The Kane estate sprawled across fifty acres of Malibu hills like something out of a fairy tale—if fairy tales included armed security, motion sensors, and enough silver-laced defenses to stop a small army.
I sat in the passenger seat of Alexander's Maserati as we wound up the private drive, trying not to let my nerves show. Through the bulletproof windows, I could see Mediterranean-style buildings scattered across manicured grounds, connected by stone pathways and dotted with fountains that probably cost more than most people's houses.
"Relax," Alexander said, glancing at me as he navigated a particularly sharp turn. "They can smell fear."
"I'm not afraid."
"No? Then why haven't you stopped gripping that door handle since we left downtown?"
I looked down at my white knuckles and forced myself to let go. "I don't like being outnumbered by people who could tear my throat out."
"They won't hurt you. I won't let them."
The certainty in his voice should have been comforting. Instead, it made my stomach twist with something that felt dangerously close to guilt. Because while Alexander was planning to protect me from his family, I was still technically working for the organization that wanted to capture him.
Even if I wasn't sure I wanted to anymore.
The main house came into view as we rounded the final curve—a sprawling mansion that looked like it had been transplanted from a Tuscan hillside. Warm stone walls, red tile roofs, and enough balconies and terraces to house a small village. But what caught my attention were the cars already parked in the circular drive.
A lot of cars. Expensive ones.
"How many people are we talking about here?" I asked.
Alexander parked behind a silver Bentley and killed the engine. "The full pack council. Twelve families, plus their immediate relatives. Maybe forty people total."
"Forty werewolves."
"Forty werewolves who've been questioning my leadership for months." Alexander turned to face me, and I could see the tension in his jaw. "Scarlett, I need you to understand something. What happened with the hunters yesterday—word travels at light speed in our community. By now, everyone knows you were there when Damien's people came for me."
"And they think I rang the dinner bell."
"Some of them do. Others think I've compromised pack security by letting a human get close." Alexander reached over and took my hand, his thumb tracing my knuckles. "Either way, tonight's going to be a bloodbath."
I squeezed his fingers, drawing strength from that familiar electric connection between us. "What exactly is this gathering supposed to be?"
"Officially? A monthly council meeting to discuss pack business. Unofficially?" Alexander's smile was grim. "A trial. With me as the defendant and you as exhibit A."
Before I could respond, the front door of the mansion opened. A man stepped out—tall, broad-shouldered, with salt-and-pepper hair and the kind of presence that commanded attention. Even from a distance, I could tell he was powerful. Alpha-level powerful.
"Marcus Rivera," Alexander said, following my gaze. "My beta and oldest friend. Also the one most likely to call for my head if he thinks I've lost perspective."
"Comforting."
"He's a good man. Just... traditional in his thinking about humans and werewolves."
Marcus walked toward our car with the fluid grace of a predator. When he reached the driver's side, Alexander rolled down the window.
"Alex." Marcus's voice was gravelly, with a slight accent I couldn't place. "Cutting it close tonight."
"Traffic was murder." Alexander got out of the car and came around to open my door. "Marcus, I'd like you to meet—"
"Sarah Mitchell." Marcus looked me up and down like he was evaluating livestock. "The security consultant who's been causing such a stir."
I climbed out of the car and extended my hand. "Mr. Rivera. Alexander's told me a lot about you."
Marcus stared at my outstretched hand for several heartbeats before shaking it. His grip was firm—testing, measuring. When our skin made contact, I saw his eyes widen slightly. He'd felt it too, that electric tingle that seemed to follow me everywhere these days.
"Has he now?" Marcus released my hand but kept studying my face like I was a puzzle missing pieces. "And what has our Alpha told you about tonight's... discussion?"
"That it's going to be interesting."
That got a snort of laughter from Marcus. "One word for it." He looked at Alexander. "They're waiting in the great hall. Fair warning—Thomas Blackwood flew in from Seattle specifically for this. He's been asking a lot of questions about your... recent decisions."
Alexander's jaw tightened. "Let me guess. He thinks I've compromised pack security."
"He thinks you've lost your mind." Marcus glanced at me again. "Present company excepted, of course."
"Of course," I said dryly.
Marcus led us toward the front door, but before we reached it, he stopped and turned to Alexander. "Alex, I need to ask. Are you sure about this? Bringing her into pack business?"
"She saved my life, Marcus. More than once."
"I'm not questioning her abilities. I'm questioning your judgment." Marcus lowered his voice, but I could still hear every word. "You're asking the council to accept a human hunter into our most private affairs. Do you understand how that looks?"
