Rejected By The Alpha, Claimed By The Enemy

Chapter 6: Marked by the Enemy

The night after I chose to stay, nothing changed. And everything changed.

Dante didn’t touch me. Didn’t kiss me. Didn’t claim me.

But my room was moved. From the guest wing to the East Wing. Right next to his.

And guards followed me. Not to trap me. To protect me.

"You’re safe here," Beta Rafe told me on day 2. "Alpha hasn’t looked at anyone like that in years."

"Like what?"

"Like you matter."

---

A week passed. Training every morning. Dante was brutal but fair.

I was getting stronger. Faster. My body had bruises but my spirit didn’t.

On the 8th night, there was an attack.

Rogues. 10 of them. They scaled the walls at 2AM.

Alarms blared. I woke up to screaming.

My door burst open. It was Dante.

"Get behind me."

He was already bleeding from a cut on his arm.

"Rogues found out you’re here. They want to ransom you back to Silver Moon."

"Then give me to them!" I yelled. "I don’t want people to die for me!"

He turned and grabbed my face. "You’re mine now. And I don’t give up what’s mine."

Then he kissed me.

It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t sweet.

It was desperate. Claiming. Like he was afraid it was the last time.

When he pulled back, his eyes were wild.

"Stay here. Don’t move."

And he ran out to fight.

I couldn’t. I grabbed the knife from the table and followed.

The courtyard was chaos. Wolves fighting. Blood.

I saw Dante surrounded by 3 rogues.

One of them had a sword aimed at his back.

"No!"

I didn’t think. I ran.

I grabbed the sword arm and twisted. The rogue howled.

Dante turned and finished him in one move.

When it was over, I was shaking. Covered in someone else’s blood.

But alive.

Dante pulled me to him. Hard.

"You stupid, brave, idiotic girl," he breathed into my hair. "You could have died."

"I did it," I whispered. "I fought."

"I know." He pulled back and looked at me. Really looked.

Then he did something I never expected.

He bared his neck to me.

An Alpha. Bared his neck. To me. A wolf-less girl.

The ultimate sign of trust. Of submission. Of claim.

"Mark me," he said quietly. "If you want to. If you choose to."

My breath caught.

The whole pack was watching.

Slowly, I stood on my toes and pressed my lips to his neck.

Not a bite. Not yet.

A promise.

"I choose you," I whispered.

Dante closed his eyes like it hurt and felt good at the same time.

"Mine," he growled. "You’re mine, Elara."

He lifted me up and carried me inside while the pack cheered.

Rejected by one Alpha.

Claimed by the enemy.

And for the first time in my life...

I didn’t feel broken anymore.

End of Chapter 6