Back Mountain, An Alpha Lives There?

(Eliza's POV)

Nanny Edwards stared at me with surprise for my directness and emotional detachment. I realized my mistake immediately. I change too much, seemed like a completely different person from the quiet, almost numb she-wolf that Nanny Edwards had first encountered in the Northern Territory wilderness.

"Miss Eliza?" she asked carefully. "Are you feeling well?"

"Forgive me," I said quickly, forcing a tremble into my voice. "The shock of everything... I'm not myself."

Her expression softened slightly.

"It's understandable," she replied, studying me with renewed interest. "What you've endured would unsettle anyone."

The door opened, interrupting our moment. Nanny Edwards straightened as a young attendant entered with a tray of steaming tea.

"Leave us," she instructed the girl, who bowed hastily and retreated.

We sat in silence as she poured the fragrant tea into two cups. The familiar scent of moonlight herb mixed with mountain berries filled the small room.

"I've spoken with the guards," she finally said, pushing a cup toward me. "They've revealed quite an interesting story."

I accepted the cup, letting the warmth seep into my fingers. "What did they say?"

Nanny Edwards took a slow sip before answering. "They admitted they were indeed sent by your father, Gamma James Morgan."

She placed her cup down with deliberate care. "However, they also confessed that your brother, William Morgan, gave them... additional instructions."

My heart quickened despite knowing this information already. In my previous life, I'd never learned of William's direct involvement in my abduction.

"What instructions?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

Her eyes hardened. "William Morgan ordered them to simply abduct you without explanation. He wanted you taught a lesson for making the pack wait."

She watched my reaction closely. "He told them to bring you back 'like a disobedient dog returning to its master.' Those were his exact words."

I allowed genuine tears to well in my eyes. This cruelty stung just as sharply the second time around.

"Did my own brother truly say such things?" I whispered, my voice breaking.

Nanny Edwards reached across the table and covered my hand with her own. "I'm sorry, child."

Her sympathy wasn't feigned. I could see genuine anger flashing in her eyes—not at me, but at William's cruelty.

I knew this moment was crucial. Her compassion was a weapon I could use.

Before I could speak, shouting erupted outside. Nanny Edwards rose quickly, moving toward the door with surprising agility for her age.

"Stay here," she ordered, her voice sharp with authority.

But curiosity drove me to follow as she stepped into the courtyard. A young pack member, barely out of his teens, stood trembling before a group of sanctuary guards. His face was pale with fear.

"What's happening?" I whispered to a nearby attendant.

The woman glanced at me nervously. "Someone from the Evergreen Mountain Rear Slopes has complained about the noise."

Cold dread washed over me. I'd heard whispers about the mysterious occupant of the back mountain, but never learned who it was.

"The back mountain?" I echoed. "Who lives there?"

The attendant's eyes widened in alarm. She shook her head frantically and hurried away without answering.

The young messenger's voice trembled as he delivered his message. "The... the resident demands you resolve this situation quickly. He says if the disturbance continues, there will be... consequences."

The fear in his voice was contagious. Everyone in the courtyard seemed to shrink back, as if the mere mention of the back mountain's occupant carried physical weight.

Nanny Edwards' face had drained of color. "Tell him we're handling the matter immediately. The disturbance will cease at once."

She bowed deeply to the messenger, a gesture that shocked me. I'd never seen the proud woman bow so low to anyone except Elder Morgan.

"Please convey our sincerest apologies," she continued, her voice steady despite her obvious fear. "It won't happen again."

The messenger nodded frantically and departed at a run, as if eager to escape.

I couldn't contain my curiosity. "Nanny Edwards, who lives in the back mountain that commands such respect?"

She glanced at me sharply, then looked away. "That's not your concern, Miss Eliza."

But it was my concern. Anyone with such power over the sanctuary could be either a valuable ally or a dangerous enemy in my plans.

As the messenger disappeared from view, Nanny Edwards' demeanor changed dramatically. Her fear transformed into cold fury as she turned toward the Morgan Pack guards, who were still being restrained by Elder Morgan's security detail.

"You've brought trouble to our doorstep," she hissed. "Not content with disrespecting Elder Morgan and threatening her granddaughter, you've now disturbed the peace of the entire sanctuary!"

The lead guard tried to speak. "We were only—"

"Silence!" Nanny Edwards cut him off. "You dare to blame William Morgan for your actions? You think we'd believe such a transparent lie?"

My eyes widened in surprise. This was unexpected.

"Take them to the justice council immediately," she ordered Elder Morgan's security detail. "Let them explain their crimes to the proper authorities."

The guards' faces contorted with panic. "Please, Nanny Edwards!" one begged. "We were following orders! Have mercy!"

