The Alpha’s Hated Mate

Chapter 6

Kael

The first scream came from the eastern boundary.

The second came from one of my warriors.

By the time the third pierced the night, I was already running.

“Sound the alarm!” I barked as I stormed through the corridor. “Lock down the residence! Nobody leaves the main grounds without my orders!”

The pack erupted into chaos.

Doors slammed. Warriors abandoned their meals and training, racing towards the armoury. The sharp clang of the emergency bell echoed across the grounds, its warning carrying through the trees.

Rogues.

They had been quiet for weeks.

Too quiet.

And now they had chosen tonight to test my borders.

I reached the main entrance and shoved through the doors, letting the cold night air strike my face.

My wolf surged beneath my skin.

They are close.

“I know.”

Something is wrong.

I scanned the darkness beyond the perimeter lights.

My wolf wasn’t talking about the rogues.

He was thinking about Elowen.

Of course he was.

Even with danger approaching my territory, that infuriating bond continued tugging at the back of my mind, drawing my attention towards the eastern wing.

Towards her.

I clenched my jaw.

“Beta!”

My second-in-command appeared at my side, already armed.

“Alpha.”

“Take ten warriors to the eastern boundary. I want the perimeter secured and every rogue accounted for. No one pursues an enemy beyond our territory without my permission.”

He nodded.

“And Elowen?”

The question nearly made me lose my temper.

“What about her?”

“Should I have someone escort her to the underground shelter?”

For one humiliating second, my wolf practically shoved his muzzle into my thoughts.

Yes.

I ignored him.

“No. She’s to remain in her room.”

“And if the rogues breach the perimeter?”

“They won’t.”

My Beta studied me.

“That’s not what I asked.”

I stepped closer.

“Then perhaps you should ask a better question.”

He sighed.

“You’re going to make this difficult, aren’t you?”

“You’re dismissed.”

He shook his head and ran towards the waiting warriors.

I turned back towards the forest.

A dark shape moved between the trees.

Then another.

My lips pulled back from my teeth.

“Come on, then,” I muttered. “Let’s see what you’re after.”

A howl rose from the eastern boundary.

This time, I recognised the voice.

One of my sentries.

And he was calling for help.

I shifted before my boots had fully left the ground.

Pain tore through my bones as my body changed, fur spreading over my skin, claws extending from my fingertips. A heartbeat later, my massive black wolf landed on all fours.

The world sharpened.

I could smell the damp earth, the blood already staining the wind, and the unmistakable stench of rogue wolves approaching from the east.

But beneath it all was something else.

Something that made my wolf stop dead.

Elowen.

Her scent drifted from the residence.

And beneath it—

Fear.

My wolf’s growl shook the trees.

Mate.

I bolted towards the forest.

Not because I cared about her.

Not because the thought of someone laying a hand on her made something vicious awaken inside me.

But because if anyone was foolish enough to bring a fight to my territory, they would learn exactly why Blackthorn had survived when stronger packs had fallen.

And if those bastards went anywhere near her?

They would die screaming.

⸻

Elowen

The bell was still ringing when I reached the corridor.

I hadn’t meant to leave my room.

I really hadn’t.

But the sound had been impossible to ignore, and the sudden rush of footsteps outside my door had made my skin crawl.

I opened it just enough to look out.

Warriors hurried past, some carrying weapons, others already halfway through shifting.

A woman clutched a small child against her chest as another warrior ushered them towards the stairs.

“What is happening?” I called.

Nobody answered.

I stepped into the corridor.

A broad-shouldered warrior immediately caught sight of me.

“You! Back inside!”

I stiffened.

“What’s going on?”

“Rogue attack. Move!”

The words struck me like a physical blow.

Rogues.

My fingers went numb.

For one terrible moment, I wasn’t standing in a corridor inside a strange packhouse.

I was back in the darkness, running until my lungs burned, hearing snarls behind me and wondering whether the next set of teeth would be the ones that finally ended my life.

No.

I pressed my palms against my stomach.

Not now.

I had survived.

I was here.

I was—

A crash thundered from somewhere below.

The warrior swore.

“Stay here!”

He disappeared around the corner.

I should have obeyed.

I should have gone back into my room, locked the door, and hidden beneath the blankets until someone told me it was safe.

Instead, I heard a child crying.

The sound came from the stairwell.

I moved towards it.

At the bottom of the stairs, a little girl stood alone beside a fallen lantern. She couldn’t have been older than six. Her face was wet with tears, and she was clutching a stuffed rabbit so tightly that its ears were twisted between her fingers.

“Where’s your mother?” I asked gently.

She shook her head.

“I can’t find her.”

My heart clenched.

I crouched in front of her.

“What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“Maisie.”

“Well, Maisie, I’m Elowen. We’re going to find someone to help us, all right?”

She nodded, trembling.

I held out my hand.

She took it.

We had barely reached the next corridor when the lights went out.

The darkness swallowed everything.

Maisie screamed.

I pulled her against me.

“Shh. It’s okay.”

It wasn’t okay.

Somewhere nearby, glass shattered.

Then came a sound that froze the blood in my veins.

