Bound by love with a Rogue Alpha;Mated to 7 Alpha kings

Chapter 1: A Storm Is Coming

Vincent Soft yet strong, a voice pierced my reverie. Markus, my lieutenant, entered the room. His keen eyes darted to the documents before fixing on me. An attack has occurred on the eastern front. Rogue wolves.

I didn't have to request specifics. I understood what that signified. Our borders were crossed. My group was in peril.

I will handle it. Though my voice was quiet, even I could tell the tension in it. I was no stranger to battle, but this, this was unique. It seemed personal. Overly personal.

Markus stepped back and nodded, but I noticed the tightness in his shoulders before he could leave. He was unsure.

Vincent The council has been ringing. They are growing impatient. The Alpha Kings,

I will handle them. I cut him off, my words tinged with annoyance. The council's temper tantrums were less important to me than more urgent concerns.

Certainly. He nodded, but his eyes remained doubtful.

Anything more? I said, my voice more cutting than I meant.

A note. Kailyn Moonstone's

I made myself concentrate to silence the tornado of ideas endangering to overwhelm me. But I was concerned not only about the rogue wolves. It was he. Vince

Every day since I had walked away from him felt like an eternity. With the conflict on our doorstep, the last thing I wanted was to consider the guy who still tormented my every thought.

Prepare yourself. From the door, my second-in-command Gabrielle spoke quietly and steadily. She knew better than to urge me when I was like this. The rogues will arrive shortly.

I shook my head in an effort to control my breathing. Gabrielle was correct. This has nothing to do with me. This was about living. Still, Vincent's name haunted me like an unrelenting drumbeat.

Kailyn, pull yourself together. This is no longer about you.

Turning away from the window where I had been gazing into the storm, the dark sky lit by lightning. Though it would be a mistake, part of me wished to close my eyes and act as though this was not occurring. I could no longer afford errors.

I checked the weight and placement of my weapons one last time to see if I could change their grip. Everything had to be just right. My folks relied on me. Even after Vincent had abandoned me, even when all had fallen apart around us, they had always relied on me.

Gabrielle, go east perimeter. I told Gabrielle, my voice firm, to take the east perimeter.

"Yes, Alpha," she said, and with that she vanished into the darkness, back to my solitude with my thoughts.

Drawing in a long breath, I suppressed the wave of memories trying to surface. Vince Our shared times. The suffering. The treachery.

But that was not possible. I had no time.

Stepping into the hallway, I heightened my awareness to every change in the air. Something was wrong, and I knew it wasn't only the wild wolves.

All of a sudden, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

I stood still.

The air changed; something or someone was approaching. I could sense the danger, the weight of it. Then it struck me. This was not only an assault. It was an attack on our entire being.

"Gabrielle," I muttered under my breath, but it was too late.

Hands clutching the arms of my chair like a lifeline, I reclined back. What was coming felt heavier than anything I had ever carried. The battle was no longer simply on the horizon; it was here.

Markus, his voice harsh, added, "Vincent, we can't wait any longer." His eyes were wide with the same fear I had been battling off for days. The Alpha Kings had acted and the rogues were closing in quicker than anticipated. Action was due. No more waiting around.

The writing of our regions was barely visible on the map on my desk, smeared by the continual pressure we had been under. The conflict exceeded my expectations. Larger than I had expected.

You are correct. My voice sounded odd to me, strained. It's not only about land anymore, though. They're after all. The pack, the city... us.

Markus moved in front of me, pacing back and forth. What if they have more sinister intentions? This is unlike any attack we have ever witnessed.

"We haven't seen anything yet," I grumbled, thinking of Kailyn. Like a thread in the tempest, her name kept drawing me back into ideas I didn't want to consider. I had to forget about her. I was no longer concentrating on her. It was survival.

Markus's eyes narrowed as he stopped pacing. You are concerned about her, right?

I said nothing. I was unable to do it. The truth lay between us, dense and oppressive.

Just then, another soldier entered the door, breathing heavily and looking pale. His hand shaking, he gave me a phone.

