Chapter 99: A Warning in the Dark.

Alessandro’s POV
“No,” I said firmly as we stood there.
Leonardo turned to me, confusion written all over his face.
Before he could speak, I continued, “If you make Lena suspect you now, she’ll do everything to cover her tracks.”
He clenched his jaw, listening.
“Lena is smart, and we all know she’s cunning,” I went on. “So I think, since your wedding is tomorrow, you should pretend until then.
Reveal everything that day.”
Leonardo’s eyes furrowed slightly, considering my words.
“When Father finds out that Lena trapped a Beta inside a dark tunnel for so long and used him for her bidding, he’ll have no choice but to end the deal with Alpha Maverick’s pack,” I explained.
“And that means… you won’t have to marry Lena anymore.”
Silence hung between us for a moment.
Then, I saw it the spark of realization, the hope that lit up Leonardo’s face.
He wasn’t just relieved. He was happy.
I already knew why.
Because this meant he could finally be with Aurora.
“So you want me to pretend that I’m still okay with it until tomorrow?” Leonardo asked, his voice careful, as if testing the idea in his mind.
“Yes,” I nodded.
“It’s the only way to make sure Lena doesn’t destroy the evidence before we expose her.
If she even senses that you know something, she’ll make sure there’s nothing left for us to use against her.”
Leonardo exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “Damn it.”
I could see the struggle on his face. He hated playing along, but he knew I was right.
“It’s just one more day,” I reminded him. “And by the end of it, Lena’s reign will be over.”
Leonardo let out a slow breath, his jaw tightening.
“Alright… I guess I have no other choice.” He glanced toward Damian, who was still weak but standing with our help.
“Let’s get Damian to a safe place and then ask him some questions.”
I nodded. “We need to move fast. The longer we stay out here, the higher the chances of getting caught.”
Rafael kept watch as we carefully led Damian through the shadows of the pack’s big garden, making sure no one saw us. The real battle was about to begin.
We moved quickly through the pack’s big garden, keeping close to the shadows.
The cool night air brushed against my skin, but my mind was too focused to care.
Every step felt heavier, every sound sharper. We couldn’t afford to be seen.
Damian groaned softly as Leonardo and I helped him walk. His body was weak from whatever hell Lena had put him through, but he was still fighting to move forward.
“Just a little further,” I whispered, searching the area ahead.
Rafael walked slightly ahead of us, making sure the path was clear.
“We can take him to the old cabin near the training grounds. Hardly anyone goes there anymore.”
I nodded. “That should work. We need to keep him hidden until tomorrow.”
Leonardo grunted as Damian’s weight shifted. “Damn, man. What did she do to you?”
Damian took a shaky breath.
“More than you can imagine.” His voice was rough, like he hadn’t spoken in a long time.
I clenched my jaw. We already knew Lena was dangerous, but seeing Damian like this made our hatred for her even stronger.
We finally reached the far edge of the garden, where a narrow path led toward the old cabin.
I let out a slow breath of relief. We had made it.
As we slipped through the trees, Damian’s grip tightened on Leonardo’s arm.
“Leonardo…” he whispered.
He glanced at him. “What is it?”
His eyes, tired but filled with urgency, met his.
“There’s something you need to know before tomorrow.”
Leonardo frowned. “What is it?”
Damian hesitated, his breathing still unsteady. Then, in a low voice, he said,
“Lena’s not working alone. There’s someone else. Someone powerful.”
A cold chill ran down my spine.
Leonardo cursed under his breath. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
Rafael stopped walking, his expression dark. “Who?”
Damian swallowed hard, as if the name itself was difficult to say. Then he suddenly fainted.
Leonardo and I barely managed to catch Damian before he collapsed completely.
His body went limp, his breathing uneven.
“Shit,” Rafael muttered, kneeling beside us.
“Is he still alive?”
Leonardo pressed two fingers to Damian’s neck, his jaw tight.
“Yeah, but he’s weak.”
“We need to get him inside now,” I said, looking around. The night was still, but that didn’t mean we were safe.
We hurried down the path toward the cabin, keeping as quiet as possible.
The old wooden structure was barely used anymore, covered in vines and shadows. It was the perfect hiding place.
Leonardo pushed open the door, and we stepped inside, the smell of aged wood and dust filling the air.
