CLAIMED BY THE SAVAGE ALPHA

THE WEIGHTOF THECROWN

The chaos of the great hall faded into a distant hum, drowned out by the roaring in my ears. I stood there, pressed against Alpha Kael Blackwood, a living storm of power and intensity. His hand lingered on my cheek, where my father’s mark still throbbed—a reminder of the shame I’d carried for eighteen years. But now, in the grip of the Savage King, it felt like a badge of defiance.

The murmurs rippled through the crowd, a mix of shock, disbelief, and envy. I could sense the weight of their stares, their thoughts swirling like a tempest. I was no longer Elena, the Packless Wolf; I was Elena, the Luna of the Shadowmere Pack. The reality was intoxicating and terrifying all at once.

“Anyone who dares to challenge my claim,” Kael’s voice sliced through the tension, deep and commanding, “will face the wrath of the Savage Alpha.”

He turned to me, each golden gaze warm with an intensity that made my heart race. “Do you want to leave? We can go now.”

I hesitated, caught between the instinct to flee the gaze of so many hostile wolves and the strange pull of wanting to stay, to claim this moment as my own. “What will happen to my pack?” I whispered, my voice trembling.

“Your pack?” Kael’s brow furrowed slightly. “They will have to reckon with the truth of your worth. That’s for them to decide.”

The reality of his words crashed over me like a tidal wave. They would see me differently now, wouldn’t they? I was no longer just an outcast. I was a challenge to their hierarchy, a beacon of Kael's rebellion against everything they believed.

Before I could respond, my father’s furious voice cut through the crowd. “She’s nothing! She can’t shift! You’ve made a mistake, Alpha Blackwood!”

My heart sank. The weight of Marcus Vance’s hatred pressed down on me like a physical force. I turned my gaze to Kael, preparing for the confrontation. His expression remained cold and unreadable, but I sensed the tension in his shoulders—he was ready for a fight.

“Your daughter,” Kael said, his voice low and steady, “is more than you will ever understand, Beta Vance. She carries a strength you have clearly failed to recognize. And I will not allow anyone to disrespect her in my presence.”

Marcus sputtered, rage contorting his face. “You think you can just take her? She’s a disgrace! A burden!”

Kael stepped forward, his shadow swallowing my father whole. “You think a true mate is a burden? If you had any ounce of honor, you would recant your words.”

The hall buzzed with disbelief. The warriors of Shadowmere stood with their eyes narrowed, ready for a confrontation, while the Silver Creek wolves shifted uncomfortably, caught between loyalty and fear.

Kael turned back to me, his expression softening just a fraction. “We don’t need to stay here, Elena. We can leave.”

I found myself torn. The pull of the bond between us was undeniable, a tether that wrapped around my heart and drew me closer to him. But the thought of abandoning everything I had known, even the pain, felt like a betrayal. “What about my father? My pack?”

“They chose their path long before this night,” Kael replied, the weight of his tone heavy with resolve. “And you deserve to choose yours.”

A surge of anger and defiance bubbled within me. “I want to choose!” I proclaimed, my voice shaking the air around us. “But I can’t just abandon them. I have to make them see.”

His eyes narrowed, assessing me. “Then we will show them. But you will do it as my Luna.”

The title hung in the air, heavy and electric, igniting a flicker of something deep inside me—a fierce, unexpected pride. I had always been seen as less than. Now, I was being offered a chance to be more.

Before I could respond, the room erupted again. Alpha Cross, recovering from his shock, stepped forward, desperation clawing at his features. “This is a mistake, Blackwood! You can’t just claim her; she’s unworthy! The pack will never accept her!”

Kael’s laughter was low and dark, sending shivers down my spine. “The pack will accept her because I demand it.” He turned to me, his gaze steady, as if daring me to back down. “Are you ready to embrace your power, little wolf?”

I swallowed hard, the promise of power settling like a warm ember in my chest. The decision was mine. I could either hide in the shadows or step into the light, ready to rewrite my story.

“I am,” I declared, the words tumbling out like a vow.

Kael’s expression shifted from surprise to pride. “Then let’s show them what a true Luna is made of.”

As we stepped forward together, I felt the weight of their disbelief, but I also felt the strength of the bond between us—a bond forged in fire and survival. I was Elena Vance, the girl who couldn’t shift, but I was also the girl who would rise from the ashes.

And with Kael by my side, I was ready to fight for my place in this world.

The room fell silent as we moved toward the dais, where Alpha Cross stood, flanked by a sea of hostile faces. I felt the eyes of my pack upon me—some wide with shock, others narrowed in contempt. But no matter their feelings, there was one thing they couldn’t take from me anymore.

I was no longer invisible.

As we reached the front, Kael’s grip on my shoulder was firm and unyielding. “From this day forth, the Silver Creek Pack will respect my mate,” he said, his voice booming through the hall. “Or face the consequences.”

I stood taller, as if Kael’s strength flowed through me, igniting a flame of bravery I’d never known I possessed. For the first time, I felt the stirrings of something else below the surface—a power that had been hidden away, waiting for this moment to rise.

The hall remained silent, and I looked at the faces around me: my father’s furious scowl, Serena’s shocked expression, and the curiosity in the eyes of the pack members who had once thought me worthless.

I was still Elena, but I was more than that now. I was the Savage Alpha's Luna. And they would either acknowledge it or find themselves swept away in the storm we were about to create.

“Let the ceremony begin,” I said quietly, but with conviction.

And as the moon shone down through the skylights, I embraced the strength that had always been within me—ready to claim my destiny, ready to fight for my future, and ready to unveil the secret that burned in my blood.

This was only the beginning.