"It looks like I'm finally thinking clearly for the first time in five years."
Marcus shook his head. "I hope you're right. Because if you're wrong, it won't just be your leadership on the line tonight. It'll be your life."
The great hall lived up to its name. Two stories tall with exposed wooden beams, stone walls decorated with tapestries and weapons, and a massive fireplace that could have roasted an entire cow. But what dominated the space wasn't the architecture—it was the people.
Forty werewolves, just as Alexander had promised. They sat in chairs arranged in a rough circle, with a few empty seats clearly reserved for Alexander and his companions. The moment we walked through the doors, every conversation stopped. Every eye turned to us.
Or more specifically, to me.
I'd been in hostile rooms before, but this was different. These weren't just people who disliked me—these were apex predators sizing up potential prey. I could feel their collective attention like heat from an open flame, could practically taste the suspicion in the air.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Alexander said, his voice carrying easily through the large space. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I'd like to introduce Sarah Mitchell, my head of corporate security and personal advisor."
A woman with silver hair and sharp features stood up from her chair. She was elegant in an expensive suit, but there was something predatory about her smile.
"Victoria Montenegro," she said, not bothering to come forward for introductions. "I represent the families on the pack council's finance committee." Her pale blue eyes fixed on me. "Tell me, Miss Mitchell, how long have you been in the security business?"
"Five years."
"And before that?"
I'd prepared for this question. "Military service. Two tours overseas."
"How... patriotic." Victoria's tone suggested she thought patriotism was a communicable disease. "And what made you decide to specialize in supernatural security?"
The question hung in the air like a trap. I could feel Alexander tense beside me, ready to intervene, but this was my test to pass.
"I learned that the most dangerous threats are often the ones people refuse to believe exist," I said carefully. "In my experience, the monsters hiding in plain sight are usually the most creative about staying hidden."
A murmur ran through the room. I wasn't sure if it was approval or offense.
"Monsters," repeated a man sitting near the back. He was younger than most of the others, with the kind of expensive haircut that screamed new money. "Interesting choice of words."
"David Santos," Alexander said quietly. "He runs our West Coast shipping operations."
David stood up and prowled closer, moving with that predatory grace all werewolves seemed to possess. "So you see us as monsters, Miss Mitchell?"
"I see you as people with extraordinary abilities navigating a world that fears what it doesn't understand." I met his gaze without flinching. "Some of you use those abilities to protect. Others don't. My job is to help Alexander deal with the ones who don't."
"By killing them?" The question came from Thomas Blackwood—the man Marcus had warned us about. He was sitting directly across from Alexander's chair, a position that put him in the symbolic role of challenger.
"By whatever means necessary to protect my client and the innocent people around him."
Thomas stood up slowly. He was a big man, probably six-foot-five and built like a linebacker. When he smiled, I could see the tips of fangs.
"Your client," he repeated. "Is that what Alexander is to you? Just another paycheck?"
I felt Alexander's hand brush against mine, a subtle gesture of support. "Mr. Kane is someone I respect and trust. Someone whose judgment I've learned to rely on."
"Even though he's a monster?"
The room went dead quiet. I could feel the tension ratchet up about ten notches, and I realized this was the moment everything would be decided.
"Mr. Blackwood," I said, keeping my voice calm and professional, "I've spent five years dealing with actual monsters. Creatures who kill for pleasure, who prey on the weak, who use their power to hurt innocent people. Alexander Kane isn't one of them."
"How can you be sure?"
"Because I've seen him at his worst, and even then, his first instinct was to protect others, not hurt them."
Thomas's eyes narrowed. "You've seen him at his worst? What exactly does that mean?"
I looked at Alexander, who gave me the slightest nod.
"It means I've seen what the curse does to him. I've seen him fight it with everything he has, even when fighting it causes him agony. I've seen him choose to suffer rather than risk hurting someone else." I looked around the room, meeting as many eyes as I could. "That's not the behavior of a monster. That's the behavior of a man trying to do the right thing under impossible circumstances."
"The curse," Victoria said, leaning forward in her chair. "You know about the curse."
"I know about it. I've seen its effects. And I've helped Alexander manage them."
Another murmur ran through the room, this one definitely more surprised than hostile.
Marcus stepped forward from his position near the wall. "Helped him how?"
This was dangerous territory. I couldn't tell them about the blood treatments without revealing too much about my own abilities. But I couldn't lie either—not to a room full of werewolves who could probably smell deception.
