Kane POV
I wasn’t sure Elena would stick with after hearing the truth. Hell, I’d prepared myself for her to bolt, to reject without hesitation. But when she didn’t run—when she stayed, no matter how tense or quiet she was—it filled with a relief I hadn’t felt in years.
It gave hope.
Hope that she was finally learning to love back the way I loved her.
I had wanted to tell her so many tis how much I loved her. The words lingered on the tip of my tongue every ti we were together, but I always held back. Fear was a powerful thing. I was scared she’d think I was moving too fast, that the weight of my feelings would be too much for her.
But tonight, when she didn’t reject or pull away, it felt like maybe—just maybe—she loved too, or at least, that she could.
If it hadn’t felt so much like I was being overly grateful for the bare minimum of her not leaving, I might’ve told her right then and there. Those three words itched to spill out of , but I swallowed them down, knowing it wasn’t the right ti.
Instead, I held her.
We fell asleep, and, like always, having her in my arms felt like the world was steady again. With her pressed against , her breathing soft and even, I felt invincible. It was the only ti I ever let myself believe that maybe I could handle it all—even Dean.
Dean.
Just the thought of him made my jaw clench. He was the problem I couldn’t shake, the shadow that lingered no matter how far I pushed him away. But for now, with Elena here and safe, I allowed myself to forget him for a while.
Her warmth against my chest and the soft scent of her hair grounded , reminding why I needed to keep fighting, why I needed to find a way to deal with the chaos that ca with being .
For her.
For us.
Tomorrow, I’d face the ss. But tonight, with her here, everything else could wait.
Waking up and seeing Elena sleeping so soundly next to made my heart clench with an emotion I wasn’t used to—happiness. A pure, undiluted kind of joy that I never thought I could feel. She looked so peaceful, her hair a soft ss framing her face, her lips slightly parted as she breathed steadily.
Unable to resist, I leaned in and kissed her forehead gently, letting the warmth of her skin seep into my own. Just as I was about to settle back, content to soak in her presence for a little longer, my beta linked .
Alpha, we need you at the northern border. There’s a group of rogues trying to enter the territory.
Damn it.
I clenched my jaw, torn. I wanted nothing more than to spend the day with Elena, especially after everything that had happened yesterday. But duty ca first, no matter how much I wanted to ignore it. Protecting my pack—protecting her—was my responsibility.
I sighed, glancing at her once more. She stirred slightly but didn’t wake. I couldn’t disturb her; she deserved this rest after everything.
Carefully, I slid out of bed, moving as quietly as I could so I wouldn’t wake her. Grabbing my keys from the table, I gave one last look at the door before closing it softly behind .
I’d handle this situation quickly.
Whatever the rogues wanted, I’d make sure it didn’t take long to deal with. The faster I got this over with, the sooner I could get back to Elena.
Sliding into my car, I started the engine and drove toward the northern gate, my thoughts a mix of irritation at the interruption and anticipation to return to her side. For her, I’d make today peaceful, no matter what it took.
The mont I arrived at the northern border, my stomach dropped. I had expected maybe three or four rogues—typical numbers for an opportunistic attack. Instead, I was t with chaos.
More than fifty rogues, a wild and rabid pack, sward the border. Their snarls and growls mixed with the shouts of my warriors, who were already engaged in a fierce fight. Blood splattered the ground, and the tallic scent filled the air, mingling with the sharp tang of fear and determination.
This isn’t normal.
Rogues didn’t band together like this. They were loners by nature, outcasts or wolves without a pack. To see this many in one place, organized and attacking in unison, was more than just unusual—it was a calculated move.
And it was my fault we were caught off guard.
The northern border had always been the quietest part of the territory, a place I rarely had to worry about. I’d stationed fewer guards there, thinking it was a safe move. A stupid, careless mistake.
Growling low in my throat, I parked the car haphazardly and shifted mid-stride, my wolf taking over in a seamless transition. My bones cracked, fur sprouted, and my senses sharpened instantly. The mont I hit the ground on four paws, I was already charging into the fray.
My warriors were doing their best, but they were outnumbered. I could see the strain on their faces, the desperation in their movents as they tried to hold the rogues back.
Not on my watch.
I leapt into the fight, claws extended, jaws snapping. The first rogue didn’t even see coming before I ripped into his side, my teeth tearing through muscle and sinew. He yelped and crumpled, and I moved on to the next, a relentless force of fury.
My wolf was in his elent—feral, powerful, and unstoppable. But even as I fought, my mind raced.
Why are there so many of them? Who’s leading them?
This wasn’t random. Soone had sent them. Soone who wanted to test my pack’s strength, or worse, break through it entirely.
I snarled, tearing through another rogue, his blood staining my fur. My beta, fought his way toward , his wolf panting heavily.
"Kane! We’ve got a problem. They’re trying to surround us!"
I growled in response, my mind quickly analyzing the situation. We needed reinforcents—and fast.
"Link the others! Get everyone here now!" I commanded through our ntal connection.
Ryan nodded, retreating briefly to send the ssage, while I continued cutting through the rogues. Every second mattered.
Whoever planned this is going to regret it.
With each rogue I took down, my resolve only hardened. I’d protect my pack, no matter what it took—even if it ant facing whoever was behind this head-on.
The chaos montarily halted as one of the rogues, still in human form, bellowed, "Bring us that filthy vampire you hide in your midst!"
Wait, what?
The words sent a shockwave through , and I let out a deafening growl that silenced the battlefield. Wolves—both mine and theirs—stopped mid-fight to stare, confusion and tension hanging thick in the air. I shifted back into my human form, standing tall amidst the blood and dust, my chest heaving.
There were audible gasps from the rogues.
"That’s him! That’s the vampire!" one of them shouted, their voice trembling with a mix of fear and fury.
Great. Just great. They weren’t wrong, but they had the wrong Kane.
This is Dean’s fault. All of it. Every ti he slithered his way back into my life, he left a trail of chaos behind him. And now, it had co straight to my doorstep.
"I think you’ve got the wrong guy," I said, my voice calm but edged with authority. "As you can see, I’m a wolf. Just like you. And not just any wolf—I’m the Alpha of this pack."
The rogues exchanged hesitant glances, their confusion evident. One of them sniffed the air cautiously, their brow furrowing.
"Yeah, but... you has the sa scent," one of them murmured.
"And even his voice is the sa!" another added, their eyes narrowing as they studied .
"But he was a vampire!" a third insisted, their tone laced with desperation, as if trying to convince themselves more than anyone else.
I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes, though my irritation was simring dangerously close to the surface.
"You all saw shift into a black wolf not two minutes ago," I said, my voice commanding as I addressed the group. "If you’d like, I can do it again, just to prove a point. There is no vampire here. None. You’ve been misled."
The rogues seed to hesitate, their conviction wavering. But I knew better than to believe this would be the end of it. Dean had left enough breadcrumbs to lead them here, and they wouldn’t back down easily.
"You’re wasting your ti," I continued, taking a step forward, my stance daring any of them to challenge . "If you want a fight, you’ve got one. But I promise, not a single one of you will leave here alive. Or... you can leave now, and I’ll pretend this never happened."
They looked at each other, the tension palpable. So seed uncertain, while others growled low, clearly still spoiling for a fight.
This wasn’t just about Dean. There was more to this attack, and I needed answers. But for now, all I could do was stand my ground and show them why I was Alpha.
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