Arranged To The Beast Alpha

DAMIEN'S POV.

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the pack grounds as I made my way back to the main house. The air was cool, but it did nothing to calm the storm raging inside me.

Jason is staying. Leah was avoiding me. The rogues at the border. It all felt like too much at once, like the weight of the world was pressing down on my chest, making it harder to breathe.

I passed a group of warriors sparring in the training yard, their grunts and the clash of fists against flesh filling the air. Normally, I'd stop and offer advice, maybe even join in to release some of the tension, but not today. Today, I needed space.

My feet carried me toward the forest, the familiar path to my favorite spot calling to me like a lifeline. It was a secluded clearing near the northern edge of the pack territory, surrounded by towering trees and a small, trickling stream. It was the one place where I could think, where the noise of the world seemed to fade away.

As I walked, my mind wandered back to the council meeting. The way they'd all looked at me, the way they'd pressured me to accept Jason back into the pack-it was infuriating. But what angered me more was the way Jason had stood there, so calm, so smug, as if he knew they'd side with him.

My wolf growled low in my chest, a sound of frustration and unease. "He's trouble," I muttered under my breath. "Always has been."

But even as I said the words, a part of me felt conflicted. Jason wasn't just trouble-he was a reminder of everything I'd tried to bury. Of the bond we once had. Of the betrayal I'd felt when I found out he and Leah were mates too.

Leah. Her name alone sent a pang through my chest. She'd been avoiding me ever since the incident at the lake, and I couldn't blame her. I'd been cold, distant, unable to explain the storm of emotions inside me. How could I tell her that seeing her with Jason had made me feel like I was losing her all over again?

I reached the clearing and sat down on a large, flat rock near the stream. The water trickled softly, the sound soothing, but my thoughts were anything but calm.

"She deserves the truth," I muttered to myself. But how could I tell her the truth when I could barely face it myself?

The snap of a twig behind me pulled me from my thoughts, and I was on my feet in an instant, my senses on high alert.noveldrama

"Relax, Alpha," a familiar voice said, and Kai stepped out from the trees, his hands raised in a mock gesture of surrender. "It's just me."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "What are you doing here, Kai?"

He shrugged, leaning against a tree. "I could ask you the same thing. You've been on edge all day. Figured you could use some company."

I didn't respond, turning back to the stream.

Kai stepped closer, his tone softer. "Damien, you can't keep bottling this up. Talk to

me."

"There's nothing to talk about," I said, my voice sharp.

Kai snorted. "Really? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're carrying the weight of the pack on your shoulders and then some."

I shot him a glare, but he didn't back down. That was one of the things I respected about Kai-he wasn't afraid to call me out, even when I didn't want to hear it.

After a long pause, I finally spoke. "It's Jason."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

"He's... he's a problem," I said, my fists clenching at my sides. "The council doesn't see it, but I do. He's going to cause chaos in the pack. And Leah... I don't know how to handle her when he's around."

Kai nodded slowly. "I get it. But Damien, you're the alpha. You've faced worse than this. Don't let him get under your skin."

"It's not that simple," I said, my voice low. "Jason and I... we have history. And Leah... she's tied to that history in ways she doesn't even understand."

Kai tilted his head, studying me. "You're talking about her powers, aren't you? The memory loss."

I nodded, my throat tightening. "She doesn't remember, Kai. She doesn't remember any of it. And I don't know if that's a blessing or a curse."

Kai was silent for a moment, then placed a hand on my shoulder. "You'll figure it out, Damien. You always do. But you can't keep running from it. Sooner or later, you're going to have to face the truth."

I nodded, though his words did little to ease the turmoil inside me.

As Kai turned to leave, he glanced back at me. "Oh, and Damien? Be careful. Jason's not the only threat we need to worry about. The rogues... they're getting bolder."

I watched him go, his words echoing in my mind. The rogues. Jason. Leah. It was too much, all of it. But I was the alpha, and I didn't have the luxury of falling apart.

I sat back down on the rock, staring at the stream as the sun dipped lower in the sky. The water flowed on, steady and unrelenting, a reminder that life didn't stop, no matter how heavy the burdens we carried. As the sun began to set, the forest around me turned golden, the light filtering through the canopy like shards of glass. The stream gurgled softly, the only sound in the otherwise silent clearing. Despite Kai's words of encouragement, I felt no closer to clarity. If anything, my thoughts were more tangled than ever.

I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, staring into the water. My reflection wavered in the ripples, distorted and unfamiliar. Who was I anymore? The strong, decisive alpha everyone relied on? Or the man drowning in a storm of emotions he couldn't control?

My wolf stirred uneasily. *We can't trust him,* it growled. *He wants what's ours.*

I exhaled sharply, closing my eyes. "Jason's not our enemy," I muttered under my breath, though even as I said it, doubt crept in.

"He's too close to her,x my wolf argued.

"Too close to Leah."

The mention of her name made my chest tighten.