Chapter 6: The Secret Behind the Ironwood Alpha

The farther we traveled from Riverbend, the quieter the road became.

I sat beside Emmett, watching the city lights disappear behind us.

His words kept circling through my mind.

The rumor that I was being sent to marry a dying old Alpha had been deliberately spread.

Someone in Ironwood had wanted everyone to believe that Victor Shaw was still the Alpha.

And they had a reason to hide Emmett’s awakened wolf.

I turned toward him.

“Why would anyone want to hide the fact that your wolf has awakened?”

Emmett’s expression remained calm.

“Because the moment my wolf awakened, I became a threat to certain people.”

“Your own pack?”

“Not everyone in Ironwood is loyal to me.”

His answer was blunt.

“My uncle Victor was Alpha for twenty-two years. He built alliances with several powerful families. When his health deteriorated, some of those people began planning for the day he died.”

I frowned.

“And you?”

“I was never supposed to inherit the position so quickly.”

He paused.

“Three years ago, my wolf awakened unexpectedly. The royal council recognized me as the legitimate successor. Since then, I’ve had people watching my every move.”

I looked down at my hands.

Three years ago.

The same year my biological parents had finally found me.

The same year my life had changed completely.

It was beginning to feel less like coincidence.

“Then why marry me?” I asked.

Emmett turned toward me.

“Because you’re my fated mate.”

The words were simple, yet they made my heartbeat quicken.

“Fated mates are rare,” he continued. “And in a family like mine, a mate isn’t simply a romantic partner. She becomes part of the succession and political structure of the pack.”

I gave a faint smile.

“That sounds more like a business arrangement than a marriage.”

“Perhaps.”

His gaze softened slightly.

“But I didn’t choose you because of politics.”

I looked at him.

“Then why?”

He was silent for several seconds.

“Because the moment I touched your hand, my wolf recognized you.”

My chest tightened.

I had never experienced anything like that in my previous life.

Nolan had never been my fated mate.

There had never been a bond between us, no matter how desperately I had wanted him to love me.

For thirty years, I had mistaken obsession for love.

Now fate had placed something entirely different in front of me.

The vehicle slowed as enormous iron gates appeared ahead.

Beyond them stretched a vast estate surrounded by towering pine trees.

The Ironwood Pack’s territory was far more magnificent than I had imagined.

Black stone walls surrounded the main residence, while silver banners bearing the Shaw crest hung from the towers.

Several guards lined the entrance.

The moment the convoy passed through the gates, every guard bowed.

Emmett’s expression became colder.

“Welcome to Ironwood.”

I looked out the window.

“It’s beautiful.”

“It can be dangerous, too.”

The car stopped in front of the mansion.

A group of people was already waiting on the steps.

At the center stood an elderly man in a dark ceremonial coat.

I recognized him immediately from the old photographs I had seen at the Jennings villa.

Victor Shaw.

The former Alpha.

But he didn’t look like a man on his deathbed.

Although his hair was gray and he leaned slightly on a cane, his eyes were sharp and his posture carried the authority of someone who had ruled thousands of wolves.

He looked directly at me.

Then his eyes moved to Emmett.

“You brought her back.”

Emmett nodded.

“She’s my mate.”

Victor’s expression changed.

For the first time, surprise appeared in his eyes.

“So it really is her.”

I froze.

“You knew about me?”

Victor looked at me for a long moment.

“I knew that the Jennings family had a daughter they had lost years ago. I also knew the marriage agreement was connected to her bloodline.”

My brows drew together.

“Then why did you allow everyone to believe I was supposed to marry you?”

Victor gave a quiet sigh.

“Because it was safer that way.”

“Safer for whom?”

His eyes darkened.

“For you.”

Before I could ask anything else, Emmett stepped between us.

“We’ll discuss it inside.”

Victor nodded.

The moment I entered the mansion, I noticed how different it was from the Jennings villa.

There were no photographs celebrating a favorite daughter.

No family members laughing together while pretending I didn’t exist.

Instead, the halls were lined with portraits of former Ironwood Alphas, each one carrying the same cold authority.

A woman in a dark green dress approached us.

She was elegant, probably in her late forties, with silver-blonde hair and a composed expression.

“This is Elena Shaw,” Emmett said. “My mother.”

Elena smiled at me.

“Laurel, I’ve been waiting to meet you.”

I returned her greeting politely.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

She reached for my hand, but the moment her fingers touched mine, her expression shifted.

Her eyes widened.

“The mate bond…”

She looked at Emmett in disbelief.

“It’s already this strong?”

Emmett said nothing.

Victor, however, watched me with an unreadable expression.

I suddenly felt as though everyone in the room knew something I didn’t.

Then a young man rushed into the hall.

“Alpha, we have a problem.”

Emmett turned.

“What happened?”

The man lowered his voice.

“Someone broke into the old archives.”

Victor’s face hardened.

“What was stolen?”

The messenger hesitated.

“The records concerning the Jennings bloodline.”

The room fell silent.

My heart skipped.

“My bloodline?” I asked.

Emmett’s gaze immediately settled on me.

Victor slowly closed his eyes.

“I was afraid this would happen.”

I took a step forward.

“What exactly is hidden in those records?”

Victor opened his eyes again.

This time, there was no uncertainty in his expression.

Only concern.

“The truth about why your family lost you.”