Chapter Four

* Alpha Archer *

Not all the alphas from the nearby lands had accepted the fact that I was the youngest Alpha among them. Especially the Alpha King. He was supposed to be my uncle, yet not once did he offer me words of congratulations, encouragement, or even acknowledgment.

For two years, I buried myself in training with the warriors. Beta Kael and Beta Aldin gave me their unwavering support. My father and mother guided me, pushing me to my limits. Day by day, my strength grew, and so did the restless energy that simmered within me.

The celebration was never my idea. I had no love for crowded rooms, pounding bass that rattled the floor, or drunken warriors laughing too loud at their own jokes. But Beta Kael and Beta Aldin had insisted.

“Eighteen only happens once, Alpha Archer.”

So here I was, in the dim-lit backroom of a club my warriors frequented. A glass of liquor sat untouched in my hand while my warriors roared with laughter, slapping each other's backs, the air thick with sweat, alcohol, and wolfish pride. I leaned against the leather couch, face composed, though beneath my calm exterior, the wolf in me prowled restlessly.

Then the door opened. Two young Omegas stepped inside, led by one of my closest warriors. Their appearance drew instant whistles and cheers from the men. The neon light from the windows painted them in shifting colors, blue, red, violet, as if the night itself was sizing them up.

"Happy eighteenth, Alpha!" one of the warriors hollered, raising his drink with a grin on his face.

My jaw tightened. So this was their surprise. A gift. The kind of gift most Alphas would accept without question.

The first Omega wore a shimmering silver dress that clung to her curves. Her smile was polished, practiced, she had done this before. She moved like someone accustomed to being desired.

But the second girl, she wasn't like the first. She wore a simple soft-pink dress, her posture tense, her eyes wide and uncertain. Her hands twisted at the hem of her skirt, and she avoided meeting my gaze. She looked out of place, like a rose dropped into the wrong soil.

I recognized her. I'd seen her before around the pack grounds, usually quiet, usually working and I could tell that she is new in the pack. A servant's daughter. Too young and innocent.

The wolf inside me growled low, protective in a way that made my blood stir.

"She's only here for company, Alpha," Beta Aldin explained quickly, noticing the way my eyes narrowed.

“She's still seventeen. She was hired just to sit beside you, nothing more."

The noise of the room suddenly felt distant, muffled, like I was underwater. My gaze fixed on the girl, watching the way her shoulders trembled, the way her lashes brushed against her flushed cheeks as though she wished to vanish.

I placed my untouched glass on the table with deliberate calm. My voice cut through the air as I speak, low but sharp.

"Who thought it was a good idea," I asked evenly, "to bring me a young girl on my birthday?"

The laughter died. Silence pressed down, awkward and heavy. A few warriors shifted uncomfortably, heads bowed as if waiting for punishment coming from me.

The girl's cheeks flamed. She lowered her head further, as though she bore the fault.

I exhaled slowly, then gestured toward her.

“You! Sit here."

She hesitated, but then obeyed, lowering herself carefully onto the couch beside me. Her scent reached me immediately, soap, lavender, and something untouched by the corruption of this place.

I let my gaze sweep the room. "She is not your gift. Do you understand? She's under my protection tonight. Everyone of you will treat her with respect."

Murmured apologies followed, the heads of the warriors bowed in acknowledgment.

Turning back to her, I softened my tone so only she could hear. "Don't be afraid. No one will touch you here."

For the first time, her eyes lifted toward mine. They were timid, searching, but within them I saw something fragile, trust, hesitant, and wavering. Something unguarded.

She sat stiffly at my side, fingers clutching her dress like it was her anchor. The tremor in her shoulders was faint but unmistakable.

I let the silence linger a moment, then leaned back casually, resting an arm along the couch. My voice lowered, coaxing.

"What's your name?"

She blinked, startled. For a moment, I thought she might not answer.

But finally, in a whisper, she said, "My name is Regina, Alpha."

The name lodged itself in my chest, refusing to slip away. Regina.

I repeated it, tasting the syllables. "Regina. And where are your parents?"

The other Omega shifted beside her, eager for attention, but I didn't even glance at her. My focus was fixed on the girl.

Regina lowered her gaze, voice soft. "My mother... she's from the Southern Pack."

The words tightened my chest. My eyes flicked briefly to Beta Kael, who was already watching sharply.

"Southern Pack?" I pressed, my tone hardening. "That's Alpha Douglas's territory."

She nodded faintly, hands twisting together. "Yes, Alpha. But... my mother and I don't belong there anymore. We were asked to leave. By their Luna."

A low growl stirred in my throat before I could stop it. Expelled? A Luna casting out her own people was no small matter.

"And you came here," I said, my tone softening slightly, though still edged with curiosity.

Regina's eyes flickered up, uncertain but honest. "My mother, she has a friend here. A friend who serves your mother, the former Alpha of the West. They gave us a place to stay. A chance to, start again."

Pieces of a puzzle clicked into place. That explained why I had seen her quietly working among the household staff.

I leaned closer, lowering my voice for her alone. "You should never have been brought here tonight, Regina. This is not where you belong."

Her lips parted, and I saw her breath hitch. My words had surprised her, but beneath her timid gaze, I caught a flicker of relief.

I straightened, turning my gaze back on my warriors. My voice carried, sharp as steel.

“No more surprises like this. Not ever again. If you want to bring me company, make sure they are experienced she wolves who can carry the task through to the end."

A chorus of assent rose from the room, subdued and wary.

I leaned back, reaching for a cigarette, lighting it as the smoke curled lazily between us. The room buzzed again with laughter and chatter, but I barely heard any of it.

Because my attention was still anchored to the girl at my side. Regina. For reasons I couldn't yet explain, she had shifted something in the air I breathed. Yet, I told myself I will not take a woman who's even afraid to touch me and she looks to innocent for my taste.

The laughter slowly resumed around us, though quieter now, measured, as if my men had realized they'd crossed a line. Their eyes flicked toward me from time to time, gauging my mood, but I gave them nothing. I smoked in silence, the ember glowing faintly each time I drew in a breath, smoke curling upward to vanish into the dimness above.

Regina sat beside me, stiff as stone, her hands still tangled in the hem of her dress. Every so often, I caught the faint tremor of her shoulders. She was too naive for this world, too unprepared for its cruelties, and the sight of her in this room felt like a mistake that could not be undone.

I leaned back, exhaling smoke, my gaze fixed forward though my awareness never left her. The wolf inside me prowled, restless and unsettled, its growl low in my chest even as I kept my expression impassive.

Her scent lingered in the air, clean, soft, untouched by the corruption that surrounded us. It cut through the alcohol, the perfume, the sweat, until it was the only thing I noticed.

"Regina," I murmured again under my breath, the name grounding itself into me in a way I didn't welcome but couldn't ignore.

She shifted slightly, glancing up as though she'd heard, but I didn't look at her. I didn't need to.

The night stretched on, laughter and music humming faintly through the walls of the club. My warriors celebrated, but I felt no joy, no release in their revelry and my mind is clouded with hesitation.

I had turned eighteen, yet something in me whispered that tonight had marked the beginning of something else, something far heavier than age or rank. And beside me, the girl sat in silence, her presence a quiet storm I could not yet name.