Nicholas’s POV

The absolute silence in the war room was completely deafening.

Roman and Andrei just stared at me. Their faces were totally frozen in pure, raw shock.

"The former Alpha?" Roman finally choked out. His deep voice was incredibly rough. "Alpha... that’s completely impossible. Everyone knows he died in the river that night. You killed him."

"I didn’t finish the job," I growled darkly.

My chest heaved violently. My golden eyes burned with absolute, unchecked fury. The terrifying beast inside me was pacing aggressively against my ribs. It wanted blood. It wanted violent, merciless revenge.

"But Alpha, that was years ago," Andrei said quickly. He stepped forward. "If he survived, why would he wait this long? Why attack the borders now?"

"Because he is a coward," I spat bitterly. "And because he is incredibly patient."

I slammed my heavy hands down on the mahogany table. The wood violently groaned under my massive strength.

"You don’t understand," I told them. My voice was pure, lethal ice. "My father is not like these ordinary rogue wolves. He doesn’t just want food or territory. He is a completely bloodthirsty psychopath."

Roman’s jaw tightened entirely.

"Normal rogues fight to survive," I continued harshly. "My father fights because he absolutely loves the taste of blood. He loves the sound of screaming. He uses pure psychological warfare. He will torture our patrols. He will burn our outposts to the ground. He won’t stop until everything I have built is completely reduced to ashes."

I looked directly at my Beta and Gamma.

"He is coming for my throne. And he is coming for my head."

The heavy air in the room grew entirely suffocating. The reality of the situation aggressively crashed down on us. This wasn’t just a border dispute anymore. This was a brutal, bloody family war.

"We need to double the pack house guards," Roman stated instantly. His tactical mind was already working. "We will send three extra battalions to the western border."

"No," I interrupted him sharply.

Both men completely froze. They looked at me in absolute confusion.

"I am going to the front lines," I announced firmly.

"Alpha, no!" Andrei argued immediately. "It is way too dangerous! You are the King. You need to stay here. Let us handle the rogues!"

"Did you not hear a single word I just said?" I roared violently.

The heavy stone walls actually shook. My dark, terrifying aura aggressively flooded the room. Roman and Andrei instinctively bared their necks in absolute submission.

"This is not your fight," I growled. My voice dropped into a dangerous, lethal whisper. "This is my blood. This is my burden. He is my father, and I am the one who completely failed to kill him."

I stood up straight. I aggressively rolled my broad shoulders.

"I will personally lead the elite warriors to the border," I commanded coldly. "I will face him myself. And this time, it will be a fight to the absolute death. I will personally rip his beating heart right out of his chest."

Neither of them dared to argue. They simply nodded heavily.

"Prepare the men. We leave at dawn," I ordered.

I abruptly turned and marched entirely out of the war room.

The dark hallways of the pack house were completely silent. It was late at night. The heavy shadows completely swallowed me.

My heart was violently pounding. My blood was absolutely boiling with raw, toxic adrenaline. But beneath the raging fury, there was a deep, agonizing terror.

Irina.

My beautiful, fragile mate.

If my father knew about her, she was in terrible, unthinkable danger. If I died at the border, who would protect her? Who would protect my unborn pup?

The absolute thought of losing her violently shattered my soul. My wolf whimpered painfully in my mind. We needed her. We needed to see her. We needed to breathe in her sweet, calming scent.

I walked completely numbly through the sprawling estate. My massive boots made absolutely no sound on the thick rugs.

Before I even realized it, I was standing directly outside her door.

The heavy oak door was pushed open just a tiny crack. A warm, golden light spilled entirely out into the dark hallway.

I completely froze. I held my breath.

I peered quietly through the narrow opening.

Irina was sitting at the small, elegant table near the roaring fireplace. She was wearing a soft, oversized white sweater. It made her look incredibly tiny. It made her look completely angelic.

She was talking with her tutor, Mrs. Gable.

"And so, the verb changes depending on the tense," Mrs. Gable explained gently. She pointed to a heavy textbook on the table.

Irina nodded slowly. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration.

"I think I understand," Irina said softly.

Her sweet, melodic voice violently punched me right in the chest. God, I missed her voice. I missed her so fucking much. It had only been four days, but it felt like four entire lifetimes.

I just stood there in the absolute darkness. I quietly watched her.

I watched the way the firelight danced in her beautiful, soft hair. I watched the way her delicate fingers traced the words on the page. I watched the tiny, gentle curve of her stomach. My baby was growing safely inside of her.

A painful, suffocating lump violently formed in my throat.

She was so incredibly pure. She was entirely surrounded by soft, warm light. And I was completely covered in dark, violent shadows. I was a monster. I was a killer. I was about to go slaughter my own father.

I didn’t deserve her. I never deserved her.

But I loved her. I loved her with every single, broken piece of my dark soul.

Suddenly, Irina completely froze.

Her hand stopped moving on the page. Her delicate spine went absolutely rigid.

She felt me.

Even without a wolf, she could feel my heavy, intense gaze. She could feel the dark, terrifying energy completely radiating from my body.

Irina slowly turned her head. She looked directly toward the dark crack in the door.

Her beautiful eyes widened in pure shock.

The soft, gentle atmosphere in the room completely vanished. It was instantly replaced by thick, suffocating tension. Her body began to tremble slightly. She nervously clutched the sleeve of her oversized sweater.

Mrs. Gable noticed the sudden, terrifying shift.

The older woman turned and saw my glowing golden eyes in the dark hallway. She gasped quietly. She immediately stood up and bowed her head in absolute submission.

"Alpha," Mrs. Gable whispered nervously. "I... I will take my leave for the night. Goodnight, Luna."

Mrs. Gable hastily packed her heavy books. She practically ran out of the room, keeping her eyes completely glued to the floor as she squeezed past me.

Now, we were entirely alone.

I slowly pushed the heavy oak door completely open.

I stepped into the warm room. The overwhelming scent of sweet vanilla and soft honey violently crashed into my senses. My raging wolf instantly purred. He desperately wanted to run to her. He wanted to fall to his knees and bury his face in her warm lap.

But I stayed completely frozen by the door.

Irina stared at me. Her chest was rising and falling quickly. She looked incredibly tense. She looked absolutely terrified.

The fear in her eyes violently ripped my heart to shreds.

We just stared at each other for a long, agonizing moment. The silence between us was heavy and deeply painful.

Irina swallowed hard. Her delicate fingers nervously played with the edge of her book.

"Do you need something?" she finally asked.

Her voice was incredibly soft. It was shaking entirely.

My heart violently clenched. I desperately wanted to cross the room. I wanted to pull her into my arms. I wanted to tell her about my father. I wanted to tell her how completely terrified I was of losing her. I wanted to beg for her forgiveness.

But I couldn’t.

I couldn’t drag her into my bloody, violent nightmare. I had to protect her. Even if it meant breaking my own heart.

I stared deeply into her beautiful, fearful eyes. I remained completely silent for a long moment.

Then, I slowly shook my head.

"I’m going away for a while."