My Secret Baby with the Cursed Alpha

Chapter 3: The King’s Claim

The rain began to fall, cold and relentless, washing the mud from my face as I stared up at the man who haunted my nightmares and my dreams alike. Damian jumped down from the rock, landing with a grace that was entirely too silent for someone of his size.

He walked toward me, each step heavy with an aura of dominance that made my inner wolf want to roll over and submit. But I forced myself to stay upright, even as my knees trembled.

"How... how did you find me?" I breathed, my voice cracking under the weight of the rain.

Damian stopped just inches away. He didn't touch me, but the heat radiating from him was a sharp contrast to the freezing night. He leaned down, his face level with mine. Those violet eyes searched my soul, glowing with an intensity that made it impossible to look away.

"I told you once, Elara," he whispered, his voice like gravel and velvet. "I can track your soul. Distance is an illusion when our blood is already intertwined."

His gaze dropped to my stomach, and for a split second, I saw a flash of something human in his eyes—a flicker of shock, perhaps even fear. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a cold, stony mask.

"You're carrying a miracle... or a curse," he said, his hand finally reaching out to tilt my chin up. His touch sent a jolt of electricity through me, sparking the bond we shared. "The Alpha of the Sun-Claw Pack is a fool, but even he isn't blind. He would have smelled the shift in your scent eventually."

"He already did," I admitted, a sob catching in my throat. "The Beta... Silas. He knows something is wrong. If I go back, they’ll kill me, Damian. They’ll kill your child."

A low, guttural growl ripped from his chest—a sound so primal it made the trees seem to shiver. The violet in his eyes bled into a deep, dangerous purple.

"No one touches what belongs to me," he hissed. The sheer power in his voice made me believe him. "Not the wolves, not the vampires, and certainly not a pathetic Beta."

He reached down and, before I could protest, swept me up into his arms. I gasped, instinctively wrapping my arms around his neck. He was solid as a rock, his scent of rain and dark magic wrapping around me like a protective shroud.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked, my heart hammering against my ribs.

"To the only place where the laws of men and beasts don't apply," he said, turning toward the deepest part of the Shadow Forest. "To my home. But be warned, Elara—once you enter my domain, there is no turning back. You will be the Queen of an abomination, and the world will hate you for it."

"I'm already hated," I whispered, resting my head against his chest, listening to the steady, powerful thrum of his heart. "Just save my baby."

"I will save you both," he vowed, his grip tightening as he vanished into the shadows with a speed that made the world blur. "Even if I have to burn the world to do it."