"I've learned techniques that help him maintain control during difficult periods," I said carefully. "Methods that reduce the curse's impact and allow him to function normally."
"What kind of techniques?" Thomas demanded.
Alexander spoke up for the first time since the questioning began. "The kind that are none of your business, Thomas."
"Aren't they? You've been compromised for five years, Alex. Five years of putting this pack at risk because you couldn't control your own transformations. Now suddenly you show up with a human who claims she can help, right after a team of hunters nearly killed you in your own office building. Don't you think we deserve some answers?"
"I think you deserve respect for your Alpha's choices," Alexander said, and I could hear the edge of authority in his voice. "I think you deserve to trust that I'm doing what's best for this pack."
"Trust?" Thomas laughed, but it wasn't a pleasant sound. "Alex, you've been isolated for months. You've fired half your security staff, you've avoided pack gatherings, and now you're asking us to accept a human hunter into our most sensitive business. Where exactly is the trust supposed to come from?"
"From five years of successful leadership. From the fact that our territory is secure, our businesses are profitable, and our people are safe."
"Are they? Because according to my sources, there was a significant security breach yesterday. Armed hunters in downtown Los Angeles, targeting our Alpha. How exactly does that qualify as keeping our people safe?"
Alexander's hands clenched into fists. "That situation was handled."
"Was it? Or was it handled for you?" Thomas's gaze shifted to me. "Tell me, Miss Mitchell, were you surprised when your former colleagues showed up yesterday?"
The question was loaded with implication, and I knew my answer would determine whether these people saw me as an ally or an enemy.
"Yes, I was surprised. I was also concerned, because their presence put Alexander at risk."
"But you knew they were coming."
"I knew my organization would eventually follow up on my assignment. I didn't know when or how."
"Your assignment," Victoria repeated. "Which was?"
I took a deep breath. This was it—the moment where I either committed fully to Alexander's side or tried to maintain my cover story.
"To get close to Alexander and assess whether he posed a threat to human security."
The room erupted. Multiple conversations broke out at once, voices raised in anger and alarm. Someone—I think it was David—shouted something about "infiltration" and "betrayal." Thomas was on his feet, pointing an accusing finger at Alexander.
"You brought a spy into our home!"
"Enough!" Alexander's voice cut through the chaos like a blade. The Alpha power in it made everyone fall silent instantly. "Scarlett has done nothing but risk her life to protect me and this pack. If anyone has a problem with that, they can discuss it with me privately."
"Alex," Marcus said quietly, "you can't be serious. She just admitted she's been spying on you."
"She admitted she was given an assignment by people who didn't understand the situation. She also chose to fulfill that assignment by protecting me instead of betraying me." Alexander moved closer to me, a gesture of solidarity that wasn't lost on anyone in the room. "That's called loyalty. Some of you might want to look it up."
Thomas's face was turning red with anger. "This is exactly what I'm talking about, Alex. You've lost perspective. You're so desperate for companionship that you're willing to trust someone whose job it is to hunt us."
"Her job," Alexander said coldly, "was to evaluate whether I was a threat. She's done that evaluation, and she's concluded that I'm not. I'd say that shows excellent judgment."
"Or excellent manipulation," Victoria added. "How do we know this isn't all part of some larger plan? How do we know she isn't feeding information back to her handlers?"
"Because," I said, speaking for the first time since the questioning intensified, "if I wanted to betray Alexander or this pack, I've had dozens of opportunities to do it. I know his schedule, his security protocols, his weaknesses. I know where he lives, where he works, and who he trusts. If I were still working for the organization that sent me, he'd already be dead or captured."
"Would he?" Thomas challenged. "Or would you be playing a longer game? Getting him dependent on you, learning everything you can about our operations, waiting for the right moment to strike?"
"The right moment to strike was three weeks ago when I first gained access to his office. Or two weeks ago when I learned about his curse. Or any night I've been alone with him since then." I looked around the room again. "If you think I'm here to hurt Alexander, then you think I'm the worst hunter in history. Because I've had more opportunities than I could count."
Marcus cleared his throat. "She has a point, Thomas. If Miss Mitchell wanted to hurt Alex, she's had plenty of chances."
"Unless the goal isn't to hurt him," Victoria said thoughtfully. "Unless the goal is something else entirely."
"Like what?" Alexander asked.
"Like using him to get to us. Like learning everything she can about our community so her people can move against all of us at once."
The accusation hung in the air like poison gas. I could see the suspicion spreading through the room, the way people were starting to look at me like I was a snake who'd somehow gotten into their garden party.
