CHAPTER ELEVEN : THE ALPHA’S BREAKING POINT
1050 Words
The night Seraphina realized the bond was no longer dormant, it nearly broke her.
She woke gasping, fingers clawing at the thin blanket as heat burned through her veins like liquid fire. Her heart pounded too fast, too hard, as if it were trying to escape her chest.
And the first thing she felt
was him.
Kael.
Not his voice.
Not his presence.
His need.
It slammed into her without warning, raw and demanding, dragging her halfway out of sleep. The connection between them pulsed violently, tight and unrelenting, like an invisible chain pulling her toward him.
No, she thought, squeezing her eyes shut. Not now.
But the bond didn’t listen.
Images flashed behind her closed lids moonlit forests, sharp fangs, glowing gold eyes burning with hunger. Not hunger for blood.
For her.
Seraphina rolled onto her side, breath shaking. She had felt the bond stir before subtle tugs, whispers of instinct but this was different. This was awakening.
And somewhere deep within Blackthorn territory, Kael Blackthorn felt it too.
Kael dropped to one knee in the clearing, fist slamming into the dirt as the force of the bond hit him.
“Alpha!” one of the warriors shouted, rushing forward.
“Stay back,” Kael growled through clenched teeth.
His wolf roared inside him, violent and restless, claws scraping against his control. The bond surged, dragging every nerve ending taut, flooding him with sensations that were not his own heat, panic, resistance.
She’s fighting it.
The realization tore through him.
Seraphina was awake. And she was terrified.
Kael sucked in a sharp breath, golden eyes blazing as he forced himself upright. The moon hung low and red above the trees a bad omen. Blood Moon energy crawled through the territory, amplifying instincts, stripping away restraint.
And the bond had chosen tonight to tighten.
“She’s in danger,” Kael said flatly.
Not from enemies.
From herself.
If Seraphina continued to resist the pull, the bond would retaliate. It always did.
Kael turned sharply toward the inner grounds.
“Clear the perimeter,” he ordered. “No one follows me.”
The warriors hesitated then obeyed.
Because when an Alpha’s voice carried that tone, there was no room for questions.
Seraphina paced the length of the room, nails biting into her palms.
The heat wouldn’t stop.
It coiled low in her stomach, spread through her limbs, made her skin feel too tight. Her wolf stirred restlessly beneath her human skin, pushing, demanding release.
This isn’t real, she told herself. It’s just instinct.
But instinct had teeth.
A knock hit the door.
She froze.
“Seraphina.”
Kael’s voice.
Low. Controlled. Dangerous.
Her pulse spiked.
“Go away,” she snapped, backing toward the far wall. “I’m fine.”
Silence stretched between them.
Then
“I know you’re not.”
The door creaked open.
Kael stepped inside, filling the space instantly. His presence was overwhelming tonight Alpha power rolling off him in waves, thick and suffocating. His dark shirt clung to his broad shoulders, jaw shadowed with stubble, eyes glowing brighter than she’d ever seen.
Blood Moon energy clung to him like a second skin.
“You shouldn’t be here,” she said, though her voice betrayed her, trembling.
“And leave you like this?” he asked quietly.
His gaze swept over her—flushed skin, tight fists, the way she refused to meet his eyes.
The bond pulsed violently between them.
Kael closed the door behind him.
Locked it.
Seraphina’s breath hitched. “Don’t.”
“I’m not here to claim you,” he said, stepping closer. “I’m here to keep you from breaking.”
Her laugh was sharp. “You think this is helping?”
“Yes,” he said simply. “Because if you’re feeling this, then so am I.”
Her eyes snapped to his.
For the first time, she saw it—cracks in his control. The tension in his shoulders. The way his hands flexed, fighting the urge to reach for her.
“You’re hurting,” she whispered.
Kael exhaled slowly. “So are you.”
The truth settled heavily between them.
Seraphina swallowed. “What happens if I keep fighting it?”
Kael didn’t answer immediately.
Then, quietly, “The bond will force balance.”
Her stomach dropped. “Meaning?”
“Meaning it will take,” he said. “From both of us.”
Fear crawled up her spine.
“And if I don’t want it?” she asked.
Kael stopped an arm’s length away from her. His voice lowered, rough. “Then tonight will be worse.”
Silence.
The bond throbbed, impatient.
Seraphina clenched her jaw. “I won’t submit.”
Kael’s eyes darkened not with anger, but something far more dangerous.
“I’m not asking you to submit,” he said. “I’m asking you to survive.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand what this means for me.”
“I understand exactly what it means,” he said, stepping closer still. “It means you’re not alone anymore.”
Her back hit the wall.
Kael braced his hands on either side of her, trapping her without touching her. Heat poured off him, intoxicating and terrifying all at once.
“Say the word,” he murmured. “And I’ll walk away.”
Her breath came shallow.
The bond screamed.
She opened her mouth
And the door exploded inward.
Wood splintered as a violent force ripped through the room. Kael spun instantly, body shifting, fangs flashing as he shoved Seraphina behind him.
Three figures stepped through the wreckage.
Not Blackthorn wolves.
Rival pack.
Their leader smiled slowly, eyes glowing a poisonous silver.
“Well,” he drawled. “Looks like we arrived just in time.”
Seraphina’s heart slammed against her ribs.
Kael’s voice dropped to a lethal whisper.
“Get out of my territory.”
The intruder’s gaze slid past him to Seraphina.
“Oh, Alpha,” he said softly. “We’re here for her.”
The bond flared violently.
And Seraphina realized
this night wasn’t just about survival anymore.
It was the beginning of war
The bond snapped tight between them as the rival Alpha stepped closer
and Kael knew that if he lost control now, blood would soak the Blackthorn ground before dawn
- Writer