It's urgent, sir. From the field.

My stomach turning, I picked up the phone. Frantic and hardly under control, the voice on the other end was

Vincent, it's your pack. They have suffered assaults. They are, Static replaced the line.

My heart raced in my chest and I cursed.

Rising fast, my chair fell behind me. Markus was already beside me.

We have to go right now.

Practically panting as he walked across the gleaming floor, paper in hand, my right-hand guy Markus His face was white and I could see a little tremor in his step.

"Vincent," he rasped, his voice strained. Kailyn sent it.

Kailyn The very mention of her name caused my body to clench. Years had passed, but the simple idea of her flooded feelings I was unprepared to face back. The air was heavy with expectation as Markus opened the message with unsteady hands; I fought to stay still.

He gave it to me; my fingers brushed his, a quick yet startling touch that caused my heart to race. My gaze darted to the message; with every sentence, I read her words and my pulse thudded faster.

We must come together. Time is running short as the rogue wolves are closing in. We cannot accomplish this by ourselves. Come see me.

Her penmanship was exact, quick. Every letter seemed like a command, yet there was a deeper need in it. Her request's gravity struck me, and my thoughts began to run.

Reading it again, I attempted to understand the urgency in those straightforward statements. Always a powerful, unshakeable force, Kailyn could guide her pack through any situation. Her reaching out indicated that the event had gone far beyond anything either of us had expected.

Markus's voice broke me from my reverie. Vincent, we have to go. Our opportunity is now. We cannot afford to wait.

My thoughts were racing as I gripped the note in my palm. Her pack, my pack, both in danger. Every muscle in my body shouted at me to act, but a part of me, the one that recalled the rage, the betrayal, held me back.

At last, I let the choice rest in my chest after taking a big breath. Get the troops ready. I am heading to Kailyn.

At this time? Markus enquired, taken aback by the hasty choice.

"At this time."

I did not wait for him to answer. A peculiar sensation came over me as I turned to go, a gut-wrenching one I couldn't get rid of.

Then, just as I got to the door, a voice emerged from behind me.

Markus called once more, his voice more frantic, "Vincent".

I hesitated. "What?"

"There's something else," he murmured, his voice so heavy I turned slowly. "Our territory has been breached. Wolves gone rogue. A full-scale assault.

Kailyn A flood of memories hit me: her fiery personality, her power, her eyes that always seemed to know me better than I knew myself. Though here we were going directly for the storm neither of us could avoid, it felt like a lifetime ago when we last spoke.

With every passing block, the tension in my chest grew denser and I clutched the wheel more forcefully. I thought of her folks, her pack. Like my own, they were on the front lines.

A flash of lightning sliced the sky suddenly as I turned onto the main route out of the city. For a second, everything went quiet. The city, the storm, my breath even. A deep and disturbing shiver rushed through me.

Trying to lose the sensation, I tightened my jacket against the unexpected cold. Still clouded with recollections of Kailyn, my mind replayed her written words over and over.

The time I had feared for so long has arrived.

A violent tyre screech cut across the night just as I was going to phone Kailyn, jolting my focus back to the now. The road ahead was now closed, the source of the sound sliding to a stop in front of me.

Heart racing, I hit the brakes hard. From the corner of my eye, a shadow leaped out of the gloom. A wayward werewolf. Their snarls reverberated in the darkness, the air quivering with threat.

Chapter 2: Old Wounds

"You came," she continued, her voice low and tinged with something I couldn't quite identify, maybe resentment? Was it relief, then? It was of no importance today.

"I came," I said, moving farther into the room under her watchful eye. "You were correct." We have no time to lose.

Her eyes flitted momentarily over me before returning to the table strewn with maps and reports. I was not incorrect. Vincent, I didn't expect you to arrive. Not after all that.

Her words pierced me more than I would want to acknowledge. She need not say it. We both understood what had taken place. Years of quiet, of painful distance. And now here we were, brought together once more by something far larger than each of us.

