The Alpha's Forgotten Mate

Chapter Two:The secret he Carried

I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the silver pendant. Then I saw him. Alpha Kael. I hated that my mind kept returning to him. There was something unsettling about his eyes. Not because they were cold, although they were. It was the way he had looked at me, as if he already knew something about me that I didn't know myself.

I turned beneath my blanket and stared at the ceiling. You're being ridiculous, I told myself. He was an Alpha. I was an omega. There was no reason for him to care about me.

My fingers slipped beneath my pillow and found the pendant. I pulled it out. Moonlight spilled through the window, catching on the silver surface. The symbol on it looked familiar. Too familiar. I sat up. I had seen it before. Not recently, years ago.

A memory surfaced.

A woman sitting beside my bed, crying quietly while holding the exact same pendant. My mother? I frowned. I couldn't remember her face. I had tried countless times. Whenever I reached for the memory, it disappeared like smoke. All I remembered was her voice. “Never let them see the mark”. I froze. "What mark?" The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

I looked down at my wrist. There was nothing unusual about it. Just the small crescent-shaped birthmark I'd had since childhood. I touched it. My wolf stirred. “Don't.” I pulled my hand away. "What aren't you telling me?"

Silence.

My wolf had always been strange. But tonight, she felt frightened. That scared me more than anything.

---

The following morning, Silvermoon was louder than usual. People crowded the streets, preparing for the Alpha ceremony.

Kael Draven was officially taking control of Blackthorn Pack later that evening, and apparently half the territory had decided it was their business. I had no interest in attending. Unfortunately, my opinion didn't matter.

"You're going." I looked up from the kitchen table. Mrs. Hale stood in front of me. "Going where?"

"The ceremony."

I nearly choked on my tea. "Why?"

"Because everyone is expected to attend."

"I'm not everyone."

Her expression hardened. "You're an omega in this pack. You will attend."

I lowered my gaze. "Fine."

She walked away. The last thing I wanted was to stand in a crowd while everyone watched the new Alpha. Especially after yesterday.

I slipped the pendant into my pocket. I wasn't sure why I was carrying it. Maybe because throwing it away felt wrong. Maybe because some part of me believed it belonged to me.

By evening, the pack grounds were overflowing. Torches lined the paths. Music played softly. The elders stood near the stone platform where the ceremony would take place. I stayed at the back. That was where I belonged. Invisible, safe. Until the crowd suddenly became quiet. I looked up. Kael had arrived.

He walked through the gathering without rushing. Every wolf moved aside for him. He wore a black suit beneath a dark coat, his expression was unreadable. People bowed their heads as he passed.

Then his eyes found mine. My stomach tightened. Again. That same strange feeling. His gaze remained on me for one second, two, three. Then his expression changed. Not much. Just enough for me to notice. He looked almost... alarmed. Why? I quickly looked away.

"Stop staring at him." I nearly jumped. Mira appeared beside me.

"I wasn't."

She gave me a look. "You absolutely were."

"I was looking at the ceremony."

"Of course."

I rolled my eyes. Before I could answer, the Alpha stepped onto the platform. The ceremony began. I tried to listen, I really did. But my wolf was restless. “Mate.” My eyes widened. "What?"

Mira glanced at me. "Did you say something?"

"No."

My heart was pounding. The word had come from inside me. My wolf had never said that before. Not like that. I looked toward Kael. He was already staring at me. And this time, I knew he felt it too. Something was happening, something I couldn't explain.

Kael suddenly stepped down from the platform. The elders exchanged confused looks. He walked straight toward the crowd. Straight toward me. My breathing stopped. People began whispering. "Why is he coming over here?"

"Do you know him?" I shook my head.

Kael stopped a few feet away. His eyes dropped to my wrist. I instinctively covered it. His jaw tightened. "Your name." His voice was low.

"Elena."

He stared at me. "Elena what?" "Vale."

Something flickered across his face. Recognition. It disappeared almost immediately. "How old are you?" I frowned. "Eighteen."

The crowd had gone completely silent. Kael's gaze remained fixed on me. Then suddenly, his wolf slammed into mine. My knees nearly gave out. The entire world seemed to disappear. A strange warmth spread through my chest. My wolf cried out. “Mate.”

I stared at Kael. He looked just as stunned. No, not stunned. Afraid. "Alpha?" one of the elders called. Kael didn't respond. His eyes never left mine. For a moment, neither of us moved. Then his expression hardened. The warmth vanished. He stepped back.

"What happened?" Mira whispered.

I didn't know. Kael turned away from me. "Continue the ceremony." His voice was firm.

The elder hesitated. "Alpha, perhaps you should…"

"I said continue." Everyone obeyed. But I couldn't. My heart was beating too fast. I looked at Kael's back. Why had he looked at me like that? Why had my wolf called him my mate? And why did he look like he had already known?

I couldn't take my eyes off Kael. He stood with his back to me, speaking quietly to Rowan, but something about his posture had changed. He looked tense. Almost afraid. Why?

My fingers curled around the pendant in my pocket. The strange symbol suddenly felt heavier than it had that morning.

I looked at Kael again. He turned slightly, and for one brief second, our eyes met. There was something in his expression that made my stomach twist. He knew something. I just

didn't know what.

And somehow, I had a feeling I was going to find out sooner than I wanted.