Chapter 2

Marcel:

She weighed less than she should have.

That was the first thing I noticed as I carried her through the gates, how light she felt in my arms, how wrong it was for someone with Alpha blood to be reduced to bone, muscle, and stubborn will. Her pulse fluttered against my wrist, fast but steady enough to tell me she wasn’t slipping away.

At least, not yet.

The territory lights cut through the trees as I crossed the perimeter. My men straightened the moment they caught my scent, and then hers. Confusion rippled through the ranks. I ignored it. I didn’t slow.

Her wolf stirred despite the rejection. Mine answered without asking permission, wanting to claim her.

I shut it down, knowing well that now was not the time.

The pack house doors opened before I reached them.

My mother stood at the entrance, as she always did when I returned injured or bloodied or carrying the aftermath of a fight. She had been by my side through wars, Council orders, and the day I decided I would never kneel again. Nothing surprised or phased her anymore.

Until now.

Her gaze dropped to the woman in my arms.

Then it sharpened.

“You brought someone,” she said slowly. “A woman.”

I didn’t answer, I knew that it wouldn’t change the fact.

She stepped closer, eyes narrowing as she inhaled. I felt it the second she caught the scent, Alpha blood, unmistakable, old and powerful. Then the confusion. The edge.

“And she’s a rogue,” my mother added. “She is an Alpha born rogue.”

Silence stretched.

“Why,” she asked carefully, “are you bringing a rogue into your territory, Marcel? When you should be ridding us from them, why did you choose to bring one in?”

I walked past her.

“She was injured,” I said, voice flat. “She’s under my protection. And no one is going to harm her.”

That stopped her.

My mother turned, following as I headed inside, her expression unreadable now. “You don’t protect rogues,” she said. “You end them. Or you leave them to the wild.”

“I didn’t tonight.” I said, looking down at the woman who stirred in my arms.

She looked at the woman again, really looked this time. At the torn clothes. The blood drying along her arm. The faint crease between her brows even in unconsciousness.

“An Alpha born rogue is not common. They shouldn’t even be rogues, there is a reason why they are Alphas.” my mother said quietly. “Why would she be a rogue? And have you thought about how you are going to explain this to Elara?”

“I don’t think that I am going to have to explain anything to anyone, mother.” I said, and she raised an eyebrow.

“Marcel…”

“I said, I am not going to explain a thing. She is here, under my protection, because I chose to bring her here. If anyone has a problem with that, they are going to be having a problem with me.” I said, and mother raised an eyebrow.

“What if I am the one who has the problem?” Mom asked, looking me dead in the eye.

I said nothing, turning to head to the infirmary once more, knowing that we could talk about the rest later. For now, I needed to have her tended to…

That was when Elara stepped into the hall.

She had always moved like she belonged there, because she did. The beta’s daughter. Raised within these walls. Groomed for them. My mother’s preferred outcome wrapped in loyalty and convenience.

Her eyes went straight to the woman in my arms.

Then her mouth tightened.

“Who is that?” Elara asked, frowning. “What happened to her?”

I didn’t stop walking.

I didn’t look at her.

“Elara,” my mother said, a warning threaded into her tone.

But Elara had already stepped closer, her gaze flicking between the woman’s face and the way my arms were locked around her. Possessive. Protective.

That, more than anything else, seemed to irritate her.

“She doesn’t smell like pack,” Elara said. “Why is she here? Did you bring in a rogue, Marcel?”

I reached the medical wing and finally stopped.

“Get the medical team,” I ordered, my voice leaving no room for argument. “Now. She is losing too much blood.”

They moved instantly.

White coats appeared, stretchers rolling forward, hands reaching for the woman I still hadn’t let go of. For a fraction of a second, one I didn’t allow myself to examine, I hesitated.

Then I lowered her carefully, ensuring she was supported before I stepped back.

“Take care of her,” I said. “No questions.”

The lead medic nodded. “Yes, Alpha.”

As they wheeled her away, her scent lingered in the air, wild, Alpha-strong, threaded with defiance and blood.

My mother watched me closely.

“You’re bringing chaos into this house,” she said. “One that you of all people shouldn’t have the time to deal with.”

“Chaos found me first,” I replied. “And I am going to deal with it as it is…”