She turned her back on their pleas. "Remove them from my sight."

I watched as they were dragged away, their protests fading into the distance. The courtyard gradually emptied, returning to its usual tranquility.

Nanny Edwards exhaled slowly, the tension visibly draining from her shoulders.

"Nanny," I said softly, "those men... could they have been telling the truth? What if they weren't impostors? What if they truly were sent by my father and brother?"

Her expression softened as she looked at me. Maternal instinct warred with her duty to Elder Morgan.

"Do you understand what this means?" she asked gently. "If they are actually from the Morgan Pack, you've offended William Morgan by reporting them to the authorities. Are you afraid?"

I nearly scoffed aloud. Had I not offended William in my previous life? Every breath I took had offended him. He had tormented me relentlessly regardless of my behavior, punishing my very existence.

Outwardly, I merely shook my head with a bitter smile. "Afraid? I am all alone, with nothing to lose."

The words carried more truth than Nanny Edwards could possibly understand. In my previous life, I had lost everything—my dignity, my family, my life itself. What more could they take from me now?

She smiled then, a genuine smile that reached her eyes. "Who says you are alone? Come, Elder Morgan wants to see you."

My heart leaped in my chest. "Grandmother really agrees to see me?"

Nanny Edwards nodded, her smile widening. "Would I lie to you? Please, come with me."

I followed her across the courtyard, trying to contain my excitement. My grandmother's support would be crucial to my plans.

I glanced down at my appearance, suddenly conscious of how I must look. My clothes were simple but clean, my hair pulled back in a single braid without ornamentation. Years of toil had left my skin tanned and roughened, more resembling a servant than the daughter of the Morgan Pack.

Nanny Edwards led me to Elder Morgan's private chambers, a section of the sanctuary I'd never been permitted to enter before. The wooden doors were carved with intricate wolves running beneath a full moon.

"Wait here," she instructed, disappearing inside.

Moments later, she reappeared and ushered me in with a nod. "Remember your manners," she whispered as I passed.

Elder Morgan's chamber was larger than I'd expected, sparsely furnished but elegant. And there she was, seated in a high-backed chair by the window, her posture regal despite her advanced age.

I knelt before her, bowing my head respectfully. "Grandmother," I said softly.

She studied me silently. I could feel the weight of her gaze, assessing, judging. Nanny Edwards and the other servants discreetly withdrew, leaving us alone.

"Tell me," Elder Morgan finally spoke, her voice stronger than I'd anticipated, "why are you so insistent on seeing me?"

I raised my head, truly seeing her for the first time. My breath caught in my throat.

I'd imagined an elderly, frail woman. The reality shocked me. Despite her age, Elder Morgan had few wrinkles, and her hair retained much of its dark color, with only occasional strands of silver.

Most startling was the powerful aura she projected—the unmistakable presence of a former warrior. Her posture, her sharp gaze, the subtle way she held herself all spoke of nobility and command.

This unexpected vibrancy sparked a different kind of respect in me, a longing to know the formidable woman my grandmother truly was.

I realized I'd been staring too long when Elder Morgan self-consciously touched her face, discomfort flickering across her features.

"Do I look that old?" she asked, a note of vulnerability in her voice.

"No!" I exclaimed hastily. "Quite the opposite. Grandmother possesses an extraordinary aura, I admire you greatly. I apologize if my prolonged gaze offended you."

(Elder Morgan's POV)

I couldn't help myself—I burst into laughter. The girl's earnest admiration caught me completely off guard.

"You... admire me?" The words sounded strange even as I spoke them.

My laughter contained a hint of sadness I couldn't quite suppress. The conflict with my son had clearly impacted his children in ways I hadn't anticipated.

I had met William and Katherine once when they were young. Only William had shown proper respect. Katherine had displayed a calculating nature even then, masking it with a façade of innocence that immediately reminded me of Donna Dennis.

I found Katherine calculating and Donna-like from the start. And the men of the Morgan family always favored women behaving just so—sweet on the surface, manipulative underneath.

Displeased by what I saw in Katherine, I'd refused to see her again. William had seemed annoyed that his sister wasn't welcomed, so I'd denied him future visits as well.

Now, looking at Eliza kneeling before me, I could see a different spirit entirely. Despite her harsh upbringing, there was something compelling about her—her persistence in seeking me out, her calmness under pressure when confronted by the guards, her willingness to fight back.

Whether born of true courage or a hidden agenda, I couldn't deny she stimulated my interest. She was nothing like I'd expected.

"Why are you so determined to see me?" I asked again, more directly this time.

The girl met my gaze steadily. "Grandmother, I wish to request that you accompany me down the mountain, and return to the Morgan Estate in the Northern Territory!"