My Fated Alpha's Cruel Game

Dawn’s POV

Asher and I found seats in the mess hall, though we arrived later than usual. Most people were already finishing their meals and heading out, leaving the space quieter than normal.

"Dawn, you shouldn’t have to endure this. It’s like being trapped with someone who hurts you," Asher said, his voice low but intense.

I pushed food around on my plate, not really hungry. "Asher, even if I wanted to leave, I couldn’t. They would hunt me down no matter where I went. They’ve put too much effort into training me to just let me walk away."

"I know a place where you’d be safe. Somewhere they could never reach you." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

The conviction in his voice made my chest tight. "If you disappear with me, everyone you care about becomes a target. You have to understand that."

"No, you need to trust me. Let me protect you," he insisted, leaning closer across the table.

I met his eyes, seeing the determination there. "Why does this matter so much to you?"

"Because I’m in love with you, and I can’t stand watching them tear you apart," he said without hesitation.

The words hit me harder than I expected. I looked down at my hands. "This situation won’t last forever. I learned years ago not to fight things I can’t change. Everything eventually ends."

"I hope you’re right. Because if it doesn’t end soon, I might have to end it myself," he said, his jaw clenched.

"Don’t even think about that. You’ll end up locked away in the brig, and that won’t help anyone."

"I know." Asher rubbed his face, then changed the subject. "Another squad returned today from a pack raid. Same result as always. The entire settlement was abandoned. Not a single wolf in sight."

"How is that even possible?"

"Nobody knows. But someone is feeding them information, and soon command is going to start investigating everyone here. We need to be extremely careful from now on."

The implications made my stomach drop. "You’re right. As much as I enjoy our late night walks, maybe we should stop for a while."

"Probably smart. They’ve stationed surveillance teams around the perimeter now. They’re looking for any signs that wolves might be watching our operations," Asher explained.

That made sense. Command was trying to solve the mystery of why every target location turned up empty.

I couldn’t figure it out either. Someone with access to classified information had to be involved, but who would risk everything to warn werewolf packs?

"The Captain will figure out what’s happening," Asher said, but I could tell he was still worried.

"What if they decide to strike back?" I asked. "This is a military installation, but only a few of us actually understand what we’re dealing with. Most of the personnel are regular soldiers. They’re not Hunters. They don’t know the first thing about fighting werewolves."

Asher’s expression grew serious as he considered my words. The possibility hadn’t occurred to him before, but now I could see him working through the scenarios.

If werewolves wanted to attack us, what would really stop them? They were clearly well-organized and had excellent intelligence. They knew our movements before we even arrived at their locations. What if they were already watching us right now?

The patrol teams scattered through the forest wouldn’t matter much. I’d spent more time studying werewolf capabilities than anyone else on this base. I understood their enhanced senses, their speed, their tactical thinking. They could be observing us from miles away and we’d never detect them.

When we left the mess hall, the first thing I noticed was how bright everything looked outside. Floodlights illuminated the entire compound, and searchlights swept the treeline continuously.

Additional guards had been posted in the watchtowers, their attention focused on the dark forest surrounding us.

Asher and I were walking toward the barracks when I spotted Corbin across the training field. He was talking with several other personnel, but his gaze found us immediately. I deliberately looked away and kept moving.

I had no interest in dealing with him right now, especially not if he was planning another brutal training session.

After showering and changing into sleeping clothes, I settled onto my bunk. Asher sat on the bed next to mine while Koa occupied the one on my other side.

"How are you handling everything, Dawn?" Koa asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Corbin’s behavior. He’s been acting like a complete ass lately."

I shrugged. "I can deal with Corbin. Whatever his problem is, he’ll work through it eventually."

"He’s definitely angry with you about something," Nico commented, joining our conversation as he walked over.

"When isn’t he angry?" I replied, though I knew Nico was right. Corbin’s hostility had intensified recently, and I wasn’t sure what had triggered it.

"Maybe he’s just stressed about the failed missions," Asher suggested, though his tone indicated he didn’t really believe that explanation.

"Or maybe he’s frustrated that his training methods aren’t producing the results he wants," Koa added.

I didn’t respond to that. The truth was more complicated than any of them realized, and I wasn’t ready to discuss the real reasons behind Corbin’s attitude toward me.

The increased security measures around the base had everyone on edge. Conversations in the barracks were quieter than usual, and people kept glancing toward the windows as if expecting something to emerge from the darkness.

"Think they’ll cancel training tomorrow?" Nico asked.

"Doubtful," I said. "If anything, they’ll probably push us harder. They want everyone ready in case something happens."

The thought of another intense session with Corbin made my muscles ache in anticipation, but there was no point in dreading it. Tomorrow would come regardless of how I felt about it.

Outside, the searchlights continued their methodical sweeps, casting moving shadows across the walls of our quarters. The constant motion was oddly hypnotic, but also unsettling.

Whatever was coming, we’d face it soon enough.