Chapter 15: Shadows of the Past 

Alexander's POV

The tension from their confrontation still thrummed through him, a heady mix of anger, adrenaline, and something darker, something far more dangerous. He leaned back against the cold brick wall outside, his chest heaving, every muscle in his body coiled tight. Damn her. Damn her stubbornness, her defiance... her fucking spirit.

But it was that same fire that made her dangerous. If she ever discovered the truth, if she ever let her wolf surface—

No. He couldn't let that happen.

Not now. Not ever.

The darkness inside him twisted, a familiar, gnawing fear clawing at his gut. Because Elena wasn't just any wolf. She wasn't some rogue shifter or lone alpha. She was the last of her kind—the final link to a bloodline so powerful, so ancient, that its very existence threatened every pack in the region. Including his own. Including him.

And she didn't even know.

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath, raking a hand through his hair. He'd thought he could handle this. Thought he could keep her close, keep her safe, without getting... tangled up. But every second he spent around her, every time she looked at him with those goddamn eyes—wild and fierce and unbreakable—he felt himself slipping, felt his control crumbling.

Because the truth was, Elena was his. In a way that went beyond possession, beyond any claim he could ever stake. She was his responsibility. His burden. His punishment.

And if she ever awakened—if her wolf ever broke free...

She'd destroy him.

Just like she'd destroyed the rest of his family.

He exhaled slowly, forcing the memories back, shoving the old, festering pain into the dark corners of his mind where it belonged. Now wasn't the time to fall apart. He'd spent years—years—preparing for this, manipulating events, moving pieces into place. All for one purpose: to keep her in the dark. To make sure she never learned who she really was.

Because if she did, if she ever realized what he was doing...

Everything he'd built would come crashing down. Everything he'd fought for, sacrificed for, would be for nothing. And she—this woman who was supposed to be his enemy, this woman he'd sworn to protect—would be the one to end him.

Focus, he ordered himself, clenching his fists. There were bigger problems to deal with right now. Other threats circling, waiting for the right moment to strike. Rogues were just the beginning. They were pawns, distractions. The real danger—the ones pulling the strings behind the scenes—were still hidden in the shadows, waiting.

But he'd find them. He'd root them out, one by one, and tear them apart.

Because Elena was his to protect.

And if anyone—anyone—tried to take her from him, he'd make them bleed.

But he had to be careful. Strategic. Because the rogues weren't the only ones watching her. The packs knew something was brewing, the old alliances were shifting, and every alpha in the region was on high alert, looking for any sign of weakness, any opportunity to strike. The moment they caught wind of what Elena really was, they'd be on her. All of them. Desperate to claim her, to control her—or to kill her, just to keep her power from upsetting the balance.

And Alexander? He'd be the first one they came after. Because he was the one standing between her and them. The one keeping her hidden, keeping her blind to the truth.

And she'd hate him for it. When she found out—when she finally understood what he'd done—she'd hate him with every fiber of her being.

But he'd rather have her hate him than have her dead.

"Alpha?" a low voice interrupted, cutting through the darkness of his thoughts.

Alexander turned, his gaze sharpening as one of his lieutenants stepped forward, head bowed respectfully. "What is it?"

"Word from the south. The Blackwater pack is moving. They've crossed into our territory."

A cold, deadly calm settled over him. Blackwater. Fucking perfect. Just what he needed. Another arrogant alpha sniffing around, trying to encroach on his land. He'd been expecting them to make a move for weeks, but this... this was too soon.

"Gather the others," he ordered, his voice a low, lethal growl. "I want every scout, every enforcer ready to mobilize."

"Yes, Alpha."

The lieutenant bowed and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Alexander alone once more.

Blackwater. Fuck. They weren't here for a fight, not yet. They were testing the waters, looking for weaknesses. And if they found out about Elena... if they got even the slightest whiff of what she was...

War would be inevitable.

And not just any war. A bloodbath—packs tearing each other apart, ripping each other to pieces in a desperate scramble for power. And at the center of it all, the woman who had no idea she was the key to it all. The woman who had no idea she held the power to destroy them all.

He stared out into the night, his mind racing, calculating, strategizing.

He'd have to keep her close. Closer than ever. Because if she slipped through his fingers, if she awakened before he was ready...

Then every death, every sacrifice he'd made to keep her safe, to keep her hidden, would be meaningless.

And he'd lose her.

For good.

"Alpha, another issue," a second voice sounded, this one more hesitant. Daniel, his lead scout, stepped out of the shadows, his face set in a grim line. "It's not just Blackwater. We've intercepted communications from the Northern Claws. They're moving, too."

Alexander stilled, his blood running cold. "Northern Claws?" he repeated slowly, disbelief threading his voice. "What the fuck do they want here?"

Daniel shifted uncomfortably. "Intel suggests they're searching for something... or someone. We think they're looking for her."

Alexander's jaw clenched, a wave of fury surging through him. Goddamn it. This was spiraling out of control faster than he'd anticipated. He'd kept Elena hidden for so long, erased every trace, every whisper of her existence. And now... now, every fucking predator in the region was sniffing around, circling like vultures.

"Tell the sentries to double the patrols," he ground out, his voice low and deadly. "I want eyes on every inch of the territory. If they so much as breathe the wrong way, I want to know about it."

"Understood."

Daniel vanished into the darkness, leaving Alexander alone once more.

The Blackwater pack. The Northern Claws. Fuck, what next?

He turned his gaze back to the house, where Elena's silhouette was barely visible through the window. She was pacing, her movements agitated, her frustration palpable even from a distance.

She had no idea what was coming for her. What he'd have to do to keep her safe.

But he'd do it.

Even if it meant betraying her.

Even if it meant breaking her.

Because she was his.

And he'd burn every fucking thing that stood in his way.