The Alpha Christmas claim

Chapter 4 Christmas confrontation

The silence on the grand staircase of the Pack House was thick, oppressive, and utterly focused on the two figures descending. Lila felt like an actress stepping onto a stage, the crimson silk of the dress both empowering and exposing. She could feel every eye below—about ten men in total—locked onto her, but most critically, onto Rhys’s hand, which held hers with crushing possessiveness.

She kept her gaze fixed on the back of Rhys’s head, resisting the urge to look down. His massive body moved with slow, deliberate authority, a silent display of power. He was a mountain, and she was the anchor tethered securely to his side.

Then she heard it—a low, predatory whistle from below, cutting through the festive quiet.

“Well, well, Rhys,” a voice drawled, dripping with false bonhomie. “It seems Christmas has come early for you. Didn’t expect to see you bringing gifts down the stairs.”

Lila finally allowed her eyes to drop, drawn by the sound of the voice. Victor was younger than she expected, perhaps late thirties, impeccably dressed in a dark wool coat, his hair slicked back. But his eyes—a chilly, predatory blue—held a deep, unsettling hunger that went beyond any human greed. He was handsome in a cold, arrogant way, flanked by two equally severe, quiet men.

Rhys stopped on the final step, towering over the group. He didn't introduce Lila. He simply pulled her closer, his hand shifting from her hand to the small of her back, the heat of his touch radiating through the thin silk of her dress. This gesture was a clear, territorial warning.

“Victor,” Rhys said, his voice flat, devoid of emotion, yet carrying a resonance that demanded attention. “This is a bold move. Unannounced visits on the eve of a Holy Day are rarely welcome, especially from a leader so known for his disrespect for truces.”

Victor chuckled, a sound that lacked any genuine warmth. “Peace, Alpha. I merely came to share a bottle of rare bourbon and wish you and your Pack well. But now I see the real reason for the… distraction. A Mate. And a human one, at that.” Victor’s cold eyes finally fixed on Lila, raking over her with an insulting, assessing gaze that made her skin crawl.

Lila remembered Rhys’s instructions: Do not break eye contact with me. She forced herself to meet Victor’s gaze for a single, defiant second before snapping her eyes back to Rhys’s chest. The air crackled with a silent, invisible battle being waged over her body.

“She is not a distraction, Victor,” Rhys stated, his voice dropping slightly, the rumble returning. “She is Luna. She is the heart of this Pack. And she is mine. Your gaze is unwelcome.”

Victor took a step closer, forcing Rhys to shift his weight, putting his massive body slightly in front of Lila. “A human Luna? Surely, you must be struggling, Rhys. The Mate Bond is absolute, yes, but to chain yourself to something so fragile, so vulnerable… it speaks volumes about your stability. She is a liability, not a leader.”

The words were meant to wound Rhys, but they cut Lila deeply. Fragile. Vulnerable. Liability. She tensed, wanting to step forward, wanting to scream that she wasn’t any of those things—but a sharp pressure on her lower back from Rhys’s hand silenced her.

Rhys finally moved, stepping forward enough to close the remaining gap, leaving Lila exposed but slightly behind him. “My Mate is my strength. You know nothing of the true bond, Victor. Your focus is always on destruction. Mine is on creation. Now, state your business, drink your bourbon, and leave my territory before the night gets colder.”

Victor’s demeanor shifted from mocking curiosity to genuine threat. He glanced at the Christmas decorations—the garlands and lights Evelyn had insisted on—and sneered. “Such a cozy scene, considering the chaos you’ve caused. My scouts reported a disturbance in the city last night. An un-bonded human female, smelling strongly of a fresh claim, was violently taken from a public place. Her ex-lover is currently telling the police he was assaulted by a large man with yellow eyes.”

Lila’s breath hitched. Mark hadn’t just been left behind; he’d gone to the police. Her human world was already crashing into the wolf world, faster than she imagined.

Rhys didn’t react to the mention of the police. He reacted to the word un-bonded. “She was not un-bonded. She was unclaimed. There is a difference. The scent was active because she was in peril. I took her from danger, placed the mark, and completed the first layer of the bond. Her papers are already being… adjusted.”

