Alpha Damien Replacement Mate

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link is real. Drop the attitude." "The attitude?" she echoed, her voice rising, a crack breaking through the calm mask she'd been wearing. I glanced over at her, surprised by the fire in her eyes. "You don't realize how much I've already lost because of this link. Alpha Damien, please pardon me if I don't give a damn about how you feel." Her words struck a deeper chord than I wanted to admit, but I didn't show it. I clenched my jaw, allowing the silence to return between us. She turned her gaze out the window, and I kept my eyes firmly on the road, the tension between us heavy. After an hour, the landscape began to change. The trees gave way to broad grasslands, and the weather had grown colder, clouds hanging heavy in the sky. It should have been peaceful, but the silence was unnerving. Enzo's voice came through the mind link, steady but cautious. "So far, everything appears clear, Alpha." "Good," I responded, keeping my tone neutral. "Stay alert." My wolf was uneasy, his instincts flaring as we moved deeper into the unfamiliar territory. Something didn't feel right. The air was too still, the roads too quiet. My grip on the wheel tightened, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. Then, Zendaya spoke, her voice low but clear. "Do you feel that?" I glanced at her, startled by the sharpness in her tone. It wasn't fear I heard; it was instinct, pure and focused. She wasn't just the Alpha's daughter-she was a wolf who knew how to sense danger. I nodded slightly, my hand drifting to the blade strapped to my side. Enzo slowed the convoy ahead, flashing his brake lights. I tapped the horn, signaling him to report. His voice crackled through the mind link again, his words clipped. "Alpha, there's something in the path ahead. Looks like fallen trees." "Is it natural?" I asked, my mind already calculating the possibilities. "Doesn't look like it," Enzo replied. "They've been cut." I slammed the brakes, bringing our SUV to a stop. Zendaya tensed beside me, but she didn't panic. Her eyes darted around, assessing the surroundings with surprising precision. "Stay here," I ordered, opening the door. She didn't argue, but I noticed her fingers trembling slightly-she was holding herself back, suppressing the instinct to fight. I was the one supposed to protect her, but I could see she wasn't someone who waited to be re