Rebirth - To love or Hate the Alpha

Cassian POV

The pack was unsettled, and I could feel it. Conversations stopped when I walked into a room. People avoided looking at me. Ronan had been distracted lately—too focused on Elian—and it showed.

It was the perfect time to act.

Taking power wasn't about brute force; it was about patience, about planting seeds of doubt and waiting for them to grow. I started with those who already felt neglected under Ronan's leadership.

Torin was my first target. A strong warrior, always passed over for leadership roles. I found him training late one evening and approached casually.

"You're stronger than most of the others," I said, watching him spar. "Why is it you're still taking orders from people who can't keep up with you?"

Torin paused, wiping the sweat from his brow. "What are you getting at, Cassian?"

I shrugged. "Just seems unfair. Someone with your skills deserves better."

I didn't press him further. Planting doubt was enough for now.

Over the next few days, I spoke to others. Warriors who had lost family in battles Ronan led. Pack members who felt ignored. One by one, I found their weaknesses and used them to pull them to my side.

But I needed more than just alliances. I needed leverage. And I found it when I stumbled on Ronan speaking with Morrigan in the forest.

I had only meant to walk near the woods, but as I drew closer to Morrigan's cottage, I heard voices.

"I had no choice," Ronan said, his tone sharp. "He wouldn't be here if I hadn't brought him back."

"You're playing with forces you don't understand," Morrigan replied, her voice low but tense. "The balance is already fragile."

I froze, my heart racing. Elian wasn't just some witch; he was brought back from the dead.

A wicked grin spread across my face as I turned away. This was it. This was the key to bringing Ronan down.

Ronan POV

The tension in the pack was like a storm waiting to break.

I could feel Cassian working against me, but he hadn't made his move yet. He was gathering support, testing the waters. But I couldn't focus on him—not when Elian needed me.

Still, when Cassian confronted me in the council room, I wasn't surprised.

"You've been busy," he said, stepping into the room like he owned it.

I didn't bother looking up. "What do you want, Cassian?"

He smirked. "Just checking in on our great Alpha. You seem... preoccupied lately."

My patience snapped. "If you have something to say, say it."

Cassian leaned closer, his voice dropping. "I know your secret, Ronan. I know what you did to bring Elian back."

The air seemed to leave the room. I stood slowly, meeting his gaze. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I do," he said with a chuckle. "The question is, how will the pack react when they find out? How will they feel knowing their Alpha broke every law to save a witch?"

My wolf growled low in my chest. "If you even think of telling anyone—"

"What?" Cassian interrupted. "You'll kill me? Go ahead. It'll only prove you're as desperate as I say you are."

I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to rip him apart.

Cassian stepped back, his smirk never fading. "You're losing them, Ronan. And when they turn on you, I'll be there to pick up the pieces."

He left without another word, and I was left alone, the weight of his threat hanging over me.

Cassian was going too far, and I was running out of time to stop him.

The pack was slipping away from me. No one said it outright, but I could feel it—their doubt, their mistrust. And I knew Cassian was the one stirring it up.

The worst part? He wasn't entirely wrong.

I had put everything on the line for Elian. And now, it felt like I was paying the price. If the pack ever found out what I had done—if they turned against me—I'd lose everything.

Elian POV

Something wasn't right.

I could feel it in the way people looked at me, the way conversations stopped when I entered a room. And then there was Cassian. He kept finding reasons to talk to me, dropping cryptic hints about Ronan.

"He's not telling you everything," Cassian said one afternoon, his tone almost kind. "Don't you wonder why you feel so out of place here?"

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

Cassian leaned against a tree, studying me. "You've been having those dreams, haven't you? Visions of things that don't make sense?"

I crossed my arms, trying to hide my unease. "What do you know about that?"

"I know Ronan does," Cassian said. "But he won't tell you the truth."

His words stuck with me long after he walked away. That night, as I lay awake, I couldn't stop thinking about them. Why did I feel like something was missing? Why did Ronan keep looking at me like I was about to disappear?

And why couldn't I bring myself to trust anyone but him?