Avoiding her sight, I said, "I had no choice." The rogues are pushing more forcefully. The Alpha Kings... I caught myself. There was no cause to say more about it. She was aware of it all.

Her lips grew tight and a muscle in her jaw twitched. "You still don't believe me, right?"

I finally looked into her eyes. Trust? That's a strange thing to mention. Kailyn, what about you? You left us, our people, all we had, everything behind. Now you wish to discuss confidence?

Her chair scraped back violently as she got up. I did what I believed to be best for myself. And don't pretend you didn't do the same thing. You also departed. Don't assume I don't recall. She moved nearer; the tension between us was clear. No, then. I don't either trust you.

The air was heavy with the burden of past wounds, but even as the words lingered between us, something else started to boil, something unarguable. Watching her made my chest tighten; the tension between us now felt almost palpable. We had a war to fight, but this... this wasn't about fighting one. This was about us, about all that had gone unspoken for decades.

A loud explosion shook the room before I could react. The earth under us trembled, and I automatically grabbed for her, drawing her towards me. The air crackled with anxiety and the outside sounds of mayhem became louder.

"They've found us," Kailyn murmured, her voice almost lost in the noise. Her face was tough when she looked me in the eyes. Be ready. We are fighting now.

have time to consider before mayhem broke out around us. Already on her feet, Kailyn dashed for the weapons lining the wall. I followed impulse, taking my own sword as she did.

"Vincent, you don't get to decide any more," she added, her voice strong. Though her hands trembled, I could see the fire in her eyes, the fighter I remembered. "This is my fight now; should you wish to survive it, you will follow my lead."

I did not contest. Time was lacking. The smell of blood permeated the air as the conflict outside the walls roared louder. Just beyond the door, I could hear the heavy footfalls of rogue wolves roaring and howling as they approached. Knowing precisely what had to be done, Kailyn moved with precision. I wasn't here to fight her wars; no, this was our struggle now. As one.

Rushing by me, her moves flowing and every action a deliberate strike, I caught a sight of her. She was still the same Kailyn, fiery and stubborn, and I couldn't help but admire her.

We were, however, on the same side now. I wanted her. I was prepared to battle beside her regardless of what the past between us contained.

Outside, the first rogue wolf crashed at the door, claws scraping against the wood. Already moving, I stepped into position next to Kailyn to confront the approaching wave of adversaries. Under the assault's ferocity, the door broke; the wolves started rushing through with frantic eyes and bared fangs.

We battled side by side. Every blow was precise, quick, and in harmony. Our bodies moving as one, her blade slicing through the air, mine following in perfect rhythm, it was as though we had never been separated. Her body so near I could almost hear her heart racing as rapidly as mine, her breath in my ear. Though there was little time to reflect on it, the tension between us was unmistakable. All that remained was the struggle and the battle we had to win.

But suddenly, just as it appeared we had taken charge of the chamber, the ground shook under yet another powerful assault. The door burst open with such fierce power it drove us both falling backward.

Then I spotted it.

Before he leaped, I hardly had time to notice the peril. He was quite quick. Though the impact made me fall backward, I was able to block his first hit. Kailyn, not far behind me, her sword gleaming as she blocked another one of his strikes.

"Stay close," I snarled, my voice almost a whisper. There was no room for uncertainty now; this was do or die.

The Alpha, however, was not allowing us any breathing space. Everywhere at once, his claws slicing through the air quicker than we could respond. Though my instincts yelled at me to go back, I could not, would not leave Kailyn behind.

Finding her balance, she rolled elegantly to avoid his next blow, her gaze fixed on the Alpha. Keeping close, I observed every movement and followed suit. We were once more in sync, battling like we had previously, but this foe was different kind. Something we were unprepared for.

I swung at the Alpha's side and struck a glancing blow; it was like hitting a brick wall. He didn't even wince.

Kailyn's eyes sparkled with the same resolve that had once driven us through the most trying of circumstances. "He's too strong," she remarked, her voice steady in the mayhem.

Blood rushing in my ears, I said, "We'll find a way."

Though the fight was over, the tension in the air persisted. It never done so. Not with her, I suppose.

