In a world where an alpha's every decision can seal the fate of the pack, respected and ruthless alpha Gabriel Blackwood is forced to honor an ancient alliance by marrying the daughter of a neighboring chief to ensure peace between their clans. But when he locks eyes with Elena, a fierce and hauntingly beautiful human healer, his wolf growls with a desire he can't suppress. Caught between his duty and the overwhelming force of his budding bond with Elena, Gabriel faces an impossible dilemma. Every choice he makes could have devastating consequences-for him, for his pack, and for the woman he's forbidden to love. As tensions mount and dark forces threaten the fragile balance between humans and wolves, the alpha's choice could decide their survival...or their doom. When duty clashes with passion, will the alpha's heart resist the call of destiny?
Chapter 1 Chapitre 1
In the icy twilight air, shadows danced between the trees, like silent specters whispering forgotten truths. Gabriel Blackwood, leaning against the rough wood of the cabin where he liked to isolate himself, felt the weight of the world weighing on his broad shoulders. The ancient promise, this commitment sealed well before his birth, came back to claim its due.
He inhaled deeply, his senses heightened by the wolf that lived within him. The forest spoke to him, a symphony soft and wild: the rustling of leaves, the distant cracking of branches, and that dull rumble in his chest, a visceral alert he couldn't ignore.
Behind him, heavy footsteps approached. You don't need to turn around to recognize the approach: authoritative, confident, almost insolent. Conrad Hunt, chief of the neighboring clan, was there. Gabriel knew that this man never came without a specific reason, and today he was the bearer of news that would turn his world upside down.
- Blackwood, Conrad said in a deep voice as he emerged from the shadows. Still so lonely, I see.
Gabriel turned his head slowly, his amber eyes catching the dying light of the sun.
- Hunt, he replied, without warmth. It's rare to see you here without an army behind you.
Conrad burst out into a hoarse laugh, the kind of laugh that wasn't sincere. Her gray hair, tied in a ponytail, shone slightly in the fading light. He walked forward, hands in the pockets of his leather coat, stopping at a cautious distance. Gabriel had never been a man to be underestimated.
- No need for an army to talk about an agreement, Conrad replied. Even less of an agreement that you have an interest in honoring.
Gabriel's muscles tensed despite himself. This promise... He knew every word, every syllable engraved in the memories of his pack like an indelible scar. An alliance sealed by their ancestors to guarantee peace between the clans. But what Conrad asked of him now went beyond anything he had imagined.
- Get to the point, Conrad. I don't have all night.
- Very well, Conrad said, his tone hardening. It is time to conclude what our fathers started. My daughter, Lydia, will become your wife.
A silence settled in, heavy, heavy, almost palpable. Gabriel felt his wolf growl inside him, a guttural sound, close to a warning.
- So your idea of an alliance is based on a forced marriage, he finally growled. Interesting.
Conrad shrugged his shoulders, a predatory smile stretching his thin lips.
- Not forced. Predestined. You're the one making this a problem, Blackwood. Our clans are on the brink of war, and you know it as well as I do. Tensions are increasing. This marriage could calm things down.
Gabriel took a step forward, his imposing figure almost dwarfing Conrad's. His fists clenched, but he forced himself to remain in control.
- You want me to sell my soul to appease a war that *you* yourself fueled ? Do you really think my pack will accept that?
Conrad backed away slightly, but his smile didn't falter.
- It's not a question of what your pack will accept, Gabriel. It's a matter of what you are willing to do for them. To be alpha is to carry the burden of others.
Conrad's words hit Gabriel like a punch. He was right, of course. Being alpha was more than a position; it was a duty, a weight that left no room for personal choices. But accepting this union meant betraying everything he believed.
- What about Lydia? he finally asked, breaking the silence. What does she have to say about all this?
Conrad chuckled lightly.
- Lydia knows what is expected of her. She's ready.
Lydia's name rang in Gabriel's mind like a threat. He had already heard of her. A woman with a fiery temperament, ambitious and cunning, who would not hesitate to manipulate those around her to achieve her ends. To ally herself with her was to invite chaos into her pack.
- I haven't accepted yet, Gabriel said, his voice low but sharp.
- But you will accept, said Conrad, with icy confidence. Because if you refuse, it won't just be your pack that will pay the price.
He left the words hanging, their weight sinking into Gabriel's mind like poison. Then, without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the forest, his footsteps receding quickly.
Gabriel remained there, motionless, staring into the growing darkness. His wolf was boiling with indignation, but something else was brewing inside him: a foreboding, a dull sensation that this promise would destroy him if he gave in to it.
When he returned to the pack's main house, all eyes were on him. His younger sister, Erin, was waiting for him in the living room, her worried expression betraying that she had heard about Conrad's visit.
- SO ? she asked, her voice shaking.
- Nothing that can't wait, replied Gabriel, pouring himself a glass of whiskey.
But Erin wasn't fooled.
- Gabriel, you can't ignore this. The pack is already murmuring. If you refuse this agreement, you know that Conrad will find an excuse to attack.
- And if I accept, I am selling my freedom and perhaps that of all those who follow me, he retorted, his voice rising slightly.
He downed his glass in one gulp, the burn of the alcohol offering him a brief respite from the storm raging inside him.
- So what are you going to do?
Gabriel set his glass down with a thud, his amber eyes gleaming with fierce determination.
- What I have to do.
But as he said these words, a thought struck him, like a flash of light in the darkness. What if this is all a trap? What if Conrad was playing a game even more dangerous than he imagined?
That night, Gabriel barely slept. His dreams were haunted by visions: flames devouring his territory, wolves fighting in a bloody melee, and a face he didn't recognize, but seemed strangely familiar. A woman with piercing eyes, whose presence evoked both danger and hope to him.
When dawn broke, Gabriel knew he had no other choice. The ancient promise was not just a relic of the past; she was the tightrope on which he had to walk, on the edge of the abyss. But he swore, in the silence of his heart, that he would not allow himself to be manipulated.
No matter the consequences.
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