Chapter 4: The Alphas claim
1481 Words
The forest behind Seraphina’s house had never felt threatening before.
It had always been a quiet place—somewhere peaceful where the wind whispered through the trees and birds nested in the tall branches. As a child, Seraphina had often wandered near its edge with her grandmother, collecting herbs or simply enjoying the silence.
But today it looked completely different.
Dangerous.
Alive.
Standing on the porch, Seraphina could feel her heartbeat pounding against her ribs as several enormous wolves slowly emerged from the shadows of the trees.
Their fur shimmered under the pale morning sunlight, muscles moving beneath thick coats of grey and black. Their glowing golden eyes remained locked on the house.
Locked on her.
Seraphina’s hands trembled.
“Those… are not normal wolves,” she whispered.
Beside her, Evelyn tightened her grip on the silver knife.
“No,” she replied quietly. “They’re not.”
Lucien, however, looked almost bored.
The vampire prince stood calmly near the porch railing, his long black coat shifting slightly in the cool breeze. His crimson eyes studied the approaching wolves with mild irritation.
“Well,” he said dryly, “this is unfortunate.”
Seraphina glanced at him.
“Unfortunate?”
Lucien gestured toward the forest.
“I was hoping to have a pleasant conversation with you before things became… complicated.”
“Complicated?” Seraphina repeated nervously.
Lucien gave her a small smile.
“Yes.”
Just then, one of the wolves stepped forward.
And before Seraphina’s eyes, the impossible happened.
The massive wolf began to change.
Its body twisted, bones shifting beneath its fur as it rose onto two legs. The fur slowly receded, muscles reshaping until a tall man stood where the wolf had been moments before.
Seraphina gasped.
“What—”
The man stepped out from the forest with powerful confidence.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and undeniably intimidating. His dark hair was messy from the transformation, and his piercing amber eyes glowed faintly with animal intensity.
Kael Stormborn.
Even without being introduced, Seraphina somehow knew his name.
The air around him felt different.
Wild.
Dangerous.
And strangely familiar.
Lucien sighed softly.
“Ah,” he muttered. “The Alpha himself.”
Kael’s gaze never left Seraphina.
He walked slowly across the clearing toward the house, his steps deliberate and controlled. The other wolves remained behind him, watching silently.
Evelyn stepped forward protectively.
“Stop right there,” she warned.
Kael halted a few feet from the porch.
For a moment, the two supernatural leaders stared at each other.
Lucien leaned casually against the railing.
“You’re early,” the vampire said.
Kael’s voice was low and rough when he spoke.
“You should not be here, vampire.”
Lucien shrugged.
“And yet I am.”
Kael’s amber eyes darkened.
“You know the treaty.”
Lucien’s smile sharpened slightly.
“The treaty is the only reason you’re still standing.”
Seraphina looked between them, completely overwhelmed.
“Okay,” she said loudly. “Someone needs to explain what’s happening right now.”
Neither man answered immediately.
Instead, Kael’s gaze slowly returned to her.
The moment their eyes met, something strange happened.
Seraphina felt a sudden pull deep inside her chest.
A warm, powerful sensation that made her breath catch.
Kael froze too.
His entire body went rigid.
Lucien noticed instantly.
His crimson eyes narrowed.
“Well,” he said softly. “That’s… interesting.”
Seraphina frowned.
“What?”
Kael took a slow step forward.
Evelyn immediately raised the knife.
“Don’t come any closer.”
But Kael wasn’t paying attention to her.
His focus remained entirely on Seraphina.
His voice softened slightly.
“What’s your name?”
Seraphina hesitated.
“Seraphina.”
Kael repeated the name quietly, as if testing how it felt.
“Seraphina…”
Lucien rolled his eyes.
“Oh for the love of darkness,” he muttered.
Seraphina looked at him.
“What?”
Lucien nodded toward Kael.
“You might want to step back.”
“Why?”
Kael spoke before Lucien could answer.
“She’s mine.”
The words hit the air like a thunderclap.
Seraphina blinked.
“I’m sorry… what?”
Lucien laughed.
A genuine, amused laugh.
“This just keeps getting better.”
Kael’s eyes never left Seraphina.
“She is my mate,” he said firmly.
Seraphina’s brain completely stopped working.
“Your… what?”
Kael stepped forward again.
This time Lucien straightened slightly.
