Rejected by Blood, Chosen by the Alpha

Chapter 7: The Intruder

“Get down!” Draven's roar splits the night.

I duck instinctively as something sharp whistles past my ear and lodges into the trunk of a tree behind me. A silver dagger, glinting under the pale moonlight. My heart pounds against my ribs as I spin to face the threat.

The intruder is fast—faster than anyone I’ve ever seen. He moves like a shadow, darting between the trees, his scent masked by some unnatural means. Draven's massive black wolf charges after him, a blur of teeth and claws.

"Stay behind me, Liana!" Draven's voice is guttural, barely human as he commands me.

"No," I snap, my voice steadier than I feel. "I'm not hiding."

He doesn't have time to argue. The intruder lunges at Draven with deadly precision, but Draven meets him head-on, their impact shaking the ground beneath us.

I hear a rustle behind me—too close. I whirl around, but I’m not fast enough. Strong arms locked around me, pinning my arms to my sides.

"Got you, little wolf," a voice hisses in my ear.

Panic surges through me, but I fight it down. I slam my heel into the attacker’s shin, twisting my body to break free. He grunts in pain but doesn’t loosen his grip.

Draven's wolf growls, his golden eyes locking onto me. He's torn between finishing off the first intruder and saving me.

"Don't!" I shout. "I've got this."

The words are bold, reckless even, but something inside me burns hot and fierce. My wolf, dormant for so long, stirs beneath my skin, urging me to fight.

I bite down hard on the attacker’s arm. He howls, his grip faltering just enough for me to twist free. I spin and deliver a hard kick to his chest, sending him stumbling backward.

Draven's wolf takes that moment to finish off the other intruder with a brutal swipe of his claws. Blood sprays across the forest floor.

The man I kicked snarls, shifting into a gray wolf. He charges at me, but this time I’m ready. I sidestep his attack, my movements instinctive and fluid. My hand brushes against the dagger still lodged in the tree trunk.

Without thinking, I yank it free and s***h at the wolf as he lunges again. The blade catches his side, and he yelps, skidding to a halt.

Draven shifts back into his human form, his chest heaving. "Enough!" he commands, his voice laced with Alpha authority.

The gray wolf hesitates, his eyes flicking between Draven and me. Blood mats his fur, and I can see the uncertainty in his stance.

"You have two choices," Draven growls. "Submit or die."

The wolf's body trembles, and for a moment, I think he might surrender. But then his eyes gleam with defiance.

"You'll regret this," he spits, shifting back into his human form. His face is twisted with hatred. "The Council won’t stand for you claiming a weak mate. And when they come for her, you won’t be able to stop them."

Draven's expression darkens. "Get out of my territory before I change my mind."

The intruder limps away, disappearing into the shadows.

Silence falls over the forest, broken only by the sound of our ragged breathing.

"Are you okay?" Draven asks, his voice softer now.

I nod, though my hands are still trembling. "Yeah. Thanks for—"

"I didn't save you," he interrupts, his eyes filled with something I can't quite decipher. "You saved yourself."

His words hit me harder than I expected. For so long, I’ve been seen as weak, a burden. But tonight, I proved them wrong.

Before I can respond, footsteps pound toward us. Draven’s Beta, Elias, emerges from the trees, his face grim.

"Alpha," he says, his tone urgent. "We have a problem."

Draven stiffens. "What is it?"

"The intruder wasn’t alone," Elias reports. "We found tracks leading to the western boundary. At least a dozen more wolves breached our territory."

My stomach knots. "They’re after me, aren’t they?"

Elias’s gaze flickers at me, but he doesn't deny it.

Draven curses under his breath. "Double the patrols. I want every inch of this territory secured."

Elias nods and disappears into the darkness.

Draven turns to me, his jaw clenched. "We need to get back to the packhouse. It’s not safe out here."

I follow him, my mind racing. Whoever sent those wolves won’t stop until they get what they want. And right now, that’s me.

---

Back at the packhouse, tension hangs thick in the air. Warriors patrol the perimeter, their eyes sharp and alert. Inside, the pack members huddle together, fear etched on their faces.

Draven pulls me aside into his office. The door clicks shut behind us, sealing us in a cocoon of tense silence.

"I need answers, Liana," he says, his voice low but intense. "What the hell happened out there? That power—you shouldn’t have been able to fight like that."

"I don’t know," I admit, frustration bubbling up inside me. "Ever since that night in the training grounds, I’ve felt... different. Stronger. Like my wolf is trying to break free."

Draven studies me, his eyes narrowing. "There's more to this, isn’t there?"

Before I can respond, the door bursts open. One of the warriors stands there, his face pale.

"Alpha, we found something," he says breathlessly. "You need to see this."

Draven and I exchange a glance before following the warrior outside.

The pack gathers near the edge of the forest, their murmurs filled with unease. As we push through the crowd, my breath catches in my throat.

Carved into the trunk of an ancient oak tree is a symbol I’ve only seen in ancient texts—a crescent moon encircled by flames.

"The mark of the Forsaken," Draven mutters, his voice grim.

Fear prickles down my spine. The Forsaken were a rogue faction banished from the werewolf clans centuries ago. They were rumored to be ruthless, and willing to do anything to gain power.

"What does it mean?" I whisper.

Draven's expression hardens. "It means they’re back. And they’re coming for you."

A chill settles over me as I stare at the symbol, its dark promise etched into the bark.

But then, something catches my eye—movement in the shadows beyond the trees.

I squint, trying to make out the figure lurking just out of reach. My heart skips a beat when I realize who it is.

"Father?" I breathe, my voice barely audible.

He steps forward, his eyes gleaming with a twisted mix of triumph and malice.

"Hello, Liana," he says, his voice dripping with venom. "Did you miss me?"