Reluctant Bonds - Dante and Alicia

[Dante Morales]

Months had passed since Dante Morales reclaimed his freedom, but the weight of confinement still clung to him like a shadow that refused to fade. The cold stone walls of Dreadspire Keep were far removed from the prison that had held him, but the scars ran deep. Freedom didn’t come with peace... it brought more battles to fight, more rivals to crush, and more enemies eager to exploit his absence. Dante wasn’t the kind of Alpha to ease back into power. He seized it with ruthless force, reclaiming his pack, his territory, and his dominance over Obsidian Ridge with an iron will forged in blood and fury.

Twilight bled across the jagged peaks surrounding Lycanthro Vale, the sky a deep bruise of purples and blues. Dante stood atop the ancient balcony of Dreadspire Keep, overlooking the vast wilderness that belonged to him. Below, the dark forest stretched endlessly, thick with mist and secrets older than any wolf in Valtheris could remember. His mind was restless, weighed down by the endless demands of leadership... protecting the pack’s borders, securing their dominance, and keeping the fragile balance of power in check. No one crossed into Dreadspire territory without answering to him.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, shattering the silence. Dante pulled it free, irritation already tightening his jaw when he saw the name flashing across the screen... Viktor, his Gamma.

“What is it?” Dante’s voice was low and sharp, carrying the authority of an Alpha who didn’t waste time.

“We’ve got something—or someone,” Viktor’s gravelly voice responded. There was hesitation there, a beat too long for Dante’s liking.

“Someone?”

“Caught her near the western ridge. Rogue. She’s… different. Stronger than most. Not some exiled mutt scraping for survival... she fought back hard.”

Dante’s grip tightened around the phone as his wolf, Umbra, stirred beneath the surface—a low, unsettling growl rippling through his chest. Rogues were common enough, especially near the Vale’s outer borders, but this felt different. His instincts didn’t whisper danger... they screamed it.

“Bring her to the Keep,” Dante ordered, his voice like stone grinding against stone. “I’ll deal with her myself.”

An hour later, the great hall of Dreadspire Keep echoed with the heavy tread of approaching footsteps. Viktor entered first, two enforcers flanking him, dragging a figure between them. Dante’s gaze locked on her immediately, and the second her scent hit him... wild earth, rain-soaked pine, and something unfamiliar yet devastatingly magnetic... everything inside him shifted.

Umbra roared beneath his skin, claws raking at the walls of Dante’s control with savage need. A possessive, primal instinct surged through him—a recognition he didn’t want but couldn’t deny. "Mate..." he growled out inside Dante's head. 

The rogue’s appearance told a story of survival: dirt-smudged skin, tangled hair, and clothes torn by days... maybe weeks... on the run. But what caught him wasn’t her disheveled state. It was the fire burning in her eyes, fierce and unbroken. No submission. No fear. Only defiance and exhaustion carved into every sharp line of her face.

Dante’s jaw tightened, but the unsettling pull in his chest grew stronger, coiling around him like a noose. He couldn't believe this was happening... He didn't want a mate. It was the last thing he needed. Another fucking distraction. 

“Who the hell are you?” His voice cut through the tension, cold and commanding. Yet even as the words left his mouth, his pulse thundered with a realization he refused to name.

Umbra surged again... restless, insistent, hungry.

He took a step closer, the weight of his authority pressing into the space between them. “You crossed into my territory, rogue. You’ll answer for that... by my rules.”

For the first time since returning, something beyond power clawed at Dante’s focus. This wasn’t just another trespasser, another challenge to crush beneath his boot. No... this was something far more dangerous.

And deep down, some part of him knew that no amount of strength would protect him from what came next.

[Alicia Blake]

Alicia was shocked that the usual sharp edge was gone from his voice, his words weren’t the usual commanding Alpha that even she struggled to resist. Though she wouldn’t quite call it kindness she sensed something other than cruelty in him.

When he threatened to lock her away she stared at him “I am not some pet for you to lock in a cage, you told me I wasn’t a prisoner here” his intimidation wasn’t working on her, she had faced far less forgiving Alphas in the past. 

She lifted her head slightly when he approached the desk, shrugging a little as he eyed her work “well I figured if you were going to go on a suicide mission I might as well give you all the information I can remember” she looked away sighing softly “I might not agree with your plan but I won’t let good men die for nothing”

Diadora growled softly “tell him the truth” 

Alicia sighed “there is nothing to tell him”

Diadora laughed softly “you care for him”

Alicia didn’t bother responding but she knew deep down her wolf was right and it scared her. 

She looked at him as small smirk on her face as he demanded her respect “I don’t respect people just because they tell me to” she looked him in the eyes “you want my respect you earn it, I’m not from your pack I don’t have to obey you”

Alicia smiled leaning back slightly as she looked at him “you won’t be bullying me into submission anytime soon” she shrugged looking away “and if you want me to stay maybe try not treating me like trash”

She sighed and ran her hand through her hair “I know you don’t want this whole mate thing, and that you don’t want your friends to know you are stuck with some rogue girl, but that’s not reason to say things you know will bother me, because that just makes you a bad person”

She wasn’t one to talk about her feelings much, and really why would she be. The only people she thought she could trust threw her out without a second thought. So letting herself be vulnerable with a man she just met even if he is her mate wasn’t easy. 

Diadora spoke softly in her mind “yes tell him how you feel”

Alicia shook her head slightly “it’s not that simple, he can’t be trusted yet”

Diadora’s voice gre smug “and yet you want to be open with him”

She didn’t give her a response as her gaze shifted back to Dante’s figure standing imposing in the centre of the room “so why exactly did you come here? Or were you just making sure I wasn’t going to cause you any trouble out of spite?” she crossed her arms trying to seem cold and uncaring again as she looked at him. 

She knew he had no reason to believe anything she had told him, about her past, about the Darkfrost pack, he couldn’t know any of it was the truth or some elaborate lie to send them all to slaughter. Though the odds of a Darkfrost spy happening to be the target Alpha’s mate are slim. 

Though she wondered just how much of his trust in her came purely from the fact they were mates, if they hadn’t been fated surely he would have at best thrown her out of his lands, at worst had her executed for being a rogue on claimed land. 