"That's not what this is," I said firmly.
"Isn't it?" Thomas was circling now, like a predator preparing to strike. "Because it's an awfully convenient coincidence that you showed up right when Alex was most vulnerable. Right when his curse was getting worse and his control was slipping. Almost like someone planned it that way."
I felt something cold settle in my stomach. Because Thomas was right about the timing, even if he was wrong about my intentions.
"I was assigned to investigate Alexander because he's powerful and influential," I said. "That's not a coincidence—that's the point. My organization focuses on supernatural individuals who have the most impact on human society."
"And now that you've investigated him?"
I looked at Alexander, who was watching me with an intensity that made my chest tight. "Now I've decided they were wrong about him being a threat."
"Just like that?" Victoria's voice dripped skepticism. "You've abandoned years of training and loyalty to your organization because you've decided our Alpha is a nice guy?"
"I've decided he's worth protecting."
"Why?" Thomas demanded. "What's so special about Alexander Kane that a professional hunter would betray her own people?"
The question hit me like a physical blow, because I wasn't sure I could answer it without revealing more than I wanted to. Why had I chosen Alexander over the organization that raised me? Why was I standing in a room full of werewolves, defending a man I'd been sent to capture?
"Because," I said, the words coming out rougher than I intended, "he's the first person in nine years who's looked at me and seen something worth saving instead of just a weapon to be aimed."
The silence that followed felt different—less hostile, more considering. I could see questions forming behind their eyes, curiosity mixing with suspicion.
Alexander stepped closer to me, close enough that I could feel the heat of his body. "Scarlett has saved my life multiple times. She's risked her own safety to protect me and this pack. If that's not enough proof of her loyalty, then I don't know what is."
"It's proof of something," Marcus said carefully. "The question is what."
"It's proof that she's exactly what I've been looking for," Alexander said, and there was something in his voice that made everyone in the room go very still. "Someone I can trust completely. Someone who understands the risks I face and is willing to help me face them. Someone who makes me stronger instead of weaker."
Thomas was staring at Alexander like he'd just announced he was joining the circus. "Alex, please tell me you're not saying what I think you're saying."
"What am I saying, Thomas?"
"That you've chosen a human over your pack. That you've decided some hunter is more important than the people who've stood by you for decades."
Alexander's eyes flashed with anger. "I've decided that the person who's helped me control a curse that's been destroying me for five years might be worth listening to. I've decided that someone who's proven her loyalty through actions instead of words deserves our respect." He looked around the room, meeting every gaze. "If that's a problem for anyone here, they're welcome to challenge me for leadership. Right now."
The challenge hung in the air like a gauntlet thrown down. In the silence that followed, I could hear my own heartbeat and smell the tension that seemed to roll off everyone in the room.
Thomas was the first to break. "Alex, I'm not challenging your leadership. I'm questioning your judgment."
"My judgment brought this pack through five years of crisis. My judgment has kept our businesses profitable and our territory secure. My judgment is the reason none of you have had to deal with the kind of supernatural threats that are destroying packs in other cities." Alexander's voice was pure Alpha authority now. "If you want to question that judgment, then you're questioning whether I'm fit to be your Alpha. And if you're doing that, then we need to settle this properly."
Marcus stepped forward quickly. "Nobody's questioning your fitness as Alpha, Alex. We're concerned about this specific situation."
"Are you? Because it sounds to me like you're all upset that I've found someone who can help me be a better leader. It sounds like you're angry that I'm not suffering anymore."
The accusation hit the room like a slap. Several people shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
Victoria was the first to respond. "That's not fair, Alexander."
"Isn't it? For five years, you've all watched me struggle with this curse. You've seen me isolate myself, avoid pack gatherings, refuse close relationships because I was afraid of hurting people. Now I've found someone who can help me manage the curse, someone who makes me stronger and more stable, and your first reaction is suspicion?" Alexander's voice was bitter. "Maybe the problem isn't my judgment, Victoria. Maybe the problem is that you've gotten used to having a weak Alpha."
"Alex," Marcus said quietly, "that's not—"
"It's not what? It's not true?" Alexander looked around the room again. "When's the last time any of you came to me with a problem instead of trying to handle it yourselves? When's the last time you trusted me to make a difficult decision without questioning every aspect of it?"
The silence was deafening.
"That's what I thought." Alexander turned to me. "Come on, Scarlett. We're leaving."
"Alexander, wait," Thomas called out. "We're not finished here."
