Chapter 5- The Truth About The Alpha

Kane POV

I took a deep breath, mentally steeling myself for the conversation to come. I’ve been a rogue for years, but everything changed when I met Khanna. She was kind enough to save me after a brutal attack by other rogues; she helped me heal, and I decided then and there to repay her by becoming her protector.

However, I never imagined that repayment would involve unearthing my past—a past I had hoped to keep buried for the rest of my life. It isn’t that I did anything wrong; it’s just that once people realise my connection to a certain individual, they look at me with immediate suspicion, if not outright hatred.

I learned long ago to keep my mouth shut. But now, the truth is about to be dragged into the light. I only hope Khanna doesn't see me differently. The thought of losing her respect would break me.

I opened the door to the boardroom. Alpha Len was already there, flanked by two of his pack members. I knew Len through Khanna; personally, I didn't care for the man, but Khanna respected him, so I kept my distance. I didn't really want her involved with him at all, but I knew what it felt like to be judged for your associations, so I remained silent.

“Khanna,” I said, a small smile tugging at my lips as I walked in.

“Kane,” she replied. She stepped toward me, pulling me into a warm embrace. This had become our standard greeting. No matter how important the meeting, she always made time for that hug. I loved her for it.

“Kane, you already know Alpha Len. The others are his Beta, Lee, and his Gamma, Mitch,” Khanna introduced.

“Nice to meet you, gentlemen. Alpha Len, good to see you again,” I said, giving them a curt nod.

“Shall we get down to business?” Alpha Len cut in. “What did you find out?”

I stood beside Khanna, a sad smile touching my face as I realised what was coming. “The Alpha coming after Khanna... it’s Alpha Mark.”

“I know,” Len said flatly.

Khanna turned on him, her eyes flashing with anger. “Then why wouldn't you tell me?”

“I didn't want you to know because I know how you react,” Len countered.

“I am not stupid enough to do anything reckless!” Khanna snapped.

Before a full-blown argument could erupt, Khanna took a sharp breath and turned her focus back to me. “Kane. How do you know Alpha Mark?”

I began to fidget, my heart hammering against my ribs.

“Kane,” she repeated, her voice softer but insistent. “How do you know him?”

I sighed, looking at her with a pain I couldn't hide. “If I tell you... do you promise not to change your opinion of me?”

“Tell her everything you know, rogue!” Beta Lee growled.

I flinched slightly at the raw power in his voice, but Khanna went cold with fury.

“You shut up!” she snapped, pointing a finger at Lee. He growled back, but as her eyes flared with anger, even Gamma Mitch and Alpha Len took a cautious step back. She turned back to me, her expression softening into sadness. “And you. You are a dear friend. Why would I change my opinion of you? It hurts me that you’d even think that.”

I swallowed hard. “He was my Alpha. Before I went rogue.”

The silence that followed was so deafening you could have heard a pin drop.

“WHAT?!” Alpha Len roared. He marched across the room and landed a punch squarely in my face.

I raised a hand to my jaw, stunned. He’d held back enough that I stayed on my feet, but it still hurt like hell. I could already feel the bruise blooming. I opened my mouth to retaliate, but the sound of a sharp smack echoed through the room first.

Len’s guards began to growl, their hackles rising as they looked at Khanna. She had just slapped an Alpha.

“Don’t you dare raise a hand to him,” Khanna said through narrowed eyes. “He may have belonged to Mark’s pack once, but he is a rogue now—he is free. His past has nothing to do with you.”

“Khanna, please, calm down,” I said, stepping around Len and pulling her into a hug to ground her. “It’s okay. I understand his reaction. In his shoes, I might have done the same.”

“I don’t care,” she muttered into my chest. “He had no right.”

“I stand by what I did, Khanna,” Len spat, glaring daggers at me. “Anyone from Mark’s pack is bad news.”

“He hasn’t belonged to that pack in years!” Khanna countered, pulling away from me to face him.

“I left because he murdered my parents,” I said, my voice quiet but steady. “And I was next. I managed to get out the night before he was going to sentence me. My parents always told me that if anything happened to them, I had to run. So I did.”

“Why did he kill them?” Khanna asked.

“Because they fought for the pack. They tried to go to the Wolf King to expose Mark's cruelty. He found out and slaughtered them in front of the entire pack as a warning. They made me watch. I only escaped because a brawl broke out on the training field, distracting the guards who were supposed to take me to his office for my own execution.”

The memory felt like a physical weight. “I ran home, grabbed my ID documents, and hit the border. I renounced my loyalty and I’ve been running ever since. They only found me a few years ago.”

Khanna’s eyes widened. “That was who did that to you? The ones who left you for dead?”

I nodded. I had lied to her back then, telling her it was just random rogues.

“I’m surprised you’re still alive,” Gamma Mitch muttered.

“Only barely,” I replied, looking at Khanna. “She found me. She saved me.”

“You must be a guardian angel for wolves,” Beta Lee said, his tone bordering on mocking.

“Mind your tongue,” Len snapped, swatting Lee on the back of the head.

“Sorry, Alpha. I didn't mean it like that,” Lee muttered, rubbing his head. “I just meant... she saved you, then she saved Kane. Like an angel.”

I looked at her. “I never really thought of it that way.”

“But what does Alpha Mark want with me?” Khanna asked, her confusion genuine.

“Nothing good,” I answered. “It means he either wants your resources or you’ve done something to anger him. Personally? I think it’s the former.”

“But why me? Wouldn't it make more sense to go after another wolf?”

“It’s your influence, Khanna,” Len explained. “He likely thinks you’re an easy target because you're outside our world. He thinks he can scare you into submission. That’s why it is imperative that you come to my pack’s territory. Just until this is settled.”

I nodded slowly. For the first time, I actually agreed with Alpha Len. I found his obsession with her protection a bit creepy, but I knew the alternative. Mark was a monster.

“I think you should take the offer,” I said.

Khanna looked at me, her eyes wide with surprise. If I was agreeing with Len, she knew just how dangerous the situation really was.