Chapter 41: The Storm Within

Connor’s POV

I sat in the dimly lit room, staring at the empty bed Aria was lying on hours earlier. The tension in my muscles refused to ease, even as I rolled my shoulders. My neck still stung from where her fiance had gripped me earlier, but it wasn’t the physical pain gnawing at me—it was something deeper. 

Something I didn’t understand. My wolf had been restless ever since we first met him. Every time I caught a whiff of him, my wolf would growl low and whimper in frustration. It made no sense. Why would his presence agitate me so much?

I clenched my fists, trying to keep calm. Who is he, really? How did he even find my pack’s location? I doubt he’s been here before—I would have remembered him. And yet, there was something unsettlingly familiar about him, something I couldn’t quite place.

Then there was her—Aria. Or Ivy, as she now called herself. She lay peacefully on my bed earlier, completely unaware of the storm she had brought with her. Seeing her again after all these years stirred emotions I had long buried. Anger. Regret. Longing.

My fingers tightened around the edge of the desk. What if…My thoughts were a whirlwind of what-ifs. What if I hadn’t rejected her back then? What if I had been stronger—man enough to stand against the pack’s judgment and claim her as my mate? I could have spared us both years of pain. But I didn’t, and now I was paying the price.

But I won’t lose her again. She’s my mate—my one true mate. And I’ll be damned if I let anyone else claim her. Not her so-called fiancé. Not anyone. I’ll fight for her, no matter the cost.

A commotion outside snapped me from my thoughts. My wolf stirred, sensing trouble. Without hesitation, I darted for the door, my steps quick and purposeful. I had tried to avoid this exact scenario when I brought Ivy back. Even if she was destined to be my Luna, there was a better way to reintroduce her to the pack—on my terms, when the time was right. But I hadn’t warned that bastard lover of hers in time, and now the entire pack was buzzing with whispers and tension.

As I reached the clearing, I saw the pack gathered, murmuring among themselves. Elizabeth stood near the front, her expression as cold as ever. She had never forgiven Aria for what happened. But neither had I, back then.

I watched as Aria—no, Ivy—rode away on Leo’s back, her form vanishing into the shadows of the forest. My heart felt like it was being ripped apart, but I forced myself to remain still, my wolf growling quietly beneath the surface.

“I’ll bring you back, Ivy,” I muttered under my breath, my fists clenched tight. “I don’t care how long it takes. You’ll come home.”

She may have left willingly, but deep down, I knew something was off. The way she kept glancing back, as if torn between staying and going, didn’t sit right with me. And Mr Ashton —he wasn’t just offering her help. There was something more behind his actions, something I couldn’t ignore.

I turned to the pack, most of whom were still gathered, their whispers growing louder. They had seen too much already.

“Everyone, back to your duties,” I growled, my voice echoing with authority. The crowd dispersed quickly, not daring to disobey. Elizabeth turned to leave, but I called her back.

“Come to my office. Now.”

I didn’t wait to see if she followed, storming off toward my quarters. Barely a few steps in, I was met by Lila, her expression unreadable but her presence unmistakably hostile.

“Is it true?” she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. “Did you really bring her back here?”

I didn’t respond immediately, but her next words stopped me in my tracks.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I would have loved to say hello to my twin sister.”

Her voice was laced with sarcasm, but I knew better than to believe it was harmless. I marched toward her, towering over her as my voice dropped to a dangerous tone.

“I don’t care what game you think you’re playing, but you will drop it. Now.”

She tilted her head, giving me a sweet, sad smile that almost fooled me—almost. “What could I possibly do, Alpha?”

“Don’t mess with me, Lila.” I leaned closer, my voice low and menacing. “If I get you anywhere near my mate, you’ll pay with your life. And that goes for you too,” I added, turning my glare toward Elizabeth. “Now leave.”

I turned back to enter my office, slamming the door behind me. But before it could close fully, a foot shot out, wedging it open. I growled in frustration as Lila stepped inside, a smirk playing on her lips.

“Alpha,” she purred, sauntering toward me with a sway in her hips. “This is the last time I’ll offer myself to you willingly. If you turn me away now, you’ll make an enemy out of me.”

She placed a hand on my chest, her touch cold and unwelcome. Fury flared in my chest, and I grabbed her wrist, pushing her away roughly.

“I curse the day I chose you over my mate,” I spat, watching as her smirk faded, replaced by something darker—something dangerous.

“So be it, then,” she hissed before storming off.

I barely had a moment to breathe before my beta, Ethan, who is also my most trusted adviser, burst into the room, his face pale with urgency.

“Alpha,” he said, his voice tense. “There’s been an attack on the northern border.”

My heart pounded. An attack? Now, of all times? 

“Who was it?” I demanded, already on edge from everything else.

“Rogues,” Ethan replied grimly. “But… they weren’t acting alone. They carried the scent of Malrik’s pack.”

Malrik. The name alone made my blood boil. He had been a thorn in the side of many packs for years, always pushing boundaries, always testing our strength. If he was behind this attack, it meant trouble—serious trouble.

I clenched my jaw, the weight of the situation settling heavily on my shoulders. “Prepare the warriors. We can’t afford to be caught off guard again.”

Ethan nodded and left, leaving me alone once more. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to calm my racing thoughts. But before I could fully gather myself, a soft voice echoed in my mind.

‘Zik…’

My eyes snapped open, and I stiffened. It wasn’t just any voice—it was Ivy’s. Somehow, through the mate bond we once shared, I could hear her. She was calling out to me. Or rather, to my wolf.

And she sounded scared.