Marked by the Alpha’s son

The claim

Stephanie stood at the edge of the yard, tears running down her cheeks. The rejection from Lucian still burned in her chest. She felt empty. Worthless. Even the Moon Goddess’s choice hadn’t been enough to make someone want her. Her cousins’ laughter rang out from the porch, sharp and mean.

“Just leave already,” Lila called. “Go cry somewhere else. No one here wants to see your face after that embarrassment.”

Stephanie wiped her eyes and turned away from them. She wanted to run into the trees and hide. Maybe never come back. The pain felt too heavy to carry anymore.

Then she heard footsteps. Heavy. Steady. Coming from the woods.

She looked up. A tall man stepped out from between the pines. He was huge, with wide shoulders and strong arms. His jet-black hair fell to his shoulders in messy waves. His face was sharp and handsome — high cheekbones, firm jaw with light stubble, and piercing silver eyes that locked right onto her. Scars marked his skin, but they only made him look more powerful. He moved with quiet strength, like the forest itself made way for him.

Stephanie’s breath caught. She had never seen him up close before, but something about him felt familiar. Those silver eyes… had they been watching her?

The man stopped a few feet away. His voice was deep and calm. “Stephanie.”

She stared at him, surprised he knew her name. “Who… who are you?”

Her cousins went quiet on the porch. Uncle Harlan stepped forward, eyes wide. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said carefully. “This is family land.”

The tall man ignored him. His silver eyes stayed on Stephanie, soft but sure. “I saw what happened. Lucian rejected you. That bond was never right.”

Stephanie’s heart beat faster. “How do you know that?”

He took one more step closer. The air around them felt warmer, charged. “Because you were never meant for him. You are mine.”

The words hung in the air. Stephanie’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. Her cousins gasped. Lila looked shocked and jealous at the same time.

Before anyone could speak, the man reached out and gently touched her arm. His hand was warm and strong. “I claim you as my mate. Right here, under the eyes of the Moon Goddess. I mark you as mine — my fated one, my future Luna.”

He leaned in slowly. Stephanie stood frozen, heart pounding. His scent wrapped around her — cedar and rain and something deep and safe. His fangs grazed her neck, then sank in with care. Heat rushed through her body. A real bond snapped into place, strong and warm, nothing like what she felt with Lucian.

She gasped softly. The mark tingled on her skin. When he pulled back, his silver eyes were full of something she had never seen directed at her before — pure want and protection.

“I am Darien Blackthorn,” he said quietly, just for her. “Alpha Thorne’s son. And you are coming with me.”

Uncle Harlan’s face turned pale. Lila whispered something angry to her brothers. The yard felt too still, too shocked.

Darien looked at her family with cold eyes, then turned back to Stephanie. “Pack what you need. We’re leaving now.”

Stephanie’s mind spun. The Alpha’s son? The one everyone feared? He had chosen her? She didn’t know what to say or do. Her legs felt weak as she looked up at him.

Darien waited, his hand still gentle on her arm. But his body stayed tense, ready for any trouble.