Marked by the Alpha I Came to Kill

They taught me that monsters deserved mercy only after they were dead. Tonight, I came to kill the greatest monster of them all. The rain tasted like iron. Nyra crouched on the highest tower of Blackthorn Palace, her black cloak blending into the storm that swallowed the night. Above her, the Blood Moon hung low in the sky, painting the clouds crimson. Below, the kingdom celebrated thousands of lanterns floating above the capital, music filling the streets, nobles dancing beneath golden banners while ordinary people laughed, unaware that death had already entered their king's home. No one looked toward the palace walls. No one knew an assassin was waiting above them. Nyra lowered her hood until only her eyes remained visible. For six months she had studied Blackthorn Palace, every entrance, every guard shift, every hidden passage, every possible escape route, until she knew the fortress better than the soldiers who protected it. Failure was not an option. It never had been. Master Varek had taught her that long before he ever placed a blade in her hand. The dead don't learn from mistakes. She had never forgotten those words. Her fingers brushed the dagger hidden beneath her cloak, a moon-forged silver, a weapon created for one purpose. To kill an Alpha. Tonight, it would pierce King Kael Draven's heart. A memory surfaced before she could stop it. Sixteen years ago. A burning house. A crying child. A man with golden eyes. Nyra had been six years old when Master Varek placed a portrait in her hands, the drawing of a young Alpha with dark hair and a cold expression. "Remember his face," he'd told her. "Kael Draven destroyed your family. He took your parents from you. He is the reason you have nothing left." Little Nyra had stared at the portrait until her tears dried. Grief was painful. Hatred was easier. From that night forward, she had lived for one purpose alone. Revenge. ***** The palace bell rang. Midnight. The festival below reached its peak, covering every sound with celebration. Perfect. Nyra moved, leaping from the tower, landing silently on the next rooftop, then another, until rain blurred her movements and she became nothing more than a shadow. A guard stepped onto the eastern walkway, too early for her plans, but her eyes only narrowed. Assassins adapted. The guard lifted his torch, searching the darkness. "Who's there?" Nyra held perfectly still. He climbed higher, his hand drifting toward his sword. "I know someone is here." Three seconds. That was all she needed. The moment he reached the rooftop, she struck a hand over his mouth, one strike to the neck, his body going limp before he understood what had happened. She caught him before he hit the ground. "Sleep," she whispered, laying him behind the chimney. Alive. Dead bodies created questions, questions created delays, and delays got assassins killed. Inside the palace, warmth replaced the cold rain. The scent of cedarwood and candles filled the corridors and somewhere below nobles celebrated with wine and music, laughing while an enemy walked among them. Nyra moved silently through the shadows until she reached the royal chambers. Then she stopped. Something was wrong. there was no guards, warriors or servants. The hallway stood completely empty. An Alpha King should have been surrounded by protection, unless he already knew she was coming. Nyra tightened her grip on the dagger. A trap didn't frighten her. She had survived worse. The ebony doors opened without resistance and darkness greeted her on the other side. The room was nothing like she'd expected, no piles of gold or signs of arrogance, only books, maps and reports scattered across a large desk. A chessboard sat unfinished beside a cup of cold tea. This wasn't the room of a careless tyrant. It was the room of a man carrying too many responsibilities. She pushed the thought away before it could take root. Don't forget why you're here. Monsters can wear beautiful faces. She stepped toward the balcony and saw him. The Alpha King stood beneath the rain, tall and powerful and unmoving, his black shirt clinging to him as the storm surrounded him. He looked over his kingdom like a man carrying the weight of the entire world. He didn't turn. He didn't need to. Nyra approached in silence. Twenty-eight missions. Twenty-eight successes. This would be number twenty-nine. She raised the silver dagger ready to make that One strike. stop the heartbeat and cause death. She lunged. A hand caught her wrist. Nyra froze. Impossible. No one had ever stopped her first attack. The man remained facing the balcony, his grip calm and effortless and when he finally spoke, his voice carried through the rain like it belonged there. "I was beginning to wonder if you had lost your nerve." Her breath stopped. He knew. He had known she was there all along. Slowly, he turned and for the first time in her life, Nyra forgot how to move. Kael Draven's golden eyes met hers. He wasn't the monster from her memories. He was something far more dangerous: a man who looked at her as if he already knew every secret she had buried. Inside Kael, his wolf awakened violently. Mine. The word echoed through his soul. His mate. The assassin holding a blade against his heart was his mate. For years he had waited for the woman written in prophecy, he never expected her to arrive trying to kill him. His wolf demanded he pull her closer. His instincts screamed to protect her. But he was still a king and she was still a threat. Barely controlling himself, he released her wrist. Nyra stepped back at once and drew a second dagger from her sleeve. Kael almost smiled. "You came prepared." She attacked, the blade flashing toward his throat. He avoided it by inches and her eyes narrowed, there no fear or hesitation. Interesting, he thought. "So," Kael said, "the Shadow Order finally sent someone." Her expression remained cold. "I don't know what you're talking about." "You move like Varek's students. You carry moon-forged silver. And you entered my palace without killing anyone." His gaze sharpened. "You're not what they trained you to be." The words struck deeper than she wanted to admit. "You know nothing about me." "Maybe not." His voice softened. "But I want to." Before she could answer, the room changed. The fireplace erupted with silver flames and Nyra felt something pull inside her chest, something impossible, something familiar. She looked at Kael and hated that a part of her felt safe. No. I can't. This man is my enemy. Then why couldn't she lift her blade? Kael felt it too, the bond, the connection, the impossible truth. His mate stood before him and she wanted him dead. The palace bells rang. Once. Twice. Three times. War bells. The celebration outside vanished beneath screams and the clash of steel. Kael's expression changed in an instant, the king replacing the man. "What have you done?" Nyra's eyes hardened. "I came alone." But even she wasn't certain anymore. The Shadow Order never revealed all their plans. The doors exploded open. A wounded guard stumbled inside. "My King!" Kael moved toward him. "What happened?" "The western gate." The guard coughed blood onto the floor. "They breached it." Nyra froze. "Who?" "The Shadow Order." The guard's finger rose, trembling and pointed straight at her. "She's one of them." Seconds later, royal guards flooded the chamber, weapons aimed directly at Nyra. She braced to fight. Then Kael moved,one step, two, until he stood between her and his own soldiers. The entire room went silent. Nyra stared at him. Why would the man she came to kill protect her? The captain raised his sword. "Your Majesty, she tried to assassinate you." Kael didn't look away from Nyra. "I know." "Then why protect her?" His answer was quiet. But everyone in the room heard it. "Because no one decides her fate" his golden eyes met hers, "except me."