She smirked a little as she looked at him “you know your pack didn’t do overly well at protecting your lands while you were gone, it wasn’t until they caught me I ever knew this area was claimed, and I had camped here for a week a few years ago, never saw another wolf” she shrugged a little before laying back on the bed “though it does make sense why rogues were avoiding it, best to stay out of claimed lands when we can, packs aren’t exactly a welcoming bunch”

[Dante Morales]

Dante's eyes darkened at Alicia's defiance, his jaw tightening as she met his threats without so much as a flinch. She was infuriating, unyielding, and entirely too comfortable in challenging him. His fingers curled at his sides as he reined in the urge to demand obedience.

Umbra huffed with amusement. "She is fire. You cannot snuff her out so easily."

Dante ignored him, stepping deeper into the room, his gaze sweeping over the notes scattered across the desk. The sight of them made something twist in his chest. She had been working, gathering intel... despite everything, she was trying to help.

"A suicide mission?" His voice was laced with dry amusement as he picked up one of the papers, scanning the hasty but detailed notes. "You assume I’d walk into battle without a strategy?" He scoffed, setting the paper back down. "Good men don’t die under my command unless there is no other choice. You think me reckless?"

Umbra let out a growl of approval. "She cares for our people, even if she refuses to admit it."

Dante exhaled sharply through his nose. "She doesn’t respect me."

"Because you haven’t given her a reason to." Umbra retorted. 

His gaze lifted back to her, sharp as ever. "You talk as if you know me, as if you understand the weight I carry." His tone was even, but there was steel beneath it. "This is my territory. And if you think I will allow anyone... rogue or otherwise... to roam freely as they please, you are mistaken. That may have happened before, but I wasn’t in charge then. That mistake won’t be repeated."

His words were final, absolute. There would be no cracks in his authority.

Yet, as she spoke of respect, of earning it rather than demanding it, something in him tensed. No one had ever said that to him before. No one had dared.

"Respect is earned," he repeated, his voice quieter but no less intense. "Then let me make something clear... you may not be part of my pack, but you are in my territory. You will show me the respect I am due." His gaze flickered over her, taking in the way she leaned back, her posture deceptively relaxed. "And if you want me to treat you differently, you should consider doing the same."

Umbra’s satisfaction rumbled in his chest. "She will never bow to you. That is why she is perfect."

Dante gritted his teeth. "She should know her place."

"She is trying to find it." Umbra snapped. 

A low, humorless chuckle left him as he studied her. "You say I don’t want this mate bond. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I don’t. But don’t mistake that for permission to walk away." His expression darkened as he stepped closer, his voice dropping to something dangerously low. "You’re not leaving, Alicia. Not tomorrow. Not the next day. You can fight me on it all you want, but you won’t win."

He exhaled slowly, tension coiling in his chest. "You’re not a prisoner here. You never were." The admission came reluctantly, his jaw clenching around the words. "But if you keep threatening to leave, you may force my hand." The idea of it sat uneasily in his mind. He didn’t want to cage her, didn’t want to treat her as something to be contained. But he also couldn’t afford to let her slip away. Not when everything in him screamed to keep her close. His fingers twitched at his sides, forcing himself to stay still.

A smirk flickered across his lips, though his eyes remained cold. "Call it bullying if you’d like, but I don’t take risks with what’s mine."

The last words hung in the air between them, heavier than the space they occupied. His own heart pounded against his ribs at the admission. The truth he hadn’t wanted to say aloud.

Umbra purred in satisfaction. "Now you’re learning."

Dante turned his attention back to the papers, needing something to pull him from the storm brewing inside him. "Tell me about these notes," he demanded, scanning them. "What do you know about Darkfrost’s movements?" His voice was firm, expectant, as if her answer was the only thing grounding him. Because right now, it was.

[Alicia Blake]

Alicia laughed softly as he demanded her respect, her face full of the usual defiance she had perfectly practiced over the years "you might be letting me stay here by I am not of your pack, that's the one joy of being a rogue, I don't blindly follow an Alpha" she gave him a smug smile as she looked at him "and let me make one thing clear, if I didn't respect you as Alpha of this land I wouldn't be so easy to deal with, but the fact you are willing to talk and listen shows you don't deserve the trouble, if you want real respect prove that it's worth my time"

She looked at him as he insisted his men could handle the fight “you talk as if you expect the Darkfrost pack to fight the honour like most opponents, but they aren’t above using dirty tactics, once to secure an ally they too the alpha’s daughter, held her hostage, only releasing her once the pack relented to their command” she shrugged slightly “you try to defy them and they will do far worse if given the chance” 

She walked over to the desk standing beside him as he eyed the papers “this is everything I remember, now it’s been quite some time so their patrol routes may have changed, but it’s a start” she looked at him shrugging slightly “if you are going to go through the trouble of facing the Darkfrost pack you need all the information you can get, and I’m sure it goes without saying that I have no plan of setting foot on their lands” she leant against the wall running a hand through her hair slightly. 

Alicia looked at Dante smiling slightly, she was nervous about helping him take down her own pack, she knew if he lost she was done for, at the very least keeping her distance from the fight gave her a better chance of running. “It was make quite clear when I was first Banished that if I ever return to the pack lands I wouldn’t be making it out alive” 

She walked back to the bed sitting down and crossing her legs as she looked at him “so what exactly is your plan?” she leant her elbows on her knees resting her chin on her hand as she waited for him to discuss just what he was going to do. 

“He will protect us” Diadora spoke confidently as if she knew for sure they would be protected.

“Our pack isn’t easy to face, if they fail…” Alicia’s mind was filled with concern. Not that she would admit that to Dante. 

“He won’t fail, he has the heart of a warrior” Diadora was so sure of Dante’s abilities, it almost gave Alicia hope. 

Alicia looked down at the soft bed beneath her and smiled slightly “you know this will be the first time in years I’ve had an actual bed” she wanted to move on to nicer topics, rather than the fear in her mind. 

