Claimed by The Alpha's Son

The first thing Lena noticed about Blackwood Ridge was how quiet it was. Not peaceful. Not calm. Quiet in the way the woods are quiet when something is watching. She stood beside her mother’s car as it idled in front of a massive iron gate. The metal bars twisted into ornate shapes—wolves woven into the design. Their eyes were carved deep and sharp. Subtle, she thought dryly. Her mother leaned across the steering wheel, squinting up at the stone pillars on either side of the gate. “Isn’t it beautiful?” Samantha breathed. Beautiful, Sure. If you liked your houses to look like they belonged in a gothic thriller. The gates opened slowly on their own. Lena swallowed. “Automatic,” her mother added quickly, misreading her silence. The driveway curved up a long wooded hill. Pines and dense oaks crowded the road, their branches stretching overhead like skeletal fingers. The deeper they drove, the more Lena felt it. That strange prickle at the back of her neck. Like she wasn’t alone. The house appeared suddenly at the top of the hill. Three stories of dark stone and towering windows. A wraparound porch. Balconies. It looked less like a home and more like a private academy for brooding rich people. Her stepfather, Marcus Blackwood, stood at the top of the stairs waiting for them. Tall, Broad, Still. He didn’t wave, He simply watched. Lena’s chest tightened. She didn’t know him well. Her mother had married him after only eight months of dating. A whirlwind romance. Private ceremonies. Sudden move. And now here she was, Living with a man she barely knew. And his son, Her stepbrother. She hadn’t met him yet. Marcus descended the stairs as the car stopped. When he opened Lena’s door, she caught her first real look at him up close. His eyes were an unnatural shade of gray. Not light gray, Not silver, But storm gray. Sharp and assessing. “Lena,” he said calmly. “Welcome home.” Home. She forced a polite smile. “Thank you.” His gaze lingered on her just a second too long. Like he was evaluating something. Measuring. Then he stepped back and helped her mother out of the car instead. The house felt too big once they stepped inside. Polished dark wood floors. High ceilings. The faint scent of pine and something else. Something wild. “Dylan will be home later,” Marcus said evenly. Lena stilled. Dylan. Her stepbrother. She didn’t know why the name made her uneasy. Maybe because she’d heard it before. A lot. At school. Earlier That Day Lena had gone to register before moving into the house officially. Blackwood High was massive compared to her old school. And loud. The hallways buzzed with energy, whispers, eyes tracking her as she walked past. New girl. She kept her head down. Until she collided with a solid wall of muscle. Her paperwork scattered across the floor. “Oh— I’m so sorry,” she started automatically, crouching to gather the forms. A hand beat her to it. Large, Tanned, Strong. He picked up her papers slowly. When she looked up— Everything stopped. He was unfairly attractive. Dark hair falling into his eyes. Broad shoulders stretching the fabric of his black t-shirt. A lazy smirk curving his mouth. But it was his eyes that froze her. Amber. Not brown, Not hazel, Amber. And intense. He stared at her like— Like he knew her. Like he’d been waiting. His expression changed in a split second. The teasing amusement vanished. His jaw tightened. His pupils blew wide. The air between them shifted. Electric. Predatory. His nostrils flared slightly. And then— He growled. Soft. Low. Almost inaudible. But she heard it. Her heart skipped. “What’s your name?” he demanded. Not asked. Demanded. “Lena.” The second she said it, something in his face snapped. His hand shot out. Gripping her wrist. Not painful. But firm. Possessive. His other arm wrapped around her waist. Pulling her flush against him. The hallway fell silent. Every girl nearby froze. His voice dropped, Rough and Ferocious. “Mine.” The word hit her like a physical force. She shoved against his chest. “What is wrong with you?!” His eyes were blazing now. Almost glowing. He bent down, inhaled near her neck— And growled louder. “Mate.” The word vibrated against her skin. And every girl in the hallway