My Ex Alpha Tried Abducting Me

The crackling fire cast dancing shadows across my Hamptons packhouse living room. I stood before the marble fireplace, a stack of Polaroid photos in my hands—remnants of a past I'd buried long ago. Each photo showed a younger version of myself alongside Nathaniel, his arm draped possessively around my shoulders at various pack gatherings.

"Such a shame to burn these," Marcus said from behind me, though his tone suggested otherwise. "They're quite the conversation piece."

"They're nothing but reminders of my stupidity," I replied, my voice steady despite the memories threatening to surface.

I lifted the first photo—Nathaniel and me at the Winter Solstice ceremony, his lips pressed against my cheek in a staged gesture of affection. The camera had captured his eyes wandering to another she-wolf even as he posed with me.

"You don't have to do this," Marcus said softly.

"Yes, I do."

I touched the corner of the photo to the flame, watching as it caught fire. The edges curled, blackening before disintegrating into ash. One by one, I fed the photos to the hungry flames, each one representing a lie I'd once believed.

"He never loved me," I said, watching the last photo burn. "He loved what I represented—status, power, a trophy to display."

Marcus nodded, his eyes reflecting the firelight. "And now?"

"Now I'm someone else's trophy," I said with a small smile, twisting the blue diamond ring on my finger. "But with Leonardo, I'm also his equal."

The flames consumed the final remnants of my past with Nathaniel. As the ashes settled in the hearth, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders—a symbolic severing of the last emotional ties binding me to that trauma.

---

Later that night, I sat on the balcony overlooking the Atlantic, the ocean waves crashing rhythmically against the shore. The moon hung full and bright above me, bathing everything in silver light.

"Nathaniel won't stop," I whispered into the night air, knowing Leonardo would hear me through our mate bond.

I closed my eyes, feeling the immediate response—Leonardo's presence flooding my mind like warm honey.

"I know, my Queen," his voice resonated in my thoughts, deep and comforting. "Marcus has kept me updated."

"I burned the photos tonight," I told him, remembering how the flames had reflected in my eyes. "It felt... cleansing."

"You don't need to cleanse yourself of anything," he replied, his mental voice wrapping around me like his arms. "You did nothing wrong."

I leaned back in my chair, letting his presence wash over me. Even thousands of miles apart, Leonardo's cedarwood and mint scent seemed to envelop me—a shield against the world.

"He makes me feel dirty," I admitted, hating the vulnerability in my voice. "Just seeing him again, hearing his voice..."

"Then I'll wash him away," Leonardo promised, his tone shifting to something darker, more possessive. "I'm coming home tomorrow."

"So soon?" I asked, surprised. "The Tokyo deal—"

"Can be handled by video conference," he finished. "Nothing is more important than you."

I smiled, tracing the mate mark on my neck—his mark. "What are you going to do?"

"What any Lycan King would do when someone disrespects his Queen," he replied, his mental voice vibrating with power. "I'm going to remind Nathaniel Ross of his place."

---

Two days later, I was reviewing acquisition reports in my corporate office when my assistant's voice came through the intercom.

"Ms. Howell, there's a Ms. Baker here to see you. She doesn't have an appointment, but she says it's urgent."

Liana Baker. Nathaniel's Beta female. The mother of his twins.

"Send her in," I said, straightening in my chair.

Liana entered my office with the confidence of a woman who believed she held leverage. She wore a fitted dress that showcased her figure, her hair styled perfectly despite the desperation in her eyes.

"Elena," she began, her voice honeyed with false warmth. "Thank you for seeing me."

"You have five minutes," I replied coolly, not bothering to offer her a seat.

She perched on the edge of the chair across from me anyway. "I'll be direct. I'm here about Nathaniel."

"How predictable," I murmured.

"I have his children," she said, placing a photo on my desk—two adorable pups with Nathaniel's chestnut hair. "Twins. Liam and Luna."

I didn't touch the photo. "Congratulations. What does this have to do with me?"

"Stay away from him," she pleaded, her voice cracking. "He's... he's obsessed with you. He's planning to leave us—his own children—for you."

I leaned forward, allowing just a hint of my Lycan Queen aura to surface. Liana flinched but held her ground.

"I want to be absolutely clear," I said, each word precise and cutting. "I have zero interest in reclaiming the trash you collected."

Her face paled. "He was yours first—"

"He was never mine," I interrupted, rising from my chair. "And now he's yours to keep."

As Liana stumbled from my office, I caught a glimpse of something dangerous flashing in her eyes—something that told me this confrontation was far from over.