Between Duty and Heart

**Dimitri**

The air in the mansion was heavy, laden with a tension that never seemed to lift. The confrontation with Angel still echoed in my mind, like an incessant reverberation. I knew I was being harsh, that I was pushing away the one person who had always stood by my side, but the truth was, I didn’t know how to deal with everything that was happening.

As I walked through the corridors, I tried to keep my mind focused on the responsibilities piling up. There were wounded to care for, patrols to reorganize, and a growing sense of distrust that needed to be resolved. Haizel’s departure, the battle with Lucian—everything was still too fresh, and I felt the weight of every decision I had made. Angel’s absence felt like a wound that wouldn’t heal, a constant reminder of my failure to keep us all together.

I reached the office and slumped into the chair, letting out a tired sigh. I needed a plan, needed to bring order to the chaos that was spreading, but my mind was a mess. Angel’s words replayed over and over—how I was pushing her away, how I couldn’t let her in. I ran my hands over my face, trying to shut out the noise in my head, but it only grew louder.

The sound of footsteps at the door pulled me from my thoughts. It was Leonardo, always punctual, with a serious expression I knew all too well.

“Dimitri, we need to talk,” he said, entering and closing the door behind him. “The wolves are restless. They’re questioning your orders, questioning the leadership. They see what’s happening between you and Angel, and it’s affecting the pack’s morale.”

I closed my eyes, feeling the sting of yet another problem I didn’t know how to solve. “I know, Leonardo. But right now, I have no answers to give them. Everything I do feels wrong.”

Leonardo stepped closer, pulling up a chair and sitting in front of me. “You don’t have to fix everything on your own. The pack trusts you, but they also need to see that you trust them. And most of all, you need to trust Angel.”

His words echoed painfully within me. I knew Leonardo was right, but every time I looked at Angel, I felt the weight of my failures, of my inability to protect her from everything that was happening. I remembered how strong she was, how much she had stood by me even when I had been lost in my own darkness. And yet, here I was, shutting her out when I needed her most.

“It’s not that simple,” I murmured, my voice laced with frustration. “I don’t know how to move past this.”

“It’s not about moving past it but moving forward with what’s left,” Leonardo insisted, his voice firm yet understanding. “Angel is hurting as much as you are, and she wants to help you. But you need to let her. You need to let her in.”

I knew he was right, but admitting it was hard. “What if I can’t? What if I can’t be the leader everyone expects me to be?”

Leonardo gave a faint smile, a rare glimmer of optimism. “You already are. You just need to remember that.”

Before I could respond, the sound of an alarm echoed through the corridors, loud and urgent, a sound that never meant anything good. My body reacted instantly, jumping up from the chair as Leonardo did the same.

“We’ve got a problem,” he said, already moving toward the door. “Something’s happening at the mansion entrance.”

I followed him, the weight of the previous conflict replaced by the urgency of the moment. The walk to the entrance was quick, but each step felt like a reminder of the chaos still surrounding us. When we arrived, what I saw made my heart freeze.

A group of unknown wolves stood at the door, all of them in a defensive stance, staring directly at me. They were different, not belonging to any group I immediately recognized. Their eyes were sharp, assessing, and the tension between us was palpable. I knew that any wrong move could trigger a new wave of violence, and the pack, already strained, couldn’t afford another fight.

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice firm but tinged with an exhaustion I couldn’t hide.

Their leader, a tall man with scars marking his face, stepped forward. His presence was imposing, and his eyes held a mix of caution and defiance. “My name is Kael,” he said, his voice deep and carrying a kind of authority that put me on alert. “We’ve come with a proposal for an alliance. We know what happened with Lucian and Haizel, and we know your pack is vulnerable. We want to help… but we want something in return.”

His words dropped like a bomb. Another threat or a new opportunity? I didn’t know, but one thing was clear: there was still much to resolve, both within the pack and within myself.

I looked at Kael, feeling the pressure of yet another critical decision building. Behind me, I could sense Leonardo’s tension and the wary eyes of my pack watching closely. “Speak,” I finally said, trying to keep my composure. “I’m listening.”