Chapter 5 A big save

ARES' POV

The night was cold, the air crisp as I walked back to my car, my mind a tangled mess of thoughts.

Then, I heard it.

A muffled cry. A whimper.

My steps halted, every muscle in my body going rigid. My sharp ears honed in on the sound, tracing it to the restroom at the far end of the hallway. My wolf growled, unsettled. Someone was in distress.

Without hesitation, I moved.

As I neared, low voices and cruel laughter filtered through the door.

Stealing all the attention

"Can you believe my mate is even crushing on him too?"

A low growl rumbled in my chest.

Wolves.

I moved closer just as they laughed again. Three of them stood in a huddle, their scents reeking of arrogance and cruelty. Their packs should be ashamed of them.

"Hey!" I barked, my voice slicing through the air like a whip.

They spun around, eyes widening.

"It's the new professor," one of them whispered.

I didn't give them time to react.

I launched forward, my leg swinging up in a powerful kick, sending the closest one flying into the sink. He slumped down, unconscious before he hit the floor.

The other two barely had time to register what had happened before I grabbed one by the collar and slammed him into the wall. His head snapped back, cracking against the tile, and he crumpled like a rag doll.

The last one tried to run.

Big mistake.

I caught his arm, twisted it behind his back until he howled in pain, and drove my fist into his gut. He gasped, eyes rolling back as he collapsed, his body hitting the floor with a dull thud.

Pathetic.

I stood in the wreckage of my own fury, the scent of blood and fear thick in the air. None of them would wake up anytime soon.

Then I heard it-soft, trembling breaths.

Slowly, I turned toward the restroom door.

The door was locked from outside.

I kicked it open.

And there he was.

Noah.

Curled up in the corner, arms wrapped around his knees, shaking like a scared kitten. His face was hidden beneath his hood, but I could see his fingers trembling, gripping his sleeves like they were the only thing tethering him to reality.

Something inside me twisted.

A sensation I didn't recognize surged through my veins. It was sharp, insistent–an urge to protect.

I took a slow step forward.

His breath hitched.

He looked so small. So vulnerable.

Not knowing why, I crouched down, leveling my gaze with his. "Noah," I murmured.

No response.

I exhaled, my jaw tightening. I wanted to tell him he was safe, that those wolves wouldn't dare touch him again. But the words lodged in my throat.

Instead, I reached out. Not to touch him-just close enough that he could see I wasn't a threat.

"Noah," I called, my voice coming out rougher than I intended.

He flinched.

Something inside me twisted violently at the reaction.

"Noah," I tried again. "It's over."

His head lifted slightly, and for the first time, I caught a glimpse of his face.

Storm-gray eyes, wide with fear, met mine.

My chest tightened.

Something stirred in me, deeper than instinct.

It felt like recognition.

I clenched my fists, shoving down the strange emotions clawing their way to the surface. I shouldn't care this much. I didn't even know him. And yet...

I couldn't leave him like this.

Without another thought, I reached forward and scooped him up effortlessly.

He was too light.

Too fragile.

Something burned in my chest at the realization.

I carried him through the deserted hallways, my grip tightening involuntarily as I felt the faint, shaky rhythm of his breathing against me. He barely moved, except for a slight tremble.

I hated it.

The idea of someone making him feel like this.

The urge to go back and finish what I started clawed at me, but I forced myself to focus. I had somewhere to be.

The garage.

A car was already waiting. His brother sat in the driver's seat, eyes scanning me warily. I didn't even bother acknowledging him. I gently placed Noah in the passenger seat and stepped back.

"Take care of him," I muttered, voice low, before turning on my heel and walking away. I mind-linked Jaxon on my way

"Wait for me in the woods" I informed.

~~~

Jaxon was already waiting for me when I arrived at the woods. His expression shifted from curiosity to concern the moment he saw me.

"You look like hell," he muttered.

"Not now," I growled, brushing past him. "Meet me at the castle."

By the time we reached the grand hall, I realized something was off. The guards were tense, murmurs filling the air.

Jaxon stiffened beside me. "What's going on?"

One of the omegas rushed forward, bowing slightly. "A council meeting has been called, Alpha."

I frowned. "By whom?"

Jaxon's jaw clenched. "Your uncle."

That bastard.

A muscle ticked in my jaw as I strode into the council chamber. The room was already filled with high-ranking wolves and alphas, their gazes sharp and expectant.

"Alpha Ares," my uncle drawled from his seat, his expression carefully neutral. "You're late."

I ignored him, taking my place at the head of the table. "What is this about?"

One of the elders cleared his throat. "It has come to our attention that you have yet to find your mate."

I kept still.

"It is the law, Ares," another elder added. "An Alpha without a Luna weakens the pack. If you do not find your mate soon, the council will have no choice but to...."

"Dethrone me?" I finished coldly.

Silence.

My wolf raged inside me, but I forced my expression to remain impassive. I knew the law. I knew the expectations. But what none of them understood was that my mate was not just a political necessity, she was my salvation.

And I had no intention of being rushed into finding her.

The room fell into silence.

My fingers curled tightly against the armrest of my chair. My wolf bristled, ready to fight.

"I will find my mate when the time is right," I said evenly, my voice dangerously calm.

A flicker of uncertainty passed through some of the elders' faces, but the tension didn't ease.

I pushed to my feet. "Meeting adjourned."

Without another word, I turned and walked away.

I had bigger things to deal with.

~~~

Jaxon walked into my suite without knocking.

"I assume you're not sleeping either," he said, leaning against the doorframe.

I exhaled, rubbing my temples. "I need to find my mate as soon as possible, my William can't have the upper hand ."

Jaxon crossed his arms. " But finding your mate isn't something that you do in a week?"

I hesitated. Thinking about my encounter with Noah.

The bond. The pull. The way my wolf reacted to him.

"Something about him is... different," I muttered.

Jaxon studied me for a long moment, getting what I meant. "And what are you going to do about it?"

I didn't have an answer.

Because for the first time in my life, I had no idea what was happening to me.

And Noah Leister was at the center of it.

"There was another rouge attack, this is becoming more than a warning,I sense there is more to it" Jaxon informed. I kept quiet, I wouldn't be the most powerful and wisest alpha if I didn't know what was going on.

" Summon the royal spy"I requested.