Chosen by the Alpha

Chapter 9: The Breaking Point

The atmosphere in the room was suffocating. Emma could feel the weight of every stare, the tension humming like the ominous calm before a storm. She stood between Leo and Jace, both alphas brimming with frustration and suspicion. The alliance they had been trying to maintain was hanging by a thread, and she knew that one wrong move could destroy everything.

The traitor was still at large, lurking within the ranks of Leo’s pack, but they had no apparent leads. Worse, the rogues were growing bolder, attacking randomly and stirring unease in the Darkwood and Silver Moon territories. Fear and paranoia were spreading through the packs like wildfire.

“Someone’s feeding the rogues information,” Jace said, his voice tight with barely restrained anger. “And we’re no closer to finding out who it is.”

Leo stood across from him, his fists clenched at his sides. His jaw was set, his eyes dark with rage. “Do you think I don’t know that?” he snapped. “I’ve been through every inch of our territory, questioned every one of my men. I’m doing everything I can.”

“Maybe that’s the problem,” Jace shot back, his eyes narrowing. “Maybe you’re too close to this. You can’t see what’s right in front of you.”

Before Leo could respond, Emma stepped between them, her hands raised in a gesture of peace. “Stop,” she said, her voice firm. “This isn’t helping. We need to stay focused.”

The alphas glared at each other for a moment, but neither spoke. Emma could feel the tension between them crackling like electricity. The rivalry between Leo and Jace had always been there, simmering beneath the surface, but now it felt like it was on the verge of boiling over.

Emma’s heart ached at the thought. She had come to care deeply for both alphas and choosing between them felt impossible. But the prophecy loomed over her, a dark shadow she couldn’t escape. She was meant to unite the packs, not tear them apart. Yet, with each passing day, it felt like the choice was being ripped out of her hands.

“We need to find the traitor before it’s too late,” she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. “But we can’t do that if we’re at each other’s throats.”

Leo exhaled sharply, running a hand through his dark hair. “You’re right,” he muttered. “I’m sorry.”

Jace gave a short nod, though his expression remained guarded. “We need a new approach,” he said after a moment. “Something we haven’t tried yet.”

Emma’s mind raced, thinking of anything they hadn’t already considered. They had questioned every pack member and searched every corner of the Darkwood territory, but the traitor had covered their tracks well. Whoever it was, they knew how to stay hidden.

“What about the attacks?” she asked suddenly, turning to Leo. “Have you noticed any pattern in where they’re happening?”

Leo frowned, thinking for a moment. “Not really. They’ve been all over the place. No rhyme or reason to them.”

“Maybe that’s the point,” Jace said, his brow furrowed in thought. “They want us to think there’s no pattern. But what if there is?”

Emma felt a flicker of hope. “We need to go over the attacks again. Look at the locations and the timing. There might be something we missed.”

Leo nodded, and the three moved to the large table at the center of the room, where maps and documents were spread out. They pored over the maps, tracing the locations of the rogue attacks. It was difficult to see any connection at first, but a faint pattern began to emerge after a while.

“They’re circling something,” Jace said, finger tracing a rough outline on the map. “They’re closing in on a specific area.”

Emma leaned closer, her eyes scanning the map. “What’s there?” she asked, pointing to Jace's outlined area.

Leo’s expression darkened. “That’s the old Silver Fang ruins. It’s been abandoned for years.”

Emma’s pulse quickened. The Silver Fang ruins were once home to a powerful werewolf pack, but they had been wiped out decades ago in a brutal war with the rogues. The ruins were considered cursed, a place no one dared to go.

“Why would the rogues be targeting the ruins?” Jace asked, his voice filled with suspicion.

Emma’s mind raced, the puzzle pieces slowly clicking into place. “What if they’re not targeting the ruins?” she said softly. “What if they’re using it as a base?”

Leo’s eyes widened as the realization hit him. “That’s why the attacks have been random,” he said. “They’ve been trying to distract us, keep us looking in the wrong places while they set up camp at the ruins.”

Jace’s jaw clenched. “We need to move now.”

