🐺The alpha king's👑 weakness🐺

Chapter :3

POV: 🦋Ariana🦋

Two weeks.

Fourteen days.

That’s how long I have left before everything changes.

Or so I keep telling myself.

I wake before dawn again, but today feels different. The air itself feels heavier, like the pack house is holding its breath. Even the walls seem restless.

The mating ceremony is coming.

And for the first time in my life, I am both terrified and hopeful at the same time.

I sit up slowly on my thin mattress, pulling my knees to my chest. My eighteenth birthday is only days away now. Soon, I will get my wolf. Soon, I will feel the bond everyone talks about. Soon, I won’t be alone inside my own body anymore.

I close my eyes and imagine it.

A voice in my head.

A presence.

Someone who belongs to me.

Someone who chooses me.

My chest tightens at the thought.

Because no one has ever chosen me before.

The pack house is already buzzing when I finish cleaning the floors.

Decorations are being hung. Banners with the pack symbol drape from the high ceilings. Fresh flowers are placed in vases. Warriors move in and out carrying crates of wine and food. The elders stand in clusters whispering about traditions and guest lists.

And over all of it hangs one name.

The Alpha King.

Even saying it in my head makes my stomach twist.

The girls at school can’t stop talking about him.

“He’s so powerful.”

“They say his wolf is massive.”

“I heard he’s never taken a mate.”

“I hope he chooses someone from our pack.”

Some even giggle when they talk about him, like he’s some kind of fantasy instead of the most feared ruler alive.

I don’t understand it.

How can someone be so feared… and yet so desired?

Bella walks beside me as we carry clean tablecloths into the hall.

“You’re quiet,” she says gently.

“I’m thinking.”

“About your birthday?” she asks with a small smile.

I nod.

She bumps her shoulder against mine. “You’re going to get a strong wolf. I can feel it.”

I laugh softly. “I’d settle for any wolf.”

“No,” she says seriously. “You deserve more.”

Her words warm me in a way the sun never has.

But warmth doesn’t last long in my world.

“Ariana!”

I freeze.

Mia.

She’s standing at the staircase, dressed in a fitted dress that screams wealth and superiority. Edward stands beside her, arms crossed.

“Come here,” she says sweetly.

That tone is never good.

I walk toward them, lowering my eyes.

“Yes?”

“I need help choosing what to wear for the ceremony,” she says. “You’re coming with me.”

“I still have chores—”

Edward steps forward. “Did she say you could refuse?”

“No,” I whisper quickly.

Mia smiles in satisfaction and drags me upstairs.

Her room is larger than my entire basement. Dresses are laid out on the bed—silk, satin, deep reds and royal blues.

“I need something that will make the Alpha King notice me,” she says casually.

My hands tighten slightly.

Notice her.

Of course she wants that.

Everyone wants to be seen.

She holds up a crimson dress against herself and turns to the mirror. “Do you think this makes me look powerful?”

“Yes,” I say automatically.

She narrows her eyes at me. “You better not be thinking of trying anything at the ceremony.”

My head snaps up in shock. “What? No! I would never—”

“Good,” she cuts me off. “Because girls like you don’t get chosen.”

The words shouldn’t hurt.

But they do.

Girls like you.

Weak. Unwanted. Invisible.

She tosses the dress onto the bed. “You can leave.”

I hurry out before she changes her mind.

That night, I sit outside behind the pack house, staring at the moon.

It’s almost full.

They say the Moon Goddess watches over mating ceremonies. That she guides wolves to their true partners. That she never makes mistakes.

I hug my knees tighter.

“Please,” I whisper softly to the sky. “Just let him be kind.”

I don’t need a king.

I don’t need power.

I just want someone who doesn’t look at me like I’m nothing.

The wind brushes against my skin, cool and gentle.

For a second—just a second—I feel something strange.

A flicker.

A warmth in my chest that isn’t entirely mine.

It disappears before I can understand it.

The days blur together after that.

Cleaning. Cooking. School. Whispers.

The entire pack grows more restless as the ceremony approaches. Warriors train harder. Females practice walking gracefully. Elders argue about seating arrangements.

And then—

The announcement comes.

“The Alpha King will arrive three days before the ceremony.”

The hall erupts in excitement.

My heart stops.

Three days.

He’ll be here.

In this pack house.

Walking these same floors.

Breathing this same air.

A strange chill runs down my spine.

I don’t know why.

I’ve never met him. He doesn’t know I exist.

And yet…

For some reason, the thought of him being this close makes my chest feel tight.

On my birthday morning, I wake before the sun again.

