THE LUNA HE REFUSED TO CLAIM

CHAPTER 4 - THE ALPHA'S CHAMBERS

I straightened instinctively, my fingers curling at my sides.

He didn’t speak at first.

Kade just stood there, his presence filling the space like a shadow that refused to move. Up close, he was taller than I remembered—broader, harder, carved by years of authority and battle. His expression was unreadable, as always.

I hated that my heart was racing.

“What do you want?” I asked, folding my arms. “Are you going to tell me why you’re here, or just keep looking at me like I don’t belong?”

He didn’t answer immediately. His gaze stayed on me, unreadable.

“I want you to assist at the training grounds,” he said at last.

I frowned. “That doesn’t make sense.”

One of his brows lifted. “Explain.”

“Aren’t the training grounds already overseen by Rowan?” I said. “He’s the one in charge of assistants.”

His jaw tightened at the name.

“Rowan answers to me.”

“So do half the people in this pack,” I shot back. “That doesn’t mean you can just—”

“I can,” he cut in. Not loud. Not angry. Just firm. “And I am.”

I exhaled sharply. “You really don’t miss an opportunity to remind me I’m an outsider, do you?”

His expression shifted—just slightly.

“This isn’t about that.”

“Then what is it about?” I asked.

Silence.

For a moment, I thought he wouldn’t answer. Then he said, quieter, “You need structure.”

I stared at him.

“You think I’m broken?”

His eyes darkened. “I think you’ve been protected for too long.”

That stung more than I expected.

“I didn’t ask for protection,” I muttered.

He stepped closer, his voice lowering.

“No. But you needed it.”

Our eyes locked. The air between us felt tight—too heavy, like something unspoken was pushing to the surface.

“I’m not your responsibility,” I said softly.

Something flickered in his gaze—conflict, maybe regret.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he replied.

Then, as if realizing he’d said too much, he straightened.

“Training starts at dawn,” he added coldly. “Don’t be late.”

He turned and walked away.

I stood there long after he was gone, my chest tight—

wondering why the Alpha of Nightclaw had sounded almost… concerned.

I went down to assist at the training grounds, even though every part of me wanted to disappear instead. The place was already alive with noise—wolves sparring, bodies colliding, shouts echoing through the clearing. I kept my head down, focused on the task I’d been given, pretending I didn’t feel Kade’s presence somewhere behind it all.

I told myself I didn’t care.

I was wrong.

Time blurred. Minutes—or maybe hours—passed in a haze of dust and movement. At some point, someone stumbled during a sparring match and slammed into me. I fell hard, pain shooting through my palm as it scraped against the rough ground.

“Damn,” I hissed under my breath.

Blood welled up almost immediately. It wasn’t deep, but it stung enough to make my eyes water. I wrapped my other hand around it and stepped away from the chaos, scanning the grounds for the usual first-aid station.

It wasn’t there.

I spotted one of the pack members nearby. “Do you know where the medical kit is?” I asked.

They glanced at my hand, then shrugged. “It was moved this morning. Alpha’s chambers.”

Of course it was.

I hesitated. Every instinct told me to ask someone else to go. Anyone else. But the training grounds were busy, and I didn’t want the attention—or the questions.

So I went.

The halls leading to the Alpha’s quarters were quieter, cooler. Each step felt heavier than the last, my pulse thudding louder in my ears the closer I got. I told myself I was being ridiculous. I was only there for first aid.

Nothing more.

That was when I heard it.

A sound—soft, unmistakable. A woman’s voice, low and breathy, drifting through the partially closed door of Kade’s chambers.

I stopped walking.

My heart slammed against my ribs. I knew I should turn around. I knew it wasn’t my business. But my feet refused to move, rooted to the stone floor like they belonged there.

The door wasn’t fully shut.

Just enough.

I took a step closer before I could stop myself. Then another.

And then I saw it.

The sight hit me like a blow to the chest, knocking the air from my lungs.

That single moment—

That single image—

Left me frozen, horrified, and painfully aware of something twisting deep inside me… something I didn’t understand yet.