“Careful, wolf,” he warned.
Kael ignored him.
“Werewolves have something called a mate bond,” he explained, his voice steady but intense. “A connection stronger than anything else in the world.”
Seraphina felt the strange pull in her chest again.
“It happens only once in a lifetime.”
Lucien sighed dramatically.
“Please tell me you’re not actually doing this right now.”
Kael’s gaze softened slightly as he looked at Seraphina.
“You’re my mate.”
Seraphina stared at him in disbelief.
“I literally just met you.”
Lucien nodded.
“My thoughts exactly.”
Kael shot him an irritated look.
“You should leave.”
Lucien tilted his head.
“I don’t think so.”
Kael’s voice dropped dangerously low.
“This doesn’t concern vampires.”
Lucien’s crimson eyes gleamed.
“Oh, I assure you it does.”
Kael growled softly.
The sound sent chills down Seraphina’s spine.
“Why would it concern you?” Kael demanded.
Lucien looked directly at Seraphina.
“Because she’s the Blood Witch.”
The words silenced everything.
Kael froze.
His amber eyes slowly shifted back to Seraphina.
“Is that true?” he asked quietly.
Seraphina looked helplessly at her grandmother.
Evelyn didn’t answer.
Kael’s expression changed.
Concern replaced aggression.
“You have no idea what that means, do you?” he asked her.
Seraphina shook her head.
“Not really.”
Lucien folded his arms.
“The entire supernatural world will soon know she has awakened.”
Kael cursed under his breath.
“And when they do,” Lucien continued, “every powerful creature will start hunting her.”
Seraphina felt cold.
“Hunting me?”
“Yes,” Lucien said simply.
Kael ran a hand through his hair.
“This is bad.”
Seraphina’s voice trembled.
“How bad?”
Kael looked directly at her.
“War bad.”
Silence fell over the porch.
Seraphina felt like the ground beneath her feet had disappeared.
Lucien finally spoke again.
“Well,” he said calmly. “Now that we’ve established the situation…”
Kael glared at him.
“What do you want, vampire?”
Lucien smiled faintly.
“To protect her.”
Kael laughed harshly.
“You expect me to believe that?”
Lucien shrugged.
“Believe whatever you like.”
Kael stepped closer.
“I should rip your throat out right now.”
Lucien didn’t move.
“You’re welcome to try.”
Seraphina raised her hands quickly.
“Okay! Stop!”
Both men looked at her.
She exhaled slowly.
“I don’t understand any of this. Yesterday my biggest problem was passing my exams. Now apparently vampires and werewolves want to fight over me.”
Lucien smirked slightly.
“When you put it like that, it does sound dramatic.”
Kael looked at her seriously.
“You’re in danger.”
Seraphina laughed nervously.
“I figured that part out.”
Evelyn finally spoke again.
“She cannot stay here.”
Both men turned to her.
“Everyone will come looking,” she continued. “Vampires. Werewolves. Witches. Hunters.”
Seraphina felt dizzy.
“So what do we do?”
Lucien answered immediately.
“She comes with me.”
Kael growled.
“Absolutely not.”
Lucien looked unimpressed.
“My castle is protected by powerful magic and vampire armies.”
Kael crossed his arms.
“She belongs with the pack.”
Lucien scoffed.
“Yes, because living with a group of oversized wolves sounds perfectly safe.”
Kael’s patience snapped.
“You arrogant bloodsucker—”
“ENOUGH!”
Seraphina’s voice exploded across the clearing.
Both supernatural leaders fell silent.
She pointed between them.
“I am not an object you two can argue about!”
Lucien looked mildly impressed.
Kael looked surprised.
Seraphina took a deep breath.
“I’m staying here until someone explains everything.”
Lucien opened his mouth to respond—
But suddenly he froze.
His crimson eyes widened slightly.
Kael sensed it too.
The Alpha turned sharply toward the forest.
Seraphina noticed the sudden tension.
“What is it?”
Lucien’s voice became very quiet.
“That…”
Kael’s expression darkened.
“…is not good.”
From deep within the forest, a dark mist began creeping slowly toward the house.
The air grew colder.
Seraphina felt the strange energy inside her chest react instantly.
Lucien whispered one word.
“Witch.”
And somewhere inside that spreading darkness…
Something ancient had finally found her.
- Writer
