The Alpha’s Claim
725 Words
Maya’s wrists burned from the zip ties as she blinked through the haze of panic. The room was dim, the air thick with an unfamiliar scent—earthy, musky, like the woods after a storm.
Her heart pounded.
Then she saw him.
Tall. Broad shoulders. Dark hair. And eyes—golden, sharp, too sharp.
Something about him was wrong.
Danger clung to him, coiled beneath his skin like a storm waiting to break. She didn’t need to be told he was stronger, faster—deadly.
A chill crept down her spine, but Maya shoved it down, masking it with fury.
Her gaze snapped to the door. Blocked.
Her pulse spiked.
She had been kidnapped. The thought sent a cold wave of panic through her, but she swallowed it down. She wouldn’t break. Not yet.
Maya yanked at her restraints, ignoring the sting. “Where the hell am I?” she demanded, her voice raw with anger. “Who are you?”
The man’s golden gaze flicked over her, assessing. “You don’t remember?”
She recoiled at the low, almost calm tone. “Remember what? The part where you abducted me?”
His jaw tensed. “I didn’t—” He exhaled sharply, as if cutting himself off. “You’re here because you belong to me.”
Maya went rigid.
What.
“What did you just say?” Her voice shook, but not from fear—rage.
Kieran’s expression remained unreadable. “You’re my mate.”
Maya let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Oh, you are insane. What kind of sick cult is this?”
His eyes flashed, but he didn’t move.
Maya surged forward, yanking at the restraints. “Let. Me. Go.”
“I can’t.”
That single, final word sent ice down her spine.
Her breathing turned shallow. “What do you mean, you can’t?”
Kieran rubbed his temple, looking almost... frustrated. “It’s complicated.”
Maya’s pulse pounded. “Try me.”
Silence.
Then—
“You’re not just any human.”
She froze.
“What the hell does that mean?”
Kieran studied her for a long moment, then sighed. “You don’t know.”
Maya clenched her fists. “Know what?”
Another pause. Then—
“You’re my mate.”
That word again.
Maya’s stomach twisted.
“I don’t know what kind of psycho fantasy you’re living in,” she spat, “but I don’t belong to anyone.”
Kieran’s gaze darkened. “It’s not a fantasy. It’s a fact.”
Maya shook her head, her body vibrating with fury. “Oh, screw you. I don’t care what kind of twisted power trip you’re on, I’m leaving.”
She turned toward the door—
Too fast.
Kieran was suddenly in front of her, blocking her path.
Maya froze.
He hadn’t moved. Not in any normal way.
She took a slow step back, swallowing hard. “How did you—”
“I told you,” Kieran said, his voice eerily calm. “You’re not just mine—you’re my responsibility. And if I let you walk out of here, you won’t last a day.”
A cold shiver ran down her spine.
What the hell was he talking about?
Maya forced herself to hold his gaze. “You’re lying.”
Kieran’s lips curled in a humorless smirk. “Am I?”
Maya hated how something deep inside her doubted.
No.
No, she wasn’t going to fall for this.
“I don’t care what kind of sick games you play,” she hissed. “I am not yours.”
His jaw flexed. “You don’t have a choice.”
Rage exploded in her chest.
She lunged.
With everything she had, she ran at him—swinging, kicking, thrashing—
Kieran barely moved. Barely reacted.
His hand shot out only once, catching her wrist mid-swing.
It felt like steel.
Maya gasped, instinctively trying to wrench away, but his grip was unshakable.
She looked up, panting, her skin burning where he touched her. His golden eyes flickered with something unreadable—something ancient, knowing.
For a moment, the world felt wrong.
Then Maya did the only thing she could.
She kicked him—hard.
Kieran grunted, his grip loosening just enough—
Maya ripped free, turned, and ran.
Straight for the door.
Straight for freedom.
Straight into the unknown.
- Writer
