CHAPTER TWO - THE ALPHA BARGAIN

The question hung between us.

“What exactly did your brother leave behind?”

I stared at Alpha Xavier Volkov, searching his expression for a hint of deception. His hands rested calmly on the steering wheel, but his jaw was tight.

“I was hoping you would tell me,” I replied.

His eyes briefly shifted toward me.

“Don't play games with me, Lena.”

“Then stop asking questions you already know the answers to.”

A humorless smile touched his lips.

“You have quite a mouth for someone sitting in my car, surrounded by armed guards.”

“And you have quite an ego for someone who thinks that makes him frightening.”

The silence that followed was almost satisfying.

Almost.

Because beneath my stubbornness, fear was beginning to creep in.

I had spent years searching for Daniel. Years following dead ends, questioning dangerous men, and risking my life for scraps of information. Now I was finally close to finding him, and the one person standing between us was an Alpha who looked at me as though I were a problem he intended to solve.

Xavier turned his attention back to the road.

“Your brother stole something from my father three years ago.”

My stomach tightened.

“Daniel isn't a thief.”

“Everyone has a different definition of loyalty, Lena.”

“What did he steal?”

“A ledger.”

I frowned.

“What kind of ledger?”

“One containing names, payments, and transactions connected to several powerful packs.”

I felt my heartbeat quicken.

“Why would my brother have something like that?”

“That's precisely what I intend to find out.”

Before I could respond, the car slowed.

Through the tinted window, I spotted enormous iron gates decorated with the symbol of a black wolf. Beyond them stood a sprawling mansion surrounded by towering trees and armed guards.

Bloodmoon Territory.

The place Daniel had disappeared into.

The gates opened.

And just like that, I was entering the territory I had spent three years trying to find.

---

The mansion was even more intimidating from the inside.

Marble floors stretched beneath enormous chandeliers. Portraits of former Alphas covered the walls, their expressions cold and commanding.

I followed Xavier through the entrance, refusing to let the guards see how uncomfortable I felt.

A tall woman dressed in black approached us.

“Alpha, the council has been waiting for you.”

“They can continue waiting.”

Her eyes moved toward me.

“And who is this?”

“Lena Voss.”

Something changed in her expression.

It was subtle, but I noticed it.

“Voss?” she repeated.

Xavier glanced at her.

“Is there a problem, Margaret?”

“No, Alpha.”

She lowered her head, but her eyes remained fixed on me.

I knew that look.

It was the look people gave when they recognized a name they wished they hadn't heard.

Xavier gestured toward a set of double doors.

“Come.”

I hesitated.

“Where are we going?”

“My office.”

“And if I refuse?”

He stopped walking and turned toward me.

“Then you'll remain here until you decide to cooperate.”

I folded my arms.

“You really enjoy giving orders, don't you?”

“It's part of being an Alpha.”

“Well, I'm not part of your pack.”

His expression hardened.

“Not yet.”

I ignored the strange way those two words settled in my chest and followed him into the office.

The moment the doors closed, Xavier loosened his tie and walked behind his enormous desk.

“Sit down.”

“No, thank you.”

He looked at me for a moment before pulling out a thick folder.

“Your brother was last seen entering Bloodmoon Territory on the night of my father's assassination.”

My breath caught.

“What?”

“My father was murdered three years ago. The ledger disappeared that same night. Your brother vanished shortly afterward.”

I shook my head.

“Daniel wouldn't kill anyone.”

“I never said he did.”

“Then why are you telling me this?”

“Because someone has been searching for you.”

My blood ran cold.

“Who?”

Xavier opened the folder and slid a photograph across the desk.

It was a picture of me.

Taken outside the small apartment where I had been staying.

My fingers trembled slightly as I picked it up.

“When was this taken?”

“Four days ago.”

I looked up sharply.

“Who took it?”

“That's what we're trying to discover.”

I dropped the photograph onto the desk.

“So what do you want from me?”

Xavier leaned back in his chair.

“I want you to help me find the ledger.”

“And in exchange?”

“I'll help you find your brother.”

I stared at him.

It sounded simple.

Too simple.

“And why should I trust you?”

His eyes darkened.

“You shouldn't.”

At least he was honest.

He stood and walked toward the large window overlooking the grounds.

“Someone inside my territory is working against me, Lena. I don't know who I can trust, and until I find out, I need to know why your brother disappeared.”

“And what makes you think I'll help you?”

He turned.

“Because you're running out of time.”

Before I could respond, three sharp knocks sounded against the door.

Margaret entered without waiting for permission.

“Alpha, we have a problem.”

Xavier's expression immediately changed.

“What happened?”

“One of the patrol teams found something near the eastern border.”

“What?”

She hesitated.

“Blood. And a message.”

Xavier's jaw tightened.

“What message?”

Margaret looked directly at me.

“It's addressed to Lena Voss.”

My heart dropped.

Xavier stepped toward the door.

“Bring it here.”

A moment later, Margaret returned with a small black envelope.

My name was written across the front in familiar handwriting.

I knew that handwriting.

My fingers went cold.

It belonged to Daniel.

I tore open the envelope.

Inside was a single piece of paper.

Five words.

STOP LOOKING FOR YOUR BROTHER.

I read it again.

And again.

Then I noticed something written beneath the warning.

Something that made my entire world tilt.

HE IS NOT WHO YOU THINK HE IS.

I slowly lifted my eyes toward Xavier.

He was watching me.

“What's wrong?” he asked.

I folded the paper and slipped it into my pocket.

“Nothing.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Lena.”

I met his gaze.

“I'm going to find my brother.”

For the first time since meeting him, Xavier didn't look amused.

He looked worried.

And somehow, that frightened me more than anything else.

Because I was beginning to suspect that Daniel's disappearance was only the beginning of something much darker.