She laughed softly shaking her head a little “you know when your men first caught me I had thought the best I could hope for was an escort to the borders and a threat to never return, never thought I’d be staying here” 

She looked at him, her chin still resting on her hand “you know you won’t be able to hide the bond forever, at some point they will start to ask questions. I mean it’s clear you are normally ruthless, and yet you have a rogue in a nice room, you’re offering protection, and going after my old pack” she shrugged a little “unless you were already planning to take down the Darkfrost pack someone is going to notice the timing is a little too convenient” 

She wondered how he would react to that. Would he be willing to tell his men about their bond before he took them to the battle. She didn’t want him sending his men into danger without knowing the truth behind his sudden need for vengeance. 

She looked down, sighing softly as she thought about the risk of facing her old pack, could they really be defeated, could she finally stop running. When she hadn’t been killed by other rogues, hunting her has seemed to become a game for the Darkfrost pack, if she ever got too comfortable somewhere she would find herself being chased out. None of them had tried to kill her yet, though she was sure it was only a matter of time before someone grew tired of the chase.

[Dante Morales]

Dante's eyes narrowed at Alicia's smug defiance, her words stoking the embers of his already simmering temper. She was right... she wasn’t of his pack, and he hadn’t forced her to stay. But if she kept threatening to leave, he might just have to treat her like a prisoner. The thought didn’t sit well with him. He didn’t want to cage her. He wanted her to stay because she chose to. And that realization unsettled him more than he cared to admit. "Respect is earned," she had said, and it grated at him more than it should have.

Umbra scoffed. "She speaks the truth. You demand respect, but have you given her reason to offer it freely?"

Dante ignored him, arms crossing over his chest. "You think me willing to talk makes me soft?" he said, voice low and edged. "It means I know when brute force is necessary and when it isn’t. But don’t mistake that for weakness. I don’t need your respect, Alicia. I need your cooperation. If you want to leave, you’re welcome to try... but don’t expect me to make it easy."

He saw the flicker in her eyes, not fear, but something else. He wouldn’t call it understanding, but it wasn’t outright dismissal either.

His gaze dropped to the papers as she continued, and he listened in silence as she spoke of the Darkfrost pack’s ruthless tactics. Kidnapping an Alpha’s daughter to secure an alliance? It didn’t surprise him, but it confirmed what he had already suspected... there were no rules in this fight.

"You think I don’t know that?" he muttered, picking up one of the pages, scanning the scribbled notes. "Honor has no place on the battlefield. You fight to win, not to play fair. If Darkfrost wants to use dirty tactics, I’ll make sure they regret it."

He moved closer to the desk, his sharp eyes skimming over the rough map she had drawn. And then he saw it... one particular name, scribbled in the margins, denoting a key figure in Darkfrost’s ranks. His jaw clenched.

Five years. Five damn years he had spent locked in a prison cell, betrayed, framed for a crime he hadn’t committed. And now, here it was... confirmation of a suspicion he had buried long ago. One of the Darkfrost warriors had been there, had played a role in setting him up.

"Umbra," he said through their link, his grip tightening around the paper. "This name… this is it. This is the connection."

His wolf growled low in approval. "You were looking in the wrong places. The answer was here all along."

Dante’s eyes flickered back to Alicia. She didn’t realize what she had just given him... proof that his imprisonment hadn’t been a random betrayal, but part of something far bigger. His fury simmered beneath the surface, but he forced himself to focus as she leaned against the wall, claiming she had no intention of stepping foot back onto Darkfrost land.

"You won’t have to," he said simply, voice dark. "That’s not your fight."

She looked skeptical, but he wasn’t going to argue it. Not tonight. Not when his mind was already spinning with new revelations.

Then she brought up the bond, and Dante stiffened.

Umbra chuckled, voice filled with smug amusement. "She sees through you."

Dante exhaled sharply. "I have more than enough reasons to take down the Darkfrost pack," he said, meeting her gaze with an intensity that left no room for argument. "Two, to be exact. One... you’re not the only rogue they’ve hunted. I’ve seen what they do to those who don’t bend to their will. The packs they’ve destroyed, the people they’ve slaughtered. I’d be going after them with or without you."

His fingers drummed against the desk before he continued. "And two... they were involved in my imprisonment. Someone in their ranks helped set me up. Five years of my life stolen because of them. You think I need a mate bond as an excuse for vengeance? You’re wrong."

He saw the shift in her expression, the flicker of something close to understanding, but he didn’t dwell on it. He wasn’t interested in her pity. "Yes," he admitted finally, voice rough. "You accelerated my plans. But my men don’t need to know that. They follow me because they trust my judgment... not because of a bond I never asked for."

Umbra growled in frustration. "You can lie to her all you want, but you can’t lie to yourself."

Dante clenched his jaw, ignoring the weight in his chest, the way his wolf pushed against his restraint. The bond was a war within him, one he refused to lose. He wanted her... but he still fought against it. Because wanting her meant accepting her, and accepting her meant risking everything.

And yet, he couldn’t deny the truth. She was his.

He stepped back, eyes scanning her one last time before he spoke. "Get some rest," he told her. "We leave nothing to chance when it comes to Darkfrost. My scouts return in th e morning. You're welcome to join me when they do."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and strode to the door. The moment he stepped into the dimly lit hallway, he exhaled, forcing the tension from his body. Then he caught the scent... familiar, cloying, and entirely unwelcome.

"Dante." The sultry voice of Sybil, one of the she-wolves he had been with in the past, reached his ears before she stepped into view. Her gaze slid over him, filled with expectation. "It’s been a while. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me."

His growl was low, a warning. "Not now."

Sybil pouted, taking a step closer. "Come on, Alpha. We both know you could use a distraction..."

"I said not now." His voice was sharper this time, his patience nonexistent. His wolf bristled with irritation, and he didn’t bother staying to entertain whatever game she was trying to play. He brushed past her, leaving her standing in the hallway as he stormed off, jaw tight, mind still filled with the one woman he couldn’t shake.

Umbra was smug. "You're already hers. You just refuse to admit it."

Dante didn’t respond. He didn’t have to. The truth was already clawing at him from the inside out.

