CLAIMED BY THE IRRESISTIBLE ALPHA

CHAPTER 16 : A HIDDEN FILE

The storm from last night still hung over Silver Crest. Gray clouds just kept rolling over the territory, and that wind—cold, biting—rushed through the pack grounds, making its way into every hallway of the pack house. And somehow, it carried tension with it, like a rumor everyone could feel but no one dared say out loud.

Liana barely got any sleep.

Every time she tried closing her eyes, she heard that voice again.

Mine.

The Alpha’s wolf hadn’t whispered it. It claimed her. Possessive. Like her fate was his, like the bond between them was something deeper than fate itself.

What twisted her up inside? The worst part was, a dangerous part of her didn’t fear it. Her wolf—she actually liked it. That alone kept her restless all morning.

As she wandered down the west hallway, arms loaded with folded linens, she sighed softly. Usually, pack servants handled cleaning the Alpha wing, but ever since the rogue attacks, most workers refused to go anywhere near it. Fear spread fast in Silver Crest. Especially when it came to her. So, Liana volunteered. It got her out of her room, away from the warriors who watched her like she might erupt any second.

Cleaning kept her busy, kept her mind off of Kael.

Except—even that wasn’t working. The mate bond still thrummed inside her chest, low but persistent. Last night, when she remembered the way Kael looked at her—like he was fighting himself—her heart just jumped. Stupid. Frustrating. Dangerous.

She rounded the corner toward the Alpha’s office wing. Two guards stood at the entrance. They stiffened as soon as they saw her. Not exactly relaxed.

“Morning,” Liana said.

The taller guard nodded, awkward. “The Alpha left early for border patrol.”

He was volunteering information, which—honestly, that made her suspicious. “I didn’t ask,” she replied.

The guard coughed. Right. Like she was supposed to care where Kael was. Which annoyed her. Okay, maybe she did care a little. Unfortunately.

Liana shifted the linens. “Just cleaning the west corridor.” The guards let her through, but their eyes stayed glued to her, like she was a threat they couldn’t quite name.

Her wolf growled under her breath. Idiots.

The Alpha wing felt oddly empty. Kael’s scent lingered in the air—pine, smoke, rain, all tangled together. It wrapped around her, messed with her head. Her pulse picked up. She ignored it, pressed on until she reached the office doors.

They were open. Just a crack. That was weird; Kael never left his office unsecured. She hesitated, sighed. Probably a servant forgot protocol again.

She pushed the doors fully open. The massive office stood empty. Sunlight splashed through tall windows, lighting up every corner and every paper on Kael’s desk. His scent was even stronger here, almost overwhelming. Her wolf stirred.

Liana set the linens down. Focus. This was cleaning, not spiraling over the Alpha.

She grabbed papers scattered near the desk. Patrol reports, territory maps, trade documents—just everyday Alpha stuff. Then she noticed a drawer, not completely shut. A slender black folder peeked out.

She froze.

Something about it felt important. Hidden. Her instincts screamed not to touch it. Her wolf disagreed—look.

Curiosity burned through her. So she stepped closer, opened the drawer.

Inside: sealed files stamped with ancient silver symbols she didn’t recognize. One folder stood out.

Across the front:

ALPHA BLOODLINE RECORDS

Her breath caught. This was about her. It had to be.

She glanced back—nobody in the hall, no Kael. Slowly, she opened the folder.

Old documents, faded handwriting, pack markings she barely understood. Some pages were centuries old. She flipped through them. Bloodlines she’d never heard of, ancient Alpha families, extinct lineages, prophecies, wars. Then she spotted a phrase showing up over and over:

The Blood Heir

An icy dread climbed through her chest.

She kept reading.

“The Blood Heir holds authority above any Alpha wolf.”

“Their existence threatens the balance of every pack.”

“If the Heir awakens, the continent will divide.”

Liana’s throat tightened. This was real. The prophecy, the attacks, the fear—it all added up.

The room just felt colder.

She turned a page. There was a sketch of a glowing mark—exactly like hers. Her stomach dropped.

Underneath, ancient writing, most of it impossible to decipher. But one section was translated:

“The marked female will rise beneath the blood moon.”

“She will command ancient blood.”

“Kings will kneel.”

“Empires will burn.”

Her hands started to shake. No. No, this couldn’t be about her.

She searched through the rest, faster now, panic rising—

And then she froze.

A single, newer paper was tucked at the back. Her name at the top.

LIANA VALE

Her heartbeat stopped.

Below it, detailed notes: observed abilities, accelerated wolf awakening, unusual Alpha reactions, combat growth, threat assessment. Kael had been tracking her. Studying her.

Fear twisted with betrayal. And then she saw the final section.

It chilled her to the bone.

“Possible confirmation of prophecy lineage.”

“Potential identity: Alpha Queen.”

“Level of danger: Catastrophic.”

At the bottom, in bold ink, a huge warning:

THE ALPHA DESTROYER

Liana stared, horror flooding her.

Alpha Destroyer.

That’s what they thought she was—not a person, not a wolf, but a weapon.

Memories crashed into her. Rogues calling her Alpha killer. Elders debating her fate. The terror in everyone’s eyes. Kael pushing her away.

Because if this prophecy was true, being near her endangered every Alpha alive.

Her hands shook harder.

Then—footsteps sounded in the hallway.

Liana’s heart thudded. Someone was coming.

She stuffed everything back into the folder, shoved it into the drawer—

But before she could shut it fully, a deep voice cut through the air:

“What are you doing?”

She spun around.

Kael stood in the doorway, his silver eyes locking on the open file, then her.

Silence.

The room seemed to freeze. The Alpha’s face darkened, dangerous.

Liana stepped back. “I can explain.”

Kael moved toward her, slow and controlled—too controlled.

“That file was sealed.”

Her pulse raced. “You lied to me.”

His jaw flexed. “I was protecting you.”

“By hiding this?” Liana snatched the paper with her name.

Her voice shook. “Alpha Destroyer? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Kael’s silence left her more terrified than any answer. Because for the first time, the most feared Alpha on the continent looked genuinely scared—of her, and what she might become.