The Alpha's Fury

**Dimitri**

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the corridor, a harbinger of the imminent confrontation. My hands trembled slightly, not out of fear, but from a contained fury that I could barely control. Each beat of my heart felt like a war drum, rhythmic and incessant, preparing me for the battle about to unfold. Angel was chained, her eyes fixed on mine with a mixture of hope and despair.

I should have felt only the determination of an Alpha, the desire to protect my pack and destroy any threat. But as I looked at Angel, I realized my feelings for her were far more complicated. The worry that consumed me, the almost desperate need to see her safe... it wasn’t just the protective instinct of an Alpha. It was something I was reluctant to admit, even to myself.

"Take her away!" I ordered the two trusted wolves accompanying me, my voice harsher than I intended. They quickly advanced, breaking the chains that held her. Angel hesitated for a brief moment, her blue eyes, normally so full of strength, now clouded with uncertainty.

I looked away, unable to face her any longer. There was something in the way she looked at me that made the walls I had built around my heart begin to crumble. I couldn’t allow that now. Not when Lucian was lurking, ready to strike at any moment.

"Go straight to the mansion," I said, my voice softer now, but still laden with urgency. "Don’t stop for anything. I want you safe, Angel."

She nodded, her expression serious. "Dimitri..." she began, but I interrupted her, unable to hear what she wanted to say. Maybe it was something important, maybe something I needed to hear, but the fear of letting my emotions weaken me was stronger.

"Please, go," I murmured, almost pleading. "I need you to be far from here."

With one last look that seemed to say everything words couldn’t, Angel turned and left, the wolves at her side, protecting her as if their lives depended on it—and indeed, they did. I watched her disappear down the corridor, a part of me feeling a momentary relief knowing she would be far from the battle to come.

But relief soon gave way to anger. Anger that burned like fire within me, mixed with the fear of losing her and the confusion that my feelings for her provoked. Lucian was somewhere in the shadows, ready to strike, and I knew I needed to focus. I couldn’t allow these emotions to interfere. I was an Alpha, a leader, and my duty was to protect, not give in to what I felt.

"Did you really think you could defeat me, Dimitri?" Lucian’s voice cut through the silence, full of venom and disdain. He emerged from the shadows, his eyes gleaming with a malevolence only he was capable of displaying.

"It’s not about defeating you," I replied, keeping my tone firm, even though my heart was pounding erratically in my chest. "It’s about protecting those I love. And that’s why I’m going to destroy you."

Lucian laughed, a cold, joyless sound. "Love?" He savored the word as if it were a joke only he understood. "So that’s it? The mighty Alpha Dimitri is finally admitting he has feelings for that woman?"

"None of your business," I growled, stepping forward, feeling my claws extend. "She’s out of your reach now. And I’ll make sure you never touch her again."

The battle began with a fury that seemed to have been contained for too long. Lucian attacked first, quick as a snake, his claws trying to strike me with deadly precision. But I was ready. My emotions were a whirlwind, but I managed to focus my anger in a way that amplified my strength. Every move I made was calculated, every blow returned with even more intensity.

As we fought, my mind wandered, even if only for an instant. I remembered Angel, the first time I saw her, and how, since then, something within me began to change. I had always been a focused Alpha, determined to protect my pack above all else, but Angel... she complicated everything. She made me question things I had never questioned, made me feel things I had never felt.

I hated it. I hated how she had the power to destabilize me, to make me feel vulnerable. But at the same time, there was something about her that I couldn’t ignore. Something that attracted me, that made me want to fight even harder to keep her safe, even if I wasn’t willing to admit what I truly felt.

Lucian noticed my hesitation, taking advantage of it to launch a fierce attack. I felt his claws tear through my skin, but the pain was secondary compared to the rage that exploded within me. I couldn’t falter now. Not because of these confusing emotions.

With a roar, I redoubled my efforts, every blow I delivered guided by the need to end this threat once and for all. Lucian was strong, stronger than I expected, but I knew I had something he didn’t: a reason to fight that went beyond myself. I was fighting for Angel, even if I didn’t want to admit the extent of what that meant.

Finally, I managed to bring him down, pressing him against the ground with all the strength I could muster. "You should never have touched her," I growled, my voice filled with a rage so deep I almost didn’t recognize it. "And now you’re going to pay for it."

Lucian laughed again, even as pain twisted his face. "This doesn’t end here, Dimitri. You can defeat me, but there will always be others. There will always be darkness."

With one last blow, I left him unconscious, his figure collapsing to the ground. The silence that followed was almost deafening. I was panting, every muscle in my body throbbing, but the battle was won. At least, for now.

But even with Lucian defeated, I knew my greatest battle was yet to come. The battle within me, between what I felt for Angel and the fear of allowing myself to feel anything for anyone. I needed to see her, to make sure she was safe. But I knew that as soon as I did, the walls I had built around my heart might begin to crumble for good.

And that was something that terrified me more than any battle.