The Alpha's Deathless Mate

Chapter 4: THE AWAKENING OF BLOOD

Elara’s POV

“Riven?” Kaelen’s voice cut through the small patch of night like a blade. “How did you find us?”

My muscles tightened at the name. I knew him, the man who once made me bend twice and left indelible scars in memory. The one on my skin still burns. He must have followed us from the pack.

“I didn’t know when you two passed. I’ve been waiting,” he said, his voice low and steady. “Outside the cell. I knew you’d break free when you could. I wanted to follow, to stay with you, Alpha. I’ll serve at your side.”

Kaelen’s hand curled into a fist at his side. “This is thoughtful of you.”

Riven bowed his head, the motion too smooth to be honest. “I know your capacity and the power you command. I know you. I would always want to be by your side.”

The words should have settled my heart.. a second in command loyal to his Alpha, but something in me skittered away. Maybe it was the way Riven’s eyes lingered on me a beat too long, or the way his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“Put me down first,” I tapped Kaelen. My throat felt like sand. My eyes caught a stagnant pool under some tree roots. I didn’t care if the water was clean or not; all I needed was something in my stomach to regain some strength.

“Who’s this?” I asked as I crouched, the chill from the damp soil rising up my legs.

“He’s my second in command,” Kaelen said. “Riven. He’s trustworthy.”

Riven straightened. “I would follow you anywhere, Alpha. I want to work by your side and learn your tactics.”

I cupped the water with both hands. It smelled of iron and rot and things left to die. I didn’t care. I drank until the wetness filled my chest. Each swallow loosened the weight in my limbs. Still, a small, insistent voice in the back of my head whispered.. he’s not here for good. Watch him.

Kaelen watched me drink. When I stood, he reached out, his fingers on my wrist steadying me. “You should rest,” he said softly.

As we stood contemplating our next move, a strange heavy noise came from deep in the bush, growing louder and closer. Riven unsheathed his sword, positioning to fight.

“Get behind me,” Kaelen said, his sword poised to strike whatever approached.

Instantly, a large animal burst out from the trees, its glowing eyes fixed directly on me as if targeting me. Before it could come closer, Kaelen lunged and sliced its neck halfway through, landing roughly against a nearby tree. His shoulder hit hard, and he winced in pain.

“Riven, quickly set fire and roast the meat! Elara is very hungry... This is the Moon Goddess bringing food to us,” Kaelen teased, forcing a grin.

“Roast it,” Kaelen ordered again. “Elara needs to eat.”

“At once,” Riven replied, already turning the chunks over the fire.

The smell was immediate and merciful. I ate like someone who’d forgotten how to breathe, slow, deliberate, almost reverent. Kaelen watched the way the neat settled into me; the look in his eyes warmed me more than the heat of the flames.

After we finished eating, we moved further and found an abandoned outbuilding, the roof half-collapsed, walls boarded, but dry. We settled in.

Morning came cooler than I expected. Kaelen stood, stretching, though his shoulder flinched when he moved. “I’ll go look for more meat and fruits to stock this place,” he said. “We can’t stay hungry.”

“Take Riven,” I said without thinking. “Please.”

Kaelen blinked at me, then at Riven. “You can’t stay alone here. Make sure she doesn’t move from this place,” he ordered. “Do not let anyone near her.”

“Of course,” Riven replied briskly, bowing slightly like a soldier receiving commands.

I watched Kaelen walk away. He disappeared between the trees, the line of his shoulders fading into the morning light. Riven closed the door behind him deliberately, as if sealing something more than just wood.

After a few minutes, he stood up.

“Come,” Riven said smoothly. “Let’s go check on him, to make sure no wolves or men are tracking him.”

I thought about protesting, but my legs still trembled and my mouth tasted of embers. “Alright,” I said. “Come on then.”

We walked. Riven led with a confidence that made my skin prickle. He moved as if he always knew where to step, and at first the path felt safe. Then the trees thickened. The light dimmed. My steps slowed.

“Where are we going?” I asked, my voice small, almost foolish.

Riven’s smile was quick. “This way. I know this place. Trust me, Elara.”

Trust. The word tasted bitter when it came from his mouth.

“You never knew the route Kaelen took, and he never mentioned where he was going,” I reminded him.

“Elara, you’re human,” he said mockingly. “How do I start to explain that a wolf always finds another wolf no matter what? Through instinct and scent. We’re special creatures.” Riven’s grin widened, goatlike and sly.

Without warning, the bush exploded. Men in masks emerged, their spears and knives flashing, their eyes deadly. I had no time to think.

Riven’s laughter cut the air, short and sharp.

“You go nowhere,” he mocked. “You thought you could run? You thought we’d let you go?”

“So this is it?” I asked, fury shaking my voice. “You’re here on a mission?”

Betrayal hit like a slap. “You just betrayed Kaelen, after what you professed last night!” I shouted, glancing at him, my mouth open in disbelief.

“You think you’re clever?” he said, his voice thin with triumph.

His fingers grazed my arm. That was the moment something raw and powerful woke inside me, a pressure, a heat, a voice not my own yet completely mine. It started slowly, like a hum behind my teeth, then rose like a tide.

My fists clenched. Pain lanced through my joints as bones shifted and elongated. My skin prickled as something thick and dark pushed up beneath it. The metal of the nearest spear blurred; the world sharpened into edges I could taste.

The pack warriors froze as they watched me transform. Their bravado faltered. They stared as if I had become a myth.

Riven’s face drained of color. He staggered backward as my nails, long and deadly, glinted in the morning light. I didn’t know what I was doing or where the strength came from.

“This is not possible!” one of the guards shouted.

“She’s human! Why is she transforming like a wolf?” another cried.

“No… no… this can’t be happening. What do I tell the King?” Riven murmured, horrified.

I felt so powerful, ready to tear through anyone who comes near, yet I fought to hold back. My body convulsed, surging with energy beyond control.

“A white wolf?” they shouted in unison, fear gripping their voices.

That was when I realized, I had transformed into a white wolf.

“How did this happen? I’m human, not a wolf! Someone wake me up!” I gasped, touching my face, desperate to wake from what felt like a nightmare.

Riven’s eyes locked on mine, then flicked to Kaelen, who now stood midway between the trees, confusion and shock etched across his face.

Without another thought, I rose, flipping two guards into the air. They landed hard on their backs while others scrambled away in terror.

Riven transformed into his giant wolf form, ready to attack.