gasped. Back in the present, standing in the Blackwood mansion foyer, Lena’s stomach twisted. Dylan. Dylan Blackwood. The most popular boy in school. The infamous playboy. The one girls either worshipped or feared. The one who had grabbed her in the hallway. The one who had growled that insane word. Mate. Her stepbrother. Her blood ran cold. “Is something wrong?” Marcus asked quietly. She blinked. “No.” He studied her for another long second. Like he knew she was lying. Like he could smell it. The front door opened an hour later. Heavy footsteps echoed across the foyer. Lena was halfway up the staircase when she heard it. Her body reacted before her mind did. Heat. Awareness. A strange pull low in her stomach. She slowly turned. And there he was. Dylan Blackwood stood in the doorway. Same dark hair. Same broad shoulders. Same amber eyes. Except now— Those eyes widened in recognition. Shock flickered across his face. Then something darker. Something primal. Marcus stepped forward calmly. “Dylan. This is Lena. Samantha’s daughter.” Silence. The air thickened. Dylan’s gaze dragged slowly over her face. Down her body. Back up again. Possession burned there. Recognition. And hunger. His lips curved slightly. “Yeah,” he said lowly. “I know.” Lena’s pulse roared in her ears. This wasn’t coincidence. This was some kind of cosmic joke. “You’ve met?” Samantha asked brightly. Dylan’s eyes never left Lena’s. “Oh,” he said softly. “We’ve met.” The memory of his arm around her waist flashed through her mind. The word he growled. Mate. Heat crept up her neck. “Barely,” she snapped quickly. Marcus’s gaze sharpened. He looked between them. Assessing. Calculating. Dylan took one step forward. And Lena felt it. That pull again. Like gravity had shifted and she was being dragged toward him. He stopped at the base of the stairs. Close. Too close. His voice dropped so only she could hear. “You didn’t tell me your last name.” Her throat went dry. “Carter.” His jaw flexed. “Not anymore.” Her stomach flipped. Excuse me?! Before she could respond, he turned and walked past her toward the kitchen, brushing deliberately against her shoulder. The contact sent a jolt through her body. And she hated that it did. That night, Lena lay awake staring at the ceiling. Her room overlooked the forest. The moonlight spilled silver across her walls. She couldn’t stop replaying it. The way he looked at her. The way he said that word. Mate. It wasn’t normal. It wasn’t human. A howl shattered the silence. Close. Too close. Her breath caught. Another answered. And another. The sound vibrated through her bones. She sat up slowly. Something moved in the treeline. Large. Fast. Not a dog. Not a coyote. Her bedroom door creaked open. She whipped around. Dylan stood in the doorway. Shirtless. Barefoot. Eyes glowing faintly in the dark. “Relax,” he murmured. Her heart slammed violently against her ribs. “What are you doing in my room?!” He ignored the question. Instead, he walked toward her bed slowly. Predatory grace in every step. “You heard them,” he said quietly. “The pack’s restless.” The pack. Her stomach dropped. “What are you talking about?” He stopped beside her bed. Moonlight illuminated him fully now. And she noticed something impossible. His canines looked— Longer. Sharper. “You smell like me,” he said softly. Her breath hitched. “I most certainly do not—” His hand came down beside her on the mattress. Caging her in. “Mine,” he whispered again. Her pulse thundered. “You’re insane.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “You have no idea.” Outside, another howl rose. Closer. He leaned down. Close enough that she could feel his breath against her ear. “You need to stay away from the girls at school.” She stared at him incredulously. “Excuse me?” “They’ll figure it out.” “Figure what out?” His eyes locked onto hers. And this time— They glowed fully gold. “You’re my mate.” The word felt heavier now. More dangerous. “That’s not a thing,” she whispered. “For humans,” he corrected softly. Her blood turned to ice. Humans. “What are you?” she breathed. His lips curved slowly. Dangerously. “Guess.” And outside— Something enormous moved beneath the trees. Watching the house. Watching her.