[Alicia Blake]

Alicia laughed softly shaking her head as he mentioned her thinking he was soft “I never said that, in fact I think you are smart to speak first, most Alphas are too eager to resort to violence, especially when it comes to rogues” she shrugged as she looked at him “and I personally don’t consider brains a weakness, strength is nothing without strategy” 

She listened to him discuss the fight, it reminded her of the training she had been through growing up in the Darkfrost pack. Being told honor meant nothing as long as you came out on top. She had seen just how low they were willing to go to try and get ahead, she wondered if Dante was the same. 

She lifted her head slightly when he mentioned it wasn’t her fight. She was glad he didn’t expect her to join them, she preferred it that way. It was one thing to prepare him to go against the people she grew up with, but to have to fight them herself was something she wasn’t prepared for. 

She nodded slightly as he listed his issues with the darkfrost pack, frowning slightly when he mentioned one of the members was involved in him getting arrested “wait which one?” she looked at the list she had made trying to think of who from the pack could have pulled off something like that. She knew the Darkfrost pack were twisted, but to get someone falsely imprisoned they would have needed a damn good reason for that risk. 

Her eyes landed on one of the names and sighed softly as she pointed to it “it was him wasn’t it” the name belonged to the one wolf she held the most resentment to, Austin South, the Beta’s son who had been her first mate and the reason she was even a Rogue in the first place. 

She didn’t need his answer to know he was the one who was most likely behind it, he had always envied stronger packs and separating an Alpha from his pack was one simple way to tear a pack apart from the inside. 

She was pulled out of her thoughts by his command to rest. She nodded slightly as she curled in her bed “okay, I’ll see you at the meeting” she watched him leave the room a part of her not ready for him to go yet, not that she intended to admit that.

Once the door clicked shut behind him she curled onto the bed pulling the covers over herself sighing softly at the soft warmth they provided. She was used to finding caves or abandoned huts to sleep in nothing but her worn out jacket for warmth. Now she had a plush bed, and the safety to actually rest without fear that someone was waiting for her.

Part of her mind tried to tell her it wasn’t safe, that she shouldn’t let her guard down, but before she could listen to it a calmer voice came forward. 

“It’s safe here, our mate will protect us” Diadora once again sounded so sure of the protection the alpha would give

“He has no reason to protect us”

“Of course he does, he’s our mate, it’s in his blood”

Alicia knew there was little point in arguing with the wolf, though she didn’t hate the thought of him being protective of her. She wondered just how protective he would be when he learns the truth of who Austin once was to her. A part of her was tempted to tag along to the battle just to see how it plays out, though the more rational side of her mind reminded her she needed to keep as far from that place as she can until this is over.

[Dante Morales]

Dante watched her closely as her expression shifted, her breath hitching just slightly when her eyes landed on the name. Austin South. His suspicions were confirmed before she even spoke.

Dante didn’t respond immediately. His grip on the paper tightened, the edges crumpling under the force of his fingers. He didn’t need to say it aloud. She already knew. His chest tightened at the way her shoulders tensed, the way her pulse spiked through the bond for just a moment before she forced it under control. Whatever history she had with Austin, it wasn’t just as an enemy of her pack. But he didn’t ask. Not yet.

"He had help," Dante finally said, voice low, dangerous. "But he was the one who set it in motion. Five years. Five years of my life stolen, my pack left without an Alpha, because of him." He exhaled sharply, forcing himself to push past the anger clawing at his ribs. "And now, I finally get to make him pay."

Alicia didn’t say anything right away. He could tell she was weighing something, caught between the past and the present. 

Dante didn’t answer his wolf as he tried urging him to stay. He didn’t have to. His wolf already knew the truth. Though he wanted to stay, if he did there was no turning back. It was why he had to keep walking towards his room. He needed a cold shower. 

By the time he reached the room at the end of the hall, tension was a living thing inside him, coiling through every muscle. He slammed the door shut behind him, leaning against it for just a second before exhaling harshly.

"Leaving her was a mistake," Umbra grumbled.

Dante ignored him, pushing off the door and heading for the bathroom. The cold water hit his skin like a shock, but he welcomed it. Anything to drown out the scent of her still lingering in his mind, the way her voice had softened when she spoke, the way he had felt the faintest pull of their bond when she looked at him.

"You should be with her," Umbra pushed. "She is our mare. We can stay with her."

Dante braced his hands against the shower wall, letting the water stream down his back. "She’s a rogue," he growled internally. "And I can’t afford distractions."

"Keep telling yourself that. See how well it works."

Dante gritted his teeth, refusing to acknowledge the truth in his wolf’s words. The bond was real. It was there, pulsing just beneath the surface, but he wasn’t going to let it dictate his choices. He had spent years fighting for control, and he wasn’t about to lose it now.

The cold did little to settle him, but eventually, he forced himself out of the shower, throwing on a pair of loose sweats before collapsing onto the bed. Sleep, however, refused to come. Every time he closed his eyes, his mind drifted back to the same damn thing... her.

When dawn finally broke, Dante gave up on rest altogether. He rose before the sun, dressing quickly before making his way to his office. His mind was clear now, sharper than it had been the night before. The pieces were finally falling into place.

Austin South.

The name burned in his mind as he rifled through files, scanning over every detail he had uncovered since his release. He had always known there were deeper forces at play in his imprisonment, but now, he had a face to put to the betrayal. And now that he did, there wasn’t a damn thing that was going to stop him from tearing that pack apart.

His jaw clenched as he flipped through the pages, taking in every scrap of intelligence his men had gathered over the years. Patrol routes, alliances, weaknesses. It wasn’t enough. He needed more.

"Jake," he called through the mind-link, reaching out to his Beta. "Status on the scouts? Have they returned?"

A brief pause, then Jake’s voice came through. "They just got in. Waiting in the war room for you."

"I’ll be there soon."

Dante exhaled, closing the file in front of him. The time for waiting was over. The Darkfrost pack had taken enough from him. It was time to return the favor.

"Its time to end this shit." he muttered to himself as he made his way out of his office and down to the war room. He had told Alicia she was welcome to joined them and wondered if he should stop by first but decided he would wait for her to get up and join them since he didn't want to wake her if she was still asleep. 

