CHAPTER 10: Shadows of Power and Pain

Cole

“Alpha, I’m sorry to interrupt, but your father has returned from his journey. You need to come immediately.”

Recce’s voice echoed through the mind-link, filled with urgency that left no room for hesitation.

I sat up straight in bed, tension coiling around my chest like barbed wire. Freya stirred beside me, clutching the blanket to her bare body as she looked at me with wide, questioning eyes.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, already sensing the shift in my demeanor.

“My father’s back,” I said quietly, pulling on my pants. “I need to go see him.”

She nodded slowly, gathering her clothes, though her gaze never left mine. “Do you think... is this our chance?” she asked, a flicker of hope lighting up her face.

I smiled faintly, brushing a kiss against her temple. “Let’s find out.”

I left the room with my heart pounding, unease building with every step. I found my father in the main hall of the Moonridge Pack house, standing tall in his travel-worn cloak, his expression unreadable. Before I could speak, his hand lashed out, striking me across the face, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make me freeze.

The sting wasn’t physical. It was the fury in his eyes that cut deeper than any blow.

“I’ve never been more disappointed in you, Cole,” he said, his voice eerily calm but burning with restrained rage. His icy blue eyes locked on mine, colder than I remembered.

“What—what are you talking about?” I asked, stunned.

He took a step closer, radiating authority. “Don’t play dumb with me. I know what you did. You pushed Alaina out of her position, forced her out like she was nothing.”

The mention of her name struck something inside me I didn’t want to acknowledge. My jaw tightened. “She left. She didn’t belong...”

“Don’t lie to me!” he snapped, his voice rising sharply. “You betrayed her. You humiliated your mate and your pack. For what? For a woman who knows how to warm your bed?”

His words were a blade to the gut.

“She’s not my mate anymore,” I said, voice low and tight. “Alaina never contributed anything to the pack. She didn’t come from a strong bloodline, didn’t command respect. Freya is the daughter of our previous Beta. She’s powerful, respected...”

“And yet you sound like a fool,” he growled, stepping closer, invading my space. “You think bloodline alone makes a Luna? You think you can throw away a woman like Alaina and not face consequences?”

I clenched my fists. “I did what I thought was best.”

“No,” he hissed, stabbing a finger toward my head. “You didn’t think. You were reckless. Selfish. You let your desire blind you. You think the Elders agree with you? They don’t. They’re furious.”

I stared at him, stunned. The Elders too?

“You’ve got no idea what it means to lead. You think being Alpha means you get to follow your feelings around like a boy chasing tail?”

His words burned like acid.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell him he had no idea what it was like being bound to someone you didn’t love. How I had spent every moment of that forced marriage with a knot in my stomach, pretending to care, to feel something that was never there. But I couldn’t say any of that. Because none of it mattered to him.

“You should trust me,” I said through gritted teeth. “I know what I’m doing.”

He laughed bitterly. “Trust you? When you toss aside the Luna of this pack like she’s garbage? No. You want Freya? Fine. Keep her. Warm your bed with her, parade her around behind closed doors if that’s what keeps you satisfied. But she will never be Luna. Not while I breathe.”

My stomach dropped.

He said it so easily, so definitively, like the decision had already been carved in stone. I was Alpha in name, but my father still controlled the shadows behind the throne.

“I never even wanted to marry Alaina,” I muttered bitterly. “You forced that union. You made me pretend.”

He didn’t even flinch. “And you failed to honor the role I gave you.”

I stared at the floor, chest tight, fists trembling at my sides. Freya was the only woman who made me feel alive. But in this world, feelings were rarely enough. I wasn’t just a man, I was an Alpha. And that meant sacrifice.

“I’ll take that silence as agreement,” my father said sharply, then turned to walk away.

“But—”

“No buts. Prepare for the Pack Games,” he ordered over his shoulder. “You’ll need to clean up this mess.”

He disappeared down the hall, leaving me standing there, rooted to the spot, fury and helplessness swirling in my gut.