The Alpha's Forgotten Heir

Blood On The Silk

My body ached in places I didn't know existed.

The heavy silk sheets of the Alpha tower felt like ice against my bare skin. Dawn crept through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long, gray shadows across the room. I sat up, pulling the blanket tight around my chest.

Lucas stood near the foot of the mahogany bed. He already had his trousers on. His back was to me, black wolf tattoos running down his spine like dark veins. He didn't turn around. He didn't offer a blanket or a kind word. The warm, frantic air of last night vanished completely.

"Put your clothes on," he said.

His voice sounded cold enough to freeze water.

I swallowed hard, the sharp taste of panic rising in my throat. I gathered my torn dress from the hardwood floor. My hands shook so badly I couldn't line up the buttons.

"Lucas," I whispered, my voice raspy. "What happened last night... the moon fever..."

He turned around fast. His storm-gray eyes locked onto mine with raw disgust. The air in the room grew heavy, suffocating me. That was his Alpha aura, pushing down on my chest like a lead weight. As an omega, my knees wanted to hit the floor automatically. I forced myself to stand tall.

"Do not say my name," he snapped. "You think I don't know what you did?"

I froze. "What?"

"You used the lunar festival," he said, taking a step toward me. "You deliberately crossed into the upper territory. You knew my restraint was low during the full moon."

A sharp laugh escaped my mouth before I could stop it. Did he really think I planned this? I was an omega who worked in the pack kitchens. I spent my days scrubbing silver pots and dodging insults from the high-ranking guards. Why would I want to get thrown into his lion's den?

"I was delivering wine to the main hall," I said, pointing a shaking finger at the door. "Your guards blocked the lower stairwell. You dragged me in here, Lucas. You broke the lock."

"Liars always have a story," he growled.

He stepped closer, towering over me. The sheer physical size of him used to make me feel safe. Now it just makes me feel small.

By the way, this was the same man who watched me carry heavy wooden crates last winter and did nothing. I should have known better. I should have run the second the scent of pine and ozone hit the hallway.

"You're a low-grade omega, Elena," he said, his voice deadly calm. "You hold zero value to the Bloodmoon Pack. In three days, my alliance with the Silvercrest Pack becomes official. Lady Freya arrives at noon."

The mention of her name felt like a knife under my ribs. Freya was a highborn wolf. Her family owned three rich hunting territories to the north. I was just Elena. The girl with no family line and dirt under her fingernails.

"So last night was a mistake?" I asked. My throat burned. "You claimed me, Lucas. The bond..."

"The bond means nothing," he interrupted. "It was an instinctual lapse. Nothing more. You will take your things and return to the lower quarters. If you speak a single word about this night to Freya or the pack elders, I will throw you in the dungeons."

He turned his back on me again, adjusting his silver cuff links as if I were a stain he needed to wash out.

My heart hammered against my ribs. I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw the heavy glass decanter on his nightstand right at his head. Instead, I pulled my ripped dress over my shoulders and stepped into the hallway without looking back.

I walked down the grand staircase, my bare feet making silent contact with the cold stone. Pack members were already awake, whispering in small huddles as I passed. They smelled Alpha's scent heavy on my skin. They knew.

I made it back to my tiny room near the laundry pits. My hands were still trembling as I locked the door. I leaned against the wood and slid down to the floor, pulling my knees to my chest.

Anyway, crying never solved a single problem in my life. I wiped my face with the back of my hand and looked down at my dress.

That was when I noticed the small, sharp pain in my lower abdomen. A warm, strange surge of energy pulsed beneath my skin. It didn't feel like my own power. It felt bright, ancient, and heavy.

I placed my palm against my stomach.

The door to my cabin suddenly burst open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang. Lady Freya stood on the threshold, flanked by two armed Alpha guards.