Chapter 8

Chapter 8: A War Within

Enzo's POV…

The moment I saw the tear fall down Noah's cheek, something inside me cracked. Without even thinking, I reached out and wiped it away gently with my fingers. His skin was warm and soft beneath my touch, and my hand lingered longer than I meant it to. For a second, I just stood there, holding his face in my palm, staring into those small eyes filled with confusion and fear. Then I quickly pulled away.

I can't let the bond take hold of me, he's a human and I can't fall for a Human.

He looked up at me like he wanted to say something but didn’t know how to form the words. His lips parted slightly, then closed again. We just stood there, breathing quietly in the heavy silence between us.

Finally, he whispered, "What should I do? Is there any work For me to do Since I have no choice."

His voice was small, fragile, and I could feel my chest tighten. I took a step back and cleared my throat, trying to gather the right words. "Just get some rest. I’ll send someone with breakfast for you. You will need your strength in order to do chores but for now rest and wait for my instructions."

I turned around to leave, but his voice stopped me again.

"Wait."

I paused in the doorway and slowly looked over my shoulder. He stood there holding the blanket around himself, eyes fixed on me with a slight frown.

"If I’m going to be stuck here," he said softly, "the least you can do is tell me your name. At least maybe it is best that I know the name of the person holding me locked up."

I raised an eyebrow, amused by how serious he looked. "Enzo."

I say not taking my eyes off him even for a second.

He nodded once. "Noah."

"I know," I said, and then I stepped out, closing the door gently behind me.

My beta was standing right outside the door. He stiffened when I appeared.

"Get him breakfast. Make sure he eats," I said. “Also make sure he's taken good care of. I don't want to see even a bruise on his body.”

"Yes, Alpha."

I didn’t wait for him to say more. I walked straight to my office, each step heavier than the last. Once inside, I sat down at my desk, letting out a long breath. My eyes landed on the gun resting on the desk, the one I kept there out of habit more than anything. I picked it up and pointed it toward the door, not because I intended to use it, but because it helped me focus. Still, my hand trembled slightly.

My wolf stirred inside me.

"What’s wrong with you?" I muttered, setting the gun back down.

His voice echoed inside my head, deeper and rougher than mine. "Why are you holding back? He’s ours. We finally found him. You should be happy but you are angry."

"He’s a human," I snapped. "We can’t... I can’t bond with a human. That’s not how this works."

"He’s our mate. It doesn’t matter what he is. Human or not he belongs to us."

I stood up, running my fingers through my hair. My wolf, Moses, growled low inside me.

"You’re not taking over," I warned.

"You’ve had your chance, Enzo. You keep pushing him away. I won’t stand by any longer. I got to have him, to touch him let me feel him."

"Moses," I hissed under my breath, pacing the room now. "We’ve been together for years. That doesn’t mean you get to take control just because you’re impatient."

He growled again, more aggressive this time. "Impatient? We’ve waited all our life for this. He’s right there. And you’re acting like he’s a threat instead of a gift."

I stopped in front of the mirror on the wall, staring at my reflection. My eyes were still mine, but I could feel him pushing, clawing at the edges of my control.

"No," I muttered. "Not now. Not like this."

But Moses wasn’t listening.

My heart thudded hard against my ribs as I felt the shift begin. Not a full transformation—no fur, no bones cracking—just the transfer of control. My fingers twitched. My breathing changed. I blinked, and when I opened my eyes again, I wasn’t the one in control of my body anymore.

My body still looked like mine. Still felt like mine. But I was no longer the one moving it.

Inside my head, I was shoved into the background, into the mental space where I could only watch.

And in the mirror, I saw it clearly—my face, my posture—but different. My jaw was set tighter. My shoulders rolled back with confidence I didn’t feel. And my eyes—they glowed faintly red.

Moses was in control now.

"Finally," his voice rumbled from my own throat as he tilted our head slightly, admiring the reflection. "Now let’s go remind our mate who he belongs to."

I fought to push forward again, to regain some grip over my own body, but it was no use. Moses had been waiting too long. I felt like a shadow in my own mind.

"You’ll thank me later," he said.

And then he turned toward the door.