"Yes, we are." Alexander stopped at the door and looked back at the room full of werewolves. "You want to know why I trust Scarlett? Because she's the only person in five years who's looked at me and seen someone worth saving instead of someone to be managed. She's the only person who's tried to help me instead of just containing the damage I might cause."
He opened the door and gestured for me to go ahead of him. As we walked out, I could hear the eruption of voices behind us—arguments, accusations, and what sounded like at least one shouting match.
But Alexander didn't look back.
We were halfway to the car when Marcus caught up with us.
"Alex, wait up."
Alexander stopped but didn't turn around. "What, Marcus?"
"Look, I get that you're angry. But you can't just walk away from the pack council."
"Can't I?" Alexander turned to face his beta. "Because it seems to me like they've already made up their minds about Scarlett. And if they can't accept her, then maybe they can't accept me either."
"That's not what this is about."
"Isn't it?" Alexander's laugh was bitter. "Marcus, I've been Alpha of this pack for fifteen years. In all that time, have I ever made a decision that put our people at risk?"
"No, but—"
"Have I ever chosen personal desires over pack security?"
"Alex, that's not the point—"
"It's exactly the point!" Alexander's voice rose. "For five years, I've been a liability to this pack. I've been weak, isolated, dangerous. Now I'm finally strong again, finally in control, and instead of celebrating that, you're all looking for ways to tear it down."
Marcus glanced at me, then back at Alexander. "We just want to make sure you're thinking clearly."
"I'm thinking more clearly than I have in years. And what I'm thinking is that maybe it's time for some changes around here."
"What kind of changes?"
Alexander was quiet for a long moment, and when he spoke, his voice was deadly calm. "The kind where people either trust their Alpha's judgment or find themselves a new one."
Marcus's eyes widened. "Alex, you can't mean that."
"Can't I? Because right now, it seems like you all think I'm too compromised to lead effectively. If that's the case, then maybe you need to decide whether you want me as your Alpha or not."
"Of course we want you as our Alpha. That's not—"
"Then start acting like it." Alexander opened the car door for me, then looked back at Marcus one more time. "I'll be at the downtown office tomorrow morning. Anyone who wants to discuss pack business like adults is welcome to join me. Anyone who wants to keep playing games can stay here and argue among themselves."
As we drove away from the estate, I could see Marcus standing in the circular drive, watching us go. In the rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of other faces at the mansion's windows—pack members trying to figure out what had just happened.
"Well," I said after a few minutes of silence, "that went better than expected."
Alexander snorted. "Did it?"
"Nobody tried to kill me. I'm counting that as a win."
"They will if they think you're a threat to pack security." Alexander's hands were gripping the steering wheel hard enough that I could see the tension in his knuckles. "Scarlett, I need you to understand something. What happened back there—that wasn't just pack politics. That was a test."
"A test of what?"
"Of whether I'm still fit to be Alpha. Of whether my judgment can be trusted. Of whether I'm putting pack needs ahead of personal desires." Alexander glanced at me. "And I think I might have failed."
"Why? Because you defended me?"
"Because I chose you over them. Because when forced to pick a side, I picked yours instead of theirs." Alexander's voice was quiet. "Because for the first time in fifteen years of leadership, I put my own needs ahead of the pack's."
I thought about that as we wound our way down the mountain road. "Maybe that's not a bad thing."
"What do you mean?"
"Maybe putting your own needs first for once doesn't make you a bad Alpha. Maybe it makes you human."
Alexander was quiet for several miles after that. But when he finally spoke, his voice was thoughtful.
"Scarlett?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For standing up to them. For not running when things got ugly."
"Where would I run to?"
"Back to your organization. Back to the life you had before you met me." Alexander's silver eyes found mine in the dim light from the dashboard. "It would be easier than staying here and dealing with all this mess."
I thought about that—about the clean certainty of my old life, where the lines between good and evil were clearly drawn and my job was simple. Kill the monsters, protect the innocent, follow orders.
"Yeah," I said finally. "It would be easier. But easier isn't always better."
"No," Alexander agreed. "It's not."
As we headed back toward the city, I realized that something fundamental had shifted tonight. Not just in my relationship with Alexander, but in my understanding of what I wanted from life.
For nine years, I'd been a weapon in someone else's war. Tonight, for the first time, I'd chosen my own side.
The question was whether that choice would end up saving us both, or destroying everything we'd tried to build together.
But looking at Alexander's profile in the darkness, seeing the way he'd stood up for me against his own people, I thought it might be worth finding out.
Even if it killed me.
End of Chapter 7