The night was restless.
Cold winds moved through the forest like whispers, brushing against the towering trees that surrounded the pack's territory. The moon hung high in the sky,full, bright, and watchful.
Inside the Alpha's territory, nothing moved without purpose.
And yet…
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
He stood at the edge of a cliff, his sharp eyes scanning the endless stretch of forest below. His presence alone was enough to command silence. Even the wind seemed to hesitate around him.
Power radiated from him.
Dominance.
Control.
But tonight…
There was something else beneath it.
Unease.
"I thought that woman was dead."
His voice was low, almost swallowed by the wind.
Seventeen years.
Seventeen years since that mistake.
Since that witch.
His jaw tightened.
"And now… she returns."
His fingers curled slowly into a fist.
"And with that bastard."
The word left his mouth with disgust, but something deep inside him reacted differently.
Something instinctive.
Something… connected.
Behind him, footsteps approached carefully.
Measured.
Respectful.
Only one person in the entire pack walked like that around him.
His Beta.
"You called for me, Alpha?"
He didn't turn.
"Say it again."
The Beta hesitated slightly.
"Alpha"
"I said," his voice dropped colder, more dangerous, "say it again."
A brief silence followed.
Then
"Two months ago," the Beta began, steadying himself, "during my mission near the southern village… I sensed something unusual."
The Alpha's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Not just unusual," the Beta continued.
"Familiar."
That word made the Alpha's chest tighten slightly.
"I smelled Alpha blood," the Beta said. "Strong. Raw. Untrained… but powerful."
The Alpha finally turned.
Slowly.
"And you think it's mine?"
The Beta met his gaze.
"I don't think, Alpha."
He paused.
"I'm certain."
The air between them grew heavy.
Dangerous.
"How?" the Alpha asked.
"There is only one explanation," the Beta said carefully.
"…Aria."
The name hit like a blade slicing through old memories.
The Truth He Buried
"Aria…"
The Alpha repeated the name slowly, like it didn't belong in his world anymore.
Like it should have stayed buried.
Dead.
Just like her.
"You're speaking nonsense," he said sharply, turning away again.
"There is no way she's alive."
His voice was firm.
Final.
But his mind… betrayed him.
Because deep down
He remembered.
Two Months Ago…
"Alpha, I think this might sound ridiculous…"
The Beta stood before him then, just like now.
"…but I sensed something."
The Alpha didn't even look up from where he sat.
"Speak."
"A powerful Alpha scent," the Beta continued. "Similar to yours… but different."
That made him pause.
Slightly.
"Explain."
"I felt it on my way to the mission," the Beta said. "And again on my way back."
Silence.
"And?" the Alpha asked coldly.
The Beta hesitated.
"…the only person I could think of…"
The Alpha's eyes lifted slowly.
"…was Aria."
That was the moment everything snapped.
"Will you shut the hell up?" the Alpha's voice thundered through the room.
The Beta lowered his head instantly.
"There is no way she's alive," the Alpha continued, his aura flaring dangerously.
"I sent my most trusted warriors after her."
His fists clenched.
"They confirmed her death."
His voice dropped lower.
"They showed me proof."
Blood.
Torn fabric.
Her scent fading into nothing.
He had seen it.
He had believed it.
Because he needed to.
Because anything else would mean
Failure.
Present Time
"And yet," the Beta said carefully, pulling him back to reality, "I sensed it again."
The Alpha's body stiffened slightly.
"In the city this time."
Silence.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
"I went there myself," the Alpha finally said.
The Beta looked up.
"And?"
The Alpha's eyes darkened.
"It's real."
The word came out low.
Controlled.
But filled with something dangerous.
"She's alive."
The wind howled louder, as if reacting to his words.
"And the child?" the Beta asked.
The Alpha didn't respond immediately.
But when he did…
His voice was colder than ever.
"That child…"
He paused.
"…is mine."