ALPHA'S SILENT DESIRE

The night my family died, someone whispered my name through the flames. Luna. I ran without looking back. For three years, I had convinced myself that the past was dead. I was wrong. The Draven Pack was supposed to be the safest place for someone like me. It wasn't. The moment I stepped through the iron gates, my skin began to burn. Not from the cold. From the mark hidden beneath my sleeve. I pulled my jacket tighter around my wrist and lowered my head. “Keep walking,” I whispered to myself. The massive black gates closed behind me with a deafening CLANG. I flinched. Hundreds of wolves lived inside this territory. Powerful wolves. Loyal wolves. And somewhere beyond the towering stone walls stood the most dangerous man among them. Alpha Kael Draven. I had heard the stories. He had never lost a challenge. He had executed three rogue Alphas with his own hands. He didn't forgive betrayal. He didn't trust anyone. And, according to every woman in the territory, he had never truly desired anyone. That last part didn't concern me. I had no intention of getting anywhere near him. I only needed a place to disappear. A job. A roof. A chance to survive. Nothing more. “Name?” The guard at the entrance looked me up and down. “Luna Vale.” His expression changed. “Vale?” My heart stopped. “Yes.” He stared at me for a second too long before looking at the paper in his hand. “New servant?” “Yes.” “Human?” My fingers curled. “No. Wolf.” He narrowed his eyes. “Your wolf isn't showing.” “She doesn't like crowds.” It was the first lie that came to my mouth. The guard shrugged and waved me through. I released the breath I'd been holding. One mistake. That was all it would take. One person discovering what I really was. One person seeing the mark. One person asking why my wolf had never awakened. Because the truth wasn't simply that my wolf was dormant. She was sealed. And my mother had died protecting the reason why. I hurried toward the servants' quarters, but before I could reach them— A howl split the night. Every wolf in the courtyard froze. The sound came from the eastern forest. A warning. Then another howl answered. And another. “Rogues,” someone whispered. The courtyard erupted. Guards grabbed weapons. Servants rushed toward the buildings. A bell began ringing from the watchtower. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! “Everyone inside!” I turned toward the gates. Three enormous wolves were already sprinting across the courtyard. Behind them came something darker. Faster. A rogue wolf burst from the trees and slammed into a guard. The man flew several feet. People screamed. My body moved before my mind could stop it. I ran toward him. “Stay back!” someone shouted. The rogue lunged. I grabbed the fallen guard by his collar and dragged him sideways. The claws missed my face by inches. I rolled across the ground. Pain exploded through my shoulder. The rogue turned toward me. Its yellow eyes locked onto mine. For one terrifying second, everything went silent. Then something inside my chest growled. Not me. Her. Let me out. My eyes widened. No. Not here. Not now. The rogue charged. I threw up my arm instinctively. Its claws struck my sleeve. The fabric tore. My hidden wrist was exposed. The silver-black mark beneath my skin began to glow. The rogue stopped. Its entire body trembled. Then it lowered its head. Not to the guard. Not to the soldiers. To me. “What the hell...?” A voice came from behind me. Deep. Cold. Commanding. Every wolf in the courtyard immediately dropped to one knee. My blood turned to ice. I slowly looked over my shoulder. A man stood at the top of the stone staircase. Black shirt. Black trousers. Dark hair falling carelessly across his forehead. His eyes were the color of winter storms. Alpha Kael Draven. He wasn't looking at the rogue. He was looking at me. More specifically— My exposed wrist. My heart began pounding. The mark pulsed beneath his gaze. Once. Twice. Then— CRACK! Pain shot through my entire body. I gasped and dropped to my knees. The rogue wolf whimpered. Kael's expression changed. Only slightly. But I saw it. Recognition. Fear. Impossible. The Alpha descended the stairs. One step. Then another. Everyone moved aside for him. I tried to cover my wrist. Too late. Kael stopped directly in front of me. His gaze traveled from my face to the glowing mark. “What is your name?” My throat tightened. “Luna.” His eyes sharpened. “Your full name.” I swallowed. “Luna Vale.” The courtyard went silent. Kael stared at me as if I had just spoken a forbidden word. Then he crouched. He was close enough that I could feel the heat of his body. His scent surrounded me—pine, smoke, and something dangerously addictive. My wolf stirred. Mate. My eyes widened. “No.” The word escaped before I could stop it. Kael's brow furrowed. “What did you say?” “Nothing.” His eyes narrowed. Then his hand shot forward. He caught my wrist. The moment his fingers touched the mark— BOOM! A wave of power exploded across the courtyard. Windows shattered. Torches went out. Every wolf fell to the ground. And somewhere deep inside me, the seal broke. I screamed. A howl ripped from my throat. Not human. Not entirely wolf. Something ancient. Something that hadn't been heard in generations. Kael staggered backward. For the first time, the ruthless Alpha looked genuinely shocked. “What are you?” he whispered. I stared at my glowing wrist. The mark had changed. A silver crown surrounded by black flames now covered my skin. And then a voice echoed inside my head. They found you. I froze. Who? The voice answered. The ones who killed your family. My blood ran cold. Kael stepped toward me. “Luna.” I looked up. His expression had hardened. “Who taught you to hide that mark?” I couldn't answer. Because behind him, at the edge of the courtyard, a stranger stood among the guards. He was watching me. And when our eyes met, he smiled. Then he whispered something only I could hear. “Princess.” My heart stopped. Kael turned sharply toward him. The stranger disappeared into the crowd. Kael's jaw tightened. Then he looked back at me. His eyes were no longer cold. They were dangerous. “Luna Vale,” he said quietly. “From this moment on, you're under my protection.” I shook my head. “I don't need your protection.” His gaze dropped to my glowing mark. “Yes,” he said. “You do.” Then the castle bells began ringing again. This time, they weren't warning us about rogues. They were warning us about war.