The Alpha’s Regret, The Lycan King’s Obsession

Chapter 9

Hazel's POV

“It’s all your fault,” my mother shouted, her voice echoing down the hall. “You’re the reason why my life is ruined. I should’ve killed you the second you were born.”

Her words had been ringing in my head ever since I walked out of the house. Even though she treated me badly, I still loved her. She was the only family I had.

The hallway was unusually quiet. Most of the students were gathered near the front courtyard, shouting and waving their hands as if trying to get someone's attention. I didn't even bother going there. Who knew? I might end up as their laughingstock.

I clutched the books tightly against my chest as I walked down the familiar hallway to my first class.

Not every flower blooms in spring.

What does she even mean? I thought, pulling the books closer, letting out a soft sigh as I hurried down the long hallway. I kept my eyes glued to the ground, hoping to reach my class without running into Hailey and her friends, or, even worse, Silas.

I picked up my pace, taking a sharp left turn, then the next, I crashed directly into a solid wall.

The impact was so hard that I almost lost my balance, sending me stumbling backward. The books flew out of my hands, scattering across the floor with a series of loud, echoing sounds.

"Oh! I'm so sorry—" I stammered frantically, dropping to my knees right away to gather my scattered books, my heart hammering wildly against my ribs. "I wasn't looking where I was going, I'm so—"

My chest tightened painfully.

MATE! Eva growled, her voice echoing in my mind so loud that it made my temples throb.

MATE! MATE! MATE!

What?! No! Stop it! Eva, no, that's impossible!

Before I could even pull myself together, a towering shadow fell over me.

The air in the hallway instantly became thick with an overwhelming pressure that made the very atmosphere feel heavy. The air smelled of dark cedar and rain-soaked earth.

A broad veiny hand reached out.

Before I could dodge, his fingers clamped tightly around my wrist.

"Ah!" A tiny gasp escaped my lips as he yanked me effortlessly off the floor. Before my feet could even find their balance, he spun me around, driving me backward until my spine slammed hard against the cold wall.

My breath hitched in my throat. He pinned me there, his massive frame trapping me against the stone, blocking out the light and the rest of the Lunas crest.

I looked up, my stomach twisted in terror.

Standing inches away from me was the most terrifying man I'd ever seen. He was tall, broad-shouldered and far more formidable than any Alpha I had ever seen. His dark hair fell slightly over his forehead, framed by a sharp jawline, and tattoos crawled up the skin of his neck.

But it was his eyes that made my soul tremble.

They weren't human eyes. They glowed a seething, piercing silver, flashing with the wild, predatory dominance of a beast that ruled over all others. The Lycan King.

King Kai Thorne.

My mind screamed at me to drop to my knees, to bow, to run, to do anything to escape the terrifying aura rolling off him. But I couldn't move. I was entirely trapped between his muscular body and the unforgiving stone wall.

Kai leaned down, his face dipping into the crook of my neck.

I flinched, pulling my head back as far as the wall would allow me, but he buried his face right into the sensitive skin of my pulse and inhaled deeply, drawing in a long, ragged breath, pulling my scent deep into his chest. He pressed close enough for his body heat to bleed through my dress, trapping the air in my lungs, and making every hair on my arms stand on end.

"W-What a-are you doing?" I stammered. "P-Please... get away from me." I struggled against his hold, trying to wrench myself free, but it only forced him to press me harder against the wall.

He began tracing his soft, warm lips up the side of my trembling neck, brushing lightly against the jawline, moving slowly all the way to my cheek.

My heart was beating so fast I thought it would burst right through my ribcage. My hands pressed uselessly against his chest, but it felt like trying to push against a mountain.

His lips moved higher, brushing softly against mine. The contact sent a jolt of pure fire straight to my core—a sensation so overwhelming that a soft, embarrassing gasp tore from my throat.

Kai pulled back just a fraction of an inch, his glowing eyes locking onto mine with a heated, obsessive hunger.

A deep snarl vibrated from the depths of his chest, shaking the wall behind my back.

"Mate."

That single word shattered the quiet hallway, heavy with an unquestionable authority that made Eva howl in pure joy within my head.

He is ours! Eva screamed, trying to claw her way to the surface. Mine! Our mate!

Shut up! Shut up, Eva! I screamed internally. This isn't real! This can't be real, we already have a mate!

Panic took over my mind. This was wrong. Everything about this was impossibly, terrifyingly wrong! The Goddess didn't give people second mates! Silas was my mate—he was the one I had been bound to.

My mind reeled, convinced this was some kind of twisted joke, a hallucination brought on by my broken soul.

"N-No!" I choked out, my voice high, trembling, and laced with terror as I pushed harder against his chest. "No! You... you must be mistaken!"

Kai’s dark eyebrows pulled together sharply. The glowing silver in his eyes darkened, becoming stormy and dangerous. His grip on my wrist tightened just enough to hold me pinned, his jaw clenching so hard the muscle in his cheek twitched violently.

"Mistaken?" Kai lowered his head, his voice dropping into a terrifying growl that vibrated directly against my lips. "I know the scent of my own soul, little wolf. You are mine."

"No!" Tears of sheer panic spilled over my lashes, hot and fast, tracing down my pale cheeks. "No, you don't understand! I... I already have a mate, I’m not yours!"

The words had barely left my mouth when the air in the hallway completely died.

The terrifying aura surrounding him spiked even more, making it harder for me to breathe.

He leaned in closer, his eyes flashing with a piercing rage that made my blood run cold. His long fingers gently but firmly cupped the side of my jaw, forcing my face up so I had no choice but to look straight into his heated eyes.

"Say that again," Kai growled out, his voice a low, lethal whisper that sent terror straight into my bones. "Tell me again that you’re not mine."

"It's... it's true!" I squeaked out, my voice cracking horribly as I wept. "I have a mate! You can't... this isn't real!"

"You are mine," Kai barked softly, the sheer possessive force behind the word making my soul tremble. "I don't care whose name was written in your blood. You belong to me now. You do not belong to anyone else. Just mine."

The absolute certainty in his steady voice terrified me more than any monster in the woods ever could. He was the Lycan King, a creature of pure blood and darkness. If he realized I was a wolfless omega whose mate had rejected her, he would destroy me. If Silas found out... or, far worse, the pack found out… Run. The single word exploded in my brain.

In a moment of panic and desperation to survive, I gathered every ounce of strength my frail body could possess.

I quickly twisted my body to the side, ducking under his broad shoulder, and yanked my wrist out of his grip with a jerk.

His fingers slipped over my skin.

Before he could react or snap his hand back around my arm, I shoved myself away from the wall.

And I turned on my heel and ran.

My sneakers slapped against the polished stone floor as I sprinted down the corridor as fast as my shaking legs could carry me. My chest burned.

I didn't even look back at the terrifying figure standing in the middle of the empty hallway.

Mate! No, Haze! Go back!

Eva screamed in my head, begging me to stop, trying to turn my body around. Go back to him… Haze!

No! I sobbed internally, turning another corner and bursting out into the crowded courtyard, ignoring the startled looks from students. He's lying! It's a mistake!

I ran through the gates of Lunas Crest, my heart hammering like a trapped bird, and disappearing into the dark woods.

Behind me, Kai’s roar shook the entire academy.

“Mine!”