Claimed By The Alpha King

Chapter 20: Kade Arrives

“Maya!”

Kade’s voice cut through the ruins before he even came into view.

Maya turned, still on her knees, her chest tight. The mate bond pulled at her like a rope, yanking her toward him. Behind him came five warriors from the Blackthorn pack, all in human form but tense, ready to shift.

His eyes swept over her. Over the ash on the ground. Over the blood on her hands.

“What happened?” he demanded, dropping to her side in an instant. His hands hovered over her, checking for wounds. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” she said, though her voice shook. “We got them. All three.”

Kade’s gaze flicked to Caelen, and his jaw tightened. “You.”

“Alpha Kade,” Caelen said calmly, stepping forward with his hands up. “She’s safe because of me.”

“Safe?” Kade growled. “You told her to come here alone. Do you have any idea what could have happened?”

Maya put a hand on Kade’s chest, stopping him. “He saved my life, Kade. If he hadn’t been here, I’d be dead.”

Kade looked down at her, and the anger in his eyes cooled into something else. Worry. Fear.

“I told you not to run off alone,” he said quietly.

“I had to know,” Maya replied. “About my mother. About why they’re hunting me.”

Kade cursed under his breath and pulled her into his arms. His scent surrounded her, grounding her. For a second, everything else faded.

Caelen cleared his throat. “There’s no time for this. The Shadowborn we killed were scouts. The main force is still coming. They felt the Bloodfire activate.”

Maya pulled back, meeting Kade’s eyes. “He’s right. We need to move. Now.”

Kade nodded once, all Alpha now. “Blackthorn pack, form up. We’re taking her home.”

“Home isn’t safe anymore,” Caelen said. “Not unless we end this.”

Maya stood, her legs unsteady but her resolve solid. “Then we end it. Today.”