[Alicia Blake]

Alicia laid in bed silently unable to sleep in this unfamiliar place, her mind was filled with everything that could go wrong if she stayed. She stared out the window as her mind raced. Dante’s scent still lingered in the room calming her mind slightly, she remembered his promise that no one would hurt her while she was there. She wanted to trust him, to believe she finally had somewhere safe to stay. 

Sleep finally came as her slender frame curled beneath the covers. But it didn’t last long as her usual nightmares started only this time they were stronger. She woke up gasping softly as she looked around the dark room slowly remembering where she was. 

Alicia couldn’t sleep after that, staying awake until the sun rose,looking out the window as she tried to seem like everything was okay. She stayed in the room keeping silent so as not to disturb anyone, she couldn’t have people here knowing about her trouble sleeping, she considered it a sign of weakness. 

Once she could hear others moving around she moved towards the door. As she opened it she saw a small pile of fresh clothes getting changed before leaving her room. Remembering Dante’s invitation to the war meeting she made her way to the war room smiling slightly at people’s unsure looks. She knew the pack didn’t trust the rogue but of course if their alpha considered her a guest they couldn’t do anything against her. 

Walking into the war room she leant against the wall quietly, listening to him talk to his men without announcing her presence. She saw him shift slightly clearly, having caught her scent as she came in, but neither acknowledged each other. Listening carefully as his men gave their report on her old pack bit her lip gently.

She knew what they would be up against, and honestly the thought of it scared her. A part of her wondered if she would even stay once they go after the Darkfrost pack, if their plan failed the pack would come here and she couldn’t risk being here when they turned up. 

She was so lost in her thoughts debating the worst case scenarios in her mind that she didn’t even notice when the focus in the room shifted to her. Suddenly she lifted her head to find Dante and his men watching her as if waiting for their input. She let out a small sigh placing the list of pack members she had prepared on the table “these are their top fighter” she pointed to a handful of names “and they are all for using dirty tactics to win, don’t let them find a weakness, if there is someone on the battlefield you care deeply about avoid showing it at all costs, they have used it against people in the past” she turned towards the map of the pack land “the closer you get to the pack house the higher the rank of the member, the houses near their borders are the members that are only there because their bloodlines have history” she pointed to a few of the houses “the families here are good fighters, and if offered safety and protection could be convinced to turn on the pack”

She let out a small sigh and pointed to one final house that was barely inside the pack borders “whatever you do keep them out of it, they stay because there is no where else to go, outcasts of the Darkfrost pack aren’t really welcome anywhere else” she looked at Dante wondering if he would understand her reason for wanting to protect that home, it was her family after all. Though she knew she couldn’t just tell them that. Her family had been on the verge of leaving the pack for a while, but without somewhere safe to go they had no choice but to stay. 

They had thought with Alicia’s skills in combat they would finally be accepted into the pack again, but unfortunately that wasn’t enough for them. Her family were still not completely accepted, and now with her being exiled she was sure their treatment had gotten worse. Though she hadn’t spoken to them since she had been forced to leave, not wanting to risk causing more problems. 

Alicia looked at Dante smiling slightly “your men need to be prepared for anything, they won’t go down without a fight and they won’t make it easy for you”

[Dante Morales]

Dante stood at the head of the war room table, one hand braced on its surface as his eyes flicked across the maps and intelligence reports spread before him. His men were reporting in... scouts, enforcers, strategists... all giving pieces of the larger puzzle. But part of him wasn’t fully present.

He felt her before he saw her. The subtle shift in the air. The faintest change in scent. The flicker in the bond that pulsed like a quiet knock against the locked door of his mind. Alicia.

His shoulders tensed instinctively, jaw tightening as he forced himself not to look toward the door. But Umbra stirred immediately, more alert than he’d been since sunrise.

"She’s here," his wolf said, his voice low and certain. "She came."

“I know.” Dante responded internally. 

And gods help him, he did. The moment she stepped into the room, Dante’s world narrowed. Her scent curled through the space, different from the others... earth and wildflowers and something soft he couldn’t quite name. His wolf leaned into it. So did something deeper.

She said nothing, but he knew she was watching. Listening. And though she kept her distance, he felt her as keenly as if she had reached out and touched him. He shifted slightly, head tilting, just enough to acknowledge her presence without making it obvious to the others.

For a moment, everything else faded. His men’s voices blurred, the map in front of him dimmed in his peripheral vision. There was only her... standing at the edge of the room like a shadow in the light. The pull between them throbbed, soft but insistent, like a heartbeat just under the surface.

"You shouldn’t look at her like that," Umbra warned. "They’ll notice."

“I’m not,” he said, even as he had to force his gaze back to the map.

Reality snapped back into focus when his men fell silent. Dante glanced up, realizing they were all looking at Alicia. Expecting something. She stepped forward, list in hand, and placed it on the table without a word.

Dante watched her carefully. She was focused, controlled... but not unaffected. He caught the way her eyes briefly flicked to the map, the hesitation before she pointed to the houses near the border. She was giving them everything... valuable intel no outsider should have had. And yet, she didn’t flinch.

When she pointed to one final house, barely within the pack borders, her voice softened when she said to keep them out of whatever was to come. She didn’t explain. She didn’t have to. The faint ripple of emotion through the bond told him everything. That place mattered to her. Deeply.

"Family," Umbra muttered.

“Yeah,” Dante answered silently. “It’s personal.”

He didn’t question it. He wouldn’t. But someone else did.

Jake, his Beta, folded his arms as Alicia finished speaking. His gaze was hard as it turned from her to Dante. “Are we really trusting a rogue’s word?” he asked bluntly. “She used to be one of them. What makes you so sure she doesn’t still have ties to the Darkfrost?”

The room went tense. Dante didn’t move. Didn’t raise his voice. But the shift in the air was immediate... heavy, oppressive.

“I’m not asking for your approval, Jake,” Dante said coldly. “I’m giving you orders.”

Jake’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t back down. “We’re putting our people on the line. If she’s lying...”

“She’s not.” The words cut through the air like a blade.

His voice was calm, but his wolf was snarling beneath the surface.

"You should rip his throat out for questioning her," Umbra growled.

“He’s doing his job,” Dante replied, though the effort it took to remain measured was not small.

