ALPHA'S SILENT DESIRE

Episode4-The Thing Beneath The Castle

"Because whatever just awakened..."

Kael tightened his grip around my hand.

"...is coming for you."

I stared at him.

"What is it?"

He didn't answer.

That frightened me more than the words themselves.

Kael Draven was the Alpha who supposedly feared nothing.

Yet right now, something in his eyes told me he was afraid.

Not for himself.

For me.

The ancient voice echoed again beneath our feet.

"THE HEIR..."

The entire chamber shook.

Dust rained from the ceiling.

The silver dagger on the altar rose into the air.

I watched it spin slowly, surrounded by a dark mist.

Then it flew straight toward me.

I screamed.

Kael moved faster.

He stepped between us and caught the dagger with his bare hand.

Blood immediately ran down his palm.

"Kael!"

He gritted his teeth.

The dagger trembled in his grip.

Black veins spread from his hand toward his wrist.

"What is happening?"

The stranger's expression changed.

"Drop it!"

Kael didn't.

Instead, his golden eyes locked onto the blade.

"Tell me what this thing is."

"It's the Moonfang."

"I know its name."

Kael's voice became a growl.

"I want to know why it is trying to kill her."

The stranger looked at me.

"It isn't trying to kill her."

"Then what is it doing?"

"It is choosing her."

The dagger suddenly stopped moving.

The black veins vanished from Kael's hand.

The Moonfang slipped from his fingers.

It landed on the stone floor.

Silence.

Then it began crawling toward me.

Not sliding.

Crawling.

As if it were alive.

I stepped backward.

"No."

The dagger stopped at my feet.

My mark burned.

A drop of silver blood fell from my wrist.

The moment it touched the blade—

BOOM!

A wave of power exploded through the chamber.

I fell backward.

Kael caught me.

His arms wrapped around my waist before I hit the floor.

For a second, I forgot everything.

The danger.

The prophecy.

The strange man.

All I could feel was Kael.

His chest against mine.

His breath against my hair.

His heartbeat.

Fast.

Very fast.

He looked down at me.

Our eyes met.

Something strange passed between us.

My wolf whispered inside my mind.

Mate.

I pushed away from him.

"Don't."

Kael's expression hardened.

"You keep saying that."

"Because you keep touching me."

"You were falling."

"I could have caught myself."

"You were unconscious two seconds ago."

"I was not."

His eyebrow lifted.

"You were."

I opened my mouth.

Then closed it.

He almost smiled.

Almost.

But the moment didn't last.

A howl erupted beneath us.

The floor cracked.

Kael immediately pulled me behind him.

"Stay close."

I swallowed.

"What is that?"

His gaze remained fixed on the crack.

"I don't know."

The stranger stepped forward.

"I do."

Kael turned.

"Then start talking."

The man looked toward the broken floor.

"Four hundred years ago, Queen Evelyne sealed something beneath this castle."

"What?"

"The first Shadow Wolf."

My skin prickled.

"The Shadow Wolf?"

The stranger nodded.

"It was created before the packs existed. Before the Alpha bloodlines. Before the Moon Throne."

Another crack appeared.

"The Queen couldn't destroy it."

"So she sealed it."

"Yes."

"Why is it waking now?"

The stranger looked directly at me.

"Because its blood is calling to yours."

My stomach twisted.

"What does that mean?"

"It means the creature recognizes you."

A deep growl rose from beneath the floor.

The sound was so powerful that the walls vibrated.

Kael grabbed my shoulders.

"We're leaving."

The stranger shook his head.

"Too late."

The floor exploded.

A massive black claw burst through the stone.

I screamed.

Kael pushed me behind him and shifted.

Bones cracked.

Fur erupted across his skin.

Within seconds, a gigantic black wolf stood between me and the creature.

His eyes glowed gold.

His teeth were enormous.

The wolf lunged.

The creature beneath the castle roared.

They collided.

The impact sent both of them crashing into the walls.

"Kael!"

I ran toward him.

The stranger grabbed me.

"No!"

"Let me go!"

"If you go near them, you'll die."

"He's fighting because of me!"

"Exactly!"

I turned toward the battle.

Kael was struggling.

The creature was larger than him.

Much larger.

Its body was covered in black scales, and its eyes burned silver.

It opened its jaws.

Kael barely avoided the bite.

His claws tore across its neck.

Black blood splashed across the floor.

The creature screamed.

Then it looked at me.

Everything stopped.

Its silver eyes locked onto mine.

