Chapter 3 The Alpha Who Stood Between Her and War

Leo's POV

The instant I heard Evelyn's name echoed through the hall, I knew it wasn't just a threat-it was a promise. Blackridge never wasted words. Never issued idle warnings. Their presence meant one thing: confrontation, blood, and a reckoning no one wanted but all were about to get.

I tightened my jaw, scanning the hall. My warriors were tense, muscles coiled, every eye fixed on the doorway. The air was thick, taut, almost alive. And yet my focus wasn't on them. It was on Evelyn.

She stood in the center of the room, small, trembling, yet unflinching. The forest's pulse radiated from her like a heartbeat I could feel in my chest. I had seen her walk this land as a girl, frightened and cautious, hiding beneath oak branches. But now... she was something else. Dangerous, yes, but more than that-awakened.

I took a step toward her, silent, deliberate. "Evelyn," I said, my voice low, trying to keep the command from slipping into worry. "Are you-?"

Her eyes met mine, wide, uncertain, and a little defiant. "I-I didn't mean to, Leo," she whispered. "I didn't know I could do... that."

The "that" made my stomach twist. I had seen it. I felt it. The forest had bent to her will, restrained Blackridge wolves before they even reached the border. That was not ordinary. That was something ancient. Something lethal if she lost control.

I knelt slightly, trying to meet her gaze at eye level. "You didn't have to mean it," I said, steady. "The forest recognizes you. That's all. It's not your fault."

But the council didn't see it that way. And neither would Blackridge if they returned tonight, hungry for power.

Morcant stepped forward, silver braid falling over his shoulder, his eyes hard as flint. "Alpha Leo," he said, voice sharp, "if she cannot master this... this intrusion of power, she will be a liability. You understand the consequences."

I nodded slowly, my hands flexing at my sides. "I understand. And I will make sure she is trained, controlled, and protected."

Evelyn flinched, uncertainty flashing across her face. "I don't know if I can-"

"Yes, you can," I interrupted, firm but gentle. "I've seen your courage. I've seen you face fear and walk straight into it. You will do this, Evelyn. And I'll be there every step."

Her lip trembled. I could see it, the mix of fear and determination, the way she had always carried the weight of responsibility on her own shoulders. Always trying not to matter. Always trying to disappear.

But she couldn't disappear anymore. Not now.

A sudden noise shattered the moment-a snapping of twigs, deliberate, measured. My body reacted before my mind could catch up. I shifted, muscles taut, and caught movement at the doorway. Blackridge.

Three of them, silent as shadows. Not retreating. Not hiding. Bold.

One step, then another. They moved with precision, the kind that comes from generations of training and cruelty.

I stepped forward, blocking Evelyn instinctively. "Leave," I said. My voice carried the weight of Alpha command.

The largest stepped into the light, gray eyes glinting with malice. "Alpha Leo," he said, voice calm, almost polite. "We are not here to fight... yet. But know this. Silverpine is ripe for taking. And the forest," he glanced at Evelyn, "responds. How convenient."

I tightened my fists. The way he sneered-mocking not just us, but the bond I had yet to fully acknowledge between Evelyn and the land-it ignited something dangerous inside me.

"You leave now," I said, tone ice. "Before this territory becomes a graveyard for your arrogance."

He smirked. "We will see, Alpha."

And then, without another word, he shifted, moving like wind through the trees, and vanished into the night.

I exhaled slowly, but the tension didn't leave my body. Evelyn's hand found mine, fingers brushing against mine in a brief, fragile connection. She looked at me, eyes wide, still unsure, but searching for a lifeline.

I held her gaze. "You are not alone in this," I whispered. "Not ever again."

She nodded, though the tremor didn't leave her body. "I-I'm scared," she admitted.

"I know," I said, keeping my voice calm. "And it's okay. Fear doesn't make you weak. It makes you alive."

The council murmured, uncertain. Morcant's gaze shifted between us, suspicion mixing with a grudging recognition. "You intend to take her to the Greenwood Sanctum immediately?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied without hesitation. "Before Blackridge acts again."

Evelyn's grip tightened on my hand. I could feel her pulse racing against mine, the faint tremor of the forest under our feet. I didn't need to look to know it mirrored her emotions-alert, cautious, alive.

We left the hall quickly, moving through the corridors of the pack's compound. I sensed every glance, every whisper, every unspoken doubt from the warriors around us. All eyes were on her. All eyes were on me.

As we stepped outside into the cool night air, the wind tugged at her hair, carrying the scent of pine and earth. I paused, pulling her gently back against me. "Look at me," I said.

She did, hesitating, breathing shallowly.

"You are the Luna the forest chose," I said, voice low, almost a growl. "And I will not let anyone, not council, not rival packs, not even the forest itself, hurt you."

Her lips parted, but no words came. I could feel her heartbeat in her chest, quick and uneven, and I knew it mirrored my own. This was no longer about strategy, or politics, or even war. It was about her. And what she was capable of.

A sharp sound snapped my attention-a distant howl, carried on the wind. My body tensed instantly. I knew that howl.

Blackridge.

"They're already moving," I muttered, eyes narrowing.

Evelyn clutched my arm. "What-what do we do?"

I pressed a finger gently to her lips. "You stay close. We move carefully. No mistakes."

Her wide eyes met mine, questioning, fearful. But I saw something deeper-a spark. The forest's pulse thrummed through her veins, readying itself. Readying her.

I exhaled, a low rumble of resolve in my chest. "Evelyn, everything is about to change. You have to trust me. Trust yourself."

The wind shifted again. Leaves rustled violently. The forest seemed to lean toward us, expectant, watching. Protective. Hungry.

And I knew, before we even took our first step toward the Greenwood Sanctum, that the battle had already begun-not just with Blackridge, but within Evelyn herself.

Her hand tightened in mine. "I... I'll try," she whispered.

I nodded once, jaw tight. "Trying isn't enough anymore. You have to rise. Or everything you love will burn."

The forest pulsed beneath our feet, responding, waiting. Watching.

And in that heartbeat, I realized the truth. Evelyn wasn't just a girl I had once known. She was something far greater. Far more dangerous. Far more beautiful.

And I would stand with her through whatever came next...

But as the howl of Blackridge wolves drew closer, I knew one thing for certain: the forest had chosen her, yes-but it had also chosen us... to fight, to survive, or to die.

And neither of us would come out unchanged.