Page 3 of Alpha Unchained (Wolves of Wild Hollow #2)

ELENA

T he bell above the door gives a half-hearted jingle as I turn the key in the lock.

Dawn edges in through the shop windows, streaking the shelves with uncertain gray.

The Moss my heart doesn’t slow, not yet, every nerve on edge, waiting for the next hit of chaos.

But my wolf hasn’t settled. She’s pacing inside my mind, ears pricked like she’s waiting for something worse to come through that window. Something not so easily chased off.

My pulse is still racing, my hands not yet steady, when I sense movement—the pale light behind me bending around a presence that fills the empty doorway before I can catch my breath. There's no chance to recover, no pause between threats; one storm barely breaks before the next one rolls in.

He’s bigger than I remember—and unmistakably familiar.

My heart stops, then stumbles. I don’t need to see his face to know: Luke McKinley.

He radiates tension and dominance, the kind that charges the air and presses all around me.

His presence hits like a warning, a wound, and a challenge all at once.

He steps into the morning light, hood pushed back, jaw tight.

He looks almost the same, but there’s a worn edge to him now—something hollowed out by too much danger and too little peace.

Months have passed since he walked out, leaving nothing but a note, leaving me in a bed that still carries the faintest trace of his scent. The same bed where everything changed.

My hands clench around the flashlight. “Don’t speak. Don’t move. Just vanish the same way you did before.” The words slice cleaner than the glass still on the floor.

He’d claimed me, marked me, and then just vanished—left me to deal with a world on fire and a body that would never be the same. Right now, I mean every syllable.

He doesn’t budge. Just stands there, stubborn as ever, soaking in every ounce of my anger like he deserves it, which is good because he does.

“You all right?” His voice is quieter than I expect, but it’s not concern that lands—it’s regret, sharp and raw, tangled with things he’ll never say out loud.

I snort. “Great. Just what I needed—first a would-be thief tries to break in and steal the money from my petty cash box, and now the prodigal asshole returns.” I glance up at the heavens. "What else can go wrong with my day?"

I glare at him, forcing my attention to his face and nowhere else.

The last thing I want is to get distracted by the way his T-shirt pulls across his chest or how his hands curl and uncurl at his sides, like he’s holding himself back from reaching for me.

It would be too easy to fall into old habits, to let my eyes drift lower, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction. Not after everything.

The door rattles and swings open with a rush of morning air. Hudson fills the threshold—tall, broad, wearing his sheriff's jacket over a faded T-shirt. He takes in the mess, then me, then Luke, and you can see the wheels turning behind those steady eyes.

"Kate said there was a crash and sent me to check on you," he says, giving Luke a nod that's more acknowledgment than welcome. He surveys the broken glass, the rattled shelves, and the tension in the air. "You two good here?"

"Yeah, Hudson. It's handled," I say, voice a little steadier than I feel.

Hudson glances between us, lingering a moment on Luke. There's a flicker of warning there, but also something like relief. "All right then. I can see you two need to be alone..."

"Last time the asshole and I were here alone, he tore a chunk out of my neck, changed me into a wolf-shifter and knocked me up. How about if you take him with you and leave me the hell alone?"

Hudson holds up a hand, a peace offering. "Call if you need anything, Elena. Or if you really want me to take him away, I will."

Luke starts to speak.

"Don't," Hudson growls. "She isn't wrong in what she's saying, and you broke your sister's heart. Unless you have a really good reason for coming back and are planning to stay, it might be better if you just left."

"You don't have to babysit me," Luke says, his voice low but steady. "I'm not planning on going anywhere this time."

Hudson gives him a look that says he’s not buying it, but doesn’t argue. "Just let me know what you need, Elena. You know Kate and I are here for you."

I see the effect his words have on Luke—they cut like a knife.

There was a time Hudson and Luke were the closest of friends, but it seems that time may have passed.

If I have Kate and Hudson's support—I've never doubted I had Kate's, but this protective streak from Hudson is new—then it means I have the Rawlings pack at my back, which gives me a certain amount of reassurance and comfort.

Hudson steps back outside, the door closing behind him with a muted thud, leaving the air between me and Luke even heavier than before.

Luke glances into the back room, then back at me. “What happened?”

“Not your concern."

"I'm making it my concern."

I shrug, dismissing the incident and him in a single gesture. "Local trouble. A kid tried to steal from the petty cash box in the back."

My voice is steady, but my body is humming. The baby moves—a slow, rolling stretch, as if it knows its father is in the room.

Luke’s eyes flick to my belly. He swallows, jaw working. “He didn’t touch you, did he?”

“Too bad you can't say the same. I think your overprotective act is a bit misplaced and just a little late...”

Luke arches an eyebrow. “Bit of an overreaction, don’t you think?”

"Is it?" I say, drawing the scarf down to reveal the mark he left. "Last time you were here, you rolled in to play hero and then left without saying a word..."

"I left a note."

"Big deal. You didn’t just leave. You rewrote me—without asking. You turned me into something I didn’t understand, then walked out like it was mercy. Thankfully, your sister and Hudson were here for me. And you left me pregnant..."

"I know you're angry..."

I slam the flashlight down on the counter so hard the batteries rattle.

“You want to see what you left behind? Take a good look.

I'm no longer human. I'm single and pregnant in a small town with the local outlaw family gunning to steal my baby, but to answer the original question, I'm fine. I could have handled him if he’d tried anything. I’ve been handling things just fine since you left.”