My body went cold.

It lowered its head.

Just like the rogue had done.

Just like the creature recognized me.

I heard a whisper.

Not from the stranger.

Not from Kael.

From inside my own mind.

*Daughter of the Moon.*

I couldn't breathe.

"Who are you?"

The creature didn't move.

*Your blood opened the prison.*

I shook my head.

"No."

*Your blood will open the throne.*

The mark on my wrist began glowing.

The creature bowed.

Kael stopped fighting.

His wolf stared at me.

The stranger whispered,

"Impossible."

I looked at him.

"What?"

His face had gone pale.

"The prophecy said the Shadow Wolf would kneel only before the true heir."

My heart pounded.

I looked at the creature.

It was still kneeling.

Before me.

The stranger slowly lowered his head.

Then Kael's wolf did something I never expected.

He stepped between the creature and me.

Protecting me.

The Shadow Wolf growled.

Kael growled back.

For several seconds, neither moved.

Then the creature disappeared into the darkness beneath the floor.

The cracks stopped spreading.

Silence returned.

Kael shifted back.

Blood covered his chest.

He staggered.

I rushed to him.

"You're hurt."

"I'm fine."

"You're bleeding."

"I said I'm fine."

"You almost got eaten by a monster!"

He stared at me.

"And you're worried about me?"

I froze.

"Of course I am."

His expression softened.

Only for a second.

Then he looked away.

The stranger walked toward us.

Kael immediately stepped in front of me.

"You've said enough riddles."

The man's face became serious.

"Then listen carefully, Alpha."

Kael said nothing.

"The woman standing behind you isn't a servant."

He looked at me.

"She's not merely the last Moon Queen's heir."

His gaze returned to Kael.

"She's the only person who can awaken the Moon Throne."

Kael's eyes narrowed.

"And if I don't want the throne awakened?"

"Then you should kill her now."

The words struck me like a blade.

I stared at him.

Kael didn't move.

The stranger continued.

"Because once the throne recognizes her completely, every Alpha in the kingdom will come for her."

My heart sank.

"Why?"

"Because whoever controls the Moon Queen controls the ancient wolves."

I looked at Kael.

"And you?"

He didn't answer.

The stranger smiled bitterly.

"You'll have the hardest choice of all."

Kael's eyes darkened.

"What choice?"

"Protect the woman you've begun to desire..."

He paused.

"...or protect your crown."

I felt my face heat.

Kael's expression became cold.

"I don't desire her."

The stranger laughed.

"Then why does your wolf keep calling her mate?"

Silence.

My heart stopped.

Kael looked at me.

I looked at him.

Neither of us spoke.

Then a deafening howl echoed from somewhere far beyond the castle.

Another answered.

Then another.

The stranger's smile disappeared.

"They've sensed her."

"Who?" I whispered.

"The other Alphas."

Kael grabbed my hand.

This time, I didn't pull away.

He looked at the stranger.

"Get her out of here."

"Where?"

Kael's eyes hardened.

"Somewhere they can't find her."

The stranger shook his head.

"There is nowhere safe anymore."

Kael's grip tightened around mine.

"Then I'll make somewhere safe."

He pulled me toward the exit.

I followed.

But before we reached the stairs, my mark suddenly burned again.

I stopped.

A whisper filled my mind.

*Luna.*

I closed my eyes.

"What?"

Kael turned.

"What happened?"

I couldn't answer.

Because the voice spoke again.

This time, it was clearer.

*Your mother is not dead.*

My eyes snapped open.

The world seemed to disappear around me.

My mother.

Alive?

Impossible.

I had watched the flames consume our home.

I had spent three years believing she was dead.

"Kael..."

He looked at me.

"My mother."

His expression changed.

"What about her?"

I stared at the glowing mark on my wrist.

A single tear slipped down my cheek.

"She's alive."

The castle bells suddenly began ringing.

Not once.

Not twice.

They rang continuously.

A guard's voice echoed through the corridors.

"ALPHA!"

Kael turned.

The guard appeared at the top of the stairs, breathless and terrified.

"What happened?"

The guard looked at me.

Then lowered his head.

"Alpha..."

He swallowed.

"The eastern border has fallen."

Kael's face hardened.

"How many attackers?"

The guard shook his head.

"Thousands."

Kael went still.

"And their leader?"

The guard's voice trembled.

"He sent a message."

"What message?"

The guard looked directly at me.

"He said..."

His eyes widened.

"...tell the Moon Queen that her mother is waiting for her."