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Elena was gobsmacked—utterly stunned.

She couldn’t process it all at once. The man they feared the most, the cruel and manipulative Rock, had been brought down… by a baseball. A simple, spinning baseball thrown with so much force and power from Rick’s hands. She blinked rapidly, struggling to grasp what she had just witnessed. The sight was surreal, almost like her mind was playing tricks on her.

Rick? With that kind of strength?

And Rock? Defeated?

Her chest heaved up and down, overwhelmed by the chaos, the noise, and the burning pain in her side. She couldn’t hold on much longer. Her vision blurred, dark spots dancing before her eyes. Her body gave in. She collapsed to the ground, her knees folding beneath her as everything turned to a swirling black.

But just before darkness swallowed her, Jaxon was there—arms wrapping around her tightly.

“Elena!” he shouted, panic evident in his voice. His arms trembled as he scooped her up from the floor, holding her tightly against his chest like something fragile and sacred. Blood stained her shirt, and her face was pale, eyes fluttering shut.

She passed out in his arms.

She was noisy even in her unconscious state—her breathing ragged, small moans escaping her lips as her body twitched slightly. Jaxon sank to the ground, cradling her in his lap, gently brushing strands of blood-matted hair from her face. His jaw clenched, worry carved deep into the lines of his face.

Minutes passed. Each second stretched like eternity.

Then, slowly, Elena stirred. Her lashes fluttered before her eyes blinked open, confused and dazed. Her head tilted upward—her cheek still pressed against Jaxon’s leg—eyes scanning her surroundings before settling on his face.

“Elena…” Jaxon said, his voice low and filled with emotion. His eyes, soft and glassy, searched hers. “How are you feeling now? Can you hear us?”

She nodded slowly, then tried to sit up. Her body protested, but she shifted until she was beside him, leaning slightly against his shoulder.

“My head is… aching,” she muttered, touching the side of her temple gingerly. “I think I lost a lot of blood.”

Her eyes drifted across the room. That’s when she saw it.

At the far end, Rick and Jack were busy tying Rock—yes, Rock—to a pole. The same one she had been chained to earlier. They were using the very same silver chain. Her mouth dropped open slightly.

“They untied me,” she whispered, almost in disbelief, “and used my chains on him?”

Jaxon nodded beside her, his expression tight with barely contained rage. “He’s not going anywhere now.”

“What are they doing to him?” she asked weakly.

“They’re restraining him,” Jaxon said, his voice dark. “He’s dangerous. We can’t risk him waking up and hurting anyone else.”

Just then, Rick’s voice rang out from the corner. “Jack, why don’t you just take the chain from there? I’ll lock it up after we’re done.”

While they were focused on binding Rock, the man began to stir. His fingers twitched. His head rolled, eyes blinking open sluggishly. A low growl vibrated from his throat.

Jack looked down at him, arms crossed. “You haven’t told me the full story,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Looks like Elena’s not the only one keeping secrets. You’ve got skeletons of your own.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Rock’s eyes snapped fully open. He roared—his voice raw and thunderous. “You bastard! Untie me now! How dare you tie me up?! Do you know who I am?!”

He struggled fiercely, yanking at the chains with all his might. “I could tear the three of you apart in seconds!”

Rick narrowed his eyes and took a step closer, calm but lethal. Jack raised a brow. “Should I tape his mouth too?” he asked coldly. “He clearly doesn’t need it.”

“Yeah,” Rick replied, jaw ticking. “Tape his damn nose while you’re at it. He doesn’t need to breathe either.”

Rock sneered, spitting out his words like venom. “You think this’ll break me? I’ll kill you. I’ll kill all of you! I swear—”

But Jack had already stepped forward with a strip of masking tape, ripping it off the roll. Without hesitation, he slapped it firmly over Rock’s mouth, silencing his rage-filled rants.

Suddenly—creak—the door swung open.

The boys froze.

Standing in the doorway was an elderly man, tall and commanding, with silvery-white hair and sharp amber eyes. Behind him stood a broad, imposing figure—his presence enough to make even Rick take a half-step back. The larger man looked like a bouncer, arms thick as tree trunks, with a permanent scowl on his face.

The older man’s eyes swept the room with a cold, assessing glare. He stepped inside.

Fear trickled in like water seeping through cracks.

Jack, usually loud and energetic, immediately grabbed Rick’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “Oh my god,” he whispered, his face draining of color. “They look so scary. Who are they?”

Rick didn’t answer. His face had gone blank—his mind calculating, bracing.

Rock, muffled by the tape, let out a loud laugh from the floor, shaking his head like a madman. His words were impossible to decipher, but his expression made his meaning clear: You’re in trouble now.

The old man strode toward Rock and, without warning, threw a heavy punch straight into his face. Crack. Rock’s head snapped sideways and he slumped unconscious once more.

No one dared move.

The man walked forward, unbothered, toward the back of the room where Elena sat on Jaxon’s lap. He paused in front of them, eyes narrowing. Jaxon looked up, swallowing hard.

The man’s gaze lingered on Jaxon for a moment—cold, calculating—before turning to Elena.

“Elena,” he said simply, voice like stone. “Let’s go home.”

Elena stiffened. Her fingers clutched Jaxon’s hand instinctively. Her eyes darted between the old man and the boy holding her, torn between fear and safety. She didn’t speak—just stared.

Jaxon’s jaw tightened. “Who are you to her?” he asked, voice low.

The man didn’t answer him directly. Instead, he reached out a hand to Elena.

She hesitated, her body trembling. Her hand still held Jaxon’s tightly.

But she didn’t have a choice.

Her fingers slipped away, slowly, like leaves falling from a branch. Jaxon gripped them for a second longer before letting go, heart pounding in his chest. It felt like something was being ripped away from him. Something precious.

The old man turned and walked back toward the door, Elena trailing silently behind him. Her eyes flicked over her shoulder, locking with Jaxon’s just before they crossed the threshold. Her lips parted slightly, but she said nothing.

Just as the man was about to step out, he paused.

He didn’t turn around as he spoke. “Handle the rest,” he said curtly. “I am the Pack Alpha. You’re from another pack, but I thank you for saving her life.”

There was a beat of silence. Then, “You boys should go home now.”

His eyes glanced back, the smallest flicker of recognition in them.

“Let’s go, Elena.”

They vanished through the door.

Jaxon made a move to rise, his hand reaching toward them, heart screaming to follow.

But Rick and Jack held him back firmly.

“Let her go,” Rick said quietly. “If she’s truly yours…”

He paused, voice filled with bittersweet resolve.

“…she would come back someday.”