Trust

MATED TO MY ALPHA MATE

The night air was thick with the scent of blood and smoke. Screams echoed in the distance, mingling with the furious growls of wolves locked in combat. The rogue wolves had come in greater numbers than anyone anticipated, and chaos reigned on the borders of the Silver Moon Pack.

Derek stood in the center of it all, his hulking form a blur as he tore through the enemy. His claws dripped with blood, his eyes blazing with fury. For every rogue he struck down, two more seemed to take its place. But he wouldn't back down. Not now. Not ever.

"Hold the line!" he roared, his voice cutting through the din of battle. "Protect the pack at all costs!"

But even as he fought, his thoughts drifted to Diva. She was back at the house, safe—for now. But something about this attack felt off. The rogues were organized, coordinated in a way they never had been before. It wasn't random. It was calculated.

And he couldn't shake the feeling that she was the reason.

---

Diva paced back and forth in her room, her anxiety growing with every passing second. She could hear the distant sounds of battle, the howls and screams sending shivers down her spine.

"Mikael, what's going on out there?" she demanded, turning to her friend.

Mikael stood by the window, his face pale as he stared into the darkness. "It's bad, Diva. The rogues have never attacked like this before. They're… relentless."

She clenched her fists, frustration and fear bubbling inside her. "Why now? Why would they risk an all-out war with the pack?"

"I don't know," Mikael admitted. "But something about this doesn't feel right. It's almost like…"

"Like what?"

He hesitated, then looked at her with a grim expression. "Like they're after someone."

The weight of his words hung in the air, and Diva felt her stomach drop. She didn't need to ask who he meant.

Before she could respond, the door burst open, and Caleb stormed in, his clothes torn and blood staining his hands.

"Diva, you need to come with me. Now," he said, his tone urgent.

She backed away, her instincts screaming at her to resist. "Why? What's going on?"

"There's no time to explain," Caleb snapped. "The rogues are targeting you. They know you're the Alpha's mate, and they'll do anything to get to you."

Mikael stepped in front of her protectively. "If they're after her, then why are you here instead of helping Derek? This sounds like a trap."

Caleb's eyes narrowed, and his voice dropped to a dangerous growl. "Do you think I'd risk coming here if it wasn't serious? We don't have time for this!"

Diva hesitated, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't trust Caleb—not entirely. But the urgency in his voice was hard to ignore.

"I'll go with you," she said finally, stepping forward. "But if this is some kind of trick…"

"It's not," Caleb assured her, though his gaze flickered with something she couldn't quite place.

---

Meanwhile, Derek fought his way through the chaos, his focus split between the battle and his growing unease about Diva. He could feel their bond pulling at him, a faint whisper in the back of his mind warning him that something was wrong.

"Alpha!" one of his warriors shouted, running up to him. "We've spotted a group of rogues heading toward the pack house. They're breaking through our defenses!"

Derek's heart dropped. "The pack house?"

"Yes, Alpha. They're after your mate."

A roar of fury erupted from his chest, and he didn't waste another second. He shifted into his massive black wolf form, his paws pounding against the earth as he raced toward the pack house.

---

Diva followed Caleb through the darkened woods, her senses on high alert. The sounds of battle were distant now, but the eerie silence of the forest was even more unsettling.

"Where are we going?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"There's a safe house nearby," Caleb replied without looking back. "You'll be secure there until this is over."

Something about his tone made her uneasy. She glanced at Mikael, who was trailing behind her, his expression tense.

"Are you sure about this?" she murmured to him.

"No," he said bluntly. "But we don't have much choice."

They continued deeper into the woods until they reached a small clearing. Caleb stopped abruptly, his posture rigid.

"This is it," he said, gesturing to a dilapidated cabin.

Diva frowned. "This doesn't look very safe."

"It's hidden," Caleb said quickly. "That's all that matters."

Before she could argue, the sound of footsteps surrounded them, and a group of rogues emerged from the shadows.

Caleb stepped back, his hands raised in mock surrender. "Sorry, Diva," he said with a smirk. "But this is where we part ways."

Her blood ran cold. "You… you betrayed us?"

"It's nothing personal," Caleb said. "The rogues made me an offer I couldn't refuse. And let's face it—you were never going to fit in with this pack anyway."

Mikael lunged at him, but Caleb shifted into his wolf form, slamming him to the ground with a single swipe.

Diva's mind raced as the rogues closed in, their eyes gleaming with malice. She was trapped, outnumbered, and betrayed.

But she wasn't going down without a fight.

---

Derek burst into the clearing just in time to see Diva standing her ground, her eyes blazing with defiance despite the odds against her. His wolf let out a furious snarl, and he launched himself into the fray, determined to protect her at all costs.

The battle that followed was brutal and chaotic, but Derek's focus never wavered. He fought with a ferocity that sent the rogues scattering, his only thought to reach Diva.

When it was over, he stood before her, his chest heaving and his eyes locked on hers.

"Are you hurt?" he demanded, his voice rough.

She shook her head, though her knees threatened to give out beneath her. "I'm fine," she said, her voice trembling.

But as Derek looked at her, he realized something had changed. The bond between them was stronger now, more tangible. And for the first time, he saw a flicker of something other than fear in her eyes.

Trust.

To be continued... ...