Chapter 4 Jaxon's Warning

The door slammed open so hard that the walls shook. Jaxon Storm, Ryder's Beta, stood in the doorway with a gloomy look and a stiff posture, as if he had just come from the thick of a fight. His eyes were fixed on Ryder, and for a moment, Ryder saw something real behind his usual calm face.

"Jaxon?" Ryder's voice sounded low, as if he were going into a place he didn't know. "What's wrong?"

Jaxon walked into the room without waiting for an invitation. His boots made a loud noise on the gleaming floor. The air between them got heavy with an unspoken weight. Elara stood by the fire, her body stiff, but her eyes moved nervously between Jaxon and Ryder. She could feel the stress, too.

"The pack is getting uneasy," Jaxon stated in a strained voice. "They're not sure you're still fit to lead." His comments hit me like a punch.

Ryder's blood turned cold. He asked, "What do you mean?" with a tight throat. He stood up and felt the weight of his Alpha rank on his chest. The group behind a leader made them strong. But if they were asking him questions... Jaxon's jaw tightened. "People are talking, Ryder. The loss of memory. The way you're not yourself. It makes them question you. He looked Ryder in the eye, but something in his eyes was guarded and made the air even denser.

Ryder could feel his wolf wake up, and a low growl came from his chest, primitive and full of danger. The room felt smaller as Jaxon's comments sank in. "Do they think I'm weak?"

Jaxon didn't move. "Not weak. But not sure. And when an Alpha is unsure, it's like blood in the water for a pack of wolves.

Ryder's fists were tight. His instincts tell him to show Jaxon who the boss is and remind him who he is. But his throat got stuck on the words. He was still trying to figure out who he was and who he had been. There was a hole where his confidence used to be, and now it's full of doubt.

"Jaxon, why do you look so uncomfortable around me?" Ryder's voice was low and calm, but the question was important. "What's going on?"

For a minute, Jaxon's face fell. He stepped back, and his eyes quickly moved to Elara, who was eerily quiet.

"Ryder," Jaxon said, but his voice was harsh, like he was stepping on eggshells. "You need to get it. The pack is watching and waiting for you to show them the way. And right now, they're starting to doubt you.

The remarks hurt Ryder more than he thought they would. His wolf snarled again, this time louder. Jaxon's voice had a menacing hint of warning that made Jaxon shiver.

His knuckles were white because Ryder's fists were so tight. He had a strong jaw, but within, he was falling apart. The wolves in his pack, who had always turned to him for strength, were starting to doubt him. It hurt in a sense that was more than just bodily.

He moved closer to Jaxon, and his height made a shadow over the Beta. He questioned, "They want me to lead?" His voice was low and controlled, but the rage inside him was apparent. "Then they'll follow me. I'm still their Alpha. I'm still in charge.

Jaxon didn't move, but his stance changed slightly, as if he were thinking about something. "It's not that easy," he said, his voice firm but careful. "You have the power, Ryder, but you're not the man you were before."

Elara moved around nervously behind Ryder, her eyes moving back and forth between the two guys. She wanted to step in and help, but stayed quiet, her lips pulled together in a narrow line.

Ryder could feel his wolf pressing against the borders of his control, telling him to take leadership and demand the pack's loyalty. But there was something that stopped him. His uncertainties ate away at him. Could he govern without remembering things? Was he the same Alpha they had once followed?

Ryder hissed, "I can still lead," as he stepped closer to Jaxon, his body language showing anger. "I don't need to remember everything to do that."

Jaxon stayed still. There was a flash of something deeper in his eyes, something that wasn't said. "It's not about remembering, Ryder. It's all about trust. You don't have theirs anymore.

The comments hurt Ryder more than any physical harm ever could. He could feel the walls of who he was falling, and a hole was emerging where the surety of being a leader used to be.

"They're losing faith in you," Jaxon said again, his voice alarmingly. He stared Ryder straight in the eyes, and they both knew what Ryder was going through.

After Jaxon's comments, the silence felt like it was closing in on him from all sides. Ryder felt stuck, like the world was closing in on him, and the pack's concerns were too much for him to handle. His fists tightened again, and the usual wrath was barely below the surface. But before he could say anything, Elara moved, and her hand shook as she reached for his arm.

"Ryder, please," she said softly, but her voice had an edge. She slowly moved him away from Jaxon and the tension in the room.

Her touch was warm, but her grip felt strange. She held his arm tightly, and her pulse thudded against his skin, as if she were scared of what would come next.

