The Alpha’s forbidden mate

Chapter 6

That night, Kael took Elara to his chambers. It wasn’t about passion—not yet. It was about comfort, about protection, about the bone-deep need to have her close. He wrapped her in blankets and held her until her trembling stopped, until her breathing evened out, until she fell into an exhausted sleep.

He didn’t sleep. He watched her, memorizing the curve of her cheek, the flutter of her lashes, the way her lips parted slightly as she dreamed. His wolf was quieter than it had ever been, as if simply having her near was enough to soothe the restless beast.

In the morning, she woke to find him still watching her.

“Did you sleep at all?” she murmured.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I was afraid if I closed my eyes, you’d disappear.”

She reached up and touched his face, her fingers tracing the line of his jaw. “I’m not going anywhere, Alpha.”

The title, spoken in her soft voice, sent a shiver down his spine. He caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm.

“When you’re ready,” he said, “I want to complete the bond. I want to make you my Luna.”

Elara’s eyes widened. “Your pack won’t accept that.”

“They will. Or they’ll leave. I don’t care.”

“Your mother—”

“My mother will come around. She’s stubborn, but she’s not heartless. And she’s never seen me like this. She’ll understand, eventually.” He paused. “Is that what you want? To be mine? Truly?”

She looked at him, and for the first time since he’d found her in that ditch, there was no fear in her silver eyes. Only hope.

“Yes,” she said. “Moon help me, yes.”

The announcement of Elara’s status as Kael’s chosen mate sent shockwaves through the Nightshade Pack.

A pack meeting was called in the great hall, a cavernous room with a vaulted ceiling and a massive stone fireplace. Every adult wolf in the territory was required to attend, and by sunset, the hall was packed to capacity. The air crackled with tension.

Kael stood on the raised dais at the front, Elara at his side. She was pale but composed, dressed in a simple blue gown that brought out the silver of her eyes. Her hand was clasped tightly in his.

“I’ve called you here tonight to address the rumors,” Kael began, his Alpha voice ringing through the hall. “The woman beside me is Elara. She is a rogue no longer. She is my fated mate, chosen by the Moon Goddess herself, and I intend to claim her as my Luna.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd. Some faces showed shock, others disgust. A few—the younger wolves, the ones who hadn’t been around for the original scandal—looked merely curious.

“But she’s—” an older she-wolf began.

“I know what she was,” Kael cut in. “And I know what my father did. Those sins belong to the past. Elara was a victim of circumstance and of the abuse of power. She does not deserve your scorn. She deserves your respect—not just as my mate, but as a wolf who fought beside me against the rogues three nights ago.”

That gave them pause. Several wolves had witnessed Elara’s bravery in the skirmish, and word had spread.

“I’m not asking for your approval,” Kael continued. “I’m informing you of my decision. Those who cannot accept it are free to challenge me, or to leave. But know this: if you stay, you will treat my mate with the honor she is due. Any wolf who does otherwise will answer to me personally.”

Silence. Then, slowly, Rylan stepped forward and knelt. “I accept the Alpha’s mate. I pledge my loyalty to our future Luna.”

One by one, the pack members followed suit. Not all—a handful of wolves turned and left the hall, their expressions hard. But most knelt. Most accepted.

When it was over, Elara was trembling, but her eyes shone with tears of gratitude.

“They kneel,” she whispered. “For me.”

“For you,” Kael confirmed, pulling her close. “And this is only the beginning.”