Hunted by the past

Talon's POV

The voice was smooth, taunting. "Oh, she’s safe… for now."

A cold sweat broke over me. “If you touch her, I swear—”

“You’re in no position to make threats,” the voice cut me off, dripping with malice. “Consider this your only warning. Next time, she won’t be so lucky. That woman will die… because of you.”

The line went dead, leaving me in silence. Just then, a familiar voice broke through the haze behind me.

"Talon?"

I turned, heart pounding. Anthena stood there, her face etched with confusion, but unharmed. Relief surged through me, and before I could stop myself, I closed the distance between us, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Anthena," I whispered, my hand tangling in her hair as I held her close. "I thought… I thought something happened to you."

The warmth of her against me calmed the storm within, if only for a moment. I withdrew just enough to see her face and, unable to hold back, leaned in to capture her lips in a kiss. She didn’t resist. In fact, her arms looped around my neck, her response fierce, her touch grounding me in ways I hadn't known I needed.

We broke apart, breath mingling, and she looked toward her car, eyes widening in shock as she took in the damage. Her hand flew to her mouth.

"What happened here?" she asked, her voice a low murmur.

"An accident," I replied, keeping my tone steady. "Where did you go?"

She hesitated. “I went to apologize to Dan for leaving so suddenly. We grabbed dinner across the street.”

I nodded, but her words did little to soothe the unease gnawing at me. Something was wrong; I could feel it. I wrapped my hand around hers, leading her back to my car, and gave the police a curt nod as they promised to investigate the incident. But I knew the truth—whoever was behind this wasn’t someone they’d find easily.

I drove her home, glancing at her occasionally, watching as she sat in silence, her expression still dazed. When I finally left her at her door, I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread settling in my gut.

“Lucian, I need guards on Anthena—eyes on her every second,” I ordered into the phone, my voice hard. I ended the call without waiting for a response.

As soon as I returned to my apartment, I stripped off my clothes and stepped under the shower, the water pouring over me as I tried to wash away the day’s events. But the words from earlier rang in my head, chilling in their simplicity: Just like your father.

Those words had haunted me before, though I’d tried to bury them. There was a time when I’d have given anything to be like him. Back then, he was everything I wanted to be—strong, compassionate, respected. I thought he was an honorable Alpha, a father I could look up to. But I’d learned the truth the hard way: the man I idolized had been hiding secrets, and his actions had shattered everything I believed in.

The memories clawed their way back to the surface. After reclaiming the throne, I’d spared Beta Sam life, choosing imprisonment over execution. I had too many questions, and he was the only one who could answer them. The man who had betrayed my family, the one I should have hated more than anyone, held answers I needed. And so, after everything had settled, I’d gone to confront him in the dungeon.

I remembered stepping into that dark cell, the heavy silence thickening as he looked up at me with a smirk—no regret, just bitter amusement.

“Why did you betray us?” I’d demanded, barely able to hold back the anger seething beneath my calm exterior. “We trusted you.”

He’d laughed, a hollow, mocking sound, before replying. “No, boy. Your father betrayed us.”

His words stunned me, cutting through me like ice. My father betrayed us?

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice sharp, unable to mask the desperation in it.

Alfa Beta’s gaze had been steady, unflinching. “Your peace-loving father had an affair—with a human. He was obsessed with her, even had a child with her.”

I’d felt the ground sway beneath me, my grip on his shirt tightening as I shook him. “That’s a lie!”

But the old man’s expression remained impassive, unwavering. “No, Talon. Your father was in love with a human, and your mother knew. She suffered in silence because of his obsession.”

I could barely breathe as he continued, his voice low and cutting. “When I found out, I urged her to fight it, to bring him down, but she loved him too much. She chose silence… all for you. She didn’t want to destroy your bond with your father. But I refused to let him ruin the pack with his selfish choices.”

The weight of his words crashed over me. Everything I’d believed about my father, my family, crumbled in that moment. After leaving the dungeon, I’d found my mother’s diary and read her final entries, her pain etched into every word. She’d stayed, endured his betrayal, and suffered in silence—for me. Her final words burned in my memory:

"Isn't it truly sad? Watching the one you love—your mate—find happiness with someone else. Isn't it painful, knowing that his smiles and joy aren't because of you, but because of another? Isn't it torture to watch him let go of all the memories you built together? But I've grown used to it. If his happiness lies elsewhere, then I'll try to accept it. For my Talon sake, I will bear this pain."

A shrill ring shattered the quiet, snapping me out of my thoughts. I shut off the water, wrapping a towel around myself as I reached for my phone. Lucian’s name flashed on the screen.

“Alpha,” he began, “the guards are in place around Anthena’s residence.”

“Good,” I replied, barely masking the relief in my voice. I couldn’t take chances, not now. “And Lucian—her contract. Is it nearing three months?”

“Yes,” he confirmed, a slight hesitation in his tone.

I gritted my teeth, fighting the urge to not let her go. But the threats were becoming too real, too dangerous. “Fire her,” I said, my voice cold, resolved.

The line went silent for a beat. “Understood,” Lucian replied quietly, then hung up.

I tossed the phone onto the counter, staring into the mirror as my reflection wavered under the dim light. I was losing her. Bit by bit, this life—my choices—were pushing her away. But there was no other way. She couldn’t be close to me if it meant putting her in danger. If firing her was the only way to keep her safe, I’d have to do it, no matter what it cost me.

The last thing I want to do is destroy everyone else just like my father.