You were safe for fifteen years. That’s what matters.”

“Fifteen years?” I repeated. “Safe from what?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead, he walked to the fire, throwing in another log, avoiding my eyes.

“I don’t remember my childhood. My name feels like a stranger’s. And now I’m getting flashes of being chased through the woods. You’re telling me that’s normal?”

Lukas shifted in the corner, finally speaking, his voice low but firm. “You weren’t supposed to remember any of it.”

My eyes locked on his. “What does that mean?”

Lucien stepped between us, his tone sharp. “Enough. You’re not ready to carry what’s behind that memory. Not yet.”

“Try me,” I said.

But he didn’t answer. The room went quiet again, only the fire crackling and the sound of my pulse hammering in my ears.

They were hiding something. They had been hiding it for years. And now, whatever they were protecting me from?

“But who am I really?” I insisted. “Why don’t I know anything about myself?”

Lucien hesitated, just for a second, but then his voice turned firm. “You’re just a boy who was found in the woods. That’s all you need to know.”

Lukas stepped forward for the first time, his voice softer than I expected. “We’ll look after you. This is your home now.”

I nodded, mostly because I didn’t know what else to do. But deep down, I knew something was wrong. Something big was missing.

They weren’t telling me everything. And until I found out what that was, I couldn’t trust anything, not even the name they gave me.

The stars were really showing off tonight. I sat by the campfire, poking at the flames with a stick, trying to ignore the million thoughts racing in my head.

The pack… my family, really, were slowly settling down around me. Some were already snoring. Others were murmuring in low voices, probably talking about tomorrow’s hunt or who forgot to bring in the blankets again.

I should’ve been tired. I should’ve been asleep. But nights like this? My brain just wouldn't shut up.

And so, I looked across the fire at Lukas. He was sharpening a blade like he always did before bed. That man never seemed to sleep.

“Lukas,” I said, my voice low.

He looked up, eyebrows raised. “Yeah?”

I hesitated. Stared into the fire like it could give me answers or something. “Do you… remember anything about where I came from? Before the pack found me?”

The sound of the blade stopped. For a second, he didn’t say anything. Just looked at me like I’d just opened a door we were both pretending didn’t exist.

“Why ask that now?” he said. “You’ve always been one of us.”

“I know,” I replied. “But I wasn’t born here. I’ve always known that. And lately… I’ve been getting these weird dreams. Like flashes. Stuff I don’t understand.”

He sighed, slowly putting the knife down. “Some answers, Brax, they don’t always feel good.”

I sat up straighter. “I still want to know.”

He looked around first, like checking if someone was eavesdropping, even though no one cared. Then he leaned in slightly. “Alright. You were born into something big. Complicated. Dangerous.”

I frowned. “What does that even mean?”

“Your parents... they were royalty. Wolves with real power. Your dad was the Alpha King. He was respected and feared. But your uncle, Jaxon? He wanted that throne so bad, it twisted him. And when he couldn’t get it… he tried to wipe you out.”

I blinked. “Wait–what? Why me?”

“Because you were born with something rare. A power he saw as a threat. Fire, Brax. You carry the blood of dragons. You were born with the ability to breathe fire.”

I stared at him. Dead silent. That had to be a joke, right?

“You serious?” I asked, heart pounding.

He nodded slowly. “Your parents knew Jaxon wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted. So, they cast a spell on you, to keep your power hidden. Then they sent you away. To protect you.”

My fists clenched. “So, all this time, I’ve just been… hiding? Living out here with no clue who I am?”

“Not hiding,” Lukas said quietly. “Surviving. Growing. Becoming strong enough to face what’s coming.”

I looked away, angry and confused. “This sounds like some twisted fairytale, Lukas.”

“I know. But it’s real. And there's more…”

I looked back at him. “Don’t tell me, Jaxon’s still looking for me?”

His eyes darkened. “He never stopped. And now? He’s close. Closer than he’s ever been.”

I stood up, breathing hard. My whole body felt like it was on fire from the inside. “So, I’m just supposed to keep hiding while he rules over a kingdom that should’ve been my family’s?”

“You have a choice,” Lukas said, standing too. “But if you go after him, there’s no going back. He’ll try to kill you. Again.”

I stared into the flames, everything inside me boiling over. My whole life, every unanswered question, every dream, every ache in my chest, it all made sense now.

“I’m done hiding,” I said through gritted teeth. “If my parents gave everything to protect me, then I need to honor that. I need to take back what’s mine.”

Lukas looked at me like he wanted to say more. Maybe to stop me. But instead, he nodded. “Then I’ll stand with you. Just remember, this power inside of you? It’s not just a gift. It’s dangerous. If you don’t learn to control it… it could destroy you.”

“I’ll figure it out,” I said. And I meant it.

Because for the first time in my life, I finally knew who I was. And I wasn’t afraid anymore.

****

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