Shadows Of The Pack (Aria and Knox)

Seraphina cautiously turned the doorknob and pushed open the door to the room she shared with Julian. She entered the dimly lit space, her steps light and careful, trying not to disturb Julian in case he was in bed. The moonlight filtering through the curtains cast a gentle glow on the room, illuminating scattered clothes and personal belongings.
"You can't be quiet even when you try," Julian's voice cut through the silence, his words laced with irritation and disappointment. Seraphina froze in her tracks, her heart skipping a beat as she released a silent breath. Slowly, she turned to face him, her eyes filled with a mixture of apprehension and remorse.
Julian remained motionless, his face betraying no emotion as he stared at her. The silence hung heavily in the air, charged with the unspoken tension between them. Seraphina mustered the courage to speak, her voice barely above a whisper. "I told you not to come in here, Seraphina," Julian said, his tone cold and detached.
Her eyes welled up with tears, and her voice trembled as she responded, "It's been a whole day. You can't possibly still be angry."
Julian paused, his eyes studying her for a moment before he responded, his voice heavy with a mix of anger and hurt. "Anger? No, Seraphina. I'm livid. What were you thinking, asking him to come back here?"
Her gaze dropped to the floor as she struggled to find the right words. "I just wanted to meet my father," she replied softly, her voice tinged with vulnerability. Julian's impassive expression wavered slightly, revealing a glimpse of pain beneath his hardened exterior. "And you didn't think to inform me about it first? The only threat to my claim was Aria. I managed to take care of her since you were too incompetent to do it," he spat out, his words biting like venom.
Seraphina's eyes flickered with hurt, but Julian didn't pause to consider the impact of his words. "And now you asked Lucas to return to the pack to threaten my position. Maybe I should have listened to what the wolves have been saying," he continued, his voice filled with a potent mix of anger and betrayal. His tone shifted, the anger giving way to a raw sense of hurt. "Why didn't you think? I told you about Lucas' ambitions. Did you think he would come back here and not want to be the Alpha?"
Seraphina bowed her head, her shoulders slumping under the weight of guilt and remorse. "I didn't think. I'm really sorry," she whispered, her voice filled with genuine regret. Julian sighed tiredly, the intensity of his emotions momentarily subsiding as weariness washed over him. He approached Seraphina, his steps slow and deliberate, closing the distance between them.
"Lucas is a threat, one that must be removed," Julian stated firmly, his voice laced with determination as he gripped her neck, "Tell me now, are you with me or against me?" Seraphina's mind raced, torn between her loyalty to Julian and the desire to reconcile with her father. She kept quiet for a few seconds, contemplating her choices before sighing, "I'm with you."
Julian nodded, a glimmer of reassurance flickering in his eyes. "Good," he replied, his voice filled with a mix of relief and resolve. "Now, take off your clothes and get on the bed." Seraphina's brows furrowed, her face reflecting confusion and hesitation. "Julian, I'm not in the mood," she protested softly.
In an instant, Julian's expression transformed. His eyes flashed with his wolf, his grip on Seraphina tightening as he pulled her forward roughly. His fingers tightened around her delicate neck, a gesture that conveyed both possession and dominance. Seraphina's breath caught in her throat, a mixture of fear and disbelief washing over her.
"I don't care what you're in the mood for," Julian growled, his voice low and menacing. "Take off your clothes and get on the fucking bed right now."
 ******************
Knox's massive black wolf prowled silently through the dense woods, its fur blending seamlessly with the shadows. Each step was calculated, each movement executed with unwavering determination. As he approached the border of the Moonlight pack's territory, a surge of anticipation surged through his veins.
Halting at the boundary, Knox's wolf gradually surrendered to the force of his will, submitting to the shift. In a flurry of seconds, the majestic wolf transformed into a tall, imposing figure of a man. With a commanding presence, he stood before Tom, who instinctively bowed his head in deference.
"Clothes," Knox's deep voice resonated with authority, "where do you keep the clothes for shifters?"
Tom, still keeping his head lowered, quickly pointed to a corner of the room, where a tree stood with a peculiar bend. Hidden within its trunk were garments tailored specifically for shapeshifters. Retrieving the clothes, Tom handed them to Knox.

Knox reemerged clothed, "Did you see a she wolf today? Aria? The wolf I came with the last time I visited?"
