Bound by fate to the future Alpha.

**Chapter Nineteen : Decisions to be made- Blake's POV**

As Jackson and I navigated the bustling halls of our school, the weight of our discovery hung heavily on my shoulders. Malia’s recent run-in with Wolfsbane, a lethal substance forbidden on our pack lands, was a serious violation, and we both knew it. “We have to get to the bottom of this,” I insisted, a mixture of concern and determination fueling my steps. Jackson nodded, his brow furrowed as he considered our next move. “Any ideas of who you think might've done this?” he queried, his mind already racing through a list of possibilities.

I couldn’t shake the paranoia welling up within me. The name that surfaced was Kirsty — she had made her share of threats aimed at Malia. "Kirsty is the first person I thought of, but there's just no way," I replied, speaking through our mind-link. “She’s a b***h and all, but this is beyond her doing. How could she even get her hands on Wolfsbane?” I pondered.

"I know, right? It's not like she has the brains or the resources to pull off something like this," Jackson agreed, his expression thoughtful. "But we need to consider everyone, no matter how unlikely it seems. Maybe we should start with the newbies, see if any of them have a grudge against Malia."

I nodded, already thinking along those lines. We made our way to the training grounds, where we found Ethan, Liam, and Alex going over some moves. We filled them in on the situation, and they were all equally shocked and outraged.

"I'll start asking around, see if anyone's heard anything," Ethan said, already pulling out his phone. "You guys start thinking about anyone who might have it in for Malia."

We spent the rest of the afternoon gathering intel, but so far, we'd come up with zilch. It was like whoever did this had vanished into thin air. But I knew we couldn't give up. We had to find out who was behind this and make them pay. Malia's life depended on it.

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, a mix of anticipation and trepidation swirled in my chest. I had made plans to meet up with the boys later to follow up on our findings—it felt like the weight of the pack rested squarely on our shoulders. Jackson was taking Malia and Aimee for a quick visit to Aimee's house, partly to keep an eye on Malia and partly to ensure she was safe.

I sped back home, my mind racing as I recalled the threads of our investigation. Dark clouds gathered in my mind, not from the sky but from the realization of what we were facing. I needed to tell my father, the Alpha, about the discovery we made—someone had used Wolfsbane. It wasn’t just a simple prank or a minor annoyance; this was a serious threat to our entire community. I knew he would react strongly, and I could only hope he would understand that we were doing our best to handle the situation. The stakes had never been higher, and I felt the heavy burden of that responsibility settle on my shoulders as I approached the door to our home.

As I pushed open the door, the familiar scent of fresh bread and roasting meat enveloped me, momentarily distracting me from the weight of my concerns. My mom was in the kitchen helping the cook, her hands moving deftly as she helped prepare dinner. She smiled warmly as I entered, but her eyes narrowed slightly, sensing the tension in my demeanour.

"Hi Darling, how was your day?" she asked, her tone light, but her gaze pierced.

I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. My dad, the Alpha, would need to know everything, but my mom... I wasn't so sure. while she was deeply invested in our pack's well-being, there were some things it was better she didn't know.

"It was fine, Mom," I replied, trying to sound casual. "Just a lot on my mind, that's all."

She nodded, her eyes never leaving mine. "You know you can always talk to me, right? About anything?"

I nodded, feeling a pang of guilt. I knew I could trust her, but this wasn't something I could share with her. Not yet, at least.

"I'll talk to Dad about it later, okay?" I said, trying to reassure her.

My mom's expression softened, and she turned back to the stove. "Dinner will be ready soon. Why don't you go wash up and I'll call you when it's time?"

I nodded, grateful for the reprieve. As I headed upstairs, I could feel the weight of my secrets pressing down on me. I knew I needed to talk to my dad, and soon. The fate of our pack depended on it.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the conversation to come. I would tell him everything – about the Wolfsbane, about our suspects, about the creeping sense of unease that had taken up residence in my chest. I just hoped he would listen and that together, we could find a way to keep our pack safe.

As I washed my hands and splashed some water on my face, I steeled myself for the confrontation ahead. My dad, the Alpha, would not be happy about what I had to tell him. But I was ready. I had to be.

I'm nervous he doesn't know about Malia and me being mates , I no, he was set on Kirsty becoming my Luna.

As I made my way to his office, I could feel the weight of my secret growing heavier with each step. I had always known that my dad had high hopes for me to mate with Kirsty, the daughter of one of our most loyal pack members. But the truth was, my heart belonged to Malia, and I couldn't shake the feeling that my dad would be furious when he found out.

I took a deep breath and pushed open the door, trying to appear more confident than I felt. My dad looked up from the papers on his desk, his piercing blue eyes narrowing as he sensed my unease. "What is it, son?" he asked, his deep voice firm but gentle.

I swallowed hard, trying to find the right words. "Dad, we need to talk," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "It's about the Wolfsbane... and about Malia."

My dad's expression darkened, his eyes flashing with anger, flashing his wolf. "What about this, Malia?" he growled, his voice low and menacing.

I took another deep breath, steeling myself for the storm that was about to erupt. "She's my mate, Dad," I said, the words tumbling out of my mouth in a rush. "I know you wanted me to mate with Kirsty, but I couldn't help how I feel. And I think we need to focus on the real threat to our pack, not on who I'm supposed to be with."

The room fell silent, the only sound, heavy breathing of my dad as he processed the news. I could see the anger and disappointment written all over his face, but I stood my ground, determined to make him see reason. After all, I was the future Alpha, and it was time I started making my own decisions.