The Dark Alpha

Chapter 8: War

The field is barren in the middle of the night. I gaze out at it picturing the havoc of sparing wolves, but I prefer it this way—the quiet, serene way.

I wander onto the field from the lone building, finding dirt patches in the grass caused by hundreds of claws tearing it up. Crickets still chirp and sing all around, and to the far left, I spot bright speckles of fireflies.

Theo emerges from the building, human and clothed.

"Let's go."

By his flat tone, I can already determine his disappointment. I walk too many paces behind him, feeling like whatever slight familiarity we had has regressed to the rigid uncertainty of the night we met.

We cross the field in silence and join the path to the pack house. I tread between speaking and staying quiet until we connect onto the main pathway. Finally, I say, "I'm sorry."

Theo doesn't respond right away. He leaves me to stew in my assumptions until he asks, still hard-toned, "What did you do?"

"I didn't tell my parents anything, but when I saw my sister, it was difficult to..." I run my tongue across my teeth. "I told her the truth—that we're mated—but I didn't expect her to say anything to anyone; I made it very clear she couldn't, but she told her mate."

"Their Beta?"

"Yes. He's Rowan's Beta," I confirm, defeated.

Theo sinks back into silence, so I stare at my feet the rest of the way to the pack house. Theo opens the door for me and watches me closely as I move past him to go inside. Few lights are on, only a lamp or two in separate rooms, but it's bright enough to see the stairs ahead. I take off my shoes and go to the staircase, holding the railing post and hesitating.

My sister's betrayal, my family's disapproval, and now Theo's discontent all weigh on me, dragging me to the floor, but I think I can hold myself together long enough to make it to the spare room. I wet my bottom lip and say, "Goodnight."

The second I turn my back, Theo demands, "No. Stay."

The severity of his voice threatens to break me in two, right down the middle with a detour to split my heart. He's angrier than I thought. I look anywhere but at him; Theo's face arouses too many painful, hasty conclusions.

"I just wanted to tell her—only her. She's the only one that matters," I mutter and wipe my welling tear before it falls.

"Does that change what I asked of you? Does that make it suddenly safe to tell the truth?"

I whisper, "No."

Theo crosses his arms and nearly faces away as though the sight of me is now spoiled; he's looking at me through metal bars again. My lip quivers. Too quickly the question slips off my tongue. "Why did you wait so long to come find me? I caught your scent the moment I crossed your territory."

Theo looks at me.

"Goddess, just say it. Say the truth. You ignored my scent the night I came here because you don't want a mate o-or you just don't want me."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

My tears fall with no time to catch them. "I'm never enough. Not for my parents, or the Beta, and apparently not—"

"The Beta? Rowan's Beta?" he questions.

I wipe my face with my fingers. "Never mind; it's stupid. All of this is—"

"Were you with Rowan's Beta?"

"No. He's my sister's. I-I didn't even care at all about him, but my Mom wanted me to be his mate. I wasn't, so I left."