80

80

Andrea’s heartbeat raced so violently, it felt like it was slamming against her ribcage, trying to break out. Her feet pounded the pavement as she ran, gasping prayers between gulps of air. “God, please save them. I don’t want anything to happen to them. They’ve been there for me… through everything I’ve gone through.”

Her chest ached, not from exhaustion, but from the panic threatening to split her in two. “They’ve always been there. We’ve been through so much,” she whispered desperately. “Those boys have no problem with anyone. Especially Jaxon—he’s the father of my children. Rick, my savior… and Jack, someone who loves food more than trouble. God, please protect them.”

Tears blurred her vision, but she didn’t stop. The school loomed ahead, eerie and silent, with the basketball court glowing under the dull golden rays of the setting sun. Her footsteps faltered only for a second before she pushed the doors open with a bang.

And there it was.

A figure in a black hoodie—broad-shouldered, tall, and faceless in the shadows—was standing over someone on the ground, hand twisting a knife in a stomach. Blood pooled like dark ink.

“No…” Andrea’s lips quivered.

Her heart sank.

Her breath caught.

It was Jaxon.

“JAXON!!!” she screamed, her voice raw and trembling. She sprinted toward them, her feet dragging as if the world had slowed just to torment her. As she reached him, Jaxon collapsed straight into her arms, his face pale and smeared with blood, his shirt soaked red and clinging to his body.

“No no no no no—Jaxon, baby—stay with me,” she pleaded, cradling his head, tears streaming down her cheeks as her hands trembled around his body. He groaned faintly, barely conscious.

The man in the hoodie stepped back, but didn’t run. His gloved hand released the bloodied knife, leaving it lodged in Jaxon’s body. Then, calmly, as though none of this mattered, he drew a clean white handkerchief from his pocket and began wiping his gloves.

His voice was cold and sharp, each word like a dagger in the stillness. “Andrea. I know that’s your name.”

Her lips parted in horror. She looked up at him, eyes wide, mascara mixing with sweat and tears.

“Finding the Alpha wasn’t so hard. In fact, it was easier than I thought.” He took a slow step forward, still calmly wiping the knife. “You’ve stayed with them for months. After everything—your friend, your parents… all the signs. And still, you didn’t figure it out.”

Andrea stared at him, her arms wrapped tightly around Jaxon as if her grip could hold him to life. “Wait—who are you? What are you trying to do?!”

But the man ignored her question. “I know now. And in a few minutes… the Alpha will be dead.”

She shouted again, louder this time. “WHO ARE YOU?!”

But he had already turned his back. “You should’ve known a long time ago. Maybe you did, but you didn’t want to believe it. Because deep down, you’re scared of losing him.”

“SHUT UP!” Andrea’s voice broke with fury and grief. “What are you going to do to him now?! How dare you—how dare you do this?! Even if he is the Alpha—he doesn’t deserve this!”

The man paused mid-step and looked over his shoulder, his face still hidden beneath the hood. “Good question. What are we going to do with him now?”

He turned back to her, voice laced with venom. “You should’ve asked that question when you took this mission. When your stupid father decided this for you. Even if you refused… he made sure it happened. You were supposed to rise, become the Alpha of our pack. That was the plan, wasn’t it?”

Andrea’s heart sank, her breath catching. Jaxon groaned softly in her arms, trying to move, but she pushed him back gently. “Don’t move, please. Don’t speak,” she begged under her breath.

The man crouched near them, looking amused. “Well, I’m afraid that’s not happening anymore. Because you failed, Elena.”

Andrea’s entire body froze.

The name hit like thunder.

No one had called her that since… since she’d left the pack.

The man didn’t stop. “I was the one who killed the Alpha you were supposed to eliminate. And now… I’ll take his place. I’ll be the leader of our organization. The betterment of all of us. Except you.”

His voice dipped lower. “So now that I’ve killed him… why don’t you rot in hell?”

He dropped the blood-soaked knife beside her and turned to leave. Andrea’s fists clenched as she fought the urge to lunge at him. Her heart burned with helpless fury.

But the man paused again, halfway across the court. His voice floated back with a twisted sense of cruelty.

“Oh—and don’t waste time being mad at me,” he said lightly. “If I hadn’t killed him… she would’ve.”

Andrea’s face drained of color.

The man chuckled darkly. “Yes, Jaxon. Be angry at her. The girl holding you. Because she was sent to kill you. And you should know something else.”

Andrea tried to get up, shielding Jaxon, but her legs felt like stone. Her face was tight with horror and guilt. She couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breathe.

“She’s a girl,” he said again, louder. “I think you already know that by now. But the worst thing you should know… is her true name.”

Andrea shut her eyes, shaking her head. Please stop talking.

“She is Elena,” he hissed, and his voice rose. “Daughter of the elder in our pack!”

And then he vanished.

Like a shadow swallowed by the wind.

The echo of his voice lingered in the court like a ghost.

Jaxon coughed, blood trickling from the side of his mouth. His brows pinched together in pain, eyes fluttering open again. His voice was barely audible. “Elena… what is… what’s the name of the pack?”

Andrea’s heart shattered as she knelt beside him, her face streaked with tears and sweat. “No… don’t speak. Please. You’ll bleed more.”

But Jaxon was still trying to lift his head. “Tell me… the name… Elena…”

The air around them felt like ice, thick with blood and betrayal. Andrea brushed the hair from his forehead, trembling. Her lips quivered as she tried to force a smile, but all she could say was, “It’s okay. Stop talking… please…”

Jaxon’s breathing grew ragged, his chest rising and falling in shallow pants. The blood beneath them began to pool, dark and glistening.

The man’s words echoed once more in her head.
She would’ve killed you if I hadn’t. She’s Elena. Daughter of the elder. She failed her mission.

Andrea looked down at the boy in her arms, the one who held her baby once in his own arms, the boy who unknowingly fell in love with the girl sent to destroy him.

Her tears dropped on his cheeks.

And still, Jaxon’s voice came out again, weaker this time. “What… name… of the—”

“Stop talking!” she finally screamed, tears pouring out of her eyes. “You’ll keep bleeding if you keep talking—it’s okay… it’s okay…”

But it wasn’t okay.

Not anymore.

Not after what he’d heard.

Not after everything she had hidden from him.

And now…

He knew.

He knew her name wasn’t Andrea.

He knew…

She was Elena.

And her hands were shaking with blood and guilt as she tried to hold him together—before it was too late.