THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE

Chapter two: The Alpha's prisoner

Seraphina had never run so fast in her life.

Kael's hand was wrapped tightly around hers as they raced through the forest, his long strides forcing her to practically stumble after him.

Branches whipped against her face.

Her bare feet were bleeding.

And she had no idea what they were running from.

"Kael!" she gasped. "Slow down!"

He didn't.

"Kael!"

This time he stopped.

Seraphina nearly crashed into his back.

She bent forward, trying desperately to catch her breath.

He turned.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Moonlight fell across his face, revealing the tension in his jaw.

"Are you hurt?"

Seraphina stared at him.

"That's what you want to know?"

His eyebrows pulled together.

"What else should I ask?"

"Why are we running? Who is chasing us? Why did those wolves bow to you? Why did that mark appear on my wrist?"

Kael's expression remained unreadable.

"And why," she added, "did you call me your mate?"

Silence.

The word hung between them.

Mate.

It shouldn't have meant anything to her.

Yet the moment she'd heard it inside her head, something had awakened.

Something warm.

Something frightening.

Kael looked away.

"Because you are."

Seraphina's heart skipped.

"No."

His gaze returned to hers.

"No?"

"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to."

"Good."

She folded her arms.

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

Kael looked almost amused.

Almost.

"You already are."

Before she could respond, a low growl came from somewhere behind them.

Kael's expression changed.

He stepped in front of her.

"Stay behind me."

Seraphina's heart pounded.

"What is it?"

"Rogues."

The word sent a shiver down her spine.

She'd heard stories about rogues.

Werewolves without packs.

Violent.

Unstable.

Hungry.

But the creatures that emerged from the trees weren't ordinary rogues.

There were six of them.

Their eyes glowed red.

Their bodies were twisted and scarred, as though something had burned their skin from the inside.

One stepped forward.

His lips pulled back from yellowed teeth.

"Give her to us."

Kael didn't move.

"No."

The rogue smiled.

"You know what she is."

Kael's silence was answer enough.

The rogue looked past him.

Straight at Seraphina.

"She belongs to the Hollow Moon."

Seraphina's stomach twisted.

"What does that mean?"

Kael didn't answer.

The rogue lunged.

Everything happened at once.

Kael shifted.

One second he was standing before her.

The next, a massive black wolf collided with the rogue and sent him flying through the trees.

The remaining creatures attacked.

Seraphina screamed.

The forest became chaos.

Claws.

Teeth.

Blood.

Howls.

Kael moved with terrifying speed.

He tore through the rogues as if they were nothing.

But there were too many.

One slipped past him.

Straight toward Seraphina.

She froze.

The rogue raised its claws.

And something inside her snapped.

A pulse of silver energy exploded from her body.

The rogue was thrown backward.

He slammed into a tree.

Silence followed.

Even Kael stopped moving.

Seraphina stared at her hands.

They were glowing.

"No..."

She backed away.

"No, no, no..."

Kael shifted back into human form.

His chest rose and fell heavily.

His eyes were fixed on her.

"What did you just do?"

"I don't know."

He walked toward her.

Seraphina immediately stepped backward.

"Don't."

He stopped.

She looked down at her hands again.

The silver light slowly disappeared.

"What am I?"

Kael's eyes darkened.

"I don't know."

She laughed bitterly.

"You're the most powerful Alpha in the world and you don't know?"

"I said I don't know."

"Then why are you taking me?"

"Because if I leave you here, they'll kill you."

"Maybe that's what I want."

Kael's expression hardened.

"Don't say that."

Something about his voice made her look at him.

He wasn't angry.

He was afraid.

For her.

The realization confused her more than anything else.

Before she could ask another question, a distant howl echoed through the forest.

Kael looked toward the sound.

"We're out of time."

He picked up his discarded shirt.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking you home."

Seraphina stiffened.

"You're not my home."

Kael paused.

Then he looked over his shoulder.

"Not yet."

Her heart betrayed her with one hard beat.

She hated it.

She hated him.

She hated the strange pull between them.

Most of all, she hated the fact that some part of her wanted to follow him.

---

The gates of Nightfang appeared just before dawn.

Seraphina stared.

She had expected a pack settlement.

Instead, she found a fortress.

Black stone walls stretched across the mountainside, guarded by dozens of warriors.

Huge wolves patrolled the perimeter.

The moment Kael approached, every guard lowered their head.

"Alpha."

Their voices echoed through the gates.

Seraphina felt every pair of eyes turn toward her.

Whispers immediately followed.

"Who is she?"

"That's the girl from the forest."

"Is she..."

"His mate?"

Seraphina's stomach tightened.

Kael walked beside her, completely unaffected.

Until someone stepped forward.

An older man with silver hair and a scar running across his cheek.

He stared at Seraphina.

Then his face drained of color.

"Alpha..."

Kael stopped.

"What?"

The man's eyes remained fixed on Seraphina's wrist.

"The mark."

Kael's expression hardened.

"What about it?"

The old man swallowed.

"That's impossible."

"What?"

He looked at Kael.

Then back at Seraphina.

"The last person who carried that mark..."

He stopped.

Kael's voice became dangerously quiet.

"Finish your sentence."

The man lowered his voice.

"Was your mother."

Seraphina froze.

Her mother?

She had been told her mother died giving birth to her.

She had never seen a photograph.

Never heard stories.

Never known her name.

Kael stared at the old man.

"What did you just say?"

The man looked terrified.

"Her mother carried the same mark."

Seraphina stepped forward.

"You knew my mother?"

The old man's eyes met hers.

And the fear in them made her blood run cold.

"Not just knew her."

He whispered.

"I watched the Alpha kill her."

Silence.

Seraphina's world stopped.

She turned slowly toward Kael.

His face had gone completely still.

"Is that true?"

Kael didn't answer.

"Kael."

Still nothing.

Her voice trembled.

"Did you kill my mother?"

His eyes met hers.

And for the first time since they'd met, the ruthless Alpha looked like a man carrying a wound that had never healed.

"No."

Seraphina's breath caught.

"I didn't kill her."

"Then who did?"

Kael looked toward the mountains.

His voice dropped to a whisper.

"The person who killed your mother..."

He looked back at her.

"...is the reason I thought your entire bloodline was extinct."

A chill crawled over Seraphina's skin.

"What does that mean?"

Kael stepped closer.

Before he could answer, a scream tore through the fortress.

Everyone turned.

A warrior came running through the gates.

"Alpha!"

Kael's body went rigid.

"What happened?"

The warrior was pale.

"It's the western border."

"What about it?"

The warrior swallowed.

"They're here."

"Who?"

"The Hollow Moon."

Every wolf in the fortress began howling.

Kael grabbed Seraphina's hand.

This time, she didn't pull away.

Because something inside her had begun whispering again.

A voice that sounded exactly like her own.

Wake up.

Seraphina's eyes widened.

Wake up, little moon.

Her vision blurred.

And somewhere deep inside her soul...

something opened its eyes.