Marked By The Alpha

Chosen

I spent the next two days in my room, my body aching from my father's beating. Every breath hurt where he'd kicked my ribs. Every movement pulled at bruises.

But the physical pain was nothing compared to the fear.

Three days. That's all I had.

I pressed my fingers against the mark on my neck, feeling the raised edges of the bite. I'd tried covering it with makeup, but it showed through. I'd tried wearing high-necked shirts, but in this heat, that would draw attention.

There was no hiding what I'd done.

And no one would want me now.

Wolves valued purity, loyalty, pack bonds. A marked wolf belonged to whoever marked them. Even if I explained it was a one-night mistake during heat, no male wolf would want to claim another's mate.

I was ruined.

A knock on my door made me flinch.

"Maya?" A soft voice. My mother's voice.

I opened the door quickly, then pulled her inside and shut it again. My mother wasn't supposed to visit me here. As an omega servant, she was restricted to the servant quarters.

"Mom, you shouldn't—"

"I heard what happened." Her eyes were full of worry as she looked at the mark on my neck. "Oh, sweetheart."

She pulled me into a gentle hug, careful of my bruises. I sank into her embrace, feeling tears burn behind my eyes. I'd been holding them back for days.

"I'm so scared," I whispered.

"I know." She stroked my hair the way she used to when I was little. "But listen to me, Maya. You're stronger than you know."

"I'm not strong. I'm weak and pathetic and wolfless—"

"Your wolf isn't dormant." She pulled back to look at me. "I've known since you were small. She's there. She's just... sleeping. Waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"For you to need her." Mom touched my cheek. "Your grandmother was the same way. Her wolf didn't emerge until she was twenty-one. But when it did..." She smiled sadly. "She was magnificent."

I'd never heard her talk about my grandmother before. "What happened to her?"

"She died protecting our pack." Mom's eyes went distant. "That's a story for another time. Right now, you need to focus on surviving the mating ball."

"No one will want me with this mark."

"Maybe. Maybe not." She studied the mark thoughtfully. "This was made by a very powerful wolf. I can feel it from here."

"Does that matter?"

"It might. To the right wolf." She squeezed my hands. "Go to the ball. Hold your head high. You're the granddaughter of an Alpha. Don't let them see you break."

Wait. What?

"What do you mean, granddaughter of an Alpha?"

But footsteps sounded in the hallway. Mom's eyes went wide. "I have to go. Remember what I said. Be strong."

She slipped out of my room just before my stepmother's voice called out, "Iris! Where are you? The kitchen needs cleaning!"

I stood alone in my room, my mind spinning.

Granddaughter of an Alpha?

What did that mean?

The night of the mating ball arrived too quickly.

The entire pack gathered in the great hall. Everyone dressed in their finest clothes, hoping to catch the eye of someone from Shadowridge Pack.

Or hoping to avoid catching Alpha Kieran's eye.

I wore a simple blue dress that reached my knees. Nothing fancy. Nothing that would draw attention. I'd used every cosmetic trick I knew to try to hide the mark on my neck, but it still showed through faintly.

"Look at her," Lena's voice carried across the room. "Marked goods trying to catch a husband. How desperate."

Her friends giggled. I kept my eyes straight ahead, refusing to react.

Derek stood with Lena, his arm around her waist. He glanced at me once, and I thought I saw regret in his eyes. But then Lena whispered something in his ear, and he looked away.

I felt... nothing. No pain. No anger. Just a dull sort of emptiness where my feelings for him used to be.

Maybe that night at the pond had changed more than I realized.

A horn sounded. The hall fell silent.

The massive double doors opened, and the Shadowridge Pack entered.

They were impressive. Strong, tall, moving with the confidence of wolves who'd never known defeat. Pack members whispered nervously as they filed in.

Then he entered.

Alpha Kieran.

The room seemed to darken around him, or maybe that was just my imagination. He was tall—taller than anyone else in the room. Broad-shouldered. Dressed in all black that seemed to absorb the light.

His hair was dark, his features sharp and handsome. But it was his eyes that caught my attention. Silver-gray eyes that swept across the crowd with calculating intensity.

Something about him felt familiar. I couldn't place why.

"Welcome, Alpha Kieran." Our Alpha, Marcus, stepped forward. He looked old and tired next to Kieran's powerful presence. "We're honored to host you for the mating selection."

Kieran nodded once, not bothering to smile. His eyes continued scanning the crowd.

They landed on me.

I stopped breathing.

His gaze pinned me in place, intense and searching. Something flashed in those silver eyes—recognition?—but then it was gone.

He moved on, looking at the other females.

I released the breath I'd been holding.

"The selection will begin now," Alpha Marcus announced. "Unmated females, please step forward."

About twenty girls moved to the center of the room. I hesitated, then forced myself to join them. I had no choice.

Lena stood at the front, her chin high, her chest pushed out. Several other beautiful wolves positioned themselves prominently.

I stood near the back, trying to make myself invisible.

Kieran walked slowly down the line. He didn't speak to anyone, just looked at each girl with that same intense assessment.

When he reached Lena, she practically threw herself at him.

"Alpha Kieran, I'm Lena, daughter of Gamma Victor. I'm recently mated to Alpha Derek, our heir, but I'm honored to meet you." She batted her eyes.

Kieran's expression didn't change. He moved past her without a word.

Lena's face flushed with embarrassment.

He continued down the line, rejecting each girl with silent dismissal.

Then he reached me.

I kept my eyes down, not wanting to meet his gaze. My heart hammered so hard I was sure everyone could hear it.

"Look at me."

His voice was deep, commanding. I had no choice but to obey.

I raised my eyes to his face.

Up close, he was even more intimidating. His features were carved from stone, beautiful in a harsh, unforgiving way. A scar ran along his left temple, disappearing into his hairline.

But it was his scent that made my knees weak.

Pine and winter snow and something wild.

No. No, it couldn't be.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied me. Then his gaze dropped to my neck, where the mark still showed faintly through my makeup.

I saw his jaw clench. Saw something dark flash in his eyes.

He knew. He had to know.

But he couldn't be... he was an Alpha. He wouldn't have been wandering alone in the forest as a rogue.

Unless he'd been there for some other reason?

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Maya Chen." My voice came out steadier than I felt.

"You're marked."

It wasn't a question. Everyone could see it.

"Yes, Alpha." I waited for him to dismiss me like all the others.

Instead, he stepped closer. So close I could feel the heat radiating from his body.

"Who marked you?" His voice was low, dangerous.

"I... I don't know. A stranger. During the Mating Moon." The truth felt like cowardice, but it was all I had.

Something shifted in his expression. He raised one hand, and I thought he might touch the mark. But he stopped, his fingers hovering just above my skin.

"Interesting," he murmured, more to himself than to me.

Then he stepped back and turned to face Alpha Marcus.

"I've made my choice."

The room erupted in whispers. Kieran had only looked at half the females. Had he already decided?

Maybe he'd choose no one. Maybe this whole ceremony would be called off.

Hope fluttered in my chest.

"I choose Maya Chen as my bride."

The world tilted.

No. He didn't just say—

But the look on everyone's faces confirmed I'd heard correctly.

Alpha Kieran had chosen me.