The Alpha's Claim
1163 Words
Lena did not sleep. Not after Dylan stood in her room with glowing eyes and whispered mate like it was a promise—or a threat. She lay in bed long after he left, staring at the ceiling while the forest outside hummed with life that didn’t feel natural. The howls had eventually stopped, but the silence afterward felt worse. It was the kind of silence that waited. By morning, exhaustion wrapped around her like a second skin, and she still had to go to school.
The moment Lena stepped into Blackwood High, she felt it—eyes tracking her, whispers curling behind her like smoke.
“She’s the one.”
“Dylan grabbed her yesterday—”
“Did you see his face?”
“I heard he rejected Madison last night.”
Her stomach twisted. She didn’t know who Madison was yet, but judging by the sharp glares slicing toward her from a cluster of girls near the lockers, she could guess. Tall, blonde, immaculate—the kind of girl who looked born to rule a school. Madison Vale. And judging by the way she stared at Lena, she did not appreciate competition.
Lena kept walking, head down. Invisible. That was the goal.
She made it exactly twelve steps before the hallway shifted. Conversations faltered. Lockers closed. Girls straightened. She didn’t need to turn around to know he was there. Her body reacted before her mind did—heat pooling low in her stomach, pulse quickening, breath catching.
A warm hand wrapped around her wrist. Firm. Possessive.
“Morning,” Dylan murmured near her ear.
“Let go,” she hissed under her breath.
Instead of obeying, his fingers tightened slightly—not painful, but deliberate.
“You didn’t answer me last night.”
“About what?” she asked, refusing to look at him.
“What I am.”
She forced herself to turn. Big mistake. He looked unfairly perfect in a black hoodie and dark jeans, dark hair slightly messy, amber eyes intense and focused solely on her.
“Let’s try this again,” she said tightly. “You’re delusional.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw, and for just a second his eyes glowed faintly gold. Her heart skipped violently.
“You’re lying to yourself,” he said quietly.
Behind him, Madison Vale watched. She wasn’t alone. A few girls hovered close, their expressions sharp and assessing—predatory. The word echoed in Lena’s mind.
Dylan stepped closer, too close, and she felt that pull again, like gravity had shifted. “You’re coming to lunch with me.”
It wasn’t a question.
“I absolutely am not.”
His lips curved faintly. “Yeah. You are.”
She yanked her wrist free, and the hallway audibly gasped. Apparently, no one pulled away from Dylan Blackwood.
“You don’t own me,” she snapped.
His eyes darkened. “You sure about that?”
Before she could respond, Madison stepped forward, sliding her hand down Dylan’s arm. “You’re late,” she purred.
He didn’t even look at her. “I’m busy.”
Madison’s eyes shifted to Lena, and the hatred there was immediate. “You’re new,” she said smoothly. “You might not understand how things work here.”
“Enlighten me,” Lena replied coolly.
“Dylan doesn’t do relationships.”
“I’m aware.”
A few students snickered. Madison’s smile tightened, and for a split second her eyes flashed gold. Lena’s breath caught. She had seen it. She wasn’t imagining things anymore.
Dylan’s hand landed on Lena’s lower back, possessive and unmistakable. “Careful,” he said softly to Madison.
Madison’s posture shifted subtly, submission flickering across her features before she masked it. “This isn’t over,” she said quietly, then walked away.
Lena rounded on Dylan. “What is wrong with her eyes?”
“You noticed,” he replied.
“That wasn’t normal.”
“You’re starting to see.”
“See what?”
Instead of answering, he straightened. “Lunch. Cafeteria. Noon.”
“You don’t want to make me chase you,” he added before walking away, leaving her with the unsettling sense that this was far bigger than high school drama.
By noon, curiosity outweighed fear. The cafeteria quieted when she entered. Dylan sat alone at the center table like a king waiting on his throne. She approached cautiously and sat across from him, keeping the table between them.
“You came,” he said.
“I want answers.”
“My family isn’t human.”
“I gathered that.”
“We’re werewolves.”
The word hung between them. Absurd. Impossible. Yet her mind flashed to glowing eyes, sharp canines, howls in the night.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I don’t care if you believe it. It’s true.”
“You came into my room.”
“To protect you.”
“From what?”
“From them.”
“From your pack?”
“You’re mine.”
“You need to stop saying that.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
His voice dropped. “Because the second I smelled you, my wolf recognized you as my mate.”
“I’m human.”
“You’re something,” he corrected quietly.
A chill crept down her spine. “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know yet.”
Before she could press further, a tray slammed onto the table. Madison stood there, composure gone, eyes fully gold.
“She doesn’t belong here,” Madison snapped.
Dylan stood slowly, dominance radiating from him. “She belongs where I say she belongs.”
“You’re throwing away the pack for a human.”
“She’s not just human.”
Lena’s heart pounded. “Explain,” Madison demanded.
“No.”
Madison’s nails lengthened into claws against the tabletop. Gasps rippled through the cafeteria. Lena shoved back from her chair in horror.
Dylan moved in a blur, stepping between them. His eyes flashed gold as a deep, territorial growl filled the room. Madison stepped back instantly, submission flickering again.
“You’re making a mistake,” she warned.
“Test me,” Dylan replied coldly.
Madison held his gaze, then looked at Lena with something far worse than jealousy—hunger. Then she turned and left.
Dylan faced Lena again. “You need to leave school.”
“You don’t get to control my life!”
“I’m trying to keep you alive.”
“From what?”
“Rogues.”
“What are rogues?”
“Wolves without allegiance. Without control.”
“And they care about me why?”
He stepped closer. “Because if you’re what I think you are… you’re rare.”
Outside the cafeteria windows, a large dark shape moved along the treeline. Dylan’s head snapped toward it instantly, his body going rigid.
And Lena realized something chilling.
Whatever was out there wasn’t part of his pack.
And it was watching her.
- Writer
