The sun was barely rising over Silverware Pack territory, the pack was already bubbling with activities, but inside the small house, the tension and gloom was very thick in the air. Alexander stood in the dim room, his hands running through his hair in frustration. His sisters, Emma and Emily, were glaring at him, the weight of their anger pressing down on him like a physical force.
“I did what I had to do, Emily,” Alexander said, his voice soft but pleading, his eyes searching for understanding.
“You betrayed Cara!” Emily shouted, her voice cracking with fury. She held Emma tightly, who was already crying. “You betrayed our only friend, brother. Our only friend!”
Alexander flinched at her words. He had never seen Emily so upset, and the sight of Emma’s tears made him feel like the worst person in the world. He wanted to explain, to make them see why he had done what he did, but the words wouldn’t come.
“I… I did it to protect us,” Alexander muttered, more to himself than to them. The guilt was gnawing at him, threatening to suffocate him. He turned to his sisters again, his voice strained. “Emily, you need to believe me. They would have killed us, killed everyone. They threatened our lives…”
“And who saved us?” Emily retorted, her eyes blazing with anger. “If not for Cara, who pleaded for Garreth to leave us in exchange for her freedom, none of us would be here today. She saved our lives, she came back for us when she could have escaped, and this is how you repay her?”
Alexander lowered his head in shame. She was right. Cara had risked everything for them, and he had betrayed her trust. But in that moment, when Garreth had come for information, he hadn’t seen another way. The safety of the pack had been his only concern. Still, it didn’t make the guilt any easier to bear.
“You taught us about family,” Emily whispered, her voice now soft and pained, all the fire drained from her. “You told us never to betray family. Cara was family to us.”
The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of Emily’s words hanging in the air like a storm cloud. Alexander opened his mouth to respond, but the knock at the door cut him off.
“Alpha,” Siden’s voice called from the hallway. He peeked his head inside the room, his face pale. “We have… guests.”
Alexander tensed. Guests? At this hour? He glanced at his sisters, who were still glaring at him, their expressions filled with disappointment. With a heavy sigh, he nodded to Siden. “I’ll deal with them,” he said quietly. “We’ll talk later.”
Without waiting for a reply, he followed Siden out the door and toward the packhouse’s entrance. His heart filled with unease. Whoever these “guests” were, they didn’t feel like friends
***************
Alexander sat at the chairs in his office, with his arms crossed over his chest, his brows furrowed in suspicion. He didn’t know these people, they were strangers dressed in dark cloaks that concealed their faces, they gave off a dangerous aura that set his instincts on edge.
They were five in number, each giving off an aura that rivals the next, almost equal to that of a beta. And from all indications everything they were not rogues which says one thing…
The leader of the group stepped forward, his voice smooth but cold, like oil over sharp steel. “We’ve come for some information”.
“And what information does my honourable guest speak of?” Alexander asked, with respect, as the people were not ordinary people.
“A white hair, we are looking for a white haired lady.” their leaders said at last.
Alexander’s jaw tightened. His heart pounded in his chest at the mention of her name. Cara had only recently been brought back to the pack, but the secrecy surrounding her return had been essential. These people didn’t come with good intentions. He could feel it. Every nerve in his body screamed at him to protect her.
“What do you want with her?” Alexander asked, his tone steely, refusing to give away anything more.
“She’s… let’s say valuable to us now”. We did our research before coming and we know she’s here. It would be unwise to hide her.” Their leader’s smile was unsettling, his words dripping with unspoken threats.
Alexander’s blood ran cold.
“They knew!!.”
They knew about Cara’s special bloodline, they have sniffed her out and they are now targeting her. the Cupbearer powers that made her a target. His heart clenched as he realised their true intentions. They didn’t come here to negotiate, they came to take her, to kidnap her.
He swallowed, his mind racing. He had to play this smart. There was no way he would let them get to Cara, but outrightly refusing them could provoke them. He needed to mislead them, to buy time for Cara and try to warn her.
“I don’t know where she is,” Alexander lied, his voice flat and emotionless. “She left the pack days ago.”
“Lies, we were told that she is here” one of them shouted, a rippling energy following his shout.
The leader’s eyes narrowed, scanning his face for any hint of dishonesty. Alexander’s heart hammered in his chest, but he maintained his composure. The stranger glanced back at his companions, and one of them, less cautious, spoke up.
“Are you sure? We’ve heard rumours that she’s still within your territory.”
Alexander’s stomach dropped as he realized how precarious this situation had become. He had to act fast. “Whoever told you that was wrong,” he said, his voice growing harsher. “Cara is gone, she ran away one morning without informing anyone where she was going to. If you think you can come here and demand information from me, you’re mistaken.”
The room became silent. He was an alpha and he won’t anyone with a glorified position come and step on his dignity.
but the leader wasn’t satisfied. “You wouldn’t mind if we had a look around then, would you?” His smile returned, sharp and predatory.
“You are free, to look around”, Alexander said with confident , after all Cara have left his pack.
“It doesn’t matter if she’s gone, we’ll find her. We know what she is worth”.
Alexander’s eyes darkened, and his hands balled into fists at his sides. His suspicion had been confirmed. These weren’t allies, they were vultures, scavengers circling for the kill. He had to protect Cara, but doing so meant putting his life and his pack in danger.
He was already feeling guilty about ranting her out to Garreth like a loyal dog when he came knocking. but this is his people, he can’t do anything stupid to put their lives in danger. Especially his two sisters, they meant the world to him.
Although, he already had a feeling of who the guests were and where they came from. It looks like he was battling with a very hard decision. Whether to protect cara and risk the life of his people, his family. His sisters words repeating in his head.
Or
Tell them where cara was actually, after all they might not even find her.
Hardening his gaze he spoke finally,
“there’s one more thing!”.