Bound by fate to the future Alpha.

**Chapter Twenty Five : ultimatum- Blake's POV **

it's was late and I just arrived home, what an eventful evening, i thought.

her smile, her eyes, and her perfectly shaped body ... mmm.

With that's my thoughts are distracted by a deep voice...him.

"Son, I need a word," he called me into his study.

“I expect you to make the right decision,” his father replied, voice steady. “For the pack and our family.”

I barely entered the room before his lecture begins... again.

As Blake nodded, resignation washed over him. He felt like a pawn in a game he never wanted to play, torn between duty and love.

Blake turned away, his eyes scanning the room filled with memories—Malia’s laughter echoing in his mind, the way her smile lit up the darkest corners of his soul. He could almost hear it now, a soft, melodic hum that reminded him of better days. “But what if my heart doesn’t agree with the decision?” he whispered, more to himself than to his father.

“Your heart doesn’t matter in this,” his father said, the authority in his voice unyielding. “You need to think like an Alpha, not a boy in love.”

Blake felt a surge of anger, hot and fierce. “This isn’t just a crush, Dad! Malia is my mate. Do you even understand what that means?”

“Love doesn’t hold the pack together.” His father’s gaze was cold, unflinching. “Responsibility does. You’ll see that when you’re in my position.”

The gravity of those words hit Blake like a punch to the gut. “So I’m supposed to sacrifice everything I feel for the sake of tradition? What kind of leader will I become if I can’t follow my heart?”

“Not a weak one,” his father countered, voice firm but now tinged with something like concern. “You’ll become a strong leader who puts the pack first.”

Blake’s throat tightened, the fight draining from him. “You know the pain this will cause her. You know I can’t just walk away from that.”

“Think of the bigger picture,” his father urged, stepping closer, his voice lowering. “If you don’t, it won’t just be Malia who suffers. Lives depend on your choices.”

Blake’s heart raced, but it was no longer from anger. Fear took its place. “What if I can’t do it? What if I can’t reject her?” The last word felt like venom on his tongue.

“Then you’ll never lead,” his father said sharply, the finality of it echoing in the air. “You’ll be a boy lost in a man’s world.”

The weight of expectation bore down on Blake, and for a moment, he felt utterly alone. He turned back to the window, the night sky vast and unyielding, just like the choice before him.

“Maybe I don’t want to lead if this is what it means,” Blake murmured, barely audible.

“Then you need to decide what’s truly important to you,” his father replied, retreating slightly, leaving Blake to wrestle with the storm inside him.

Blake closed his eyes, imagining Malia’s face. The laughter, the warmth, the connection that felt like home. It was everything he wanted, everything he yearned to protect. But he was trapped, a pawn in a game of duty that felt increasingly like a cage.

He took a deep breath, feeling the walls closing in. “I need time,” he finally said, the words heavy with uncertainty.

“Time is a luxury you don’t have,” his father replied, disappointment clear in his tone. “The pack needs you to act decisively.”

As his father left the room, Blake stood frozen, the hum of Malia’s laughter fading into silence. The clock ticked loudly in the distance, each tick a reminder that time was slipping away. He was left with a choice that could alter the course of their lives forever, caught in the crossfire of duty and desire.

** Alpha Damien's POV **

This girl Malia is going to be a problem for us, Alpha Damien says to himself. 'We need to find a solution and quick, he can not mark her, he will not. We are from a pack of warriors. Leaders and strong powerful wolves, our legacy needs to live on, her becoming Luna will taint this,' mindlinking Dominic.

Dominic's response is immediate, his thoughts laced with concern. 'I agree, Alpha. We can't let it happen, no matter how strong her bond is with Blake, threaten our way of life. But we need to be careful, Blake won't give her up without a fight.'

Damien's growl rumbles through the mindlink, a low warning. 'I'll handle Blake. You focus on digging up dirt on Malia. Find something, anything, that we can use against her.'

Dominic's thoughts are a flurry of activity as he begins to mentalize a plan. 'I'll get the pack's best trackers on it, Alpha. We'll leave no stone unturned. But what about the Council? They're already sniffing around, sensing the imbalance in the pack's dynamic. We need to tread carefully to avoid their interference.'

Damien's response is curt, his decision made. 'I'll handle the Council. You focus on Malia. We need to act fast before

Blake decides to take matters into his own hands.' The mindlink fades, leaving Dominic to wonder what lengths the Alpha will go to in order to protect their pack's legacy.

As Dominic left to execute the plan, Damien felt a cold determination settle within him. He would protect his pack at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing his own son’s happiness. The weight of legacy pressed down on him like a shroud, and he wouldn’t let it slip away.