Rejected By One Alpha, Claimed By Four

CH 9: They Are in Pain

The Alpha Kings

The council chamber stood heavy with power, its ancient stone walls holding centuries of decisions that had shaped the fate of wolves.

Moonlight filtered through the tall arched windows, stretching long silver shadows across the scarred oak table at the center of the room.

Four Alpha Kings sat around that table.

Behind each of them stood their Beta. They were not silent observers. They were thinking, calculating, and ready to intervene whenever necessary.

At the head of the table sat Adrian, his posture perfectly still, his ice-blue eyes cold and unreadable as he observed everyone present.

Behind him stood Mikhail Orlov, his beta and advisor, calm and composed, yet intensely alert. His sharp gaze moved from one speaker to another, analyzing every word before it fully settled in the room.

Across from Adrian, Darius Knight leaned forward slightly, his body already tense as if the discussion itself irritated him.

Behind Darius stood his Beta Daniel Cross, composed and thoughtful. His eyes reflected calculation rather than emotion, as if he were already mapping outcomes and consequences before they were spoken.

Lucian Vale sat to the side, relaxed in appearance, with his fingers tapping lightly against the wooden surface of the table.

Behind Lucian his Beta stood Cole, quiet and observant, his focus deeper than the surface-level conversation. He listened not only to words, but to patterns, reactions, and underlying meaning.

Ryder Blackthorn leaned back in his chair, appearing almost careless, though the sharpness in his gaze betrayed his awareness.

Behind him stood Beta Marcus Hale, grounded and steady, his presence acting as a silent anchor to Ryder’s unpredictable nature.

At the far end of the chamber stood the three Elders, the true pillars of wolf law, history, and balance.

They were not warriors, yet their authority carried enough weight to command even Alpha Kings.

Magnus Grey, the High Elder of Law, stood at the center. His age did not weaken him; instead, it sharpened the authority in his presence. He was the keeper of wolf laws and judgment, and his words alone could restrain even the strongest Alpha.

Beside him stood Rowan Blackwood, the Elder of Strategy and Records. Every alliance, every war, and every bloodline was preserved in his memory with precise clarity, making him a living archive of wolf history.

Elias Storm stood slightly apart from the others. As the Elder of Ancient Magic, his knowledge extended into forbidden texts, ancient bonds, and supernatural laws that most wolves could not fully comprehend.

The tension in the room was immediate and undeniable.

“This is a waste of time.” Darius exhaled sharply, breaking the silence.

“It is not entirely a waste of time.” Daniel spoke from behind him in a calm, measured tone.

“I did not ask for your opinion.” Darius did not turn around.

“You rarely do.” Daniel’s expression did not change.

A brief pause followed.

“I like him.” Ryder let out a quiet chuckle.

“You like trouble.” Marcus replied in a low voice,

Lucian’s lips curved slightly as he shifted his attention toward the discussion.

“I think we are past questioning how this happened. The real question is what this bond means.” Lucian points out.

“It means control, nothing more, nothing less.” Darius said sharply.

Daniel stepped slightly closer, maintaining a respectful distance but making his presence known.

“It could also represent balance.” Daniel said thoughtfully.

Darius turned his head slightly, his gaze narrowing.

“Explain what has gotten into your little head.” Darius's demand.

“Glandly, My Lord. In my opinion, four dominant Alpha Kings being tied to a single mate reduces the likelihood of territorial conflict,” Daniel said clearly.

“That actually makes sense.” Ryder raised his brows slightly.

“It must be strategically efficient.” Marcus gave a small nod to Daniel.

Darius frowned, but he did not dismiss the idea.

“No.” Adrian spoke then, his voice cutting cleanly through the room.

Silence followed instantly.

“It represents responsibility,” Adrian continued.

“And consequence too.” Mikhail added in a calm, steady voice.

Lucian nodded slowly.

“Such a bond would not exist without purpose.” Lucian nodded.

Ryder leaned back slightly, exhaling.

“This feels less like fate and more like a trap.” He groaned unhappily.

Marcus responded evenly,

“You just dislike losing control, and limit the options of women.”

“That is true. Why should I stop at one woman, that I have to share with three more guys?” Ryder smirked faintly.

“As I thought… You always care about pleasuse…” Marcus sighs helplessly.

“After working my ass off as a King, you want me to stay dry and boring? Like Darius?” Ryder said annoyedly.

“Did you want to see how dry and boring I am?” Darius crossed his arms, challenging tone.

“No.” Ryder lifts her hands for surrender.

“We are talking about something important, My Lord.” Daniel said in a hurry.

“Then put this into his head.” Darius said in an angry tone.

“I feel this is trap for all of us. With a girl that we do not even know. She totally strengthens us." Darius points out.

Adrian’s gaze did not shift.

“It's for our mate. She is our Mate.” The word settled heavily in the air.

“Four Alpha Kings sharing one mate is not without precedent.” Magnus Grey stepped forward.

“That is not called reassuring.” Darius let out a quiet scoff.

“It is historically significant, King Darius.” Cole spoke for the first time, his voice thoughtful and precise.

“That's why we called you here, elders. Now explain all this clearly.” Lucian turned his head slightly toward him.

“In ancient times, such bonds were used to prevent war between dominant bloodlines, like other kings did in the past.” Cole said.

“That is correct.I read some documents on this.” Rowan Blackwood nodded in agreement.

“So instead of killing each other, they shared a mate?” Ryder ran a hand through his hair.

“It was an effective solution, My king.” Marcus replied dryly.

“This is not a strategy. This is interference in our personal life.” Darius shook his head.