“She knows their tactics. Their terrain. Their fighters. And she had every chance to keep that information to herself. But she didn’t,” Dante continued, eyes locked on Jake. “That tells me enough.”

Jake looked away first. “Understood.”

Dante let the silence hang for a second longer before turning back to the map. “We move in two days,” he said, voice steady, commanding. “We take the south and eastern paths... flank the pack house. We avoid collateral. If we can turn some of the border families, we do it. Fast and quiet. No unnecessary blood.”

He pointed to the symbols representing their strike points. “I want eyes on this house at all times,” he added, tapping the small one Alicia had marked. “No one goes near it unless I say otherwise.”

“And if we’re seen?” one of the scouts asked.

“Then we adapt,” Dante said. “We’ve waited long enough.”

The room fell silent. His word, final. Irrefutable.

With a last look at the map, Dante stepped back. “Gear up. I want movement drills run today, and I want eyes in the trees by nightfall. Dismissed.”

The shuffle of chairs and boots on stone followed as the room began to clear. Alicia didn’t move. Not right away. She looked at him... just for a second... and for a moment, he let himself hold her gaze.

"You should talk to her," Umbra said again.

“Not here,” Dante replied.

But as he stepped out of the war room, the pull behind him remained. Constant. Unyielding.

And for the first time in years, Dante wasn’t sure if he was walking toward war—or away from something far more dangerous.

Her.

[Alicia Blake]

Alicia lifted her head slightly as the Beta tried to question her intel. She looked at him about to speak but before she could Dante silenced him. She couldn’t help but smirk a little at the sight before looking at him “thank you, but I’m more than capable of fighting my own battles” she looked towards Jake calmly “if you think I’m loyal to a pack that would kill me on sight then you must be a fool”

She listened to Dante’s plans nodding slightly. She was grateful he was doing as she asked and defending her family’s home, she couldn’t bear seeing them hurt. When he mentioned turning family’s to their side she smiled slightly “if anyone gives you trouble tell them Cricket sent you” she shrugged a little “it’s an old nickname I had among some of the kinder folks in the pack”

As the meeting came to a close Alicia left the war room her confidence in her stride. She knew she was far from invincible here, but she also knew the pack members were too scared of the alpha’s wrath to bother her. She walked through the halls calmly heading outside for some fresh air. 

She could see people preparing for the impending battle, she watched them quietly wondering if they really had a chance against the Darkfrost pack. She was leaning against a tree enjoying the sunlight as one of the warriors approached her. 

“You aren’t preparing for battle?” He looked at her curiously. 

Alicia shook her head laughing softly “I’m not going, I want the Darkfrost pack taken out as much as anyone, but I also don’t have a deathwish” she shrugged slightly “I will help with intel, but I’m keeping my distance from the fight” 

The warrior shook his head laughing softly as he ran back to the training. His look infuriated her, it felt like he was doubting her abilities, maybe even though she was leading them into a trap. She shook her head, choosing not to let it bother her. 

“Our mate trusts us” Diadora spoke in her mind. 

Alicia nodded slightly “but his back doesn’t, they are the ones fighting” 

She sighed suddenly having an idea. Walking back inside she searches for Dante using their bond to lead her to him. Eventually she was stood in front of his office and knocked gently. When she heard him speak she stepped inside shutting the door behind her.

It was just the two of them, she looked at him calmly ignoring the pull of the bond that begged her to step closer, close the distance between them. 

“How do I convince your men that I can be trusted?” her voice was calm and calculated, she was careful not to let any emotion into her words. 

She saw his curious look and rolled her eyes slightly. Of course he wanted to know why she’d ask something so ridiculous. But was her reason the entire truth?

“If they are going to go into that battle believing the information I gave them is true they need more than just you saying it is, I want them going into that battle knowing I’m on their side” she looked at him her voice shaking slightly as she tried keeping her emotions in check. 

She was frustrated by the fact they thought she was still working for a pack that branded her an outcast. They thought she would help the people that made her miserable and humiliated her.

She took a deep breath, steadying herself once more “If they know I can be trusted then they will be more likely to listen to the information I gave them” she looked at him “I just want to minimise casualties, the more they feel they can trust my intel the better off they will be in the fight” 

She hoped he would believe her reasoning. That he would see the sense in showing them she wasn’t a threat. She needed to be sure people didn’t get hurt out there because of her.

She leant her back against the wall waiting for his response as she looked away, her usual confidence replaced by what could only be described as nerves. 

She had never known how to win people over, it had never been something she needed to do. She could intimidate people, fight, act cold or uncaring. But she didn’t know how to build proper connections without pushing them away. Making friends was rare as a rogue, usually her allies were just whoever wasn’t planning to kill her. But now she wanted someone to truly trust her, not just believe that she wasn’t a threat, but trust that she intended to help.

[Dante Morales]

The knock was soft, hesitant... not the kind he was used to hearing. Most people didn’t bother knocking when it came to him; they waited outside until summoned or entered with urgency. But the pull that accompanied the knock? That was unmistakable.

Alicia.

Umbra stirred the second her scent filtered in through the crack of the door, the wolf practically vibrating beneath Dante’s skin.

“She’s here. Let her in.”

“I know,” Dante muttered, more to himself than his wolf. “I felt her coming.”

He spoke aloud, giving her permission to enter, and when the door opened, his eyes locked onto hers like gravity had shifted to pull only them together. For a heartbeat, maybe two, everything else faded...  the war, the plans, the tension in his chest... all drowned out by the simple sight of her standing there. Calm. Composed. And yet… he could feel it. Beneath the cool exterior, she was unraveling.

Her nerves echoed through the bond, hitting him with an ache that sat deep in his ribs.

“Go to her,” Umbra urged. “She’s ours. She doesn’t have to do this alone.”

“She wants to do this alone,” Dante shot back, but he already knew he wasn’t convincing anyone. Not even himself.

He leaned back in his chair, letting her speak, listening carefully as she laid out her reasoning, her voice sharp but steady. Her control was admirable... he saw the way her fingers flexed subtly, how she refused to meet his gaze after a certain point. And yet her words were direct. Calculated. Strategic.

She wasn’t asking for sympathy. She was asking for a chance.

