Page 23 of Alpha Unchained
I forced myself up, showered, dressed, and spent long moments in front of the mirror, practicing a smile that wouldn’t betray how lost I felt. The voices of the pack drifted through the old house. For a heartbeat, I wished I could disappear into the walls, a ghost of the girl I’d been before Luke came back to Wild Hollow and turned my world upside down.
Downstairs, the kitchen was bustling—smells of bacon and toast, real butter melting on cinnamon rolls. Kate was already at the table, her red hair twisted up in a loose knot, teasing Hudson about the day’s chores.
For a moment, I was just another person at the table—a woman with a secret, but not a monster, not an outcast, not prey. Someone cracked a joke about the Rawlings’ chickens outsmarting the new pup, and laughter rolled around the room. Even I smiled.
I caught Kate sneaking an extra cinnamon roll onto my plate, giving me a wink. She looked at me the way mothers do when they know you’re running on empty. For a heartbeat, the memory of my own mother pressed close—her tired smile, her hands always warm, the way she’d pull me close and say,'You’re stronger than you think, Elena. Try to do more than survive. Thrive.'
It stings, wanting her here—wishing she could see the life I’ve built, however shaky. I imagine her leaning in, brushing my hair back, whispering something brave and quiet—something only mothers get right. The ache for my mother knots with the ache for Luke. I press a palm to my belly, feeling the tiniest flutter, and speak to my baby in my mind.I hope you never feel alone. I hope you always know you’re wanted.
After breakfast, as the dining room empties and the kids race each other outside, Kate and I linger at the long window seat.She pours another cup of coffee, curling her legs beneath her and pats the cushion for me to join her.
"Talk to me," she says, gently and insistently. "Don’t bottle it up."
I shake my head, forcing a wry smile. "You say that like it’s easy. I don’t even know where to start."
Kate nudges my knee with hers. "Try me."
For a second I study the pattern of sunlight on the wood, drawing a slow breath. "I’m scared. There’s so much I don’t understand, and it feels like everyone knows more than I do. I need you to be straight with me, Kate. Hudson and some of the others seem keyed up... like they know something I should know, but don't. Please, just don’t keep me in the dark."
Kate takes a deep breath, her gaze darting to me. “It’s... complicated, Elena. Hudson's learned that Luke has asserted his claim as alpha..."
"He never wanted that role..."
Kate nods. "I know, but it's his by heredity, and frankly he's the best wolf for the job. Waylon challenged him to settle it with a fight."
"Why do I think that this is not just a couple of rounds of punches?"
"Because you're smarter than that. It's brutal and bloody, and one of them might not walk away."
My heart sinks. "Because of me? The baby?"
She slowly shakes her head. “Not exactly. You’re more like the last piece falling into place. The spark’s been smoldering for years. You just made it impossible to ignore. If the McKinleys are to survive and ever be something more than a third-rate, outsider pack, Luke needs to lead them. Waylon wants nothing but power and privilege for himself."
"When and where is this going to happen?"
"Most likely tonight at moonrise at the old circle of standing stones on McKinley land. That's where the McKinleys settle things—disputes, territory, old scores.”
I swallow, searching her face. “Does this have to do with me?”
Kate squeezes my hand. “You, Luke, the baby. But more than that, it's about the pack, about legacies, about things that should have been righted years ago. I wish I could tell you more, but until Hudson finds out what’s going on...”
Hudson returns and gives me a look, softer now. “What matters is, you’re not alone. Kate and I will keep you safe. We’ll figure out what this means—together.”
My mind races. “But Luke...?”
Kate nods, her voice steady as she reaches for my hand. “We’ll find out what happens. You’re more than strong enough, Elena. But you don’t have to do it alone.”
“I feel like I’m trapped between worlds. Not Rawlings. Not McKinley. Not even fully human anymore—just this strange in-between. I don’t know who I am… hell, I don’t even know what I am anymore.”
Kate sighs and bumps her shoulder against mine. “You’re you. You’re the daughter of a woman who started a bookshop in a town that barely believes in fiction, who kept my secrets throughout high school, who never let Waylon scare you off. You belong here, Elena. You always have.”
I try to smile, but it wobbles. “I’m tired of scraping for scraps of belonging. Of always proving I deserve to stay.”
“Then don’t,” Kate murmurs. “Take up space. Demand more.”
The words stick with me as I finish my tea. Kate rises, then disappears to herd some of the younger kids to school. I take the time to wander the house, letting the history soak into my skin—the old oil paintings, the gleaming floors, the echo of laughter through the wide halls.
Back upstairs in the guest room, I gather my things slowly. I sit at the edge of the bed and almost reach for my phone to text Luke—half a dozen false starts; the words coming and going, dying on the screen. I want to say I miss you. I want to say I’m scared. I want to say, come back to me and don’t let go. But all I manage is to set the phone back down, my chest tight.