“It may also be a correction.” Mikhail spoke calmly,

“If four territories become connected through one bond, initiating war becomes significantly more costly.”Daniel added,

“Because harming one would affect all.” Lucian’s eyes darkened slightly.

A brief silence followed as the implication settled.

“But I'm not ready for this bond. I have too many things to do in my life. I can run after a woman like a puppy.”

“Count me in. I have penalty points in my pack, why would I stop one woman?”

“Tell us who will end this?”

Elders look each other in the eye. One of them nodded.

“We would like to meet the girl, to find that.” Then Magnus Grey spoke again.

The reaction was immediate.

“No,” Adrian said.

“She is injured, and not ready to meet any other men,” Lucian added at the same time.

“You are not seeing her, not in my watch!” Darius stated.

“That is not happening,” Ryder said firmly.

Their voices overlapped, sharp and possessive.

The entire room went still.

The Elders did not react to the refusal itself, but to the speed and unity behind it.

A moment passed. Then realization struck.

“Waoh! This is strange. All four of you reach the same way.” Daniel chuckled.

“It didn't mean anything. I didn't say that.” Darius leaned back slightly, his brows drawing together.

Lucian’s fingers stilled against the table. His lips have a small smile.

“…Wait.” Ryder straightened in his seat.

Marcus glanced at him briefly but said nothing.

Adrian remained still, though his jaw tightened slightly. They had not responded as rulers or strategists. They had responded as protective mates.

“That is not what I meant.” Darius cleared his throat.

“That was fast.” Ryder let out a quiet laugh.

“Very fast.” Lucian’s lips curved faintly.

“Did we just react like possessive mates?” Ryder shook his head slightly.

“Do not phrase it like that,” Darius said sharply.

“But it is accurate, isn't it?” Lucian’s expression held faint amusement.

Silence settled again.

Magnus Grey observed them carefully.

“Interesting.” He murmured.

“Now they are analyzing us.” Ryder exhaled in mild frustration.

“We do not even know her.” Darius rubbed his jaw.

“And yet we reacted.” Lucian tilted his head slightly.

He did not need to say more.

“She will not meet anyone tonight. And this is my final decision.” Adrian spoke again, his tone controlled.

His decision was final. No one challenged it.

Then Adrian’s body went completely still. It was subtle, but Mikhail noticed immediately. His head turned sharply toward his king.

“My King, are you alright?” He asked in worry.

“What happened?” Darius frowned.

The moment the bond struck, the answer came without words.

Daniel stiffened behind Darius as understanding flashed across his face.

Lucian’s fingers froze, and Cole’s focus sharpened instantly.

Ryder inhaled sharply, like someone was choking him and Marcus stepped forward, ready.

The bond surged violently through all of them.

It carried pain, suffocation and instability.

Fear grips their heart without notice.

“She is awake.” Adrian’s voice dropped.

“Her condition is unstable, My king.” Mikhail’s expression hardened.

“That should not be possible. Let me see…” Lucian shook his head slightly.

“Maybe she is moving into the room.” Cole spoke with quiet certainty.

Darius pushed himself to his feet abruptly. The chair fell with a loud sound. His griping his chest. His face turned red lightly.

“She should not even be able to stand. How can she move?” He groaned unhappily.

“This is not normal recovery behavior. Maybe, something is forcing her to move.” Daniel stepped closer, his tone sharp.

Ryder pressed his hand against his chest.

“What is that feeling? Suffocating and painful like someone tried to rip my heart!”

“Its called the bond effect, My King.”

Ryder opened his mouth and said something but words couldn't come out.

Lucian’s eyes widened slightly as he opened his eyes. The realization struck him.

“She is running. I saw her in the woods. She still has the power to break my connection.” Lucian said in an impressive tone.

The room fell into stunned silence.

“Why…? Why is she … f**k!” Ryder holds the table for support.

Victor stepped forward.

“What is happening?”

“Our mate….” Adrian stood slowly, power beginning to rise around him.

“...is running,” Darius finished.

Mikhail stepped forward to hold immediately.

“Lucian, which direction is she going?” Darius asked.

“She must be heading toward the forest.” Adrian focused through the bond.

“That area is exposed and vulnerable.” Daniel turned sharply.

“There has been rogue movement reported in that direction. We banned that area.” Marcus added in a steady voice,

The bond twisted again, stronger this time.

Nishi’s fear was no longer distant.

It was closer and sharper. All four of them fell out.

Lucian went completely still as he focused.

“s**t! I found her location. And…” Lucian stood up in hurry.

“And what?” Darius growled in danger.

“There are rogues near her.” Lucian said in worry.

Everything froze for a fraction of a second. Then it shattered into motion.

“No one touches her.”Adrian moved first, his voice filled with lethal authority. His eyes glowing in ice blue.

Mikhail stepped back just enough to give him space as Adrian shifted, his massive silver wolf emerging with glowing ice-blue eyes filled with fury.

Darius shifted immediately after him, his transformation just as forceful, while Daniel moved with precision behind him, already aligning himself to support and protect.

Lucian followed, his movement smooth but no less dangerous, and Cole remained close to him, perfectly in sync.

Ryder shifted last, but the wild energy around him surged just as powerfully, while Marcus was already moving, completely aligned with his Alpha.

They did not hesitate, and they did not waste time speaking further.

All eight wolves moved together toward the exit, their pace swift and coordinated as they left the chamber and charged into the night.

They were no longer acting as separate rulers or divided territories.

They were moving with a shared purpose.

Their mate was alone.

She was injured, weak, and struggling to survive.

And now she was being hunted.

The forest ahead was dark and dangerous, filled with threats she could not face in her condition.

But none of that would matter for long.

Because they were already on their way to her.