Chapter 3: Stolen Fate
372 Words
The word echoed in my skull.
Mate.
I couldn’t breathe.
The Alpha King’s golden eyes burned with raw possession as he reached for Cassia, his fingers curling around her wrist. She trembled, her lips parting in shock, but she didn’t pull away.
I wanted to scream.
This wasn’t right.
This couldn’t be right.
Cassia wasn’t his mate. That scent—my scent—was wrapped around her like a curse, clinging to her skin, filling the air between them. My wolf, Alera, howled in rage inside me, slamming against my mind with desperate fury.
He’s ours. Ours!
But he didn’t even glance at me.
The pain was unlike anything I had ever known, a deep, soul-crushing agony that made my knees weak. I had saved lives, spent years proving myself, working harder than anyone to be respected. But none of it mattered.
Because now, the Alpha King believed Cassia was his mate.
I stumbled back, my breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps.
Cassia’s wide eyes met mine, something unreadable flashing across her face. Guilt. Panic. Something darker.
I shook my head. “Cassia…” My voice was barely above a whisper.
She said nothing.
The moment stretched into eternity before Killian spoke again, his voice rough with certainty. “Come with me.”
He pulled her closer, and this time, she didn’t resist.
I turned and ran.
—
The night air was sharp against my burning skin as I raced through the forest, my vision blurring with unshed tears. My lungs ached, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.
My entire world had just shattered.
I reached the small cabin near the infirmary, my safe haven, and slammed the door behind me. My hands were shaking violently as I pressed them against my chest, trying to hold myself together.
How?
How had she stolen my scent?
Why didn’t Killian recognize me?
Alera whimpered in my mind, her anguish mirroring my own. Something’s wrong. Someone did this to us.
I squeezed my eyes shut, taking deep, shuddering breaths. I needed to think. I needed to fix this.
Because no matter how much pain ripped through me, one truth remained.
Killian was mine.
And I was going to take back what was stolen from me.
- Writer
