Chapter 4

ELENA'S POV

I could hear Marcus calling my name behind me, but I ignored him. I climbed the stairs 

quickly and shut our bedroom door harder than necessary. 

My hands were shaking as I set my plate on the nightstand. 

I needed air. I needed space to think. 

I grabbed my jacket and slipped out through the back door. The cool night air hit my face as I 

walked toward the medical center. I had left some files there that I needed to review anyway. 

The building was dark and empty when I arrived. I used my key to get in and headed straight 

to my office. But as I passed Adrian's office, I noticed the door was slightly open and a light 

was on inside. 

Strange. Adrian never left his office unlocked. 

I pushed the door open carefully. "Adrian?" 

No answer. The office was empty, but his desk lamp was on. Maybe he had forgotten to turn 

it off before leaving. 

I was about to leave when something caught my eye. A thick file was open on his desk, and I 

could see official pack seals on the documents. 

I knew I shouldn't look, but something about the way the papers were scattered made me 

curious. Adrian was always so organized. This wasn't like him. 

I stepped closer and my breath caught in my throat. 

The header at the top of the page read: "SILVERPINE PACK ALPHA SUCCESSION - 

CONFIDENTIAL" 

My heart started pounding. Why would Adrian have Alpha succession documents? 

I looked around quickly to make sure no one was coming, then leaned over to read the first 

page. 

"In accordance with pack law, the position of Alpha must pass to the rightful heir of the Alpha 

bloodline. Current Alpha Marcus Rivers obtained his position through the Alpha Challenge, 

defeating the previous Alpha's son in combat..." 

I frowned. Marcus had never mentioned defeating anyone to become Alpha. He had always 

told me his father passed the position to him before he died. 

I flipped to the next page and froze. 

"Adrian Kane, son of former Alpha Robert Kane, was stripped of his right to challenge for the 

Alpha position following accusations of his father's murder. Though evidence was 

circumstantial, the pack elders voted to exile him from the succession line..." 

My hands started trembling. Adrian was the former Alpha's son? That meant he was the 

rightful heir, not Marcus. 

"Elena?" 

I spun around so fast I nearly knocked over the desk lamp. Adrian stood in the doorway, his 

face pale with shock. 

"I... I was just..." I stammered, trying to think of an excuse. 

"You shouldn't be here," he said quietly, stepping into the office and closing the door behind 

him. "And you definitely shouldn't be reading that." 

"Adrian, I'm sorry. I saw the light on and thought you were here, and then I saw the 

documents and..." 

"Elena, stop." He walked over and gently took the file from my hands. "You don't understand 

what you've stumbled into." 

"Then explain it to me," I said, looking into his eyes. "You're the former Alpha's son? The 

rightful heir?" 

He was quiet for a long moment, studying my face. "How much did you read?" 

"Enough to know that Marcus isn't the rightful Alpha," I whispered. "And that you were 

accused of murdering your father." 

Adrian's jaw clenched. "I didn't kill my father." 

"I know," I said without hesitation. "I know you didn't." 

He looked surprised by my certainty. "How can you be so sure?" 

Because I know your heart, I wanted to say. Because I've seen the kind of man you are. 

Because you tried to save me when everyone else wanted me dead. 

"Because I know you," I said instead. "You're not capable of murder." 

Adrian closed his eyes for a moment, as if my words caused him pain. "Elena, you need to 

forget what you saw here. If Marcus finds out you know..." 

"He'll what?" I asked. "Kill me?" 

The words slipped out before I could stop them, but they carried more weight than Adrian 

could know. 

"He'll exile you from the pack," Adrian said seriously. "Or worse. Marcus doesn't tolerate 

threats to his position." 

I stared at him,"That's why you became a doctor instead of fighting for your birthright." 

"I had no choice. After my father died and they accused me..." He ran a hand through his 

hair, suddenly looking older. "I was seventeen, Elena. Seventeen and facing a pack that 

believed I was a patricide.“ 

"But you never stopped believing you were innocent." It wasn't a question. 

"My father was murdered," Adrian's voice turned hard as steel. "And someday, I'll prove it." 

"Adrian," I whispered, "what are you planning?" 

Before he could answer, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway. We both froze. 

"Dr. Kane? Are you in there?" It was James, the night security guard. 

Adrian quickly shoved the documents into his desk drawer and motioned for me to stay 

quiet. "Just finishing up some paperwork, James. Is everything alright?" 

"Thought I saw lights on. Just checking." 

"All good here. I'll be leaving shortly." 

We waited in tense silence until the footsteps faded away. Adrian turned back to me, his 

expression grim. 

"You need to go home, Forget what you saw here." 

"I can't just forget—" 

"You have to." He gripped my shoulders gently but firmly. "Promise me you'll act normal 

around Marcus. Don't give him any reason to suspect you know anything." 

The irony wasn't lost on me. Here I was, keeping secrets from Adrian about my own death 

and rebirth, while he kept secrets about his true identity and plans for revenge. 

We were both pretending to be people we weren't. 

"I promise," I said quietly. 

Adrian studied my face for a long moment, and Before I could process what was happening, 

he leaned down and pressed his lips softly against mine. 

For a moment , I was frozen in shock. 

Then reality seemed to crash down on him. He jerked back, his face pale with horror. 

"I'm sorry," he breathed, running a hand through his hair. "God, Elena, I'm so sorry, that was 

a complete mistake. I don't know what came over me. You're married, you're Marcus's mate, 

and I just…” 

I silenced him by grabbing his shirt and pulling him back down to me, crushing my lips 

against his with an intensity that surprised us both. 

He was shock at first, But as I deepened the kiss, his arms wrapped around me, pulling me 

closer as he kissed me back with equal fervor. 

When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard. Adrian's eyes searched mine, 

confusion written on his face. 

"Elena, what—" 

"I want a divorce," I said quietly. 

Adrian blinked. "What?" 

"I want to divorce Marcus." I stepped back slightly but kept my hands on his chest, feeling 

his heart racing. "I know he's having an affair." 

"Elena..." Adrian's voice was careful. "That's a serious accusation. Do you have proof?" 

I shook my head. "Not yet. But I will find it." "And when I do, I'll make sure everyone knows 

exactly what kind of man their precious Alpha really is." 

Adrian was quiet for a long moment, 

"Elena, if you're serious about this..." He paused, A divorce from an Alpha isn't just a 

personal matter. It becomes pack business. Marcus won't let you go easily." 

"I know." I stepped closer to him again, my voice dropping to a whisper. "That's where you 

come in." 

"Me?" 

"Help me reclaim what's yours, Adrian."  "The Alpha position. Your birthright. And I'll help you 

expose the truth about your father's death." 

Adrian's breath caught. "You're talking about taking down Marcus completely." 

"I'm talking about justice." The word tasted sweet on my tongue. "You get back what was 

stolen from you. I get my freedom. And Marcus... Marcus gets exactly what he deserves." 

"You don't know what you're asking," he finally said, 

"I know exactly what I'm asking." I reached up and touched his face gently. "I'm asking you to 

trust me. I'm asking you to let me stand beside you instead of watching from the sidelines." 

"If we do this..." "There's no going back. Once you move against an Alpha, especially with 

accusations of adultery, it's war." 

A smile curved my lips, the first real smile I'd felt since my rebirth. "Then let's give them a 

war they'll never forget." 

“Are you in or not? I asked him, surprised at how bold I have become.” 

Adrian looked at me for a long while, considering his options. Then he gave a broad smile,  

"I'm in," he said, his voice carrying a new authority I'd never heard before. "Let's do this." 

Let’s take the people who hurt us down.