He put his hand back on Lila’s shoulder, turning her slightly so she was forced to look at Victor. “She is a legal citizen, and now she is under the protection of my Pack. Do you have a legal challenge to present, Victor, or merely a jealous whine?”

Victor’s eyes glinted with calculation. He knew that open warfare over a Mate would bring the entire regional council down on them. He couldn't attack without provocation, not on this holy night. But he could try to exploit the human's fragility.

“I have no challenge, Alpha,” Victor purred, a dangerous smile spreading across his face. “But I do require proof of the bond's stability. A Mate bond is supposed to calm the Alpha, to soothe the wolf. Yet you are visibly tense, Rhys. Perhaps your Mate is rejecting you, making you a danger to your own Pack.”

He took a challenging step towards Lila. Rhys’s body went rigid. A low, guttural warning vibrated in his chest, a sound that Lila recognized instantly from the alleyway—pure, unrestrained wolf.

“Stay back, Victor,” Rhys commanded, his voice trembling on the edge of a snarl.

Victor ignored him, his cold blue eyes locked on Lila. He lowered his voice, making it sound conspiratorial. “Look at her. She’s terrified. Tell me, little human. Are you here by choice? Do you love this monster, or are you just afraid of his claws?”

Lila’s heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs. Every instinct screamed at her to confirm her fear, to beg for rescue. But she remembered Evelyn’s fifth rule: any weakness you show will be exploited. This wasn't just about her feelings; this was about Rhys's authority and the safety of the entire Pack.

She took a deep, shaky breath, forcing the scent of pine and spice deep into her lungs. She looked up at Rhys, focusing on the sheer, immovable power he represented. She felt the warmth of his hand, the promise of his protection. It was terrifying, yes, but it was also the only safety she had ever known that felt absolute.

She looked directly at Victor. Her voice, though soft, was clear and steady in the enormous, silent hall.

“I am exactly where I belong,” Lila stated. She didn't use the word "love," but she used the word belong.

Victor’s sneer faltered. He clearly expected tears, screams, or desperate appeals.

Rhys’s hand left her shoulder and cupped her face, turning her head back toward him gently, forcing her to look into his golden eyes. It was a clear, possessive action designed entirely for Victor’s benefit.

“There is your proof,” Rhys growled, his voice now thick with victory and the sudden, intense surge of the Mate Bond. He leaned down, his face inches from hers, his expression a mixture of triumph and primal need. “She trusts the bond. She trusts me. Your intrusion is over, Victor. Leave now, before I decide to show you what an unstable Alpha truly looks like.”

Victor knew he was beaten. The human had not broken. The Mate had spoken, and the Alpha’s authority was reinforced. He fixed Lila with a final, chilling look—a promise of future retribution—before nodding curtly to Rhys.

“Very well. Enjoy your Christmas, Alpha. But remember, the first break in the armor is often the deepest.” Victor turned and, with his men in tow, swept toward the massive front doors.

Rhys didn't move until the sound of the front door closing echoed through the hall. Only then did the rigid tension leave his body, replaced by a shuddering, bone-deep relief. He pulled Lila fully into his chest, holding her tightly against the fierce, rapid rhythm of his heart.

“You saved us,” he murmured into her hair, the smell of his wolf overwhelming her. “You were perfect. You stood your ground.”

Lila clung to his sweater, the adrenaline finally giving way to exhaustion. She hadn't realized how much energy it took just to stand still and defy a predator. The Pack members who had been standing guard finally relaxed, murmuring amongst themselves, their own tension dissipating.

Rhys lifted her face, his thumb gently tracing the curve of her jaw. His golden eyes were warm, shining with a dangerous gratitude.

“You have earned a reward, Mate,” he whispered.

Before she could question his meaning, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. The kiss was not gentle; it was a hungry, possessive consumption, an Alpha's declaration of victory and claim, poured directly into her soul. It tasted like snow, heat, and the sudden, terrifying realization that she might have just fallen for the very monster who had captured her.

When he finally pulled back, he looked down at her, his lips red, his eyes burning gold. "Merry Christmas, Luna."