CLAIMED BY THE ROGUE ALPHA

5

KAEL

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm and suppressing Kael with sheer willpower. “Why tell me this? What do you want from me?” I asked, my voice strained but controlled.

She inhaled deeply, steadying herself. “I need your help. My pack is vulnerable, and I can’t trust anyone within my own ranks. I need an ally.”

I leaned back, considering her words. Aligning with Elowen against Draven her own husband would be risky but the thought of protecting her, of standing by her side, was more than tempting.

“You trust me enough to ask for my help?” I asked.

She nodded. “I don’t have much choice. You’re the only one outside my pack who might have the power to help me.”

I paused, weighing my options. An alliance with Elowen could shift the balance of power. But more than that, it could bring us closer, something I had wanted for a long time.

“You realize I could use this information against you, right?” I said. “This could be seen as treason…lying about your husband.”

Elowen met my gaze, her voice unwavering. “I’m not lying, Alpha Kael. This is the truth.”

“I never said you were,” I replied, keeping my tone gentle but serious. “But if anyone found out about this meeting, it could be seen as you trying to undermine Draven your husband without concrete evidence. You could be accused of treason.”

She sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly. “That’s why I need your help, Alpha Kael. According to our laws, I can’t divorce Draven or accuse him without solid proof. If I act without it, I’ll be the one punished not him.”

I nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation, she had been the one who imposed her marriage to Draven despite warning and rejection from the council. “Alright. Let’s say I agree to this…what is your plan?”

She took a deep breath, composing herself. “I want you to track Draven and gather the evidence we need. Follow him. Find proof of his affair with Liora and his plans to take over the pack. I’ll help from within, keeping an eye on their activities and feeding you information. That way, if the plan fails, it won’t be seen as treason. It will just look like our packs are feuding, as always.”

I nodded, impressed. She had always been a hidden gem, despite how fragile she appeared. “Impressive. Using our rivalry as a cover is clever,” I said. “But what do I gain from this? Helping you is risky. I won’t do it just because you need me. I need to know what’s in it for me.”

She hesitated, but I was certain she had thought this through. “What do you want, Alpha Kael? Power? Territory? I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my pack.”

I shook my head, keeping my voice calm and measured. “I don’t want power or territory, Elowen. I want two things from you. If you can grant me those, I’ll help you now and I’ll stand as your ally whenever you need me in the future.”

“Anything, Alpha Kael. Just name it.”

I lifted a brow, studying her carefully. “Are you sure? You haven’t even heard my terms yet.”

She nodded without hesitation, her voice steady. “I’m certain. This is for my pack. I’m willing to offer you anything.”

Anything.

The word echoed in my mind like a warning bell. One day, I would teach her never to use it so freely. Words like that were dangerous especially when spoken to the wrong man, in the wrong place.

“Alright,” I said, leaning forward slightly. “First, I want you to stop calling me Alpha Kael. Just call me Kael.”

Her eyes widened for a brief second before she nodded. “I can do that. And the second?”

Instead of answering immediately, I held her gaze, letting the silence stretch. Then I spoke, my voice low but unwavering.

“Secondly, I want you to be my Luna.”

Her breath caught sharply.

Elowen’s eyes widened, shock flashing across her face as she stared at me, clearly unprepared for the weight of my request.

~

ELOWEN

My breath caught in my throat as his words settled between us, heavy and unreal.

Be his Luna.

For a heartbeat, I was certain I had misheard him. My mind scrambled, grasping for logic, for reason, for anything that made sense of what he had just said. Kael…the Rogue Alpha, my pack’s longtime enemy, the man whose name had been spoken with fear and hatred for generations was asking me to be his Luna.

I let out a soft, disbelieving laugh before I could stop myself. It sounded thin, brittle. “You… you must be joking,” I said, shaking my head slowly. “That isn’t funny.”

But he wasn’t laughing.

His expression was calm, steady, infuriatingly sure. The smirk that had played on his lips earlier faded into something far more serious, far more dangerous. His eyes never left mine, and in their depths I saw no mockery…only intent.

“I don’t joke about things like this,” he replied evenly.

My heart slammed against my ribs. “You’re asking for my hand outright,” I whispered, more to myself than to him. “Do you have any idea what you’re saying?”

Of course he did. That was the problem.

I swallowed hard, my fingers curling into the fabric of my skirt as I tried to ground myself. “I’m still married,” I reminded him, my voice tightening. “I’m a Luna already. You can’t just…”

“I can,” he interrupted quietly. Not sharply. Not forcefully. Just… certain. “And I did.”

I stared at him, my thoughts unraveling. Was this a test? A provocation? Some elaborate power play meant to unsettle me further?

“You asked what I wanted in return for my help,” he continued, leaning back slightly, his posture relaxed but alert, like a predator who knew his prey had nowhere to run. “That is what I want.”

My pulse thundered in my ears. “Why?” I asked before I could stop myself. “Why me?”

Something shifted in his gaze then…something darker, deeper. His eyes flickered briefly, and I felt it again, that strange pull in my chest, that low hum beneath my skin that made my wolf stir restlessly.

“Because you’re mine,” he said simply.

The room seemed to tilt. The room felt too small. Too quiet. My heartbeat was loud enough that I was certain he could hear it.

He rose from his seat.

The movement was unhurried, deliberate. He adjusted his suit with practiced ease, smoothing the fabric as if we were discussing trade terms instead of something that threatened to shatter my entire world. The calmness of it sent a shiver through me.

I watched him approach without realizing I had leaned back against the sofa until the cushion pressed firmly into my spine.