Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by Fate

Obsession and Control

~ Karl’s POV ~

The forest was silent, but I could feel her—Elena Rose Carter. Every pulse of her bond screamed in my chest, drawing me toward her like a wildfire I could not contain.

She didn’t know it yet… she had no idea how much I needed her. Every moment she spent with that rival, Darius Vincent Bloodthorn, made the wolf inside me roar with possessive fury.

She belongs to me. Not him. Not anyone.

I crouched low on the branch of an oak tree, hidden in shadows, silver eyes glowing faintly in the moonlight. From here, I could see the cabin where she trained. I could see the way she moved, hands trembling as energy pulsed from her fingertips. That power… it was hers—and yet, it frightened me.

I gritted my teeth. Her bond pulsed violently whenever Darius was near. That bastard had the audacity to touch her, guide her, train her… and I was supposed to just stand back?

No.

Every instinct screamed at me. My wolf, fierce and primal, wanted to tear Darius from her side and claim what was fated. My pride wanted to roar, to dominate, to show her and the world that she was mine. But the bond… the bond was patient, calculating.

She was learning. Growing. Becoming more than I had imagined.

And that scared me more than I wanted to admit.

I flexed my claws on the branch, my mind racing. She could be dangerous if she lost control. If she lost focus… and if that happened with Bloodthorn nearby… I would have to step in.

The thought of stepping in, of confronting Darius… of seeing her turn to him for guidance, stirred something dark and possessive inside me. My wolf snarled low in my chest. Mine. Mine. Mine.

I could not deny it. The bond had claimed me the moment it connected. And now… I could feel it tugging harder than ever, demanding my attention, demanding my protection.

I shifted, leaping silently from the branch to the ground. The mist curled around me, the forest holding its breath. I had to see her. I had to be there, even if she didn’t want me to interfere.

As I approached the cabin, I could see the glow of her hands through the window. My chest tightened. Her power was magnificent… beautiful… and utterly dangerous.

I growled low, resisting the urge to crash through the door, to sweep her into my arms, to tell her she was mine in every possible way.

Not yet, I reminded myself. Not here. Not like this. She must learn. But she will not learn fully under him. Not under Bloodthorn.

I melted into the shadows, watching, waiting. Every flicker of light, every tremor of her hands, every pulse of the bond was mine to feel. And every pulse made my obsession grow, consuming reason, logic… sanity.

She is mine, I whispered, my voice barely audible even to my own ears. Elena Rose Carter… you belong to me. You just don’t know it yet.

Darius appeared in my peripheral vision, moving closer to her. Calm, confident, smirking like he had some right to be here. My wolf snarled violently. No one touches her. No one teaches her but me.

I flexed my claws, jaw tight. My instincts screamed to strike, but reason, my pride, and the bond itself restrained me. I could not claim her violently—not yet. That would risk everything. She must see the choice herself.

And yet, I could feel the bond pulsing in defiance. She was stronger than I thought. Smarter than I expected. Dangerous.

Just as I should have known.

The night stretched on. I remained in the shadows, observing, tracking, analyzing. My obsession was a constant ache in my chest, a fire I could not extinguish.

I knew one thing with absolute certainty:

No rival. No pack. No force in this world—supernatural or human—would take her from me.

Elena Rose Carter… my mate, my bond, my obsession.

And I would make her understand it… whether she realized it now or later.