The Alpha's Secret Mate

The first thing Liam Moon smelled was blood. The second was rain. By the time the storm reached Blackridge Pack, the healing house was already overflowing with wounded wolves. Liam moved quickly between the narrow beds, his sleeves rolled to his elbows and his fingers stained red. Thunder rattled the windows each time lightning tore across the night sky, but nobody inside the crowded room paid attention. There were more important things to fear. “Hold still,” Liam ordered, pressing a clean cloth against a warrior’s shoulder. The large man hissed through his teeth. “You say that like I’m the one causing the problem.” “You are.” “I got attacked by three wolves.” “And survived all three. Congratulations. Now stop trying to pull off my bandage.” The warrior glared at him. “I can’t feel my arm.” “That’s because you’re panicking.” “I am not—” A howl ripped through the night. The warrior stopped talking. So did everyone else. Liam slowly lifted his head. Another howl followed. Then another. The sound rolled over the territory like a warning, deep and unfamiliar. Not Blackridge wolves. Strangers. Liam’s fingers tightened around the bloodied cloth. Beneath his skin, his wolf stirred uneasily. “Lock the doors,” he said. Nobody moved. The next howl came closer. “Now.” Two young healers rushed toward the entrance. They never reached it. The front doors burst open with such force that one of them slammed against the wall. Cold rain swept into the room, carrying the sharp scent of wet earth and blood. A massive black wolf crashed through the doorway. Several people screamed. Liam stepped back instinctively. The wolf staggered once, twice, then shifted. A man appeared where the beast had stood. “Alpha,” someone breathed. Kael Draven straightened slowly. Rain streamed down his black hair. His shirt had been torn open at the shoulder, exposing hard muscle and a deep gash near his collarbone. Blood ran from a cut above his right eyebrow, tracing the scar that already crossed his brow. Liam had seen Kael before. Everyone in Blackridge had. The Alpha was impossible to miss. But seeing him from across the training grounds was nothing like standing only a few feet away from him. Kael was larger than Liam remembered. More dangerous. And then his eyes met Liam’s. Everything stopped. Liam forgot about the wounded wolves. Forgot about the storm. Forgot how to breathe. Something slammed violently against his ribs. His wolf surged forward. A warmth spread through his chest, racing down his arms and into his fingertips. The scent of rain and blood faded beneath something else. Pine. Smoke. Wild earth. Home. The word crashed into his mind. Mate. Liam’s breath caught. Across the room, Kael went completely still. His gray eyes widened. For one suspended second, neither of them moved. Then Kael started walking toward him. Liam’s heart pounded harder with every step. He should have moved. He should have looked away. Instead, he stood frozen beside the wounded warrior’s bed while the most powerful wolf in Blackridge approached him. Kael stopped directly in front of him. “You,” he said. Liam swallowed. “Alpha?” Kael’s nostrils flared. His eyes darkened. Slowly, almost as though he were afraid of what would happen, he reached for Liam. His fingers closed around Liam’s wrist. The world exploded. Heat tore through Liam’s body. The crescent-shaped birthmark beneath his left collarbone burned so fiercely that he gasped. The healing house disappeared. Liam saw a forest beneath a blood-red moon. Trees burned. Wolves lay motionless across the ground. A huge black wolf stood in the middle of the flames, its head thrown back as it howled. Then someone screamed. Liam spun toward the sound. A pair of silver eyes opened inside the darkness. A voice whispered around him. When the moon opens its eye, the blood of the forgotten will rise. Liam jerked backward. The vision vanished. He stumbled against the table. Kael released him at the same moment and took a sharp breath. “What did you see?” Liam demanded. Kael’s expression hardened. “Nothing.” Liam stared at him. “You saw something.” “I said nothing.” “That doesn’t explain why you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” A low growl rolled from Kael’s chest. The entire room fell silent. Liam glanced around. Every wolf had lowered their heads. Even the wounded warrior on the bed had stopped complaining. Kael looked toward the door. “Everyone out.” No one argued. Ronan Vale, Kael’s Beta, entered through the broken doorway just as the healers began filing outside. “Kael.” “Take everyone to Moonstone Hall.” Ronan’s eyes moved from Kael to Liam. Something changed in his expression. He had noticed. Liam knew it. “Now,” Kael added. Within moments, the healing house was empty. Except for Liam. Rain hammered against the roof. Kael stood with his back to him. Liam folded his arms over his chest. “You’re not going to explain?” Kael remained silent. “You dragged everyone out of here, growled at half the pack, and nearly burned a hole through my wrist with one touch.” Still nothing. Liam took a step closer. “Alpha.” Kael turned. The look in his eyes made Liam’s wolf whine. Not anger. Fear. “You are my mate,” Kael said. The words struck harder than thunder. Liam’s mouth opened. For twenty-two years, he had watched other wolves find their mates. He had seen warriors suddenly become speechless. He had watched couples cling to each other like they had spent their entire lives searching. He had never expected it for himself. And certainly not with Kael Draven. “I–” “You will tell no one.” Liam blinked. “What?” “You will not tell the pack. You will not tell your brother. You will not speak about this to anyone.” The warmth inside Liam vanished. “Why?” “Because I said so.” His shock slowly turned into anger. Liam stepped closer until there was barely any space between them. “I may be an Omega, but I’m not one of your soldiers.” Kael’s jaw tightened. Something flickered across his face. Regret. It disappeared almost immediately. “You don’t understand what you’re carrying.” Liam’s hand moved instinctively to his collarbone. “The mark?” Kael’s gaze dropped to the place beneath Liam’s shirt. For the first time, the Alpha looked genuinely afraid. “What is it?” Kael looked away. “What is wrong with me?” “There is nothing wrong with you.” “Then tell me the truth.” Kael walked toward the door. Liam followed. “Kael.” The Alpha stopped. Liam had never called him by his name before. Kael slowly turned his head. “What?” “If I’m your mate, why are you looking at me like I’m something you need to run from?” Silence filled the room. Rain struck the windows. Kael’s hands curled into fists. Then he said the words that shattered everything. “Stay away from me, Liam.” Liam stared at him. “You can’t be serious.” Kael’s voice became cold. “I reject our bond.” Pain exploded through Liam’s chest. He gasped and grabbed the edge of the table. His wolf howled inside him. The agony was sharp and sudden, like claws tearing through his heart. “Liam.” Kael took a step forward. Liam raised a trembling hand. “Don’t.” Kael stopped. For a moment, his face twisted. As though the rejection hurt him too. Then his expression hardened again. “I’m doing this to protect you.” Liam laughed once, bitterly. “From what? You?” Kael said nothing. That hurt worse than the rejection. He walked out. Liam stood alone in the healing house, struggling to breathe. His hand pressed against his chest. His wolf had gone quiet. Not calm. Broken. Outside, the storm continued. Then another howl rose through the darkness. Liam froze. It wasn’t coming from the northern border. It came from directly behind the healing house. Slowly, Liam turned toward the window. Lightning flashed. A pair of glowing red eyes stared at him from beyond the glass. Liam stopped breathing. The next flash revealed the empty yard. But something had been carved into the window. Four deep claw marks. Black. Fresh. And beneath them, written in a line of dark, dripping blood, were three words. WE FOUND YOU.