Chapter 6 : Alpha's Dilemma

Luca’s POV

The moment Isabella uttered those words— You are my mate—something in me clenched. Not out of joy or acceptance, but frustration.

This was a mistake. It had to be.

I turned away from her, my jaw tightening as I forced my wolf back. It had been howling since the moment I laid eyes on her, clawing at the walls of my control. 

My wolf recognized her before I did, and that terrified me more than anything else.

She’s weak. She’s human. She’s a liability.

That’s what my pack would say. What they probably already said.

No one has guts to say it to my face

I exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through my hair. The weight of leadership, of power, of expectations, bore down on me like it always did. I couldn’t afford this distraction.

"Rest, Isabella," I said, my voice coming out rougher than I intended. "We'll talk later."

Her eyes searched mine, filled with hesitation, confusion—hope. 

She might actually be thinking I'd let her leave.

It was that last one that made me turn my back on her and walk out of the room.

I couldn't deal with her right now.

I made my way over to the pack house. I needed to get to my office, I had work to do. Aside being a mafia lord, I also have to be an alpha for my people.

The packhouse was alive with murmurs when I entered. The air was thick with tension, and the moment my foot crossed the door, all conversation ceased.

"Alpha," Lorenzo greeted me first, his sharp gaze scanning my entire face. "We need to talk."

Hmmm.

I knew what was coming before he even said it.

"Not now," I muttered, moving toward my office.

"It has to be now," Lorenzo countered whilst lowering his tone, following me. "The pack is restless. They know about her."

I stopped short, turning to him with a slow, deliberate look. "And?"

His jaw clenched and his throat bobbed up and down as he swallowed.

 "And they want answers."

I sighed. Of course, they did. My pack had always followed me without question, but this? 

This was different.

Lorenzo wasn’t alone. Behind him, several of my top ranked men stood waiting—waiting for me to explain why their Alpha had accepted a human mate… and even brought her over.

I stepped inside my office, leaving the door open. An unspoken invitation for them to come in. They followed without hesitation.

The moment the door shut, Matteo—one of my enforcers and head of border patrol—spoke up. "Tell us she's not really your mate."

Silence fell. All eyes on me.

I could lie. Tell them she meant nothing. But they’d smell it. I train my men and wolves to sense deception.

Instead, I walked to the bar in the corner of my office, poured myself a drink, and downed it before answering.

"She is." My eyes flicking to each of their faces to see who dared spoke.

Tension snapped through the room. 

"Fuck!" Matteo let out a frustrated curse. 

Enzo, my second enforcer, ran a hand down his face.

"Luca," Lorenzo's voice was quiet, but firm. "You know what this means."

Of course, I did. I still do.

Having a human mate made me weak in their eyes. Vulnerable. An easy target. My enemies—rival packs, rival mafian, the rogues—they would see her as leverage, something they could use against me.

"It’s a mistake," Matteo said. "Reject her."

I growled low in my throat, my wolf reacting instantly. "Watch your tone." I said in a gutteral voice and Matteo visibly shivered, "You've got some guts." 

Matteo flinched, but he wasn’t done. "You have a duty to this pack, Alpha Luca. To the Mafia. A human mate weakens our standing. She’s already caused division among us!"

" Yeah! The ranks are already " Enzo was also getting some guts to speak to me.

I slammed my glass onto the table. "Enough."

They all went silent.

I leaned against my desk, fingers curling around the edges. 

"Do you think I don’t know what’s at stake?" My voice was calm, but laced with venom.

Lorenzo folded his arms. 

"Then tell us what you plan to do alpha."

What could I do? I couldn’t reject her—my wolf wouldn’t let me. But keeping her was dangerous.

"I'm handling it," I said.

Lorenzo scoffed. "That’s not an answer."

I gave him a sharp look. "It’s the only answer you’re getting." I growled.

More silence. The tension in the room thickened, you could literally slice it with a machete.

Then Lorenzo spoke again. 

"The Council is already starting to ask questions."

I tensed. "What?"

He nodded grimly. 

"They sent a message. They want a meeting."

Of course, they did.

The Council—those self righteous bastards who thought they could control all of my supernatural politics. 

They’d see Isabella as a wildcard, something they needed to fix.

Meaning, they’d want her dead.

"Tell them I’ll meet with them on my terms," I said "We’re increasing security," I continued. "I don’t want her left alone. If anyone suspicious even breathes in her direction, I want to know."

Lorenzo nodded. "Understood."

Matteo, however, wasn’t done. "You're making a mistake," he muttered, shaking his head.

I clenched my fists and walk over very slowly to him, he was visibly shorter than me and his brown fuzzy hair was almost getting in and tickling my nose.

 "Say that again?" I dared

His eyes flashed, but he lowered his gaze in submission. 

"With due respect alpha, but you know what I mean."

I did. And I didn’t need the reminder.

. . .

I let Isabella roam everywhere in her wing but what I didn't expect was for her to roam into my room—the other wing.

It's been a few days since we last saw each other… well, I see her but the last time she set eyes on me…I couldn't even recall.

I stood on the balcony of my office back in my mansion, staring out at the city below. The weight of everything, of the Mafia, of my pack—it was crushing me.

I stiffened.

I felt her presence before I heard her.

"You're avoiding me," Isabella’s voice was quiet, but accusing.

I turned slightly. She stood in the doorway, wrapped in a jacket, her hair still slightly damp from a shower. Her face was unreadable, but I could see the emotions beneath the facade she decided to put up.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "You should be resting."

She scoffed. "You think I can sleep after everything that’s Happened? After bringing me here and then disappearing? I've been bored every damn day and I have basically nothing to do…"

Fair point.

She stepped closer, hesitating. "What are you going to do with me? I thought you said you would let me go"

I turned and looked at her after those words. 

Really looked at her.

My mate.

The woman fate had chosen for me, but in the worst possible way.

"You’re a problem," I admitted.

She stiffened.

"But you’re my problem," I continued.

Her breath hitched.

I turned fully toward her, closing the distance between us in a few slow steps. "This world—my world—it will eat you alive, Isabella."

"Then let me fight," she said, lifting her chin. "Or let me go."

I studied her, my wolf pushing at me, urging me to take what was already mine.

"You don’t know what you’re asking," I muttered.

She held my gaze. "Then show me."

Damn it.

Something inside me shifted then. I didn’t know if it was my wolf, my human side, or just pure desperation. But in that moment, I knew one thing.

I wasn’t letting her go.