Forsaken and the Alpha Series: Warrior's Heart
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B. E. Harmel
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Chapter 1
I could sense the impending war in every fiber of my being. Ever since I took this job, my nerves have been on edge—more so than during the toughest parts of my guard training.
Three months ago, I assumed the role of vice leader of the guard. I was the youngest to ever hold this position, but it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. The responsibility was immense, the workload heavy, and the pay meager.
Ralf, the current head of the guard, was my predecessor. He was an overweight man who got the job because he was the cousin of the former alpha. Nowadays, he was more of a hindrance than a help.
Our pack underwent a massive change when our old alpha, Leonardo, retired two years ago. The administrative staff was aging, and since Leonardo had no sons, his youngest nephew, Albert Magnolli, took over. Albert was a thirty-year-old bachelor who preferred partying to leading—making my job even more challenging.
My work phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. I groaned, letting my head fall back onto the pillow, but I picked up the phone and answered with my eyes closed.
“Chief, we are being attacked. The alpha is not here,” Johnson, my right-hand man, informed me.
“Strengthen the borders. I’m coming,” I replied, my eyes snapping open.
I leapt out of bed and rushed to my wardrobe, banging my shin on the bedside table in the process. I grabbed a guard’s uniform from the pile of clothes and quickly changed out of my wrinkled pajamas.
The uniform was black and tactical, filled with holsters. I tied my hair into a quick ponytail and washed my face before heading out. It was only then that I noticed the dark circles under my eyes and realized it was still three in the morning.
The guardhouse was a flurry of activity. Men were running back and forth, saluting me as they passed. Seeing Ralf sitting at his desk, casually eating a donut, made my blood boil.
But I couldn’t afford to lose my temper—not with my boss, not during a crisis, not in the middle of an attack.
“Did you order anything?” I asked, my voice pleading.
“I’ve been waiting for you to arrive,” Ralf replied nonchalantly, taking another bite of his donut.
I shook my head in disbelief. This can’t be happening. I thought about losing it, but a part of me was relieved he hadn’t made things worse.
“Johnson, update me,” I called out, scanning the room for him.
“Boss, we reinforced the borders and apprehended five invaders. Everything seems under control for now. I’ve got men patrolling the streets to ensure it stays that way. But we need the alpha’s decisions to know what to do next,” Johnson reported.
I nodded. “Thanks, Johnson. I’ll get the alpha,” I said, heading out. I heard his “Good luck” as I left.
Damn it, I have to wake him up again. I thought as I made my way to the pack’s house. Guards saluted me as I ran through the corridors. I didn’t expect to see so much activity there either.
I ran up the stairs to the quiet floor with the rooms. No one was allowed up there—not even me—but I was the only one who did. I was getting tired of it.
I knocked on the alpha’s door three times. “Albert… Alpha, open the door. It’s an emergency,” I called out, almost forgetting to use his title.
“Wait. Who is it?” A voice that wasn’t Albert’s responded. A chill ran down my spine. Oh, shit…
Had the alpha been attacked? I opened the door without thinking, but a strong hand grabbed my wrist.
I spun around and hit him, but he managed to pin me against the wall. His elbow pressed against my throat, forcing me to look down at his hand.
I saw the Magnolli ring and then looked up to meet his gaze. His scent was similar to Albert’s, but stronger, more woody, more enveloping. He had a square jaw, a strong nose, thick eyebrows, and narrowed brown eyes. His dark blond hair was neatly combed to one side.
As I took in his features, I realized he resembled Albert. He must be Albert’s brother, the alpha of the Ironclaw Pack.
“You are his brother,” I whispered, slowly releasing my arms.
“Alpha Vincent Magnolli,” he replied, releasing his hold on me.
“Sammantha Harris, deputy head of the guard. I’m sorry, Alpha, I was just coming to wake Albert. I thought you were a threat,” I apologized, putting away my silver knife.
“You were defending your alpha. I got here thirty seconds before you… I was trying to wake him up too,” he said, adjusting his shirt cuff. His gaze was intense, as if he were reading my soul.
I was taken aback and my heart raced.
This can’t be happening, can it?
