IN BED WITH THE WRONG ALPHA

3

KANE

The morning light struck my eyes like the flash of a paparazzi camera.

My hand slid across the mattress, searching for the warmth from last night, but I found only cold, empty sheets.

My wolf snarled beneath my skin.

Despite my warning, she had escaped before dawn. Amusement stirred in my chest alongside irritation. No one ran from me.

I sat up slowly and dragged a hand down my face before reaching for my jeans. The room still carried her scent—lavender mixed with honey.

My wolf inhaled it greedily.

Pathetic.

For years, my wolf had remained completely indifferent to every woman placed before me. Noble daughters from the pure bloodlines of Blue Thorne had been paraded through the Supreme Estate endlessly, each one hoping to become the future Luna of the Supreme Throne. Nothing ever happened. Not even the faintest spark of interest.

A prophecy had followed me since birth. The seers claimed emotional attachment would weaken me because I was destined to inherit the throne too young. According to them, the Moon Goddess would deny me a traditional mate bond and offer me something more suitable for a ruler.

“You shall take a wife from Blue Thorne,” the prophecy declared. “You are entitled to three choices, and the woman you select will determine the fate of your reign. Her bloodline shall balance yours, for yours was born to destroy. Your wolf will react when you encounter a suitable match.”

Those words shaped my entire existence. When my father fell ill, my childhood ended. I wasn’t raised like the other heirs. From the age of twelve, I was trained for one purpose only—to rule.

Then my father died last week. The search for my future wife could no longer wait.

Because my parents kept me hidden from the public eye while preparing me for the throne, only a few people had ever seen my face. That was why I came to this university quietly, blending among ordinary students while searching for a suitable woman from Blue Thorne. I intended to make a calculated choice. Nothing more.

My assigned guard had been in and out of the room the entire evening, helping me settle in. The door had probably been left unlocked, and Robyn stumbled into my room. The exact second my skin touched hers, my wolf reacted with a level of possessiveness I had never experienced before. The beast that had ignored hundreds of women for years suddenly became fixated on her.

I already knew she belonged to another Alpha. A respected regional leader. But Leon had made a fatal mistake. He called in sick for my father’s funeral. Then he used my family name as an excuse for betrayal and indulgence. It was an insult to me. That alone told me everything I needed to know about the kind of Alpha he was. Careless and unworthy. And I couldn't ignore the satisfaction that came with the idea of taking something that belonged to him.

I had three choices. Robyn satisfied every condition the prophecy required, but she was only one out of three. I couldn’t just jump to conclusions.

I was still lost in thought when I heard her voice from a distance. “Let go of me. I have done no such thing!”

My legs moved, rushing toward the window. There, I saw her being held by armed men from Blue Thorne.

“Get your hands off her!” My Beta’s daughter rushed to her defense.

“June, don’t!” Robyn tried to hold her back, but June was adamant, yanking the officer’s hand away.

“How dare you barge into Red Thorne territory?” Her voice boomed across the campus. “You have absolutely no jurisdiction here on university grounds. Do you want me to get my father involved?”

The shouting match shattered the quiet morning. Soon, the sound of doors opening echoed through the dorms. Students started to murmur, and Robyn’s skin went pale.

“Alpha Leon’s authority overrides that,” the lead guard said flatly.

“Only the Alpha Supreme has the authority to arrest her on this land! Your Alpha has to go through me or Alpha Rowan to make an arrest!” June grabbed Robyn’s arm.

The guards attempted to pull her away, but then a voice cut through the tension. “Then I can do that now.”

I saw Leon stepping out from one of the SUVs, looking perfectly composed with his hands tucked into his pockets. My jaw tightened as my blood began to boil. The bastard. He stopped a few feet away, casting June a brief glance of respect for her rank.

“June, I apologize for the disruption,” he said smoothly, flashing his perfect political smile. “But Robyn has broken pack law. As her Alpha, I cannot allow her to escape her duties. Let the guards do their job.”

The last thing I wanted to do was reveal my identity too soon, and now students were hanging from balconies and crowding windows to watch. But I couldn’t ignore what Leon was doing. He was trying to silence her because she knew his secret.

Without a second thought, I headed downstairs.

“Move,” the guard growled at her.

Before June could swing at him, I spoke. “Release her.”

The words weren’t loud, but the authority behind them made the entire courtyard fall silent. Everyone turned toward the dormitory steps. I remained still with my hands in my pockets.

Robyn’s eyes widened, and she looked at me like some foolish college kid. “Stop!” she shouted, trying to shake off the guards. “Are you insane? That’s Alpha Leon! He will literally tear you apart!”

I almost laughed. Then I made my way toward them, keeping my eyes on her. Her eyes shot daggers at me.

“I won’t repeat myself,” I added.

I watched the arrogance drain from Leon’s face almost instantly. His entire posture stiffened—subtly—but enough for me to notice.

“Alpha Kane,” he called out in the most polite tone.

Then I watched the color drain from Robyn’s face. “No,” she murmured, shaking her head.

I gave her a smirk. She looked toward June and saw the reverence and fear in her eyes. Then she bowed subtly to me.

“Good morning to you, too, Robyn.”

Her face reddened instantly before I turned back to Leon.

“This is a private pack matter,” he spoke before I could, his eyes briefly darting toward the students recording from above. I could practically see the calculations happening behind his eyes before a faint smile formed on his face. “You see, Robyn is carrying my child,” Leon lied smoothly, his voice loud enough for every student to hear. “She fled Blue Thorne last night after a brief misunderstanding and threatened to terminate the pregnancy. That is a direct act of treason against my bloodline. I’m simply trying to protect my family.”

A collective gasp echoed from the students, and phones zoomed in closer. The blogs would be losing their minds today. June turned toward me, her jaw dropping in utter horror. The absolute bastard.

Robyn shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, but I raised a hand.

“Why would you lie?” I asked calmly.

Leon blinked, his perfect composure cracking for the very first time. “Alpha Kane, I don’t understand what you—”

“How is she carrying your child when she was entirely untouched before she got into my bed last night?”

Shit. I shouldn’t have said that. But it was too late to take the words back.

What is wrong with you? I asked my wolf.

The beast was on the verge of breaking. It wanted to tear Leon apart because of Robyn. My wolf considered this a victory.

Judging by the look on Robyn’s face, she wanted to murder me.

This was going to be a problem...