The Crimson Claw Alpha
1887 Words
The silence after Kael left felt unbearable.
Lyra stood alone in the center of his suite, heart pounding violently while the mating bond pulsed with distant anger and tension. Even separated by several floors, she could still feel him.
Focused.
Dangerous.
Furious.
The emotions bled through the bond in sharp waves, making it impossible for her to relax.
Outside the massive windows, dusk slowly settled over the mountains. Snow-covered trees stretched endlessly beneath the fading light while wind rattled softly against the glass.
Everything looked peaceful.
But the estate below told a different story.
Warriors moved through the courtyard in larger numbers than usual. Guards stationed themselves near entrances. Wolves whispered in tense groups across the grounds.
The Crimson Claw Pack had arrived.
And somehow, Lyra already knew they brought trouble with them.
She paced nervously through Kael’s room before finally stopping near the fireplace.
His scent surrounded her completely here.
Warm cedarwood.
Winter air.
Smoke.
The scent calmed her wolf almost instantly.
Mine.
Heat crept faintly into her cheeks again.
It still startled her how strongly her body reacted to him.
Every touch.
Every glance.
Every low sound of his voice.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
A knock suddenly sounded against the suite doors.
Lyra froze immediately.
Kael’s warning echoed in her head.
If anyone enters this room besides me or Damien, you scream.
Her pulse quickened.
Another knock came.
Then Damien’s irritated voice followed.
“If you scream at me, I’m leaving.”
Relief flooded her instantly.
She hurried toward the doors and opened them carefully.
Damien stood outside looking exhausted already.
“You look stressed,” he said dryly.
“I wonder why.”
“Fair point.”
He stepped inside carrying another tray of food.
Lyra blinked.
“Why does everyone keep bringing me meals?”
“Because Kael threatened the kitchen staff.”
Of course he did.
Damien set the tray down before moving toward the fireplace.
“The Crimson Claw alpha is worse than expected.”
Fear twisted low in her stomach.
“What’s he like?”
Damien leaned against the mantle.
“His name is Ronan Blackwood.” His expression darkened slightly. “Strong. Violent. Obsessed with old bloodline traditions.”
Not good.
At all.
“And he agrees with the elders?”
“He thinks the mating disgraces northern packs.”
Lyra looked down immediately.
Of course he did.
Damien watched her quietly for a moment.
“You know what annoys me most?”
She glanced up hesitantly.
“The fact you automatically look guilty every time someone insults you.”
Her throat tightened softly.
“I’m used to it.”
“That’s the problem.”
Silence settled between them briefly.
Then Lyra asked quietly:
“Do you think Kael regrets it?”
Damien looked genuinely confused.
“The bond?”
She nodded slowly.
“He’s sacrificing a lot.”
The beta stared at her for several seconds before laughing suddenly.
Not cruelly.
Disbelievingly.
“You really don’t understand him at all yet.”
Her brows pulled together slightly.
“Kael waited six years for a mate. Six years.” Damien crossed his arms. “You think a male wolf finally finds his mate and then regrets it because people complain?”
Lyra looked uncertain.
Damien shook his head.
“That male is obsessed with you already.”
Her face turned bright red instantly.
“He is not.”
“He threatened to remove someone’s tongue this morning.”
“…Oh.”
Damien smirked slightly.
“Exactly.”
Before Lyra could respond, voices suddenly echoed from outside the suite.
Male voices.
One unfamiliar.
Deep.
Cold.
Dangerous.
Then—
A growl.
Kael.
Lyra’s heart stumbled violently.
Damien cursed quietly under his breath.
“That’s not good.”
The suite doors slammed open moments later.
Kael entered first.
And he looked furious.
Every inch of him radiated controlled violence. His silver eyes glowed faintly beneath lowered brows while tension rolled off his massive frame like a storm.
Behind him stepped another alpha.
Ronan Blackwood.
Lyra immediately understood why wolves feared him.
He was enormous.
Nearly Kael’s height, heavily built with dark blond hair and piercing amber eyes that carried a cruel edge beneath their calmness. Scars lined his throat and jaw while a heavy black coat rested across broad shoulders.
Predator.
Dangerous predator.
The moment his gaze landed on Lyra—
Everything changed.
Ronan went still.
His eyes narrowed slowly as he studied her.
Not with kindness.
With calculation.
The instinctive fear that rushed through her made her step backward automatically.
Kael noticed instantly.
And snarled.
The sound vibrated through the entire room.
Ronan’s mouth curved slightly.
“So it’s true.”
Kael moved subtly in front of Lyra.
Protective immediately.
“You’ve seen her. Leave.”
Ronan ignored him completely.
His amber eyes remained fixed on Lyra.
Interesting.
That single word somehow felt worse than disgust.
Lyra wrapped her arms tightly around herself.
Kael’s rage pulsed violently through the bond now.
“You’re staring.”
Ronan finally looked toward him again.
“She doesn’t look like a runt.”
Kael’s expression became lethal.
“She is not an object.”
Ronan smirked faintly.
“You misunderstand me.” His gaze slid briefly back toward Lyra. “I expected something broken.”
The insult still landed.
Even wrapped as surprise.
Kael took one dangerous step forward.
“She leaves the room.”
“No,” Ronan said calmly. “I think she should hear this.”
Damien muttered quietly:
“Oh, this is definitely ending in violence.”
Lyra’s pulse quickened harder.
Ronan crossed his arms slowly.
“The northern packs are concerned.”
Kael looked entirely unimpressed.
“The northern packs can mind their own business.”