A grunt from Albert’s bed drew our attention. I took a deep breath and walked over to the bed. I yanked off the comforters, revealing Albert and two naked wolves sleeping next to him. I grabbed each of them by the wrist.
“Get up, you guys,” I urged. One of them grimaced, trying to turn away. “I said get up, NOW!” I yelled, and they scrambled out of the room, grabbing their clothes from the floor. I even caught one of them sidestepping Vincent, half-crouched and bare-assed.
“Five more minutes, Mom…,” Albert mumbled, rolling over, which made me roll my eyes.
“If I were your mom, you’d already be out of bed,” I retorted. It was only then that I realized I was also talking about Vincent’s mom. “I’m sorry,” I said, directing my words toward him.
“True, she probably would’ve kicked him out by now,” Vincent chimed in, leaning against the wardrobe.
“Albert. We were attacked. Get up now,” I commanded, my tone firm. “We need the alpha, Albert. We need you.”
Albert looked up at me, sitting up on the bed. He was naked, but nudity was nothing new to us wolves. He never had any effect on me, but for a fleeting moment, I wondered what Vincent would look like without his clothes. I had to shake my head to clear that thought.
I took advantage of Albert’s momentary stillness, pushing him into the bathroom. I turned on the shower and shoved him inside. I then went to the wardrobe, Vincent stepping aside as I grabbed a pair of pants, a shirt, and underwear.
I tossed them into the bathroom and shut the door. Leaning against it, I let my head thump against the wood. The day had barely begun, and I was already stressed to the max.
“Is this your first time doing this?” Vincent asked, slowly approaching me.
“Sadly, no. Ever since I took over, I’ve had to drag him to meetings and appointments,” I confessed, my breaths heavy.
“Shouldn’t that be the beta’s job? Or maybe the head of the guard?” Vincent questioned, raising an eyebrow.
“Josh is…away. His wife’s been sick, and it’s been tough on him,” I explained.
Our beta, Josh, had been out of commission for over a month, making my job even harder. And he thought Albert was a spoiled brat, which was true.
“And Ralf… Have you met Ralf?” I asked, chuckling.
“I met him when he was Julian’s deputy. He never did much, but Julian handled everything. He was great,” Vincent replied.
“Ralf still doesn’t do much, even though he’s in charge now,” I murmured, almost like a confession.
“And Julian was amazing, yes. He’s the reason I joined the guard. He was my mentor. Without him… Everything is more…difficult,” I admitted, suddenly realizing I was making small talk with an alpha.
“I’m sorry,” Vincent said, his gaze intense.
My breath hitched, and my heart pounded. I’d never felt this way about anyone before. I was usually so logical and rational, but now my eyes were drawn to his lips, and I was struggling to breathe.
But my phone rang, interrupting us.
“Okay, Josh. We’ll be down in five minutes,” I answered the call, sighing at the thought of getting Albert dressed in such a short time.
“Is Josh downstairs?” Vincent asked, turning to me.
“Yes, in the boardroom.”
“I’ll go down then. I’ll talk to him first and wait for you downstairs,” he said, heading toward the door.
“Though I must say, I’m enjoying the company,” Vincent added, adjusting his shirt cuff. He had that alpha swagger, and with his good looks, you’d think he was a party boy like his brother.
He then ran his hand over his abdomen, and I remembered the blows I’d given him.
“Does it hurt? I’m sorry about that,” I said, pointing.
“It’s okay,” he laughed.
“You’re juggling too many roles here. If I were your alpha, I wouldn’t let you be so overwhelmed. A beautiful woman like you shouldn’t be so exhausted,” he said, running his thumb across my cheek.
A shiver ran down my spine as he turned and walked down the stairs.
I stood there, watching that Greek god descend the stairs, my heart racing. But I had to stop this. He probably had this effect on everyone. I needed to regain my composure.
As he reached the last step, he looked up and caught me watching him. Vincent gave me a smile. Damn.
It was the most beautiful smile I’d ever seen. Damn it, Sam.
I watched him stride confidently toward the meeting room. I had to shake my head to clear him from my thoughts.
I turned back to the bathroom door. “We’re leaving in three minutes, Alpha. Hurry up.”
