Feral Bonds: Claimed By Rogue Alpha Brothers

Evaline:

River's question cut through the haze in my mind like a blade. My panic didn't vanish, but it dulled - replaced by sharp awareness. I was suddenly hyper-conscious of every tremor in my body, every breath that still came too fast, every ounce of vulnerability I had just exposed.

He had seen too much.

More than anyone ever had.

And I needed to fix that... fast.

Swallowing hard, I pulled my shoulders back, straightened up, and forced the emotion from my voice. "It's nothing," I said, too quickly, too flatly. "Let's get back to the main hall. We have been gone too long."

I turned toward the door, needing the distance more than anything. But before I could reach it, River moved.

Fast.

He stepped in front of me and blocked the door with his body, one hand braced against the wood behind him. "No."

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"What's going on with you and Ethan?" he repeated, quieter this time, but there was steel beneath the calm.

"I told you," I said, forcing my tone into something dismissive. "It's not-"

"No." He cut me off.

I reached for the door handle behind him, but his hand shot out and caught mine.

Before I could react, everything shifted.

One second I was trying to push past him. The next, I was pinned.

My back hit the wall beside the door, not hard - but firm enough that it knocked the breath from my lungs. River's hands had captured mine, both of them held high above my head. His grip wasn't painful, but it was unyielding. His body was close... too close... and his eyes were locked on mine with an intensity I had never seen from him before.

I froze, stunned.

"River-what the hell-"

"You reacted like he was someone you are terrified of," he said quietly, cutting me off again. "You grabbed me like I was the only thing keeping you from breaking down completely. And now you are pretending it was nothing?"

I opened my mouth, but he didn't give me a chance.

"Ethan Blackwood," he went on, his voice low, "only son of Alpha Blackwood of Bloodmoon Pack. A small pack, neighboring Shadowfang. The two have been allies for decades. Strong alliance. Trade routes. Warrior aid. Mutual celebrations. Even some marriage talk in the past."

My breath caught.

His eyes narrowed. "He was rumored to be your only friend. The one who pulled you out of isolation. Always at your side, even when the rest of the pack ignored you." His voice dropped lower. "So why did you look like you had seen a ghost when he appeared? What happened between you two?"

My stomach turned to stone.

He had done his research. Into me.

He knew.

He knew more than he was saying.

"You investigated me," I said, the accusation slipping from my lips like venom. "You actually looked into my past."

He didn't deny it. Didn't even look guilty.

His expression was unreadable. "Of course I did."

Of course.

Why wouldn't he?

Considering our relation, he had every reason to dig into my past.

I wasn't just his enemy's daughter anymore, I had become his assistant - someone he brought into his inner circle, someone he was entrusting with secrets, business, alliances. He needed to know who he was dealing with. And now I knew - he had looked into the life I had been trying so hard to bury.

The years that nearly broke me.

The lies. The betrayals. The rejection.

And Ethan…

Ethan had been at the center of it all.

But considering his question, he didn't seem to know that Ethan was my mate.

Still, a deep tremor passed through me and I felt my legs weaken. My knees almost buckled.

River noticed.

His grip tightened slightly, still careful, but I could feel his control - his strength. He could hold me there for as long as he wanted, and we both knew it.

But I wasn't going to fall apart. Not again. Not in front of him.

I forced myself to take a slow, steadying breath.

"Let go of me," I said, sounding calm... too calm.

My voice sounded like someone else's, cool and controlled, not the voice of a woman still unraveling inside.

For a moment, he didn't move. His eyes searched mine like he was looking for something - truth, weakness, maybe even guilt. But I held his gaze without flinching.

Then, finally, he stepped back.

Released my wrists.

The sudden absence of his touch left a strange emptiness behind, but I shoved the feeling away.

He took a few paces back, his expression unreadable once again. Watching. Waiting. But saying nothing.

Just like always.

I smoothed my sleeves down with trembling hands and cleared my throat. "Thank you. For earlier."

He didn't respond.

"You don't need to know anything about Ethan and me," I added, tilting my chin up. "It doesn't concern you."

His jaw clenched just slightly, but he didn't argue.

I didn't wait for a response this time.

I turned, opened the door, and walked out. And fortunately, he didn't try to stop me this time.

The hallway was quieter now, but I still felt the echo of that encounter pulsing in my bones. My hands were still tingling where he had held them. My chest waa still aching from the panic. But more than anything… my heart felt bruised. Not from seeing Ethan. But from realizing how much River knew.

And how much more he could know if I wasn't careful.

I returned to the main hall, straightening my back, forcing every emotion into the steel vault I had perfected over the years. The laughter, the hum of conversations, the clinking of glasses - it all swept over me in waves. I blended in like I always did. Just a shadow in the background. River didn't follow immediately, and I was glad for the space.

I needed to breathe.

I needed to think.

Unfortunately, if I thought the surprises were over with Ethan's return… I was so, so wrong.

He wasn't the end.

He was the beginning.

And the night hadn't even started yet.