A low, guttural growl.

Not a frightened wolf.

Not a warning from one of the pack warriors.

This growl was hungry.

I could hear claws scraping against the floor.

Something was inside the residence.

Something that wasn’t supposed to be here.

“Run,” I whispered.

Maisie shook her head frantically.

“I can’t see!”

“I know, sweetheart. Hold on to me.”

I fumbled for the wall, keeping one arm wrapped around her.

Then a shadow moved at the far end of the corridor.

Two eyes glinted in the darkness.

My stomach dropped.

The wolf stepped into the faint light spilling through a distant window.

It was enormous.

Its fur was patchy, its muzzle scarred, and its lips curled back to reveal yellowed teeth.

A rogue.

My blood turned to ice.

The wolf lowered its head.

Maisie whimpered against my side.

I pushed her behind me.

Every instinct screamed at me to run, but there was nowhere to go. The corridor ended at a locked door, and the rogue stood between us and the stairs.

I had no weapon.

No wolf to defend me.

No one who could reach us in time.

The rogue took another step.

I swallowed hard.

“Go away.”

It snarled.

I grabbed the nearest object I could find—a heavy metal candleholder lying beside a fallen table—and raised it with both hands.

The rogue lunged.

I swung.

The metal struck its muzzle with a sickening c***k.

The wolf recoiled, snarling in pain.

I didn’t wait.

“RUN, MAISIE!”

The little girl bolted towards the stairs.

I followed, but claws caught the back of my jacket.

Fabric tore.

I hit the floor hard enough to knock the breath from my lungs.

Pain exploded through my shoulder.

The rogue loomed over me, its hot breath washing across my face.

I stared into its eyes.

And suddenly, I understood.

This wasn’t a random attack.

The rogue wasn’t looking at me like prey.

It was looking at me like it knew me.

Its nostrils flared.

Then a horrifying smile seemed to twist its muzzle.

“There you are,” it rasped.

My blood ran cold.

Before I could move, it leaned closer.

“Found you at last.”

⸻

Kael

I heard her scream before I reached the residence.

My wolf took over.

The world narrowed to a single point.

Elowen.

Her fear ripped through the bond, sharp enough to make my vision blur.

Our mate!

I ran faster.

A rogue lay dead near the entrance. Two of my warriors were dragging an injured pack member towards safety, while others fought desperately to contain the wolves pouring through a damaged section of the perimeter.

I didn’t stop.

I didn’t ask questions.

I tore through the entrance and followed the scent of blood.

Hers.

The bond became a living thing inside my chest, pulling me down the corridor.

I rounded the corner just as a rogue lifted its head over a woman lying on the floor.

Elowen.

For one terrible heartbeat, I couldn’t breathe.

She was on her back, one arm wrapped protectively around a small child who had somehow made it into the stairwell. Blood darkened the shoulder of her torn jacket.

The rogue turned towards me.

Its muzzle was stained red.

My wolf went silent.

Not calm.

Not uncertain.

Silent in the way a predator became silent when it had finally found the creature it intended to kill.

The rogue’s eyes widened.

It knew what I was.

It knew exactly what would happen next.

I launched myself at its throat.

We crashed into the wall hard enough to shake the pictures from their hooks.

The rogue snapped at my neck, catching fur and skin, but I barely felt the pain.

All I could see was Elowen lying on the floor.

All I could hear was her heartbeat.

All I could think was that I had been seconds away from losing her.

Kill him.

My wolf’s command thundered through my skull.

I drove the rogue to the floor and clamped my jaws around its throat.

It thrashed beneath me.

I tightened my grip.

Then it shifted.

A man lay beneath my paws, gasping, blood running from the corner of his mouth.

I released him just enough to let him breathe.

“Who sent you?” I snarled.

He coughed, then laughed.

A horrible, broken sound.

“You really don’t know, do you?”

I pressed one clawed paw against his chest.

“Answer me.”

His gaze slid past me.

Towards Elowen.

His smile widened.

“Ask your little stray.”

My wolf surged.

I shifted back, my bones cracking as I returned to human form.

I grabbed the rogue by the throat.

“Look at me.”

He did.

And for the first time, I saw the mark on his neck.

A black crescent carved into the skin.

My blood ran cold.

I knew that symbol.

I’d seen it once before, years ago, on the body of a man who had tried to destroy my family.

A man who was supposed to be dead.

The rogue leaned closer, his breath rattling.

“Tell your father,” he whispered, “that the debt is due.”

My grip tightened.

“Who are you talking about?”

His smile faded.

Then he spat blood onto the floor.

“You’re already too late, Alpha.”

His body went limp.

I released him and turned towards Elowen.

She had pushed herself into a sitting position. The little girl was clinging to her side, crying into her torn jacket.

Elowen stared at me.

Her eyes were wide.

Terrified.

And beneath the fear, there was recognition.

Not of me.

Of the dead rogue.

I saw it in the way her face drained of colour.

In the way her lips parted without a sound.

In the way her entire body began to shake.

I crouched in front of her.

“Elowen.”

She flinched.

The reaction struck harder than the rogue’s claws.

