Crimson Pack

His claim

The wolves circled closer. Their eyes glowed in the dark, sharp teeth flashing. Low growls rumbled from their throats.

Ravenna’s chest rose and fell fast. She still couldn’t break free from Kael’s grip. His hand was strong on her chin, forcing her to look at him.

“Mine,” he said again, his voice deep, his eyes burning gold.

Ravenna’s blood ran cold.

No. He couldn’t mean that. She wasn’t his. She wasn’t anyone’s.

Her heart pounded so hard she thought it might burst. This was the Alpha—the same man who had ordered her death. The same man who was supposed to hate her kind. Why was he claiming her now?

“Alpha,” one of the wolves stepped forward. His voice was tight with confusion. “She’s the hybrid. She must be killed. That’s what you said.”

Kael’s eyes snapped to him, and the wolf froze under the weight of his glare.

“I decide,” Kael growled, his tone sharp like steel. “No one touches her.”

The pack shifted uneasily. Murmurs rippled through them, low and angry. Ravenna’s stomach twisted. They hated her. She could feel it in the way they looked at her; as if she was a disease that needed to be wiped out.

Kael pulled her to her feet in one quick move. Ravenna stumbled, her dagger lying forgotten on the ground. His hand wrapped around her arm, firm and unyielding.

“You’re coming with me,” he said.

Ravenna tried to jerk away. “Let me go!”

His grip only tightened. His golden eyes darkened, as if her resistance only stirred the beast inside him.

“If I let you go, they’ll rip you apart,” he said coldly, tilting his head toward the wolves that still surrounded them. “And I don’t share what’s mine.”

Ravenna’s breath caught. She hated the way the word mine sent a shiver through her, hated that a part of her wolf stirred at the sound of it. But she shoved the feeling down.

“I’m not yours,” she snapped.

Kael’s jaw clenched. His wolf howled inside him, wild and furious at her denial. But he didn’t argue. Not yet.

“Alpha,” another wolf spoke, this time Rowan, Kael’s Beta. His voice carried both respect and doubt. “This goes against our law. A hybrid can’t live. If you bring her back, the elders will fight you.”

Kael turned his head slowly, his glare sharp as a blade. “Then let them fight.”

Rowan’s mouth closed. No one dared challenge him further.

Ravenna felt her stomach twist again. She didn’t understand him. Why was he doing this? He was supposed to kill her, not protect her.

Her chance.

While his eyes were on his pack, Ravenna shoved her knee upward, aiming for his ribs. Kael moved like lightning, catching her wrist before she could strike. He yanked her closer until her chest nearly touched his.

“Try that again,” he said softly, his voice dangerous, “and I’ll throw you over my shoulder instead.”

Her cheeks flushed with anger. “I’d rather die than go with you.”

Something flickered in his eyes at her words, but his face stayed hard. “You’ll live,” he said firmly. “Whether you want to or not.”

The pack parted as Kael dragged her forward. Wolves followed behind, their growls low, their anger heavy in the air.

Ravenna’s mind raced. She had to escape before they reached his territory. Once inside the Crimson Pack lands, she’d be trapped.

She glanced at the trees, the shadows, the paths she could take. Her vampire side whispered to wait. Be patient. Look for the moment.

But her wolf side was restless, her blood hot with the need to fight.

They walked deeper into the forest, Kael’s grip never loosening. His body moved with calm power, as if he feared nothing. As if he owned the night itself.

Finally, when they reached a ridge overlooking the valley below, Kael stopped. He turned her to face him.

His hand brushed her hair back roughly, his eyes scanning her face. For a second, his hard mask cracked. There was something else in his stare—not just rage. Something raw. Something dangerous.

“Why you?” he muttered, almost to himself. “Of all the people in this cursed world… why did it have to be you?”

Ravenna froze. His words confused her even more. What was he talking about?

Before she could ask, a howl split the night; louder, sharper, different from the rest. It wasn’t a wolf from the pack.

Kael stiffened. His head snapped toward the sound, his jaw tightening.

Ravenna’s heart skipped. She knew that howl. It wasn’t wolf at all.

It was vampire.

More howls followed, high and haunting, echoing across the forest. The pack stirred uneasily, teeth bared, fur bristling.

Kael cursed under his breath. His grip on Ravenna’s arm tightened, almost painful.

“They’re here for you,” he said, his voice low and deadly. “The leeches want their weapon back.”

Ravenna’s blood turned to ice. The vampires had found her.

Now she wasn’t just caught between wolves and their Alpha. She w

as caught between two worlds—both ready to fight for her.

And neither would let her go.