She whispered in his ear, "Everything will be fine." But Ryder couldn't ignore the quiver in her voice that made it plain she was lying.

He gazed down at her and searched her face with his eyes. For the first time, he saw the fissures. She was trying to keep something from him. He could tell she was tense because her shoulders were stiff and she was worried. But she was hiding something more important.

He thought about it momentarily, like a spark starting a fire: what if Elara was hiding something from him? What if she were one reason the pack turned against him?

Ryder's heart raced, and the air between them felt heavy. He pulled back just a little bit so he could see her face and saw that she was worried. "What are you not telling me, Elara?"

Her smile faded for a moment, but she quickly covered it with something lighter. "Nothing," she responded in an almost too calm voice. "We'll make this right. Together.

Ryder's stomach turned. He didn't trust her.

Ryder was at the edge of the room, his limbs tense and his mind full of half-formed thoughts. Elara stood behind him, and her presence was a calm comfort. But Jaxon's words still hung in the air. Ryder could feel the tension growing in the room, which felt like it was closing on him.

Jaxon went near him without saying a word, his boots making no noise on the stone floor. His expression looked serious, and his jaw was tense. Ryder could sense the urgency in every stride he took, as if something heavy was hanging between them that Jaxon wasn't speaking about.

"Ryder," Jaxon said in a quiet voice full of worry, "we need to talk."

Ryder's heart stopped for a second. There was something in Jaxon's voice that was too serious and weighty. He looked at Elara, but she had already turned away, her back to them as if to give them some room.

"What is it?" Ryder asked, his voice firm, but he felt a sense of dread in his stomach.

For a moment, Jaxon didn't say anything. "The pack is getting nervous." Ryder, many are doubting your ability to lead. He looked into Ryder's eyes and saw something profound and unpleasant there. "They're scared. The memory loss is making them assume you're weak.

Ryder's heart rate sped up. Weak? He couldn't be weak. Not when the pack needed him. But Jaxon's words felt heavy, like chains wrapping around his chest.

"What do you mean by 'weak'?" Ryder roared and made fists with his hands at his sides. "I'm still their Alpha." I,

"It's not about power," Jaxon said, cutting in with a rough voice. "It's all about trust." And right now, they're losing theirs. He turned his head away, his eyes darting to Elara. Ryder noticed how he straightened and changed his position. There was something wrong.

Jaxon kept talking, his voice barely above a whisper. "You're different now. They are aware of it. And if you can't show that you're still their Alpha, there will be consequences.

Ryder's chest felt tight. His wolf moved under his skin, feeling the menace and peril. But something in Jaxon's gaze made him stop, something that didn't feel right.

Ryder's thoughts raced. Was Jaxon warning him because he was loyal, or was there something else going on? The strain in Jaxon's eyes stayed there, making Ryder think about it. What was he keeping from me?

His footsteps reverberated as Ryder walked down the long corridor to the front hall. Each step felt heavier as he walked, as if his choices pushed him down. The group was watching and waiting for him to do something. They wanted to witness strength to know that their Alpha was still in charge.

But his mind was a battlefield, and the memories he had lost were like shards of glass that pierced through his ideas. He didn't know who he was anymore, but knew he wouldn't let the pack lose faith in him.

Elara's voice stopped him as he got to the door. "Ryder, hold on."

He turned around and saw her standing behind him with big eyes and a look of desperation. Her body was stiff, and something in her face made the air surrounding them dense with unspoken words.

Ryder said, "Elara, I can't wait," in a forceful voice. "The pack needs to see that I am in charge." I have to show that I'm still the Alpha.

"But," Elara's voice broke, and she reached to grab his arm. "Please, Ryder." Please don't do this.

As she wrapped her fingers around his arm, Ryder's chest clenched. Her grip was almost desperate. He asked, "Why?" with a frown on his face. "What's the matter?"

She didn't answer right away. Her eyes scanned his face, and Ryder could feel the anxiety and conflict that were there. Finally, she released his arm, and her face turned white.

She muttered, "Ryder," in a shaky voice, "I'm scared."

Ryder's heart stopped for a second. "Scared of what?" he asked, even though he could feel a terrible fear growing in his gut. What she said didn't make sense. She was the one who always kept him calm and sure of himself.

"Please," she replied, looking back at the floor. "I don't want you to mess up, not like this.

As he looked at her, Ryder's mind raced as he tried to figure out what she meant. The way she spoke and looked at him made him shiver. What made her so scared? What was she not telling him?