Tangled Hearts - The Alpha's Baby Mama-Chapter 291: Alliances...

Xavier POV

I stared at the maps spread across my desk trying to make sense of the it. I’ve never needed this... never. Now with the threat at our borders, I had no choice but to use the maps.

I stared at the routes outside of Greyhound territory crisscrossed in intricate patterns, each leading to either potential allies or danger. I traced my finger along one of the paths, eyes narrowing as I considered the risk of sending scouts or soldiers out for help. We needed reinforcements, information, anything. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

Not to mention, yesterday, four strange men had shown up at our borders asking for Selene. They hadn’t provided me with adequate information as to why they were looking for her but I still couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

The men had talked about Kragen and Selene but didn’t provide more details.

And since those men showed up at our borders asking about Selene, things had gotten darker, and more intense. The tension in the pack was palpable, and my mind raced with too many unknowns. How could we be sure who to trust? Who would help us if we asked? And more importantly—who would turn on us?

I leaned back in my chair, running a hand through my hair as my frustration mounted. The situation was spiralling, and I felt like we were running out of time. I needed to figure out a plan to secure the pack, protect Selene, and unravel whatever Kragen had planned.

A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts, and I tensed. Before I could call out, the door swung open with a sudden force. The scent of blood hit me first, sharp and metallic, sending a wave of alarm through my senses.

Jared—Alpha Jared of the Blue Moon Pack—strode in, his presence filling the room with authority and danger. Behind him, two of his warriors dragged a bleeding Lucius, his head hanging limply, his body bruised and battered. His eyes were barely open, his face twisted in pain, yet somehow defiant.

"Xavier," Jared greeted me, his tone calm but edged with something dark. His eyes flicked toward Lucius, who groaned softly as the warriors dumped him onto the floor. Blood smeared across the floorboards, pooling beneath him.

I shot up from my chair, my eyes flicking between Jared and Lucius. "What the hell is going on?" My voice came out rough, my Alpha instincts kicking in. This was my territory. Jared had no right to walk in here and do this.

Jared, tall and imposing, crossed the room with slow, deliberate steps, stopping only when he reached the centre of my office. His sharp blue eyes locked onto mine, but he didn’t answer right away. Instead, he turned his gaze down to Lucius, who lay crumpled and barely conscious at his feet.

"This," Jared said finally, gesturing to Lucius with a dismissive wave, "is a warning."

I narrowed my eyes, feeling my blood simmering with barely restrained rage. "A warning for what?" My tone was sharp, but I kept my voice level, fighting the urge to tear into him right then and there.

Jared’s lips curled into a thin smile as if he was savouring the tension. "For what’s coming. You need to listen, Xavier. There’s an evil brewing. And you and your pack are standing right in its path."

I stared at him, my heart pounding. "What are you talking about?"

Jared’s eyes darkened, and the casual arrogance in his demeanour shifted into something more serious. "I came here because we need to talk about Selene and Kragen."

My instincts flared at the mention of their names. "What about them?"

Jared took a step closer, lowering his voice. "You’ve seen it, haven’t you? The way things have changed. The way people are drawn to her, the way Kragen shadows her every move. Selene’s presence has unsettled the balance. But it’s more than just that, Xavier. It’s not about power. It’s about what they are."

I didn’t like the way he said it. As if Selene was something to be feared, to be hunted. My jaw tightened. "You’re saying she’s a threat?"

Jared’s eyes gleamed. "Not just a threat—she’s the key to something darker. You’ve heard the rumours, haven’t you? The whispers that have been spreading through the packs. Kragen isn’t just some rogue who happened to take an interest in her. He’s orchestrating something much bigger, and Selene is at the centre of it. She will usher in the Dark Age if we don’t stop her."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I clenched my fists, trying to hold back the tide of emotion surging inside me. Selene? The woman I had sworn to protect? The mother of my children?

I couldn’t believe it.

But Jared wasn’t done. "Kragen’s been manipulating her from the start. He’s using her to gain power, to push her to do things she doesn’t even understand. And once he has complete control over her, it’ll be too late to stop them. The darkness will spread, and no pack will be safe."

I felt my chest tighten as his words sank in. I wanted to deny it, to argue that Selene was good, that she would never let that happen. But doubt gnawed at me. Kragen had been too close, too involved in everything. And there were so many things I still didn’t understand about Selene’s power.

"Why would you care?" I asked, my voice low but steady. "Why would you come here, to my territory, to warn me?"

Jared’s expression hardened. "Because I need you. This is bigger than just one pack, Xavier. This is a war that’s coming. I’m putting together an alliance—packs that are willing to fight back, to stop the evil before it spreads. But I can’t do it alone. I need your strength, your resources. I need your soldiers."

I shook my head, my mind racing. "You’re talking about going to war over a prophecy? Over rumours?"

"This isn’t just a prophecy," Jared snapped, his eyes flashing with frustration. "This is real. You’ve seen the signs and felt the changes. You know something’s wrong, even if you don’t want to admit it. And if you wait too long to act, you won’t have a pack left to protect."

My gaze drifted to Lucius, lying motionless on the floor, his breath shallow. He had been a loyal soldier—strong, capable. Now he was broken, a symbol of the power Jared’s warriors wielded. And of the warning he had brought.

I turned back to Jared, my voice tight with anger. "And if I refuse? What happens then?"

Jared’s smile returned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Then you’ll be alone when the storm hits. And trust me, it’s coming. Whether you want it or not."

Silence fell between us, heavy and charged with tension. I felt the weight of his words pressing down on me, the gravity of the decision I had to make. Joining Jared’s alliance meant turning against Selene, and questioning everything I had fought to protect. But if I didn’t—if I ignored the warning and the danger was real—I would be dooming my pack to destruction.

The door to my office creaked as one of Jared’s warriors shifted, drawing my attention for a split second. I looked at Lucius again, his blood pooling on the floorboards, and my chest tightened.

I needed answers, more than Jared’s cryptic warnings. I needed to know if Selene was truly at the heart of this storm, or if Jared was using fear to manipulate me into siding with him.

"I’m not making any decisions until I have all the facts," I said finally, my voice firm. "I won’t jump into an alliance based on fear."

Jared’s expression darkened, his lips tightening into a thin line. "You don’t have time to wait, Xavier. The longer you hesitate, the stronger Kragen gets. The stronger she gets."

He turned away, motioning to his warriors. "But I won’t push you. Not yet. Think about it. We’ll speak again soon."

I watched as he walked towards the door after discarding Lucas, that was when he hit me. How had he gotten in? Outside our pack was crawling with those strange wolves. How did he manage to go past them without getting dictated?

The door closed with a heavy thud, leaving me alone in the silence of my office. I stood there for a moment, the scent of blood still thick in the air, Jared’s words echoing in my mind.

Could he be right? Could Selene and Kragen be the key to some dark force that would consume us all?

Without waiting, I hurried after him, I needed to know how he had managed to come in. Just as I opened the door, I saw Gamma Theo sprinting lightly in my direction.

"Alpha Xavier!" he panted when he got close. "I think those strange creatures are working with Alpha Jared. They’ve retreated, went with him as soon as he left our pack."