I wanted to say anything to shatter the silence. The words, however, were caught in my throat, too knangled with years of hate, remorse, and untold truths. I ended up looking at her instead, at how the gentle glimmer of the candlelight played off her dark hair and how her sharp, defined features still bore the weight of all she had experienced. She was just as lovely as I remembered, perhaps even more so. But suddenly there was remoteness in her eyes, a gap I wasn't sure I could traverse.

What next? Kailyn's voice pierced the stillness, the query straightforward yet laden. Though she talked without looking up, I could sense her gaze on me in the manner she expressed it, almost as if challenging me.

"Now we fight," I said, my voice more gruff than I meant. That was the fact. We had no option but to battle. But something else was brewing between us, something far more hazardous than the wild wolves we had just driven off. I could not longer overlook it.

Kailyn moaned, her fingers rhythmically drumming on the map. "You always know just what to say, don't you?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words perished before they left my lips. The years separating us, years full of too much suffering, too much unsaid, loomed over us and I was unsure how to close that gap.

"You can't trust me," I eventually whispered, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. "I understand you cannot."

Her head shot up and I noticed the flare of feeling in her eyes-anger, disappointment, perhaps even fear. But it was gone as fast as it arrived, hidden beneath her frigid exterior.

Vincent, don't act as though I don't know what you are thinking, she replied softly. We are not unfamiliar. Not really.

Her comments pierced deeper than I had anticipated, so I gritted my jaw. She was correct, after all. We were not unknowns. We had shared too much, been through too much, to act as if we didn't know one another better than anybody else ever could. But that did not allow me to forget what she had done. What I had made.

"I'm not pretending," I responded, my voice rough. "I'm just trying to get through this without losing anything."

Standing, her lips twitched with precise, incisive movement. "You always believe you're the only one attempting to keep everything together."

We had no time for it. No more. Our packs called for us. The wild wolves were closing in from every direction. The conflict had only started.

Kailyn murmured, her voice tight but resolute as we walked past the makeshift barricades along the corridors, "We can't do this alone." Every ally we can obtain will be required.

I nodded, my mind a tangle of strategies and dangers. I agreed. Agreed. But right now, we cannot afford to throw faith away freely.

Kailyn looked at me, her eyes narrowing. I never mentioned anything about giving it away gratis. Our people are dying, so we cannot afford to hang onto grudges.

I felt her words' weight land on me. Of course, she was correct. What was going on overshadowed our history, our fractured past. Still, I wasn't certain I could so lightly abandon that history. I wasn't certain she could either.

You believe I am ignorant of that? I snapped, my annoyance rising to the surface. Kailyn, this is not only about payback. Survival is what matters. It's about preserving what's left.

She turned to look at me and stopped abruptly. Vincent, stop bringing up survival to me. You have no idea how it feels to lose everything.

The words struck me more than I wanted them to. I understood what it was like. I have also lost individuals.

"Then perhaps it's time we both stop pretending," I murmured softly, meeting her gaze. Then we should begin cooperating.

Neither of us moved for a long time. The air between us was thick not just with the promise of what was to come but with the shared history we both tried to ignore.

Kailyn finally breathed out, her shoulder stiffness somewhat subsiding. Alright. We battle as one. But don't believe for one second that indicates we are pals."

"I don't need friends," I grumbled, my voice harsh. I require allies.

Her face unreadable, she looked into my eyes. Then, just as fast, she spun and walked towards the door, her footsteps resonating down the corridor.

But before we could get there, a voice over the intercom broke in.

"There's a traitor in the pack," it replied coldly and finally. It's not only one of ours.

Chapter 3: The Rogue Alpha

"Vincent Blackwell," he spat, his voice low and full of anger. "You believe you have triumphed, don't you?"

I moved nearer, my eyes narrowing. Rogue, you are not in a position to be speaking.

Kailyn stood next to me, her posture firm and her presence forceful. Tell us who you work for; we could let you walk out of here.

