The forbidden alpha

Chapter 3: The alpha awakening

This is my fault, he said, his voice heavy with guilt. Victor is using you to get to me.

Aria shook her head. Then we'll get her back.

He searched her face, expecting fear.

Instead, he found determination.

For the first time in years, hope stirred inside him.

You should walk away from me, he murmured. Everyone I love becomes a target.

Aria stepped closer until only inches separated them. Then stop pushing people away.

Her hand rested against his cheek.

You don't have to fight alone anymore.

Kael closed his eyes, leaning into her touch.

No one had ever spoken to him like that.

No one had ever made him believe he deserved another chance.When he opened his eyes, they glistened with emotions he had buried for years.

I've been running from my heart, he confessed.

And now?Now... he whispered,I'm tired of running.

Aria smiled softly.So am I.

She rose onto her toes and gently kissed him.

At first, it was hesitant a quiet promise rather than a declaration.

Kael responded just as gently, cradling her face as though she were the most precious thing he had ever held.

The kiss deepened with emotion, carrying months of loneliness, fear, and hope. When they finally parted, their foreheads rested together, both smiling through tears.

I don't know what tomorrow brings,Aria whispered.

But whatever comes.

We face it together, Kael finished.Before either could say another word, the wind shifted. Kael's wolf suddenly growled.They're close.

From somewhere deep within the forest came the mournful howl of Victor's pack.The hunt had begun.

And this time.Victor wasn't waiting for them.

He was leading them into a trap.

Into the Wolf's DenThe howl echoed again.Closer.

Kael's eyes narrowed as he scanned the forest. Every instinct told him Victor wanted to lure them into unfamiliar territory.

He's expecting us,Kael said.Aria tightened the strap of the small satchel slung over her shoulder. Inside were healing herbs, bandages, and a silver dagger her grandmother had insisted she carry.Then we'll surprise him.

A faint smile touched Kael's lips.You're braver than you realize.I'm terrified.

Good, he replied. Only fools feel no fear.

They followed a narrow trail deeper into the woods until they reached the ruins of Blackthorn Keep, an abandoned fortress swallowed by vines and shadows.

Torchlight flickered through broken windows.

They're inside,Kael whispered.Before they could move, an elderly voice drifted from the darkness.

Alpha Blackwood. An old wolf stepped from behind a crumbling pillar. His silver hair reached his shoulders, and a long scar crossed one eye.

My name is Rowan. I served your father.

Kael stiffened.My father died twenty years ago.

He did. But before he fell, he entrusted me with a secret.

Rowan reached beneath his cloak and produced an ancient pendant shaped like a crescent moon.It belongs to the true Alpha.Kael stared at it in disbelief.

I thought it was destroyed. So did Victor.As Kael accepted the pendant, it began to glow with a pale blue light. A rush of memories flooded his mind his father's voice, his mother's laughter, and a forgotten promise.

Rowan looked at Aria.She is the Moonbound Mate.

Aria frowned.What does that mean?It means your bond is older than either of you knows."

Before Rowan could explain further, an explosion rocked the fortress.

Stone crashed to the ground.Victor's voice thundered through the ruins.Enough hiding!

A dozen wolves emerged from the shadows, surrounding the courtyard.At their center stood

Victor.Beside him.Aria gasped.

Her grandmother was bound in silver chains, weak but alive.Grandma!Victor smiled coldly.

One more step, and she dies.Kael's fists clenched.

The pendant in his hand burned with light.

The air around him crackled with power.Victor's confident smile slowly faded.What... have you done?

Kael lifted his head, his eyes now glowing with an intense silver light.

I've stopped running.

The ground trembled beneath their feet.

And somewhere in the darkness, an ancient wolf answered Kael's call with a roar that shook the entire mountain.

The mountain trembled.Dust rained from the broken walls of Blackthorn Keep as every wolf in the courtyard took an uneasy step back.

Kael stood motionless, the crescent pendant glowing against his chest. His silver eyes blazed with a power no one had witnessed in generations.

Victor's confident smile vanished.

So... the legend was true.

Kael's voice was calm, almost frighteningly so.

You should have left Aria out of this.

Victor tightened his grip on the silver blade pressed against Aria's grandmother's neck.

You think you've won? You're still outnumbered.

Kael took one slow step forward.No.The air grew heavy.You're surrounded.

A chorus of howls erupted from the forest.

From every direction, wolves loyal to the Blackwood bloodline emerged from the shadows. They had hidden for years, waiting for the rightful Alpha to reclaim his place.

Victor's eyes widened.This is impossible.They never abandoned me,Kael replied. They were waiting.

Chaos exploded across the courtyard.

The rival packs collided, claws and fangs flashing beneath the moonlight. Warriors fought to protect their Alpha as the fortress echoed with roars and the clash of steel.

Amid the confusion, Aria spotted an opening.

She rushed toward her grandmother.

Grandma!

With trembling hands, she unlocked the silver chains. Her grandmother embraced her tightly.

I knew you'd come," the old woman whispered.

A triumphant laugh cut through the noise.

Victor stood atop the fortress steps, his cloak billowing behind him.

You've rescued one life,he called. But you've awakened something far worse.

He raised a weathered scroll sealed with black wax.

This is the Blood Pact your father tried to destroy.

Kael's expression darkened.

If that seal is broken..It will summon the Shadow Wolf, Rowan shouted from across the battlefield.

Victor smiled And only the blood of the Moonbound Mate can stop it. Every eye turned toward Aria.

She felt Kael's hand find hers.He held it tightly.

No one touches her,he said. Victor slowly broke the black seal.The earth split open.A deep, thunderous growl rose from beneath the ruins.

Then two enormous crimson eyes opened in the darkness below…The Shadow Wolf had awakened.

The Shadow Wolf, The ground cracked apart.

A massive black wolf climbed from the darkness

beneath Blackthorn Keep. Its fur shimmered like smoke, its crimson eyes glowing with ancient rage. Every step it took sent tremors through the ruined fortress.

Even the fighting stopped.

Warriors from both sides stared in silence.

The Shadow Wolf...Rowan whispered. The first Alpha..corrupted by hatred.

Victor laughed triumphantly.Now no one can stop me! The beast threw back its head and released a deafening roar. The force of it shattered stained glass windows and knocked warriors off their feet.