The Alpha's command

The moment my gaze meets his, something detonates inside me—hot, electric, primal.

It's not just that I know him. It's like something ancient is waking up. It's rising from a dark place I thought I had locked away for good.

My body reacts before I can even think—I gasp, and my heart starts pounding so hard I think my ribs might break. I need to move. I need to run. My gut screams at me, loud and clear. But I can't move. My legs are stuck to the sidewalk, like the ground won't let me go.

"Elara, are you okay?" Maeve asks softly. I clench my hands into fists, digging my nails into my skin until the pain snaps me out of it.

"No. I'm not," I want to tell her, but the words won't come. I can't even force out a single word.

I grit my teeth, pulling myself back from whatever is trying to drag me closer to him.

“I need to leave,” I say sharply, And those are the only words that manage to leave my mouth. My voice is cutting through the tension between us.

"Elara, wait." Maeve grabs my arm, stopping me from leaving. I turn to look at her and catch the way she sighs, like the weight of the moment is pressing down on her too.

"I don't understand what's happening..." she whispers, her voice barely carrying through the thick air between us. I didn’t speak as my gaze passed over the man walking toward us.

The man smirks and it gives me chill. He walks toward us slowly, like a predator who knows he doesn't need to run to catch their dinner. Each step he takes makes the world feel smaller, until it's just me and him, stuck in the same orbit. I swallow, unable to sense where Maeve is anymore, as if she’s vanished into thin air, like a bubble bursting.

“I am Kieran,” he says, his voice deep and smooth.

“Alpha of the Nightshade Pack.” The name hits me hard, shaking me to my core in a way I really don't want him to. His voice is full of authority, like he's used to getting what he wants without asking.

“By order of the Lycan King,” he goes on, his eyes hard as rock, “this town is under lockdown. Nobody gets in, and nobody gets out. For a month.”

A month.

The words hit like a brick, messing with everything I've been working to keep together. Before I can move, Kieran steps closer, taking up all the space between us. His heat washes over me, stealing my breath. I take a step back, then stop myself, not wanting to show weakness. He lowers his head to get a better smell of me, making my skin crawl.

“Why do I feel like he’s claiming me without even touching? Damn it!” My blood runs cold. For a second, I'm sure he'll see the truth—the thing I've been trying to hide my whole life.

Kieran smirks. He leans closer, his voice a low whisper:

“You're hiding something, little wolf. You don't smell like any beta I've met.” I freeze, every muscle tight. Fight or run. Fight or run?!

But Kieran doesn't push it. He chuckles, a dark sound that makes me jump. Turning away, he gestures to his soldiers—tough-looking men and women in tactical gear, standing ready like wolves waiting for a signal.

“Find somewhere to stay,” he says casually, like he's asking them where they want to eat.

And then, without looking at me:

“She’ll show us the way.” It’s not a question, it’s an order. I can't move, but I force myself to walk. This time, I saw Maeve talking to one of Kieran’s man. One step. Another. Then I bite my lips in frustration.

I can't leave. I can't go far from here. What if Rendell comes? No, Kieran already said no one can enter or leave this place. So, that means Kieran isn’t connected to Rendell after all... But I still can't trust him.

The streets in front of us are familiar but different under the red sky. I can feel Kieran behind me, like his presence is burning into my back with every step he takes. There’s a small part of me that I've kept locked away, and starts to ache for something it can't have.

My inner wolf starts to stir, testing the chains I wrapped around it years ago.

Not now. Never.

I shove it back down, locking it away by force.

The soldiers spread out, a dark shadow moving through the streets.

Their boots hit the ground hard, saying, We're here, and we're not leaving.

Kieran sticks close. Too close. His steps echo mine, like he wants me to notice him.

“You live here?” His voice cuts through the quiet, low and almost friendly. I try not to look at him.

And don't give him anything. I nod as an answer.

“Where’s your family?” He ask again. That word stings more than it should.

I swallow the feeling and lie,

“Dead.” I answer in one word. Silence echoed and then Kieran chuckles. He doesn't believe me.

I can tell—he knows I'm lying.

The town square is up ahead, empty, with a broken fountain in the middle. Kieran slows down beside me, looking around.

“Why does this place feel like a horror place?” he asked, his voice low and smooth, cutting through the steady patter of rain as we walked. “Where is everyone?”

I swallowed hard, keeping my eyes pinned to the muddy path ahead. “They’re inside their homes. Of course they wouldn’t be out in this weather.”

“Then why are you?” he asked.I froze. Just for a second—but it was enough. My pulse stuttered. I could feel his presence halt behind me, like a shadow stretching too close.

“I’m helping a friend,” I said quickly, too quickly. The lie curled in my throat like smoke.

He chuckled, and it wrapped around me like a warning.

“With your things?” he said, one brow lifted in amusement. I clenched my jaw and finally turned to face him. Big mistake. Our eyes locked again, and the world around us seemed to vanish—just the two of us, the falling rain, and the weight of something unspoken pressing between us. The words caught in my throat, strangled by the storm of emotions I couldn’t name.My heart was a drum. My breath shallow.

“You were about to say something, little wolf,” he murmured, voice silk over steel. “So say it.” I shook my head instead, tearing my gaze away and walking faster, as if I could outrun the pull of him. But deep down, I knew—I couldn’t. Damn it.