The laugh of the rogue Alpha sounded hollow, evil. You believe you can shatter me? You have no idea what you are up against here. The Alpha Kings... they will not give up. You all will not.

For a brief moment, I felt Kailyn's fingertips brush across mine, an unintentional touch that sent a wave of fire through me. She didn't see me. Did not need to. Though I could sense her doubt-the same doubt that gnawed at me-her strength was sufficient. How long could we sustain this alliance? How long could we keep pretending all was okay?

"No more playing around." Kailyn's voice was harsh as she moved forward, right in the rogue's face. Who is responsible for this?

The renegade Alpha's eyes danced with something, perhaps anxiety. You are not prepared for this. You believe the Seven Alpha Kings-the conspiracy-are the ones in charge? You have no idea what lies ahead.

The weight of his words soaking in made me step back. Alpha Kings? What did they actually want? This was not only a random assault. This was coordinated. Whoever was behind it had power I could not even begin to grasp.

I turned to Kailyn. Her mouth tight, her thoughts obviously racing, she was looking at the renegade.

I remarked, moving closer to the rogue, "You're wasting our time." You will inform us all about this.

The rogue Alpha, however, only laughed once more, the sound cold. You will come to rue this. They're already plotting something far worse than you imagine.

We lost no time. We left the rogue Alpha in his cell, the things he'd shouted lingering in the air like smoke, and I signalled for the guards to tighten the chains.

What do you believe he was trying to say? Kailyn enquired softly but forcefully as we moved down the stronghold hallways.

I exhaled a breath I hadn't realised I was holding. I have no idea, then. But whatever it is, it isn't good.

We arrived to the war room, where the tension was palpable enough to cut. Laid out before us was the city map, various territories indicated in red ink. The rogue wolves were one thing, but what about this? This was not the same.

Kailyn's eyes were glued to the map, her brain obviously processing the riddle. "We've been too concentrated on the present danger," she remarked. The rogues were only a distraction. Whoever is controlling us wants to watch us rip one another apart.

My fingers pounding on the table's edge signalled slow agreement. We have to identify who is behind this. Alpha Kings? Anyone else out there?

Kailyn grumbled, still looking over the chart, "There's more at work here than just territory." Power is what counts. Command. We have been unwittingly playing into their game, feeding into it.

It was undeniable. Every action we took had benefited those controlling us.

A guard came into the room then, breathless. "Sir, the rogue Alpha... he's speaking once more."

Before I nodded, my heart racing, we traded a look. We required solutions if we were to grasp the actual extent of what was before us. The key was the errant Alpha.

Back in the basement, I could sense Kailyn's stare on me; her presence's weight made everything more complex. But I had no time for that at the moment.

Though his eyes were wide with something fresh-urgency, perhaps fear-the rogue Alpha sat slumped against the wall. Earlier, he had mentioned something. Something concerning the Alpha Kings. I had to hear it once more.

The guard remarked, "He's ready to talk," and I moved up.

Looking up at us, the rogue Alpha's lips twisted into a nasty grimace. You believe you are prepared to face the truth?

I did not hesitate. "Speak to us."

He darkly chuckled. The Alpha Kings have a scheme. But you won't enjoy it. Someone in your circle is working with them. Someone you believe in. Someone you believe supports you.

I stopped, my heart racing in my chest. "Who?"

"Ezra Wolff," the rogue Alpha murmured, his grin expanding. It's already too late. The actual battle is about to start.

Rogue Alpha's remarks made the room seem to be closing in on me. Ezra Wolff My reliable second in command. The man who had battled with me for years. The guy I believed I could count on.

Ezra Kailyn's voice was a harsh, incredulous whisper. You certain?

The renegade Alpha's eyes sparkled with wicked pleasure as he nodded. "Oh, I'm certain." He's already deep in with the Alpha Kings. The issue is how far you would go to stop him.

I was speechless. The news's weight was suffocating me as it slammed on my chest. Ezra had been in my rucksack for such long time. He was family, not only a friend. I had given him everything.

Ezra would not... I began, but the words faded away. Part of me was already asking, what if he had?, hence I couldn't complete the statement.