“This becomes their business if Silver Fang weakens.”
The air turned colder instantly.
Kael’s voice lowered dangerously.
“You think I’ve become weak?”
Ronan held his gaze evenly.
“I think you’ve become emotional.”
The bond snapped sharply with Kael’s anger.
Lyra actually felt it physically this time.
Like heat burning beneath her skin.
Kael’s wolf pushed violently closer to the surface.
“You came into my territory,” Kael said softly, “to insult my mate?”
Ronan remained calm.
“I came to see whether the rumors were true.”
“And now?”
Ronan looked toward Lyra again.
Too long.
Kael moved instantly.
One second he stood near the doors.
The next his hand wrapped around Ronan’s throat hard enough to c***k stone behind him.
Everything happened too fast.
Lyra gasped softly.
Damien sighed like a deeply tired parent.
“There it is.”
Kael shoved Ronan against the wall violently.
Silver eyes glowing now.
Predatory.
Terrifying.
“You will not look at her again.”
The room exploded with alpha power.
Ronan growled low in response, amber eyes flashing dangerously.
For one horrifying second, Lyra thought they might shift right there.
Then Ronan slowly smiled.
Actually smiled.
“Well,” he rasped against Kael’s grip, “you really are obsessed.”
Kael’s fingers tightened harder.
Lyra hurried forward instinctively.
“Kael.”
The effect was immediate.
His rage still burned violently through the bond, but control snapped back enough for him to release Ronan roughly.
Ronan straightened calmly, adjusting his coat like he hadn’t just nearly been murdered.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Kael stepped back toward Lyra immediately, positioning himself protectively beside her.
Always between her and danger.
Ronan noticed that too.
“You love her already,” the Crimson Claw alpha observed.
The room fell silent.
Kael didn’t answer.
Didn’t deny it either.
Lyra’s heart nearly stopped.
Love.
No.
Surely not.
The bond pulsed strangely now.
Warm.
Heavy.
Possessive.
Kael’s expression remained unreadable.
But she felt something deep beneath his anger.
Something terrifyingly real.
Ronan studied them both quietly.
Then finally:
“The elders won’t stop.”
Kael’s jaw tightened.
“I know.”
“They’re asking northern packs to support separation laws.”
Fear curled ice-cold through Lyra’s chest.
Separation laws.
Again.
Ronan’s gaze shifted toward her briefly.
“If the elders gather enough support, they can force a formal challenge.”
Kael went completely still.
“What kind of challenge?”
Ronan looked directly at him now.
“Trial by dominance.”
Damien swore loudly.
Lyra frowned anxiously.
“What does that mean?”
No one answered immediately.
Finally Damien rubbed his face tiredly.
“It means another alpha can challenge Kael for leadership.”
Her stomach dropped.
“What?”
Ronan’s expression remained calm.
“Ancient law states an alpha ruled by weakness may be replaced.”
Kael looked moments away from violence again.
“And the winner decides the mate’s fate,” Damien added grimly.
Cold terror flooded through her instantly.
No.
No no no—
Ronan watched her reaction carefully.
“Most likely,” he continued calmly, “the new alpha would reject the mating entirely.”
Lyra felt sick.
The bond reacted violently to the thought.
Pain shot sharply through her chest.
Kael noticed instantly.
His large hand settled against her waist protectively.
Grounding her.
Mine.
The bond practically snarled now.
Kael’s voice became deathly quiet.
“Who volunteered?”
Ronan was silent briefly.
Then:
“Magnus approached me first.”
The room exploded with fury.
Kael lunged again—
But Ronan raised a hand sharply.
“I refused.”
Silence.
Even Damien looked shocked.
Kael narrowed glowing silver eyes.
“Why?”
Ronan’s expression became unreadable.
“Because I don’t care about your mate.”
Relief flickered weakly through Lyra.
But Ronan continued:
“I care about stability. Killing each other over an omega would make the northern packs look pathetic.”
That sounded more believable.
Kael still looked suspicious.
Ronan sighed quietly.
“You’re still an i***t for this bond.”
Damien nodded immediately.
“Agreed.”
Kael ignored both of them.
Ronan glanced toward Lyra one final time.
This time his gaze held less judgment.
More curiosity.
“She calms you.”
Kael’s hand tightened subtly against Lyra’s waist.
“Yes.”
The simple honesty of it stole her breath.
Because it was true.
She’d seen it herself now.
The terrifying alpha everyone feared softened around her instinctively.
Ronan noticed it too.
Interesting.
The alpha straightened fully.
“The Blood Moon Gathering begins tomorrow night.” His amber eyes hardened slightly. “And many wolves will want to provoke you.”
Kael’s expression remained cold.
“They’ll regret it.”
Ronan actually laughed softly.
“Yes,” he murmured. “That’s what concerns me.”
Then without another word, the Crimson Claw alpha turned and left the suite.
Silence followed behind him.
Heavy silence.
Damien exhaled loudly.
“Well. We’re all doomed.”
Lyra barely heard him.
Her thoughts still echoed around Ronan’s words.
You love her already.
Slowly, she looked up at Kael.
His gaze met hers instantly.
The bond pulsed softly between them.
Warm.
Intimate.
Dangerously intimate.
“Kael…”
His expression softened immediately at her voice.
“What?”
She hesitated.
Because suddenly she was terrified of the answer.
“Do you…?”
The words stuck in her throat.
Kael stepped closer slowly.
Large fingers brushing softly against her cheek.
And the way he looked at her—
God.
It almost hurt.
“I think,” he said quietly, “I could very easily.”
- Writer
