The Contract with the Alpha

h the scent of dew. She inhaled deeply, letting the cool morning air fill her lungs as she adjusted the strap of her camera bag on her shoulder. The city's high-rise bu

hair. "You're right. I didn't come here to talk about the past." He paused, as if considering his next words carefully. "I came to warn you." "Warn me?" Freya's brow furrowed as she glanced at him. Darren's expression had shifted, the playful glint in his eyes replaced with something far more serious. "About what?" "Ethan." The name hit her like a punch to the gut, knocking the air from her lungs. Freya's fingers tightened around her camera, the familiar weight grounding her in the face of the storm that name always brought with it. "What about him?" she asked, keeping her voice steady, though she could feel the edges fraying. Darren hesitated, his gaze searching hers as if looking for something. "He's back, Freya. And he's looking for you." The forest seemed to close in around her, the shadows growing longer, darker. Freya's mind raced, her thoughts tangling in a mess of fear, anger, and something else she couldn't quite name. Ethan Shadow. The Alpha of the Shadowclaw Pack. The man who had rejected her-who had shattered her heart and left her to pick up the pieces alone. The one she had sworn never to forgive. "Why?" The question slipped out before she could stop it, betraying the curiosity that lurked beneath her layers of resentment. Darren shifted uncomfortably, as if unsure whether to continue. "There's...something going on. In the pack. Rumors of a prophecy, something big. And it involves you." Freya scoffed, shaking her head. "I'm not part of the pack, Darren. I haven't been for a long time." "But you were once," he insisted, stepping closer. "You still have ties to them, whether you want to admit it or not. And Ethan...he's different now." Different. The word echoed in her mind, stirring up memories she had tried to bury. The Ethan she had known was cold, calculating, and fiercely protective of his pack. He had made his choice, choosing duty over whatever bond they might have shared. What could have possibly changed? Freya shook her head, trying to dispel the thoughts swirling in her mind. "I don't care what Ethan wants. I'm not going back." Darren sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "You might not have a choice, Freya. If this prophecy is true, then it's not just about you or Ethan. It's about something much bigger." "And you expect me to just believe that?" Freya demanded, her voice rising as the frustration bubbled to the surface. "After everything he put me through, after everything I've done to get away from that life-you want me to just walk back into it because of some stupid prophecy?" Darren held her gaze, his expression softening. "I know it's a lot to ask. But if there's even a chance that this prophecy is real...you need to know what you're up against. For your own safety." Freya's heart pounded in her chest, her thoughts a whirlwind o