I forced my voice to soften.

“You’re safe. He’s dead.”

She shook her head.

“No.”

I frowned.

“What?”

Her gaze remained fixed on the dead man.

“No, you don’t understand.”

She clutched the little girl closer.

Then she looked at me.

And what I saw in her eyes made my wolf bare his teeth.

Because Elowen wasn’t afraid of the rogue anymore.

She was afraid of what his presence meant.

“He found me,” she whispered.

I went still.

“Who found you?”

Her throat worked.

“The man who sent him.”

I stared at her.

“Who?”

She looked towards the darkened corridor.

Then back at me.

“My father.”

⸻

Kael

For several seconds, I couldn’t speak.

Her father.

The man who had sent a rogue into my home.

The man whose symbol was carved into the neck of a dead assassin.

The man who had somehow known she was here.

My wolf paced furiously beneath my skin.

Protect her.

I ignored him long enough to turn towards the warriors gathering at the end of the corridor.

“Seal the residence. Nobody enters or leaves without my permission. Search every room, every passage, every inch of this building. I want every rogue accounted for.”

My Beta appeared behind them, his expression grim.

“Kael, the eastern perimeter—”

“Handle it.”

He glanced at the dead rogue.

Then at Elowen.

His expression changed.

“What happened?”

“Someone breached the residence.”

“I can see that.”

“Then stop asking questions and do your job.”

He nodded sharply and began issuing orders.

I turned back to Elowen.

She was trying to stand.

The moment she put weight on her injured shoulder, her knees buckled.

I caught her before she hit the floor.

Her body went rigid in my arms.

“Don’t touch me!”

The words came out as a desperate cry.

I froze.

She stared up at me, breathing rapidly, her hands pressed against my chest as though she expected me to hurt her.

For the first time in years, I had no idea what to say.

I wanted to tell her that no one would touch her again.

That I would tear apart anyone who tried.

That the bond between us meant something, even if I refused to acknowledge it.

But she didn’t know about the bond.

And I wasn’t ready to tell her.

So I loosened my grip.

“All right,” I said quietly. “I won’t hurt you.”

Her eyes searched my face.

I had no idea whether she believed me.

After a moment, she stepped away.

I let her.

My wolf hated it.

I hated it even more.

“Can you walk?” I asked.

She nodded, though her face had gone pale.

“Good. My healer will look at your shoulder.”

“No.”

The answer was immediate.

I narrowed my eyes.

“Elowen—”

“I said no.”

She pulled the little girl closer.

“I want to go back to my room.”

I stared at her.

A rogue had breached my residence. Someone had sent him specifically to find her. And she wanted to return to a room at the end of an unsecured corridor?

“You aren’t going anywhere alone.”

Her expression hardened.

“Then perhaps you should have thought about that before locking me inside your pack.”

The words hit their mark.

My jaw tightened.

“I didn’t lock you in.”

“You told me I couldn’t leave without your permission.”

“Because you’re in my territory.”

“And now someone has come here looking for me.”

She swallowed.

“Perhaps I should have stayed in the forest.”

I had no answer.

Because for the first time, I wondered whether bringing her into Blackthorn had been the worst mistake I could have made.

Not because she was dangerous.

But because someone out there believed she was worth hunting.

And they had been willing to spill blood inside my home to get to her.

I glanced at the dead rogue.

The black crescent on his neck seemed to stare back at me.

My father’s debt.

A dead man’s warning.

And a woman who had just become the centre of a war she clearly hadn’t wanted.

I looked at Elowen.

“You’re coming with me.”

Her face tightened.

“Where?”

“Somewhere I can protect you.”

“And if I refuse?”

My wolf rose, ready to fight.

I forced him down.

“Then I’ll ask you again.”

She stared at me for a long moment.

Then she glanced at the child in her arms.

Finally, she nodded.

Not because she trusted me.

Because she knew she had no other choice.

And somehow, that hurt more than it should have.

I held out my hand.

She looked at it as though it were a trap.

Then, slowly, she reached for it.

The instant our fingers touched, the bond surged.

Warmth rushed through my chest, fierce and undeniable.

My wolf lifted his head.

Mate.

Elowen gasped.

Her eyes flew to mine.

For one heartbeat, we stared at each other.

I felt it.

The same inexplicable pull.

The same sudden awareness.

The same impossible connection that had been tormenting me since she entered my territory.

Her fingers tightened around mine.

“Kael,” she whispered.

It was the first time she’d said my name.

And somehow, hearing it from her lips made the bond feel less like a curse.

I pulled my hand away.

Too quickly.

Her expression shuttered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

She looked at me for a long moment.

Then she gave a humourless little laugh.

“Of course.”

She turned towards the corridor.

And as I watched her walk away, one thought settled into my mind with terrifying certainty.

Whatever her father wanted, whatever debt my family owed, and whatever secrets Elowen was hiding—

I would find the truth.

Even if it destroyed everything I had spent ten years trying to protect.

Because the Moon Goddess had tied me to Elowen.

And someone had just made the mistake of trying to take her from me.

They would regret it.

I would make certain of that.