Claiming Her Reign

chapter 4

xian'na pov

I was running for my life, and I was going to lose.

The air was cold, and every breath burned my throat. I could hear them—the heavy paws of the Blue Moon hunters, following Jerick's fearful order to hunt the rogue. I was fast for a human, but I was so slow compared to a wolf. The older hunters, the ones with the sharpest minds, were closing the distance.

I can't outrun them, Xiuan! I thought, panic rising like bile in my mouth. They’re too fast. They’ll catch me.

A voice, calm and deep, answered instantly inside my head. It was her, my wolf, my holy wolf. "You are not running as a human, Xian’na. And you are not just a wolf."

But I'm tired. I’m slow!

"Feel the blood. The power is already awake. It is tired of being small," she commanded. "Tell it to run."

I didn't know how to tell power to do anything. I just felt the raw ache in my muscles. I closed my eyes for a fraction of a second, picturing the gold fire that had just left my body. I told that fire, the Goddess's gift: Run faster. Save us.

Everything changed in an instant. It wasn't just my legs moving; it was the earth moving under me. A warm, golden strength rushed from my heart down to my feet. My steps became light and powerful, and the sounds of the pack behind me began to fade. I wasn't running anymore; I was flying through the trees, a blur in the dark woods.

"Good. Now, the scent. They hunt with their noses," Xiuan instructed, her voice guiding my every move. "Pull the power back. Let it sit close to your skin. Make yourself quiet."

I focused on pulling the golden energy inward, like closing a fist around light. The air around me felt suddenly empty, silent. I was invisible to their noses.

I spotted a cluster of thick, dark rocks leading into a small, cold, hidden forest cave. I dove inside, scrambling behind a curtain of moss just as the Blue Moon hunters shot past the entrance, their paws kicking up mud. They were sniffing, confused, missing me completely.

Once they were gone, I sank down, exhausted but safe for the moment.

We did it. We lost them, I whispered, tasting blood and freedom.

"For now," Xiuan said. "You need protection that even my power cannot guarantee yet. You must find your brothers."

My brothers? I have four Alpha brothers, you said. Isaac, James, Samuel, Davon. Where are they?

"They lead their own packs, far from this place," Xiuan answered, her voice sounding heavy with the history of my family. "But they felt the power surge. They will come looking. Your job is to move toward them. We must find a way to let them know where we are."

I looked out at the dark, wet forest. I had escaped Jerick, but now I was alone, with a powerful voice in my head and a family I had never met scattered across the world.

Where do we even start? I asked my holy wolf. How do I find an Alpha brother I've never met?

Jerick pov

The golden burn mark on the floor seemed to mock me. I ripped my eyes away from it. I had given the order: Hunt the rogue. Now I had to go pretend to be a king.

I pulled on a clean shirt, forcing my hands to stop shaking. The sharp, aching silence where the mate bond used to be was the worst pain. It was a physical emptiness, like a part of my soul had been ripped out. But I was the new Alpha. I could not show weakness..

I walked down to the main hall, pushing through the guards and pack elders. The hall was massive, draped in Blue Moon banners, and filled with hundreds of wolves waiting for my ceremony. Everything smelled of fear and fresh pine, but underneath it all, I could still smell that faint, perfect spice of her—the scent that was no longer mine.

I forced a dominant look onto my face, straightening my spine. This was my day.

The elders led me to the receiving line. That’s where they were waiting: the Alpha visitors. They were the true rulers of the continent—packs so old and strong they made the Blue Moon look like a small-town village.

My eyes found the three I knew were the most powerful: James of the Purple Moon Pack, Samuel of the Black Moon Pack, and Davon of the Red Moon Pack. They stood with a quiet strength that made the air feel heavy. Next to them was Kelvin of the Green Moon Pack, who seemed loud and friendly by comparison.

I approached James first. He was tall and lean, with eyes that saw too much. He was one of the youngest Alphas, but his power was already legendary.

"Alpha James," I greeted him, offering a firm nod. My voice was steady.

James’s smile did not touch his eyes. "Alpha Jerick. Congratulations on your ascent." He tilted his head slightly, and a flicker of something—interest? suspicion?—crossed his face. He’s judging my strength. All Alphas do.

I quickly moved on. Samuel, the Alpha of the Black Moon, was built like stone. He was silent, his gaze heavy and direct. "Alpha Samuel," I said. He simply nodded, but his eyes narrowed. He thinks I’m too young.

Then there was Davon of the Red Moon. He was the most dominant of the three, radiating a restless power that made my own wolf flatten. "Welcome, Alpha Davon," I said, trying to hold his gaze.

"A celebration of power," Davon replied, his voice a low rumble. "I felt a great disturbance not long ago, Alpha. A kind of power I have never felt before. Did something break in your woods?"

The question hit me like a kick to the chest. My breath seized, but I forced a cold laugh. "Just some old pipes bursting in the maid quarters, Alpha Davon. Nothing a good cleaning won't fix."

Davon didn't look convinced, but he nodded slowly, accepting my lie for the moment. I felt a rush of relief that they hadn't seen the rogue, or worse, heard her rejection. I could not, would not, let these powerful wolves know he had been shamed by a wolf-less girl.

The crowd roared, signaling the start of the ceremony. I smiled for the pack, I acted strong for the Alphas, but all I could focus on was the empty space in my chest. I had to forget the rogue. I had to be the Alpha. I told myself their intense stares were just jealousy of my pack and my title. They were simply powerful Alphas, and she was just a forgotten maid. There was no connection. There could be none.