Stealing the Alpha’s Heritage

Chapter 16

"Keep your guard up, Marcel!"

Evander's voice echoes through the training facility as I watch from the observation deck. Below, he circles his Beta—a mountain of a man named Marcel Torres, all scarred muscle and tactical precision from his days in special forces.

Marcel launches forward with practiced efficiency, his fist aimed at Evander's ribs. But Evander flows around the strike like water, using Marcel's momentum against him. The Beta hits the mat hard enough to crack the padding.

"That's the move that'll destroy Thorne." Evander helps Marcel up, both men dripping sweat despite the air conditioning. "He always overcommits on his power strikes."

"Assuming he doesn't rip your throat out first," Marcel replies, rotating his shoulder with a grimace.

The mark on my neck throbs as I touch it unconsciously. Even watching Evander fight makes it burn, like my body's reminding me who owns it now. The pain spikes sharp enough to make me gasp.

"Still hurts?"

Elena appears beside me, her medical bag in hand. She's dressed casually today—jeans and a sweater that makes her look younger, less like the pack's head healer.

"Every day for the past week." I keep my voice low, aware of the warriors training below. "It's getting worse."

"Alpha marks aren't meant to heal quickly." Elena sits beside me on the bench, her brown eyes—so like her brother's but warmer—studying my face. "They're designed to be constant reminders."

"Your brother's certainly succeeding at that." I watch as Evander demonstrates another combination, his body moving with lethal grace.

Elena glances around, ensuring we're alone, then reaches into her medical bag. She pulls out a small vial filled with dark green liquid, pressing it into my palm with urgent secrecy.

"Wolfsbane extract, diluted with silver thistle." Her voice drops to barely a whisper. "Three drops under your tongue every morning. It won't remove the mark, but it'll dull its control."

"Elena, if Evander finds out—"

"He won't." She closes my fingers around the vial. "Unless you're stupid enough to suddenly stop reacting when he tries to control you."

"Why are you helping me?" I pocket the vial carefully.

"Because I've watched my brother change since marking you." Her hands resume cleaning around the mark. "The man training Marcel down there isn't the brother I grew up with. Power and possession are poisoning him."

I study Evander below, trying to reconcile this ruthless Alpha with Elena's words. "When did he become so cold?"

"When we were kids, Evander was the gentle one. Used to rescue injured birds, bring them home in shoeboxes. Drove our mother crazy."

"Hard to imagine him being gentle about anything now." I wince as she touches a particularly sensitive spot.

"Power changes people." She applies a cooling salve that provides minimal relief. "Especially when you get it too young. Our parents died in a territorial dispute when Evander was nineteen."

"Nineteen is so young to lead a pack." Despite everything, I feel a twinge of sympathy.

"Too young." Elena's hands still on my neck. "He had to become someone harder to maintain control. The gentle boy who saved birds became an Alpha who couldn't afford weakness. Then his first mate, Sophia, died calling another man's name during childbirth. The baby didn't survive either."

"He never mentioned her."

"That's when the last bit of softness in him died." Elena pulls back, studying her work. "I think he saw you and the boys as a second chance. A ready-made family he could protect properly this time."

"Instead, he just became another possessive Alpha." The bitterness in my voice surprises neither of us.

"Elena!" A young wolf bursts through the door, tablet in hand. "You need to see this immediately."

"What is it, Thomas?" Elena takes the tablet, her face paling as she reads.

"We hacked into Silverfang's internal communications." Thomas shifts nervously. "This one mentions you by name, so we thought—"

"Let me see." I snatch the tablet before Elena can protest.

The screen shows a messenger conversation, Rowena's profile picture unmistakable in the corner. The recipient is labeled as "Elder Catherine"—my stomach drops. Catherine was one of the pack elders I trusted most during my time at Bloodfang.

The curse is real, Catherine. The shadow wolves have marked Finn. He speaks to the dead, sees things that aren't there. Classic signs of the weaker twin. The Blood Moon ceremony requires a sacrifice—better to lose one than both. Kael shows true Alpha potential. He must be preserved.

Catherine's response makes bile rise in my throat: I agree completely. The pack needs a strong heir, not damaged goods. How can I assist?

When the time comes, I'll need witnesses who understand necessity over sentiment. Aria always was too soft. She would let both boys die rather than make the hard choice.

"That's enough." Elena tries to take the tablet but I scroll further.

The ceremony requires specific positioning. Finn must be the offering, placed at the northern point of the circle. The shadow wolves already call to him—he's halfway to the other side already. It will be merciful.

Catherine again: And if Aria interferes?

She won't know until it’s done. I'm working to ensure that. Thorne believes the ceremony will save both boys.

My hands shake as I read Catherine's final message: You're doing what's best for the bloodline, Rowena. Aria would thank you if she understood strength requires sacrifice.

"I trusted her." The tablet slips from my numb fingers. "Catherine held me when I lost my first pregnancy. She promised to protect any children I had."

"Aria—" Elena reaches for me but I pull away.

"She called my son damaged goods." I stand abruptly, rage replacing shock. "Finn sees shadows because he's sensitive, not because he's weak. But they've already decided he's expendable."

Below us, Evander pins Marcel to the mat, his arm locked around Beta's throat in a chokehold that would be lethal if held too long. The parallel isn't lost on me—everyone's fighting, but not for my boys.

"When was this sent?" I demand, turning back to Thomas.

"Three days ago." He shifts uncomfortably. "Alpha Evander doesn't know yet."

"And he won't." I fix him with a stare that makes him step back. "Not from you."

"Aria, what are you planning?" Elena's voice carries worry.

"Rowena thinks she has everyone positioned perfectly on her chessboard." I touch the mark on my neck, feeling it burn in response to my defiance. "But she forgot one thing—a mother protecting her children doesn't follow anyone's rules."

"The challenge is in ten days—"

"The challenge doesn't matter anymore." I watch Evander help Marcel stand, both men laughing about something. "This was never about the challenge. It was about getting everyone distracted while Rowena orchestrates child murder."

"You can't take on Rowena alone." Elena grabs my arm.

"Then I'll have to get creative." I pull free, heading for the door. "That wolfsbane extract you gave me—can you make more?"

"Yes, but why—"

"Because I'm going to need to resist more than just Evander's mark." I pause at the door, looking back at Elena's worried face. "I'm going to need to resist everyone who thinks they know what's best for my children."