The Alpha of the Mountain
Chapter Three – The Alpha of the Mountain
The forest whispered with danger at every step. Alicia had learned that much in her months of exile. Hunger gnawed at her constantly, yet it was not hunger that frightened her most. It was the scent of rogues on the wind, the glowing eyes she sometimes glimpsed between the trees at night, the reminder that she was alone and vulnerable with a child growing inside her.
But even wolves who hunted alone had to rest.
One evening, Alicia found herself at the edge of a mountain valley she had never seen before. The land changed here—wilder, harsher, yet breathtaking. Towering peaks crowned with snow loomed in the distance, while waterfalls thundered down sheer cliffs into rivers that carved silver paths through the land. She paused on the ridge, clutching the edge of her cloak around her swollen belly.
Flo stirred uneasily. This is not Moon Pack land anymore. We have crossed a border.
“Whose?” Alicia whispered.
Her wolf inhaled deeply. Strong wolves. Disciplined. Not rogues. Their scent marks the cliffs. This is the Mountain Pack’s territory.
Alicia’s heart pounded. She had heard of them in hushed tones back in the palace kitchens: a proud pack that lived far from the rest, hardened by the wild lands they called home. Their Alpha, Brooke, was spoken of as a fierce warrior who had lost his mate in battle years ago. A widower. Ruthless to his enemies, yet fair to his people.
Alicia’s feet faltered. She should turn back. If the Mountain Pack found her trespassing, they would kill her—or worse. Yet her body trembled with exhaustion, her child’s kicks reminding her she could not keep running forever.
We need shelter, Flo murmured. For him. For us.
Alicia exhaled shakily. “Then we pray this Alpha is not as cruel as the last.”
She didn’t have to wait long.
As twilight deepened, the forest grew still. Too still. A twig snapped. Then another. Before Alicia could turn, figures emerged from the shadows—five wolves, tall and broad-shouldered, their eyes glowing with suspicion. They wore leather armor marked with the sigil of a mountain wolf.
“Who trespasses on Mountain Pack land?” one demanded, his voice low and threatening.
Alicia’s throat tightened. She lifted her hands slowly. “Please—I mean no harm. I… I was cast out. I seek only rest.”
The guards exchanged glances. Their noses flared as they caught her scent. A ripple of confusion passed among them.
“She carries a pup,” one muttered.
The leader stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. “Who are you?”
Alicia’s heart raced. To speak her true name felt like painting a target on her back. Yet lies would only get her killed.
“I am Alicia,” she said softly. “Formerly of the Moon Pack.”
The men stiffened. The tension in the air grew sharp, dangerous.
“Bring her,” the leader ordered. “The Alpha will decide.”
The Mountain Pack’s stronghold was carved into the cliffs themselves—a fortress of stone and firelit halls that seemed to grow out of the mountain. Alicia stumbled behind the guards, her legs trembling, her stomach heavy with the weight of her unborn child.
They led her into the great hall. Torches blazed against the stone walls, casting long shadows. At the far end sat a man upon a throne of carved granite.
Brooke.
He rose as she entered, and for a moment, Alicia forgot to breathe.
He was not like Max, whose beauty was cold and cruel. Brooke was strength forged into flesh—broad shoulders, hair dark as midnight, a jaw set with quiet authority. His eyes, however, were what rooted Alicia to the ground: piercing silver, sharp as moonlight on steel, yet softened by something else… something she could not name.
The guards shoved her forward. “Alpha, we found her trespassing near the valley ridge. She claims to be from the Moon Pack.”
Brooke’s gaze swept over her, lingering on her torn cloak, her swollen belly, the defiance in her trembling stance. His nostrils flared subtly, and his expression shifted almost imperceptibly—as if he smelled something that unsettled him deeply.
Alicia dropped to her knees. “Please. I beg you. I have no pack, no family. They cast me out to die. I only seek safety… for my child.”
A murmur rippled through the guards. Brooke held up a hand, silencing them. He stepped down from the throne, his boots echoing on the stone floor, and stopped before her.
“Your child?” His voice was deep, steady, carrying the weight of authority.
Alicia nodded, her hand instinctively covering her belly. “Yes. I… I carry the heir of Alpha Max.”
The hall erupted in shock. Voices clashed—accusations, questions, disbelief.
Brooke’s silver eyes darkened. He studied her as though trying to pierce through her very soul. Finally, he spoke again, his tone quieter but sharper.
“Is this true?”
Alicia’s throat tightened. The weight of shame and fury pressed against her chest, but she lifted her chin. “He was my fated mate. He rejected me. Banished me. But before he did… the bond was sealed.”
Silence fell. Every eye turned to Brooke, awaiting his judgment.
For a long, tense moment, he said nothing. Then he exhaled slowly and turned to his guards.
“Leave us.”
The men hesitated, then obeyed, the heavy doors closing behind them.
Brooke’s gaze returned to Alicia, softer now, though still unreadable. “You should be dead. A pregnant wolf cast into exile rarely lasts a week. Yet here you stand.”
Alicia’s lips trembled. “Because I refuse to die. Not for them. Not for him.”
Something flickered in Brooke’s eyes—respect, perhaps, or recognition. He paced slowly around her, his presence filling the hall.
“I know the cruelty of the Moon Pack,” he said finally. “I know Bob. I know his son. To them, power is everything. You… were nothing but a sacrifice to their pride.”
Alicia swallowed hard, tears stinging her eyes. She had never heard anyone speak the truth so plainly.
Brooke stopped before her again, his silver eyes locking with hers. “You have no pack, no protection, no future but what you carve with your own hands. And yet… I find myself unable to cast you out.”
Her breath caught. “Why?”
His jaw tightened. For a heartbeat, something raw flashed across his face. “Because the Goddess has strange designs. And perhaps… perhaps she means for me to see you.”
Flo stirred inside her, her voice trembling with awe. A second chance. His wolf calls to us… different, but strong.
Alicia’s chest tightened. She had felt it too—a faint tug, not the searing fire of her fated bond with Max, but a steady warmth, like the sun after a long winter.
Brooke extended his hand, his voice low but resolute. “Stay here. As my guest. You and your child will be protected under my roof.”
Alicia stared at his hand, her heart torn between fear and longing. She had been broken, discarded, left to die. Could she trust again?
Her hand trembled as she placed it in his.
For the first time since her exile, she felt something other than despair. She felt the stirrings of hope.