When she finally stopped talking and leaned back against the wall, looking away, Dante exhaled slowly, pushing to his feet.

“You want to convince them?” he said quietly, walking around the desk, each step deliberate. “You already have.”

She turned her head slightly, meeting his gaze again, confusion flickering in her eyes.

“They’re loyal to me,” he continued. “And if I say you’re not the enemy, then they don’t get to question that. Not unless they’re ready to challenge me on it.” He let that sink in. “Jake’s a good Beta, but he doesn’t trust easily... that’s his job. Mine is making the call. I made it the moment I let you in.”

Her brows pulled together slightly. He could feel her frustration still simmering, even if his words seemed to steady her. He took another step forward, and another, until only inches separated them.

“Now,” Umbra whispered. “Show her she’s not alone.”

Against his better judgment ... against every damn instinct screaming at him to stay detached...  Dante reached up and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her breath hitched just slightly, and the faint tremble in their bond twisted something deep in his chest.

“They’ll come around,” he said, voice low. “They just need time. Trust is earned in this place. But they’ll follow my lead. They always do.”

She nodded slowly, and for the first time since she walked into his office, he saw the tension in her shoulders start to ease. Just a fraction. Just enough.

And then the door slammed open.

Dante’s body shifted immediately, stepping between Alicia and the door before instinct gave way to recognition.

Her. The she-wolf from the night before... wild-eyed, clearly not expecting company.

Her gaze flicked between them, and Alicia’s back went ramrod straight, but Dante’s voice cut through the tension like a blade.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

The she-wolf flinched at the growl in his voice. “I... I didn’t know...”

“You don’t walk into my office without permission. Ever.” His voice was like ice now, lethal in a way only an Alpha’s could be. “Get out.”

She glanced at Alicia, jaw tightening... jealousy, suspicion, whatever it was... before looking back at Dante.

“I said out. And don’t ever enter this room again without knocking and waiting to be told you can come in.”

Her eyes flashed, but she backed out quickly, slamming the door behind her.

Dante exhaled through his nose, tension radiating off him as he turned away from Alicia, stalking back behind his desk like a storm pacing a cage.

“You should’ve put her in her place last night,” Umbra snapped.

“She’s not a threat.”

“Not yet. But she wants to be. She’s sniffing around, testing you. Testing us.”

“I know.”

“And Alicia saw it. You think she didn’t catch that look? You think she doesn’t already feel like she’s walking on thin ice with this pack?”

“I handled it,” Dante snarled internally, running a hand through his hair.

“You didn’t reassure her. She needs that. She’s asking for trust, and we’re giving her tactics. Give her something real, Dante. Or she’ll walk.”

Dante looked back at Alicia, still standing by the wall, her expression unreadable now. His chest ached, not from guilt... he didn’t do guilt... but from something else entirely. Something deeper. Older.

He sighed and sat back down, resting his elbows on the desk. “Ignore her,” he said finally, voice quieter now. “She’s nothing. Just another wolf with too much pride and not enough discipline. I trust you. The others will follow, even if they’re slow about it.”

He met Alicia’s gaze, something raw flickering behind his eyes. “You’ve already done more for this pack than most would. And if anyone doesn’t see that, they’re not worth your time.”

“There,” Umbra whispered. “There it is.”

Not a confession. Not a surrender. But it was a step. And in this war... both the one brewing outside these walls and the one waging inside him... every step mattered.

[Alicia Blake]

She felt him approaching and lifted her head slightly to look at him “they trust you, they aren’t sure if I am telling the truth or not, if they are going to believe my information I want it to be because they know I’m on their side” 

She looked up at him instinctively leaning towards his touch without thinking as he moved her hair from her face. A small smile on her face as she saw a gentleness in his eyes “I want them to truly believe it’s not a trap, not just trust your judgement” 

It probably sounded ridiculous to him, of course she knew his pack would follow whatever he told them. But something about that just felt wrong to her, she remembered what it was like blindly following an alpha believing they had the pack’s best interests at heart. She knew he was nothing like her old alpha, but could his pack truly believe she wasn’t a threat just because he said so. 

She smiled, relaxing slightly. But it was short lived as the door slammed open, her mind was on high alert as the she-wolf walked into the room. Watching as Dante’s form moved to block her as if protecting her from harm. 

She watched him speak to the woman silently, remaining on high alert in case something happened. There was something about her that set Alicia on edge. 

“She wants our mate” Diadora growled in her mind

“He’s not ours” Alicia was trying to convince herself more than the wolf

“He will be, give it time” Diadora sounded sure of it, Alicia wished she could feel as confident as her wolf. 

She watched the woman leave quickly, noticing the jealous look in her eyes, a part of her wondered if she had history with Dante. The idea of it bothered her though she wasn’t entirely sure why. 

She leant against the wall watching as he walked back to his desk, the gentleness he had shown to her earlier now gone from his face. His voice felt matter of factly when he told her to ignore the woman, but it didn’t calm the voice in her mind claiming there was once something deeper between them. 

A small smile spread across her face when he mentioned how much she had done for the pack. She nodded slightly looking at him “I know, I just wish they saw me as more than just some rogue you kept around” she ran her hand through her hair laughing softly “I don’t blame them for not trusting me, but if I wanted to cause them trouble I would” 

She pushed herself off the wall and moved towards the door calmly “I also don’t appreciate your Beta claiming I have any loyalty to the pack that tormented me and threw me out like my loyalty meant nothing” she smiled slightly looking at him “it’s why I won’t join the fight, my blood still belongs to the Darkfrost pack, if their alpha tried to command me I’d be compelled to obey” she shrugged slightly “they have this way of banishing people so they don’t belong to the pack but can’t truly be free unless taken in by another” 

She hated the idea of her old alpha still having control of her, and she didn’t want to risk harming people that had helped her. Plus it seemed a few of his men were a little too eager for her to mess up in a way that allowed them to take her out. 

She bowed her head to him politely “thank you for taking the time to speak with me, I know you are busy, I appreciate it” there was a strange warmth to her voice, like she wanted to say more but was holding herself back. 

She left his office letting out a small sigh before walking back towards the room she had been given. She didn’t want to disturb their preparations, she knew she didn’t belong as a part of them even if she had given them the information they needed. 

