ALEXANDER
âWhat the fuck happened?â
Heâd cleaned up, all for her. Heâd even tried to sleep, again for her.
But sleep had eluded him. Heâd merely lain there, holding her as she slept. What else could he have done? Sleep was a luxury he couldnât afford. Heâd held Olivia close, her body safe in his arms, his eyes scanning the darkness for any signs of danger.
Heâd stayed awake, gently running his fingers through her hair, trying to keep her calm while a storm of emotions raged within him.
He should have been out there, fighting. But he couldnât leave her side.
It wasnât that he didnât trust others to protect her, but he knew Olivia. He knew sheâd worry. So, heâd kept a constant vigil. Heâd been caught off guard once, and he was determined not to let it happen again.
Theyâd faced attacks before, invasions even, but no one had ever dared to cross into their territory so brazenly.
What the fuck was happening? How had they missed this?
Their territory was vast, he knew that. But how had the enemy gotten so close to their home? Was it his fault? Had he let his guard down? Theyâd survived the attack, but some of them were injured.
Olivia was tending to the wounded now. It kept her busy, distracted from the chaos while he tried to make sense of it all.
This was easier.
And he wasnât ready to face her yet.
Heâd had to control her, and he hated it. He didnât want to impose his will on her, but he had no other choice. Heâd done more than just issue a command. Heâd used their bond to communicate with her.
Heâd let her feel his command without uttering a single word. He wasnât sure how sheâd react, given her tendency to shut down that part of herself, but it had worked.
It was a spur-of-the-moment decision.
He would have been too distracted worrying about her safety. He knew she was the target, so the best thing he could do was to stand in the way. He also didnât want her to witness the fight.
He didnât want her to see what he was capable of, how far heâd go to protect her. Heâd done it all for her, and heâd do it again without a second thought.
She didnât need to see him rip someoneâs head off.
Heâd worked so hard to get them to this point. Heâd finally been able to be with her, both of them fully present.
He didnât want to lose all that progress. He knew she was still dealing with the aftermath of her ordeal, still grappling with the truth about her transformation, about her ~friend~.
He didnât want to do anything that might send her spiraling into darkness. He wanted to help her.
Maybe that was selfish.
Alexander looked around the room. Everyone was staring at him, but no one was speaking.
âWell?â he demanded, his voice echoing like a roar as he slammed his hands on the desk. The wood creaked under the force. âWhat the fuck happened?â
Jason sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
His jaw was set tight, and Alexander knew he wasnât going to like what he was about to hear. âThere was a breach in the south. Most of our people went there... it was a decoy, we didnât realize it until it was too late.â Jason exhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring.
âThe bastards injured a few of us, smeared themselves in blood... some of us rushed to helpâ¦â
It was a disaster. That was the only explanation they had, and Alexander had expected as much.
He was furious. He was fucking livid.
His blood was boiling, the vein in his neck throbbing with his rage. He couldnât fix this. It had been a surprise attack, and theyâd been caught off guard. He couldnât undo it, he couldnât turn back time. It was what it was.
Now he had to figure out his next move. He wanted to be the one to protect her, but he didnât want to be the last line of defense. He wanted to catch these bastards before they got anywhere near her.
But if they slipped past him, heâd worry about his own safety. He couldnât control everything, and it was driving him insane. He hated feeling out of control, he hated the chaos.
He was a born leader, control was his second nature. He was now faced with a challenge; he had to delegate, entrust her safety to someone else, and make his presence felt on the frontlines. His pride had been wounded, his pack disrespected.
He needed to demonstrate that he was not to be taken lightly, and he craved retribution. Merely killing those bastards hadnât satisfied him. He craved more.
He needed to assert his dominance as the superior alpha, with the superior pack, and ensure they would never lay a finger on Olivia. None of this made sense to him, but he was past caring at this point.
Sure, Olivia was an omega, and yes, they were a rarity. But to risk their pack? To lose members? What was he not seeing? They were behaving as if victory was within their grasp. It wasnât. So why were they throwing everything they had at them? It didnât compute.
Perhaps if he could capture someone more valuable than mere foot soldiers, someone who ~knew~ something.
For now, he would be content with a few heads on spikes.
âWhat happened to the bodies?â
âTheyâve been buried.â
Good. One less thing to worry about.
âDid anyone see?â
âWe didnât notice anyone, but Iâm sure we were being watched. They were probably checking to see if we had taken any prisoners.â
No, he hadnât chosen to show any mercyâjust like they hadnât.
Besides, he knew they were clueless. He wouldnât have wasted his time on a pointless interrogation. If they thought he would, then they really didnât know him at all.
That much was evident from the fact that they had dared to attack him directly. He wouldnât leave anyone behind.
They were going to pay a steep price.
âWeâll rotate shifts. Pull people from non-essential duties, put them on patrol. Jason, youâre going to be my stand-in.â
He noticed Jason swallow hard. âYou mean?â
âWhen Iâm not on patrol, youâre in charge...if Iâm not with Oliviaâ¦â
âI am.â
He was entrusting Oliviaâs life to someone else. He didnât need to explain to Jason what that meant, ~how significant it was~.
Jason understood without needing it spelled out.
He wasnât comfortable delegating his responsibilities, but he knew he couldnât be in two places at once. This was the best solution he could come up with, the only one that allowed him to be omnipresent.
âAre you okay with that?â
He knew it was a loaded question. What could Jason say? Refuse his alpha? No. Of course not. So heâd accept the responsibility, say yes. Even if he didnât want to say yes.
He hated doing this, but he didnât see any other option. He trusted Maya to look after Olivia, but her protection alone wasnât enough. Jason would have to suffice.
Jason nodded, but his trembling chin betrayed his anxiety.
âGood. Now everyone knows their role. Jason, help them out.â
There was ~one~ person who was in the dark about this plan and he didnât want to put Jason in an awkward position. So, heâd take it upon himself to inform Olivia.
It would be better coming from him and he would be better equipped to justify his decision. Sometimes, she agreed with him but other timesâ¦
She needed to understand.
His instinct to protect her was stronger than anything else.
She was his mate; without her, all of this would be meaningless. Heâd protect her, even if it cost him his own life, but he wouldnât let anything happen to her.
Everyone complied, exiting the room one by one.
Heâd asserted his authority early on, and few dared to challenge him or cross him. This had resulted in a peaceful existence for his pack.
Now that tranquility was under threat and he refused to let them live in fear. For now, heâd focus on understanding his enemy. The moment he knew where to strike, he would show no mercy.
He would annihilate every single one of them if it meant ~everyone~ was safe.