Page 8 of Alpha Unchained (Wolves of Wild Hollow #2)

Her hand shoots out—faster than I remember her ever moving—and she grabs the heaviest book from the display: a copy of Faulkner.

For half a second, I remember her voice reading that same book in the quiet of the shop, her laughter catching in her throat.

Then she hurls it at my head. I duck. The book bounces off a display and slams onto the floor.

Tiny dust motes swirl in the sunlight, the only applause either of us gets.

"Get out," she snaps, voice shaking with more than anger now. "I mean it, Luke. Get out of my store. Get out of my life."

My wolf starts to snarl, to show her she can’t order me around, but I clamp down on the urge.

She isn’t prey—she’s fire. And if I bare my teeth now, I’ll lose her for good.

My jaw aches from the effort not to shift, not to howl my claim loud enough for the whole damn town to hear.

"You can throw every book you have in here at me, Elena, but it won’t change what’s between us.

I’m not leaving. Not until you hear me out. "

She steps even closer, eyes blazing, her body tense, every inch the new wolf she’s become.

"If you don’t walk out right now, I swear I’ll call every Rawlings in town and have them drag you out.

Your sister's pack won't give a damn that you were once heir to the McKinley pack. You don’t get to come back and play alpha. Not here. Not with me."

We’re toe to toe, neither of us willing to back down, breath coming hard.

I catch the scent of her tears before I see them, but she blinks them away and raises her chin, steel and heartbreak in every line.

The rest of the world drops away—there’s nothing but her, the pounding of my heart, and the defiant challenge in her eyes.

She moves even closer, her voice a low, trembling whisper. "I don’t care what you think you’re claiming. I don’t care what you think you’re owed. I survived without you once—I’ll do it again. But if you don’t get out right now, I’ll make you regret it."

For a second, all I can do is stare at her—at the fury and heartbreak and wild strength blazing in her eyes. She marches past me and throws the front door open so hard the bell is nearly ripped off.

"Last chance, McKinley. Walk out now—or I’ll teach you exactly how dangerous I’ve become."

I don’t move. Not yet. My wolf howls for her, desperate to stay, desperate to prove I belong here. But Elena’s glare is a promise, and I know I’m one wrong move away from losing her for good.

"You want me gone? Fine; for now," I say, voice rough with everything I’m holding back. "But this isn’t over, Elena. Not by a damn sight."

She doesn’t blink. Doesn’t back down. The door hits me in the back as I finally step out onto the sidewalk. The chilly air bites at my skin, and I feel the loss like a physical wound.

As I start to walk away, a chill creeps down my spine.

There’s a dark sedan idling at the end of Main Street, windows tinted, engine purring low and steady.

Not a car I recognize—too clean, too quiet, too polished for Wild Hollow.

For a moment, it doesn’t move. The entire street seems to hold its breath, the only sound being the distant clatter of a delivery truck somewhere far behind me.

I keep walking, every muscle on alert, and angle my approach so I’ll pass within a few yards of the sedan.

As I draw closer, the driver’s window glides down just enough to reveal a sliver of shadowed face—sharp jaw, mirrored sunglasses, hands motionless on the wheel.

The faintest trace of expensive cologne rides the air, out of place and jarring in the morning stillness.

He doesn’t speak at first, just lets the silence stretch. My wolf strains against my skin, teeth bared, every instinct screaming that this is a threat I can’t see coming.

Finally, his voice slips out—low, calm, practiced. “Mr. McKinley. Word travels fast in a small town.” His tone is smooth, unhurried, like he’s got all the time in the world. “You should be careful who you trust these days. The Hollow isn’t what it used to be.”

I say nothing. Just stand there, pulse pounding in my ears, sizing him up the way I would any rival circling my territory.

The driver taps a finger on the steering wheel, then sets a plain white envelope on the dash, my name printed in bold, block letters. “You have enemies, Mr. McKinley. Some old. Some new. It’d be a shame if someone you cared about got caught in the middle. Consider this… a courtesy.”

He gives a thin, humorless smile. For a moment, the engine idles, heat radiating through the crack in the glass.

Before he can drive off, I reach in and snatch the envelope from the dash, my hand trembling.

Only when I’ve stepped back do the taillights finally glide down Main Street and out of sight, leaving me alone with my pulse thundering in my ears.

Inside, a single photograph—Elena, caught mid-step outside the shop, her hand cradling her belly, expression wary.

Not posed. Not staged. Just Elena, caught by a lens that had no right to her.

The casual violation of it makes my skin crawl.

Someone’s been watching her. Watching us.

Rage floods me, cold and absolute. There’s no mistaking the message: I’m not just fighting for my future here. I’m fighting for hers.

I crush the photo in my fist, my mind already spinning through every threat, every shadow that’s crept into Wild Hollow since I left. This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.

I glance back one more time—not at the disappearing car, but at the door to Moss & Ink.

Inside, I know Elena is pacing, furious, but unbroken.

She’s every bit as fierce and relentless as these mountains, and I feel the pull of her like gravity.

I swear to myself I’m not walking away again. Not this time.

This isn’t over—not with Elena, not with my family, and definitely not with whoever’s lurking in that car. Even if I have to raze this whole town to the dirt, I’ll fight until there’s nothing left—because losing her isn’t an option.