But this time—

Something is different.

There’s a pressure inside me.

A heat beneath my skin.

I sit up slowly, my breathing uneven.

And then I hear it.

A soft voice.

Hello…

I gasp.

“W-who—?”

A gentle warmth spreads through me.

I’m here, the voice whispers.

Tears fill my eyes.

“My wolf,” I breathe.

She feels small—but not weak.

Quiet—but not broken.

“What’s your name?” I whisper inside my mind.

There’s a pause.

Then—

Ember.

The name wraps around my heart like fire.

Ember.

Not loud.

Not explosive.

But burning quietly.

I smile through my tears.

“I’m not alone anymore,” I whisper.

Let’s build the excitement, the friendship moment, and the rising tension 👀🐺

“I’m not alone anymore,” I whisper.

The words feel sacred.

Ember hums softly inside me, a warm flicker of fire curling through my chest. She isn’t loud. She isn’t dominant. But she’s steady. Strong in a quiet way.

And she’s mine.

Before I can fully take in the moment, my basement door bursts open so hard it slams against the wall.

“Ariana!”

I jump in shock.

Bella rushes in, practically glowing. Her hair is messy like she ran all the way here, her eyes wide with excitement.

“It happened!” she squeals.

I can’t help it—I laugh. “You got her?”

She nods rapidly. “Yes! I got my wolf!”

My heart swells. I stand up and rush toward her, grabbing her hands. “Tell me everything!”

“She talk a lot,” Bella breathes. “her name is clara.”

“clara,” I repeat softly. “That’s perfect.”

Bella suddenly narrows her eyes at me. “Wait. You look different.”

I blink. “Different?”

She studies me, then gasps dramatically. “You got yours too!”

I smile, warmth spreading through me again. “Yes.”

“What’s her name?” Bella demands eagerly.

I close my eyes briefly, feeling the gentle flicker inside me.

“Ember.”

Bella grins. “Ember? That’s powerful!”

Ember gives a quiet purr of approval.

“She feels calm,” I explain softly. “But not weak. Like a small fire that refuses to go out.”

Bella squeezes my hands. “See? I told you. You deserve more.”

For a moment, we just stand there smiling like little girls who finally found something that belongs to them.

Then Bella’s expression shifts.

“Oh! That’s not even the biggest news!”

My stomach tightens slightly. “What?”

“Other packs have started arriving,” she says breathlessly. “They heard the Alpha King is coming three days early.”

My smile fades a little.

“Three days early?” I repeat.

She nods. “And guess what? I just heard from the warriors outside—he’s arriving tonight.”

Tonight.

The word echoes inside me.

Ember stirs.

Close, she whispers faintly.

I swallow.

“So it’s real,” I murmur. “He’ll be here.”

Bella practically bounces in place. “I know! Can you imagine? The Alpha King walking through our pack house!”

“I can,” I mutter quietly. “And that’s exactly what worries me.”

Bella stops smiling. “Why?”

I sit back down on my bed. “I’m going to avoid him.”

She stares at me. “Avoid him?”

“Yes,” I say firmly. “I don’t want to get in trouble. He’s not someone you bump into and apologize to. He’s the kind of king who punishes first and asks questions never.”

Bella laughs lightly. “You’re too afraid.”

“I’m serious,” I insist. “If I accidentally cross his path and do something wrong, I’ll be punished. You know how Omegas are treated. Especially me.”

Bella sits beside me. “Ariana… we’re not going to get in trouble.”

“You don’t know that.”

“We’re just going to look,” she says with a grin. “Everyone wants to see what he looks like. That’s it. One look.”

One look.

I hesitate.

A small part of me is curious.

What does the most feared king in all the werewolf kingdoms look like up close?

Are his eyes really gold?

Is his wolf really enormous?

Does he look as cruel as the stories say?

Ember shifts again.

Be careful, she murmurs.

“I will,” I whisper inside.

Bella nudges me. “Come on. You can’t hide in this basement forever.”

“I can try.”

She rolls her eyes. “You just got your wolf today. Live a little.”

Live a little.

The words feel foreign.

But tonight… the air feels charged. Electric. Like something is about to happen whether I hide or not.

I stand slowly.

“Fine,” I say at last. “One look.”

Bella claps happily. “That’s my girl!”

As she drags me toward the door, my heart begins to pound.

Not from excitement.

From something deeper.

Something pulling.

Somewhere outside the pack grounds, luxury cars approach.

And for reasons I don’t understand…

Ember is no longer calm.

She’s awake.

And watching. 👀🐺🔥