Alpha, I was yours before

The Forest Spirit

CASPIAN

I wove my fingers through her soft, silky hair as she lay fast asleep. One thing I always loved about Seraphina was her rich, dark hair. But this one... hers was pure gold.

She was sleeping peacefully, her mouth slightly parted. This pretty wife drooled. It warmed my heart more than it should have.

Walking into the court grounds and seeing her bleeding had scared me more than I cared to admit. Furious didn’t even begin to cover it. It had been years since I’d felt that kind of unhinged rage.

Micah... not Seraphina. She’d told me that, and I believed her. But she was still my redemption. The second chance I never thought I’d deserve. And I didn’t want anything bad to happen to her. Not again.

She’d given me a hell of a scare the other night—disappearing into Ember Forest and not returning for hours.

Even as a child, Ember Forest terrified me. And after Seraphina’s death, I avoided that section behind the mansion like it carried a curse. Even when my wolf clawed to run wild, I never let him roam there. Never.

So when I heard she'd wandered into that cursed forest, I nearly tore through the guards myself to find her.

“My Lord,” the healer said, entering with a bow. “She must avoid training for now. Her vitals are weak, and it’s causing her wolf to shrink.”

“Is there a way around it?” I asked, already pacing. “The rogue wolves know she’s my wife. They’ll come for her. I can’t let her be defenseless.”

The healer’s eyes grew grave. “There’s something strange about her, my Lord. Her wolf was deliberately suppressed from birth. That’s why she’s a late shifter. Her wolf is inconsistent… fragile. Any harsh training might cause more damage than progress.”

I sank into the nearest seat, his words weighing heavily.

I remembered the old teachings from my father’s sage—wolves born with extraordinary abilities often had their wolves suppressed at birth. Let them grow unchecked, and they became untamable beasts.

“She shouldn’t train with Gamma Norrin,” the healer continued. “He trains soldiers, and his methods are brutal. It will hurt her, not help her.”

“What about Seraphina?” I asked, eyes narrowing. “She had a suppressed wolf too. How did we help her shift?”

“Lyla,” the healer answered. “She trained Seraphina. With your help.”

Lyla... That name pulled a sharp pang of nostalgia from deep within me. After Seraphina died, Lyla vanished, swallowed by grief. She was the last descendant of the Maguire sages, and the only one who knew how to help Seraphina control her magic—how to keep the Forest Spirit at bay.

My Beta entered then. “Your Majesty, the Elders have summoned you. They say it’s urgent.”

I nodded. “Lachlan, I want you to do something for me,” I said before standing. “Micah’s wolf is suppressed. I want to know why.”

“Apparently, she has no trace of magic in her,” the healer added.

I turned to my Beta. “Send scouts. I want her lineage traced. Her father’s Ember descent is known, but her mother’s bloodline is a mystery. Find out everything.”

He bowed. “Yes, my Lord.”

“And find Lyla,” I added. “She’s the only one who can train Micah safely.”

Lachlan nodded again. “As you wish.”

If I hadn’t eliminated Seraphina’s former pack myself, I would’ve gone there to begin the investigation. But one thing was clear—the Moon Goddess wouldn’t have chosen Micah by chance. Not with that symbol, not with her wolf.

I leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. She stirred and smiled in her sleep.

I left quietly with my Beta and walked toward the Hall of Meeting.

Inside, the twenty-five Elders sat stiffly, their expressions grim. The last time they looked this disturbed was eighteen years ago, when a rogue attack took the life of a Luna who’d held the city together with nothing but her presence.

As I took my seat, the eldest among them rose. “My Lord,” he began, “something terrible has happened.”

My stomach tightened.

Since my ascension, I’d built my reputation as a tyrant Alpha King—ruthless, feared, and untouchable. Fear was the best shield, and it had kept my city safe for years.

“Is there a breach of authority?” I asked coldly, shooting my Gamma a glance. I should’ve been the first to know.

He shook his head. “I wasn’t informed, either.”

The Elder continued, “This threat is not external, my Lord. It’s internal. It lurks within the forest. We had it bound for years beneath the earth… but now it has awakened, stronger than ever.”

My breath caught in my throat.

The Forest Spirit.

That malevolent entity; born from war, bloodshed, and forbidden magic; older than any of us, older than the city itself.

Ember city has always been a warrior city, even centuries ago, it besieged packs, took the men and women, enslaved them and expanded.

But a certain werecat pack was protected by warlock magic and when Ember city attacked them, they used malevolent spirits to deepen their protection and the soil cried out with the blood and manslaughter of innocent people. It was on a land where the Ember forests now stood and that's how the malevolent spirits was born. At night it became activated and killed people around the perimeter of the forest, sometimes it crossed the boundary and into the city.

It was a menace to the city for so long. The only way out of it was using sage magic to bind it together. Our last sage was Seraphina and she successfully locked the spirit beneath the earth forever.

“Just last night, it claimed six wolves during a mating ceremony in the forest,” another Elder added. “We believe the seal Seraphina placed is weakening.”

My blood ran cold.

Last night... Micah had returned from the forest terrified, whispering about something chasing her. I never pressed her on it.

Was it the spirit? Did she awaken it?