Tom, remaining respectful, answered, "Yes, Alpha Knox She is within our territory. Have you come to get her?"
Knox's eyes narrowed, his voice tinged with a hint of irritation. "I fail to see how that is any of your business."
Realizing his overstep, Tom immediately lowered his gaze further. "My apologies, Alpha Knox. I meant no disrespect."
Without offering Tom another glance, Knox strode purposefully into the heart of the pack's territory. His wolf picked up her scent immediately, purring in delight at being so close to her wolf.
As he approached the pack house, Knox's steps grew resolute, fueled by an unyielding determination. His eyes locked onto Lilian as soon as he entered who greeted him with a warm smile.
"She is in the last room down the hallway," Lilian informed him, her voice carrying a blend of reassurance and understanding.
Acknowledging her guidance with a simple nod, Knox proceeded without uttering a single word. Each step propelled him closer to his mate, his heart pounding in anticipation. The world outside seemed to fade away as he focused solely on getting to her.
Within the confines of her room, Aria painstakingly removed the pins that held her long, wavy black hair up. As the cascade of dark tresses fell gracefully down her back, she reached for a brush, intending to tame the wild strands. However, her movement froze, and a sense of foreboding washed over her as Knox's voice reverberated through the room.
"Don't," his voice, low and intimate, cut through the silence, freezing her in place. "Your hair looks beautiful as it is."
Aria took a few seconds to regain her composure, her eyes turning to meet Knox's unwavering gaze. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice laced with a mix of defiance and curiosity.
"I'm here to get you," Knox's voice resonated with unwavering conviction. "We are leaving."
A mocking smile curled on Aria's lips as a wave of anger surged within her. "You're here to get me? Do I look like some kind of fucking property?" Aria's voice dripped with sarcasm and defiance, her eyes narrowing as she challenged Knox's presence.
Knox let out a weary sigh, the weight of their complicated history and the magnitude of his task weighing heavily upon him. "I didn't come here to fight, Aria," he spoke, his voice softer now, laced with a hint of remorse. "Just get your things and let's go."
Aria's fiery spirit refused to back down. "You shouldn't have even bothered coming at all," she retorted, her voice filled with bitterness. "I'm not going anywhere with you. You are not my Alpha anymore, so I do not take orders from you."
Two steps brought Knox closer to her, the distance between them shrinking as he sought to bridge the emotional chasm that had formed between them. "If you come any closer, I swear on the moon goddess' name that I will scream," Aria threatened, her defiance undeterred.
Like you screamed that night?"
Aria's eyes flashed with anger, her fists clenching at her sides. "Don't fucking start with me," she seethed, her voice trembling with suppressed emotions. "Now get the fuck out of my room."
Knox's resolve hardened, his hands folding together as he took a stance, unwilling to back down. "I'm not leaving here without you," he declared firmly, his voice carrying a newfound determination. "We are mates, Aria. You belong in the Nightshade pack."
Aria's expression twisted into a mask of defiance and pain. "Then you're going to be here a really long time," she spat, her voice laced with a bitterness that mirrored her wounded heart. "You might as well just ask Alpha Randy for permission to join his pack."
"Why are you being so stubborn?" Knox's voice softened again, pleading for her to understand, to give them a chance at redemption. "I am not being stubborn, Knox," Aria shot back, her voice wavering with a mix of anger and sorrow. "I want you to get out. Is that so hard to understand?"
Knox folded his hands, silently conveying the message that he was not going anywhere.
Aria gritted her teeth with irritation, "Someone had better inform the Nightshade pack that they just lost their Alpha."
 ****************
Melody's smile illuminated the room as she delicately placed the cup of water on the side table. "Knox is the best Alpha. You are going to love him," she assured her mother, Adeline, who smiled back at her, her gaze fixed upon her grown-up daughter.
Melody fidgeted slightly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "What? Do I have something on my face?" she asked, perplexed by her mother's intense scrutiny.
"No, Mel. I just never thought I would see you again," Adeline replied, her voice tinged with a mixture of joy and nostalgia. "Look at how big you have grown. You're not my little girl anymore."
Taking a seat at the edge of the bed, Melody couldn't help but let her mind wander to the painful memories of the past. "Did Dad survive the attack? Did anyone else make it out alive?" Her eyes brimmed with sadness and concern.