We carefully laid Damian down on an old couch. He didn’t move.
“He passed out before he could say the name,” Rafael said, frustration clear in his voice.
“That’s just great.”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
“It doesn’t matter. We already know enough to act.”
Leonardo stood by the window, his arms crossed as he stared out into the night.
 “Lena’s not acting alone… which means even if we take her down, there’s still someone else out there pulling strings.”
Rafael leaned against the wall.
“Do you think it’s someone inside the pack?
Or an outsider?”
Leonardo didn’t answer immediately. His fists clenched.
“I don’t know. But whoever it is, they’re dangerous.”
Silence settled over us for a moment.
Then, I spoke.
“We stick to the plan.
We expose Lena tomorrow. Once we do, she’ll have no power left to protect whoever she’s working with.”
Leonardo exhaled.
“Right.”
He turned to Damian, his face difficult to read.
“And when he wakes up… we get our answers.”
Rafael clapped his hands to get our attention. “So… who is gonna stay with him for the night?”
Leonardo and I exchanged glances before looking at Damian, who was still unconscious.
“Well, I can’t stay with him because I have a wedding to attend tomorrow, remember?
My wedding.”
Rafael nodded. “True.”
Then he turned to me. “What about you, Alessandro?”
I let out a small sigh, looking at Damian’s unconscious form.
“I’ll stay,” I said.
“Someone has to make sure he’s okay when he wakes up.”
Rafael grinned. “Great. Better you than me.”
Leonardo rolled his eyes. “Real supportive, Rafael.”
Rafael held up his hands. “Hey, I’m just saying. Besides, we all know I’m not the best at the whole ‘patient caretaker’ thing.”
Leonardo shook his head but didn’t argue.
He turned to me, his face serious.
“Keep him hidden. If anyone finds out he’s here before we’re ready, it could ruin everything.”
“I know,” I assured him.
Rafael stretched his arms. “Well, I guess that means we should get some rest too.
Big day tomorrow.”
Leonardo gave me one last nod before heading toward the door.
“If anything happens, let me know immediately.”
“I will,” I promised.
With that, Leonardo and Rafael left, disappearing into the night.
I turned back to Damian, his breathing steady but weak.
“Whoever Lena’s working with,” I muttered, pulling up a chair beside him.
“We’ll find them.”
Then, I settled in for a long night of waiting. Just then my phone began to vibrate and when I checked the caller, it was Aurora.
I hesitated for a second before answering.
“Aurora,” I said quietly, looking at Damian to make sure he was still unconscious.
“Alessandro,” she breathed, relief in her voice.
“Where are you? I’ve been trying to reach you, but your line wasn’t going through.”
Her words caught me by surprise. She had been trying to reach me. Her tone sounded worried. I smiled.
“Were you worried about me?”
Aurora was silent for a moment before she sighed.
“Of course, I was. You disappeared, and no one knew where you were.”
I leaned back in my chair, looking at Damian. He was still out cold.
“I was handling something important.”
“You always are,” she muttered, frustration filled in her voice.
“But you could’ve at least let me know you were okay.”
I smirked slightly. “So, you admit you were worried.”
She groaned. “Alessandro.”
“Alright, alright,” I said, my tone softer.
“I’m fine, Aurora. I promise.”
She sighed again, but this time it sounded like she was calming down.
“Good.”
A brief silence filled the space between us. Then she spoke again, her voice quieter.
“You’re coming to the wedding tomorrow, right?”
I tensed slightly. “Yeah… I’ll be there.”
“I just—” She paused, as if debating whether to say the next words.
“I don’t know, Alessandro. Something about this wedding doesn’t feel right.”
I sat up straighter. “What do you mean?”
Aurora hesitated. “I don’t know… Maybe it’s just me. But I have this feeling that something bad is going to happen.”
I looked at Damian again. His last words ringing in my head.
"Lena’s not working alone. There’s someone else. Someone powerful."
My grip tightened on the phone.
“You might be right,” I admitted.
Aurora was quiet for a moment before she whispered, “Be careful, Alessandro.”
“I will,” I promised.
“And Aurora… Stay close to Rafael tomorrow. Don’t go anywhere alone.”
She didn’t question it. She just said, “Okay.”
I exhaled. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” she said softly.
“Tomorrow.”
I ended the call and looked at Damian again.
Tomorrow was going to change everything.