13. Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Alex
I wake to the gentle rocking of the ship, sunlight streaming through the porthole. Turning my head, Elena’s platinum hair fans out on the pillow. Contentment washes over me, a feeling I haven’t experienced for so many years.
As if sensing my gaze, Elena stirs, her icy blue eyes fluttering open. She smiles, and I’m drawn to her like a magnet. Our lips meet in a passionate kiss, igniting the embers of last night’s intimacy.
Reluctantly, I pull away. “I should head back to my suite to change,” I murmur, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Meet me on the deck in an hour? We can head out for the excursion together.”
Elena nods, her fingers trailing down my chest. “Don’t be late,” she teases, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
I chuckle, capturing her hand and pressing a kiss to her palm. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Extracting myself from the warmth of her embrace, I gather my scattered clothes. As I dress, I’m struck but the stark contrast to the emptiness of my life only a few days ago. I carried the weight of my responsibilities alone. Now, with Elena by my side, I feel a renewed sense of purpose, a glimmer of hope for a future I never dared to imagine.
With one last lingering look, I slip out of Elena’s suite, my heart lighter than it’s been in years. The corridors are quiet as I make my way back to my own room, my mind already racing with plans for the day ahead.
As I enter my suite, the contrast between the warmth of Elena’s presence and the cold emptiness of my own space is striking. The opulent furnishings and luxurious amenities are sterile and devoid of feeling. Each step I take echoes through the room, amplifying the loneliness that has been my constant companion for far too long.
I pause in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing out at the vast expanse of the ocean. The endless blue stretches before me, a mirror of the emptiness within. In that moment, I realize that I can not bear the thought of returning to this solitude, not when I’ve rediscovered the joy and connection that Elena brings to my life.
With a newfound sense of purpose, I stride toward the bedroom, determination coursing through my veins. I grab my suitcases and begin to pack my belongings, each item a reminder of the life I’ve built, the success I’ve achieved, and the loneliness I’ve endured.
As I zip up the final bag, a sense of liberation washes over me. I’m not bound by the expectations of others or the weight of my own self-imposed isolation. I’m ready to embrace a future with Elena, to build a life together that is filled with love, passion, and purpose.
I reach for the phone and dial the concierge. “I need someone to move my bags to Ms. Mikhailov’s suite,” I instruct, my voice steady and confident. A part of me marvel that they don’t even question the request, but maybe stories circulated among the crew.
I pause. I’ve spent so much time avoiding entanglements to avoid the press scrutiny or the impact on my business. But the moment I locked eyes with Elena, I didn’t care. The concern didn’t even garner a second of attention.
As I step into the hall and pull the door closed behind me, the weight of loneliness leave my shoulders. My steps are lighter as I walk toward where I agreed to meet Elena.
* * *
I leave the ship with Elena, our fingers threaded together as we walk down the gangplank. The cool Alaskan breeze whips around us, carrying the scent of the sea and the forest. As we step onto the dock in Whittier, the ship doesn’t block our view of the island we grew up on.
Elena’s brow furrows as she takes in the sight before us. “Alex, look,” she says, pointing to the dense growth of Sitka spruce trees that blanket the hillsides. “The invasion is even worse here than I thought. It’s impacting the habitat and the prey that the Archipelago Pack relies on.”
I’m about to respond, to reassure her that together we’ll find a way to tackle this problem, when a familiar scent catches my attention. It’s a scent I haven’t been around in a long time, but one I could never forget. Gregor, the Alpha of our former Pack, is nearby.
My eyes scan the crowd of humans milling about the dock, but I don’t see him. Gregor is unlikely to approach us with so many people around, especially given the tense history between us. But I know he’s here, watching from somewhere in the shadows.
I guide Elena away from the main crowd, my hand resting protectively on the small of her back. “This way,” I murmur, leading her toward a quieter section of the dock.
As we move, I keep my senses alert, trying to pinpoint Gregor’s exact location. The scent grows stronger as we approach a stack of shipping containers. He must be hiding behind them.
“Gregor. Show yourself,” I call out, my voice echoing against the metal surrounding us.
“Is that any way to talk to your Alpha?” Gregor calls out as he steps from the shadows.
“I haven’t been in your Pack in years.” My bear is restless beneath my skin as though charging for a fight. But I don’t want to fight Gregor, do I?
“You haven’t claimed another Pack as yours, Alex. That makes you still part of the Archipelago Pack. And subject to the will of me as Alpha. And that isn’t the woman I sent to bring you back.”
“Excuse me. Subject to your will? I don’t think so.”
“Do you claim another Alpha as your leader?”
“No. But I don’t claim you either. Look at what the island has become under your leadership.” I sweep my hand toward the small break between the shipping containers that allow us to see the island. The only trees visible in this sliver of a view are Sitka spruce. Not good. “And since when do you send women out to do your bidding?”
“I didn’t force her. She wanted to go. She’s had her eye on you since high school.”
“And you used that. You used her. I made my preference clear and rather than help her find her own mate, you sent her on a wild goose chase.”
“It wouldn’t have been a wild goose chase if the Polar had stayed where she belonged,” Cassandra calls out from behind me. I shift my position. Ensuring Elena is behind me and our backs to a container so no one else can catch us off guard.
“Yes, Cassandra. It still would have been a wild goose chase. Even if Elena hadn’t been on the cruise, too, I wouldn’t have been interested in you.” She takes a step back as though I’ve slapped her. In my peripheral vision, Gregor starts to shift. I let instinct take over.
As Gregor morphs, I feel my own bear claws erupt from my fingertips. I recognize the shift in his posture a second too late. This isn’t just a spar or a warning. This is a challenge for the role of Alpha of the Archipelago Pack.
I don’t have time to process the implications as we both lunge at each other, our roars echoing off the shipping containers. Our claws meet in midair, our strengths evenly matched as we grapple for dominance.
If I lose this fight, not only will my claim to Elena be in jeopardy, but the entire Pack will be under Gregor’s control once more. And I can’t let that happen. Not after seeing what he allowed to happen to our home island.
We tumble to the ground, claws and teeth tearing at each other’s fur and skin. Blood coats both of us as we roll across the dock, our growls and snarls drowning out everything else around us.
The fight rages on, our bodies a blur of claws and teeth as we tear into each other. The dock beneath us cracks under the force of our blows, splintering into pieces as we tumble across it. My strength is waning, but I refuse to give in. This is more than just a fight for dominance; it’s a fight for the future of our Pack and the woman I love.
Adrenaline surges through my veins, fueling me as I twist my body, maneuvering myself on top of Gregor. I drive my claws deep into his shoulder, eliciting a howl of pain from him. He buckles beneath me, but he’s far from done. With a surge of strength, he flips us over, slamming me onto the ground once more.
Stars explode behind my eyes as my head connects with a piece of broken wood. Dizziness threatens to overtake me, but I push it back with everything I have left in me. This is not over yet.
I gather every ounce of energy left in my bruised and battered body and summon forth the primal growl that signifies my dominance as an Alpha-to-be. The sound echoes through the air like thunder, causing both humans and shifters alike to stop dead in their tracks.
Gregor hesitates for just a moment—a split second that feels like an eternity—and that’s all the opening I need. With one final burst of strength, I drive my claws deep into his chest, right where his heart pounds against his ribcage and lock my jaws around his throat.
He stills in an instant. Hesitating. And I question for the first time if this is how he intended this fight to end.
“Do it,” he growls so low in his throat only I can hear, “and tell everyone I fought well. Still.”
Without a second of hesitation, I clamped down on his throat. Ending it all almost as quickly as it started.
“No!” I hear a cry from behind me.