Sitting on her bed she ran her hand over the scar on her shoulder, the branding of her old pack, letting everyone know who would be after them if they let her into their ranks. She sighed softly, shaking her head, they trusted the fear of retaliation to prevent their outcasted members from ever truly being free of them. She had given up on ever being accepted long ago, mostly her own choice not wanting to be the reason another pack was attacked. Though she could tell that here that particular fear wasn’t an issue.

[Dante Morales]

Her words lingered long after the door closed behind her. “I just wish they saw me as more than just some rogue you kept around.”

Dante leaned back in his chair, staring at the space she’d just occupied. He could still feel the warmth of her presence. Still smell her. Still hear the trace of emotion she’d tried to keep out of her voice.

He clenched his jaw, his hand tightening around the edge of the desk.

“She’s right,” Umbra growled from within. “They do see her that way. And we haven’t done enough to change it.”

“We’ve given her protection,” Dante countered. “We’ve backed her intel, taken her seriously. She’s safer here than she’s ever been.”

“Safety isn’t belonging. It’s not trust. You know that. We’ve been an alpha long enough to recognize the difference.”

Dante rubbed a hand down his face. He didn’t like admitting his wolf was right. But Alicia’s words... the pain beneath them... cut deeper than he expected. And that last part? About still being bound to her old pack? That pissed him off more than he let show.

How the hell could someone be banished and still be leashed like that?

“It’s not just power. It’s fear. They keep their exiles marked and tethered because they’re cowards. Cowards who know what they did was wrong.”

He nodded slowly. “That brand… it’s a warning and a curse all in one.”

“You could break it.” Umbra replied. 

“We don’t have time,” Dante snapped. “The battle’s too close. If I give the command to bring her in fully, we’ll paint a target on her back before she’s ready.”

“And yet she still wants to help. Still wants to be seen as one of us.” His wolf growled. 

He didn’t reply. Not immediately. Instead, he turned his focus to the scattered maps and reports laid out on his desk. Every piece of intel Alicia had given them lined up with what the scouts had confirmed. Routes, guard rotations, weak points in the outer defenses of Darkfrost territory...  it was all there.

And now… now it was up to him to make it work.

Dante’s gaze hardened. This plan had to be perfect. He wouldn’t lose people because of hesitation. He wouldn’t have Alicia’s fears become prophecy.

He was still deep in thought when a firm knock sounded at the door. “Enter.”

His Gamma stepped inside, broad-shouldered and calm as always, a wrapped bundle in his arms. The man nodded respectfully, setting it down on the table with a quiet sense of reverence.

“We’ve got something new from the forge master,” the Gamma said. “Thought you’d want to see it yourself.”

Dante pulled the cloth back slowly... and let out a low, approving sound.

The weapon gleamed even in the dim light: a curved, twin-bladed axe, sleek but vicious, with interlocking plates running along the hilt. The blade shimmered with silver-veined steel... not pure silver, but enough to cut through a Darkfrost alpha’s defense like butter. More importantly, the weapon was designed to collapse into a compact form, easily attachable to belts in human form and usable mid-shift.

“What am I looking at?” Dante asked, tracing a finger along the etched runes at the base.

“Collapsible wolf-blade,” his Gamma explained. “Forged with mixed alloys...  steel, silver, and obsidian for reinforcement. Durable in both forms. The hilt can sense the start of a shift and adjusts automatically so it doesn’t snap or embed in the skin. It moves with the body.”

Dante looked up, impressed despite himself. “How many can we get?”

“Forge master says twenty in two days. But that’s pushing it.”

Dante nodded. “Push it harder. We need every frontliner equipped. Human and wolf forms both. No gaps.”

“Understood, Alpha.”

As the Gamma left to deliver the orders, Dante sat back again, fingers still resting on the blade. He stared at it, seeing the reflection of a war coming fast and hard and the woman who’d helped them prepare for it better than any scout they’d sent.

He owed her more than words.

But outside his walls, someone else had a different plan.

Sybil watched the rogue leave Dante’s office with that same smug calmness she always wore. Alicia. The name already tasted bitter in her mouth.

"How many days had it been? Four? Five? And already she’s slinking through his halls like she belongs here."

Sybil stepped from the shadowed alcove she’d been leaning in, arms folded across her chest. She didn’t mean to follow the rogue. Not really. She just wanted to see how far this little charade had gone. But every time she saw Alicia near him... saw that casual closeness between them... it made her blood burn.

She quickened her steps, closing the distance between them as Alicia turned the corner. “You.”

“What is it with you and being in his space?” Sybil demanded, stepping in front of her. “You’re always around him. Always up in his business.”

Sybil’s jaw clenched. “You think you can just walk into his war room, whisper a few sob stories about your old pack, and suddenly you matter here? You’re a stray. A rogue. He’s mine. He always has been.”

“I’m warning you. Stay away from him. You are not one of us. You never will be. Keep pretending like you belong here, and someone’s going to put you in your place.”

Sybil let out a low growl, then spun on her heel, the threat of violence buzzing under her skin. Her boots hit the stone harder than necessary as she stalked down the hall.

"That bitch. She’s got his attention, his protection, and somehow still walks around like she’s owed more." she muttered making her way down the hall. 

She didn’t see the scout at the end of the corridor. Didn’t see the way he paused, watching with narrowed eyes before ducking around the corner.

[Back in Dante’s Office]

Dante had just rolled the new map open on his desk, sliding the collapsible blade aside, when a soft knock tapped against the door.

“Yeah?” he called, eyes still scanning the territory markers.

The door creaked open and one of the outer scouts leaned in. His expression was tight, hesitant. “Alpha… I thought you should know. There was a confrontation. Between Sybil and the rogue.”

Dante’s eyes lifted slowly from the map, narrowing. “Where?”

“Just outside your office wing. Looked like it got… tense.”

The growl that rumbled from Dante’s chest was low, lethal, and immediate. Umbra surged forward in his mind like a shadow stretching to its full height.

“She challenged our mate?” Umbra growled in raged. 

“She’s testing boundaries,” Dante muttered, already standing. His gaze darkened. “Time someone reminded her who sets them.”