My Fated Alpha's Cruel Game

Elena’s POV

"Everything’s under control. I can manage just fine." The words came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care.

"Alright, but you know where to find me if you need help." His hand moved to my shoulders, fingers pressing into my muscles. I jerked away from his touch and focused harder on my work, making sure to keep distance between us.

The moment he disappeared back into the office, another girl appeared at my side, ready to help with the heavy pallet I was wrestling with.

"Welcome to warehouse hell," she said with a knowing grin.

"Let me guess, this kind of thing happens regularly around here." I kept my hands busy, not bothering to look up.

"Oh yeah. You’re the shiny new target." Her smirk was all too familiar.

"He can keep dreaming." My response was cold enough to freeze water.

She got the message and drifted back to her own station without another word.

The hours crawled by as we worked through every delivery and emptied each pallet until nothing remained. By the time we finished, the afternoon sun was already high overhead. One o’clock came and went before I finally grabbed my belongings from the metal locker and headed for the exit.

The walk back toward the trailer should have been peaceful, but tension crawled up my spine when I spotted Beta Hugo positioned outside the local cafe. He didn’t call out or make any move toward me. Just stood there like a statue, his eyes tracking my every step.

"Elena, wait up." A familiar voice called from behind me.

"Miller." I turned to see him emerging from the same cafe where Hugo had been stationed.

"You’re looking much stronger these days. It’s good to see." His smile seemed genuine, which was more than I could say for most people around here.

"Yeah, well, I bounce back fast. Listen, I never properly thanked you for what you did that day." The memory of him stepping in when things got ugly still sat heavy in my chest.

"Don’t worry about it. Any decent pack member would have done the same thing." He paused, his expression darkening slightly. "Though we both know that’s not necessarily true."

"Exactly why I needed to say something. Thanks, Miller. I really mean it."

"You’re welcome. Take care of yourself out there."

I continued down the street, but it didn’t take long before I sensed another presence behind me. The footsteps were careful, measured, but not careful enough. Whoever was tailing me stayed back just far enough to think they were being subtle.

The game continued all the way to the trailer. When I reached the front door, I made a deliberate choice not to go inside. Instead, I circled around to the side of the building and waited.

Sure enough, my shadow followed the same path. The moment he rounded the corner, I struck. My fist connected with his jaw before he had time to react, and I drove my knee hard into his stomach for good measure. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

He doubled over but recovered faster than I expected. When I swung again, he caught my wrist and swept my legs. I hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind from my lungs.

Before I could roll away, he pinned me down with his full weight. I thrashed and bucked, trying to throw him off, but he held firm.

"Stop fighting and listen," he growled.

"Why the hell are you stalking me?" I spat back, still struggling beneath him.

"I’m following orders. The Alpha wants someone watching you around the clock." His voice was matter-of-fact, like he was discussing the weather.

"So Marcus’s having me spied on now?" Heat flared in my chest.

"Not spying. Protecting. He wants to make sure nobody tries to hurt you again." The explanation only confused me more.

"Get off me. Now."

"You gonna try to hit me again?"

"No. I’m going inside to mind my own business."

He released me and helped me to my feet. I brushed the dirt from my clothes and stalked toward the trailer door without looking back.

Inside, I slammed the door hard enough to rattle the windows. The hot shower that followed did nothing to wash away my frustration, but clean clothes and busy work helped distract me from the anger simmering just below the surface.

I threw a load of laundry into the machine and strung clotheslines across the living room. The dampness outside from the recent snow would never let anything dry properly, so indoor drying it was.

Once the clothes were hanging in neat rows, I grabbed a cigarette and settled on the kitchen counter near the window. The same warrior stood posted outside, his eyes fixed on the trailer like he was guarding a prison.

I had barely taken my first drag when the trailer door exploded inward. Marcus stormed across the small space like a man possessed, snatched the cigarette from between my fingers, and hurled it into the sink.

"Care to explain what happened today?" His voice was low and dangerous as he invaded my personal space.

The heat radiating from his body and the intensity in his dark eyes made my pulse quicken, but I refused to back down. Whatever game he was playing, I wasn’t interested in being his pawn.