Kailyn touched my arm, grounding me in the present. We cannot afford to second-guess this. Should Ezra be treasonous, we must move quickly.

I agreed, the uncertainty roiling in my heart. How much had gone by? What else had been right beneath my nose? More crucially, what would result from our confrontation with Ezra?

A soldier stormed into the room before I could express my ideas. Sir, we have news. Ezra's gone missing. Every indication is of treason.

Flipping through vintage records, Kailyn stood behind the bookshelves. In the otherwise quiet room, the flick of paper was the only sound. Her movement, so deliberate and so controlled, brought back memories of when we used to work side by side, back when we were on the same team. But what about now? Everything now seemed broken.

"Nothing," she said tersely, exasperated. We're lacking something. I can sense it.

Watching her, I rested against the doorframe. Her fingers running over the edges of the pages, gaze focused, reminded me of how we used to be, partners. We were still partners now, but I couldn't help noticing a difference between us. She would not let me forget.

Pushing off the doorframe, I remarked, "Maybe we're not looking in the correct spot." What if Ezra was aware we would search for something?

Kailyn tilted her head to face me, her eyes sparkling with intensity. You believe he's been using us all along?

I said nothing. I was unable to. The idea of Ezra betraying us, of being involved in something far larger, was more than I could handle. Ezra had been beside me through all, and now I was meant to think he was cooperating with the Alpha Kings? It was illogical.

Kailyn's hand just then stopped on the back of a dusty book, her fingers grazing something buried below. From a hefty, leather-bound binder she drew I gasped. Unlike the other papers strewn about the room. This was unique.

Opening it cautiously, she broke the quiet with the binding's groan. Inside were maps, thorough maps of our country highlighted with red ink. I leaned closer to examine the lines and circles placed around important sites. Then I noticed it. One name. One I had not anticipated.

"The Alpha Kings," Kailyn murmured quietly, as though the words themselves were hazardous.

I felt my heart race. This is?

"It's a plan," she remarked, her voice strained under the burden of the finding. It's larger than only rogue wolves.

Scanning the folder I took from her hands. The plots were more complex than I could have anticipated. Everything was being controlled by the Alpha Kings: our packs, our lands. What about Ezra? He had been planning everything from the inside out.

But the paper ended suddenly, as though it had been ripped in half. There was a void, something lacking.

"There's more," Kailyn murmured, her eyes eagerly scanning the pages. The rest of this what happened to?

The Alpha Kings were closing in on us, and with every time we squandered, we got closer to a conflict none of us could survive. Every action I took, however, seemed like walking on a knife's edge. Ezra's vanishing was one thing; this? This was more significant. Now there was more at stake than my pack or Kailyn's.

Kailyn remarked, her voice hard with resolve, "We have to discover who is behind this." We have to prevent them before it is too late.

I nodded, my brain racing. I understood what we had to do, but the question was, could we trust anyone left now? Every ally we had trusted, every individual we had worked with, could be part of this plot. Ezra, then? The very idea that he had betrayed us was like a stomach punch.

Walking the stronghold hallways, we saw lengthy shadows across the stone walls from the flickering lanterns. The quiet seemed suffocating, as though the whole building was holding its breath waiting for anything to occur. I looked at Kailyn next to me; her expression was determined and her posture as tight as always. But I could see the uncertainty in her eyes. It was there, barely under the surface.

"We'll find him," I murmured, my voice low, nearly a vow.

Kailyn said nothing, but I knew she was thinking the same. We were in this together. Whatever occurred, we would see it through. But that did not imply I was not terrified.

Out of nowhere, the harsh vibration of my phone in my pocket broke the quiet. Eyes scanning the screen, I drew it out. It came from my second-in-command.

Sir, Ezra has been located. But he is not alone himself. They're heading directly into a trap, too.

My heart pounded against my ribs. This was all. Ezra was still out there, and whatever game he was playing was about to come to a violent conclusion.

Kailyn said, her voice just above a whisper, "We're out of time." We have to go. Right now.