Under My Protection
1331 Words
The council chamber descended into chaos.
“He must be tested!”
“If this child is truly Alpha-blood—”
“This is a violation of succession law!”
Voices overlapped, rising in urgency.
Kael did not raise his voice.
He did not need to.
He released his aura.
The pressure slammed through the chamber like a physical force.
Stone trembled.
Every wolf in the room instinctively bowed.
Silence fell instantly.
Kael’s silver gaze never left Luna.
“Clear the chamber,” he ordered.
The elders hesitated.
“This concerns the entire—”
“Now.”
The single word carried absolute dominance.
Guards moved quickly, ushering council members out despite their protests.
Within moments, only four remained:
Kael.
Luna.
The child.
Beta Ronan.
Ronan looked between them carefully.
“This changes everything,” he muttered.
Luna stepped back, keeping Elias behind her.
“You do not get to intimidate me,” she said quietly to Kael.
His eyes flicked to the boy again.
The resemblance was undeniable.
Not just the eyes.
The posture.
The unflinching gaze.
“How old is he?” Kael asked.
“Four.”
The answer struck like a confirmation.
Kael’s jaw tightened.
Four years.
The exact length of her absence.
“You left the night of the ceremony.”
“Yes.”
“You already knew.”
Luna did not respond.
Her silence was answer enough.
Kael’s wolf surged with something violent.
Not rage.
Something worse.
Regret.
“You hid my heir,” he said, voice lower now.
“You forfeited your claim,” she replied instantly.
Ronan stepped forward cautiously.
“Alpha… if the boy truly carries your blood, protocol demands formal verification. The council will push for it.”
Luna’s expression hardened.
“No one touches him.”
Kael’s gaze snapped to her.
“No one will harm him.”
“That isn’t what I said.”
The air thickened again.
Elias tugged lightly at Luna’s coat.
“Mom,” he whispered, watching Kael with open curiosity. “Why is he angry?”
Kael’s expression flickered.
He crouched slightly again, leveling his gaze with the boy.
“I am not angry,” he said, though his voice remained rough.
The boy tilted his head.
“You smell like me.”
The words hit Kael deeper this time.
Raw.
Unfiltered.
Ronan exhaled slowly.
“There’s no denying it,” he said under his breath.
Kael stood.
Decision forming quickly.
“From this moment forward, the child remains under my protection.”
Luna stiffened.
“You don’t get to declare that.”
“I just did.”
Her eyes flashed.
“You rejected us.”
Kael stepped closer.
The distance between them vanished.
“And you made a unilateral decision that affects the entire territory.”
“I made a decision to protect my son.”
The possessiveness in her voice mirrored his.
Kael noticed.
And something inside him responded.
“He is my son too.”
The words were firm.
Claiming.
Luna shook her head slowly.
“No. You do not get to step into his life because your pride is threatened.”
Kael’s gaze darkened.
“This is not about pride.”
“Then what is it about?”
He did not answer immediately.
Because the truth was dangerous.
It was about instinct.
Blood.
Something ancient and territorial that refused to be denied.
Before he could speak—
The doors burst open again.
Selene stormed into the chamber, ignoring guards attempting to stop her.
“Alpha!” she demanded. “The council is already discussing succession claims—”
Her voice stopped the moment she saw Elias.
Her eyes narrowed.
“So it’s true.”
Kael’s expression turned lethal.
“You were not invited.”
Selene ignored him, circling slightly, studying the child like a threat.
“Convenient,” she said coolly. “Four years later, she returns with a boy who looks like you.”
Luna’s body went rigid.
Elias stepped slightly in front of her this time.
Instinctive.
Protective.
Selene laughed softly.
“Are we supposed to believe this isn’t a political stunt?”
The insult hung heavy.
Kael’s aura flared dangerously.
“Choose your next words carefully.”
Selene held his gaze boldly.
“If this child is illegitimate, the Northern Territory becomes vulnerable. Rival packs will challenge your rule. And if she fabricated—”
She never finished.
Kael moved faster than anyone expected.
In one motion, he was in front of her.
Eyes glowing faintly silver.
“You will not question his blood,” he said quietly.
The room trembled under the warning.
Selene swallowed but did not retreat.
“Then prove it.”
Silence followed.
Ronan spoke carefully.
“A formal blood rite before the council would silence rumors.”
Luna’s heart pounded.
No.
The blood rite was not just symbolic.
It would permanently bind the child’s identity to the territory.
It would expose him fully.
Targets would form instantly.
Enemies would notice.
Kael turned back to her.
“This ends now.”
Her chin lifted.
“You do not control this.”
His voice dropped lower.
“He is Alpha-born. You cannot hide him from what he is.”
Her voice softened, but only slightly.
“I am not hiding him. I am protecting him.”
A long pause stretched between them.
Then—
A guard rushed in breathlessly.
“Alpha—there’s movement at the eastern border. Unknown scouts.”
Ronan stiffened.
“Rival pack?”
The guard nodded.
“They’re asking about rumors.”
The timing was not coincidence.
Selene folded her arms slowly.
“You see?” she said. “Word spreads fast.”
Kael’s gaze sharpened.
The threat had already begun.
He turned to Luna.
“You brought him here during a politically unstable period.”
“I brought him here for trade negotiations.”
“And now every rival Alpha will know I have an heir.”
Elias looked up at them, confused.
“What’s an heir?” he asked softly.
No one answered.
Kael straightened fully.
His decision was immediate.
“The blood rite will take place tomorrow.”
Luna’s heart dropped.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t get to decide that for him.”
“I am Alpha.”
“And I am his mother.”
Their voices clashed like steel.
Kael stepped closer again.
This time his voice lowered to something only she could hear.
“If enemies move because of him, I will not forgive you.”
Her response was just as quiet.
“If you put him in danger for your throne, I will never forgive you.”
Silence burned between them.
Then Kael gave the final order.
“Prepare the ceremonial grounds.”
The guards moved instantly.
Selene watched with calculating eyes.
Ronan exhaled slowly.
This was no longer private.
It was public.
Luna crouched down beside Elias.
She brushed his hair back gently.
“Stay close to me,” she whispered.
The boy nodded seriously.
Kael watched the interaction.
Something tightened in his chest.
Tomorrow, the truth would be undeniable.
And once declared—
Nothing would ever return to what it was.
As Luna turned to leave the chamber with her son—
Kael spoke one final command.
“They will remain inside the Alpha residence tonight.”
Luna froze.
Her back stiffened.
“No.”
“It is the most secure place in the territory.”
“You think I trust you?”
Kael’s eyes darkened.
“You don’t have to.”
A pause.
“But you will.”
Outside, distant howls echoed through the forest.
Not Northern wolves.
Foreign ones.
Rival.
And closer than they should be.
Kael’s voice lowered to something primal.
“If anyone wants him, they will have to go through me.”
Luna met his gaze.
Not softened.
Not grateful.
But aware.
War was already circling.
And for the first time—
They were standing on the same side.
Whether they liked it or not.
- Writer