The journey to the Silver Fang ruins was tense and quiet. Emma rode with Leo, her heart pounding as the wind whipped through her hair. She could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on her, the gravity of what they were about to face.

The ruins loomed in the distance, dark and foreboding. The once-proud fortress was now nothing more than a crumbling shell, its walls covered in ivy and decay. But as they approached, Emma could sense the presence of something darker, something twisted and unnatural.

Leo and Jace dismounted first, their eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger. The air was thick with the scent of the rogues, and Emma’s stomach churned with unease.

“We’re close,” Leo muttered, his eyes narrowing as he gestured for the others to follow.

A sudden growl broke the silence as they moved through the overgrown entrance to the ruins. Rogues emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing with malice, and surrounded the group.

The battle erupted in an instant. Leo and Jace shifted into their wolf forms, their powerful bodies tearing into the rogues brutally. Emma fought alongside them, her senses heightened as the adrenaline surged through her veins.

But even as they fought, Emma knew this was only the beginning. The real threat lay more profound within the ruins, hidden behind betrayal and deceit.

The fight was fierce, but the rogues were no match for Leo, Jace, and their warriors. Within minutes, the last of the rogues lay defeated, their bodies strewn across the broken stones of the ruins. But Emma could feel that the danger hadn’t passed. There was something else here—something darker.

Still in his wolf form, Leo sniffed the air and growled low in his throat. Back in his human form, Jace looked at Emma, his eyes filled with suspicion. “We’re not alone.”

Emma nodded, her heart racing. They moved deeper into the ruins, following the twisted corridors leading to the fortress's heart. The air grew colder, and Emma could feel the weight of something ancient pressing down on her.

They found it at the center of the ruins: a stone altar covered in strange symbols and surrounded by the remains of a ritual long forgotten. Standing before, it was someone Emma never expected to see.

“Marcus?” Leo growled, shifting back into his human form, his voice thick with betrayal.

Marcus turned to face them, his expression calm and detached, as if he had been expecting them all along. “Ah, Leo,” he said, his voice smooth and cold. “I was wondering when you would finally figure it out.”

Leo’s eyes blazed with fury. “You’re the traitor.”

Marcus smiled, but a twisted, cruel smile sent chills down Emma’s spine. “Traitor?” he repeated, mocking the word. “No, Leo. I’m the one who’s trying to save us.”

Emma stepped forward, her voice trembling with anger. “Save us? You’ve been working with the rogues, betraying your pack!”

Marcus shrugged, his expression indifferent. “The packs are weak. Divided. I’m doing what needs to be done to unite them.”

Jace growled, stepping closer. “You’re tearing them apart.”

Marcus’s eyes flickered with something dark, something dangerous. “Sometimes things need to be torn apart before being rebuilt.”

Leo lunged at him, his anger finally boiling over. But Marcus was ready. With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a wave of dark energy that sent Leo crashing into the wall.

Emma’s heart raced as she rushed to Leo’s side. He was alive but dazed, the force of the attack leaving him momentarily stunned.

“Don’t you see?” Marcus said, his voice filled with conviction. “The prophecy was never about choosing between Leo and Jace. It was about something bigger. Something more powerful. You, Emma, are the key to uniting the packs, but not in the way you think.”

Emma’s blood ran cold as Marcus’s words sank in. The prophecy… wasn’t about love. It was about power.

“You can’t force the prophecy to happen,” she said, trembling. “That’s not how it works.”

Marcus smiled again, but this time, something genuinely sinister was in his eyes. “Who said anything about forcing it?” He glanced at the altar, and Emma’s stomach dropped. She could feel the dark energy swirling around it, threatening to consume everything.

Before she could react, Marcus raised his hand, and a pulse of dark magic shot toward her.

Time seemed to slow as Emma’s mind raced. This was it—the breaking point. She had to make a choice. A choice that would alter the course of the prophecy and determine the fate of the packs.

With a scream, Emma unleashed her power, a surge of light that collided with Marcus’s magic. The two forces clashed, the air crackling with energy as the prophecy’s true power was awakened.

The breaking point had come.

And nothing would ever be the same again.