The Alpha's Love And Obsession

Confinement cage

POV James

The prison wagon's wheels creaked loudly as they rolled over the rough stone road.

Every jolt made the silver chains binding my wrists rattle. The shackles suppressed the Alpha power inside me, making it impossible to fight back even though every instinct screamed for me to shift.

I glanced at the young man sitting directly across from me.

His silver hair covered part of his face. Ever since we had been captured, he hadn't spoken a single word.

He simply stared outside through the narrow gap in the wagon's wall.

As if everything happening had nothing to do with him.

I let out a slow breath.

"You... Why would you put yourself in danger for me?"

He merely glanced at me before lowering his head again.

I called out to him once more.

"Hey."

This time, he slowly turned his head.

"What?"

His voice was flat.

Emotionless.

I frowned.

"Why?"

He remained silent.

"You could've escaped back then, couldn't you?"

Bryan's gaze shifted back outside the wagon.

"I saw it."

"What?"

"You had the chance to leave me behind."

I shook my head.

"That's not what I meant."

"I'm the one who wants to ask you."

"You could've saved yourself."

"But instead, you came back and helped me fight those soldiers."

"You even got yourself captured."

A faint smile appeared on my lips.

The man let out a heavy sigh.

After a moment, he spoke quietly.

"I just... wanted to help you."

"So you don't even know who you're dealing with?"

He stayed silent.

I chuckled softly.

"Idiot."

He raised his head.

"You couldn't defeat them either."

"At least I know my own limits."

I studied his face for a few seconds.

He let out a quiet laugh.

"But you're still weak."

"What's your name?"

"Bryan. Just call me Bryan."

"Alright. My first impression of you is... quite unique, Bryan."

Bryan only smiled faintly.

He was incredibly difficult to read.

His eyes remained calm, as if he wasn't afraid at all despite the fact that we were being taken to the Alpha King's castle.

"Do you know what's waiting for us there?" I asked.

"I do."

"Then why do you look so calm?"

Bryan lowered his eyes to the chains around his wrists.

"Because fear won't change anything."

His answer left me speechless.

For some reason... it made perfect sense.

I leaned my back against the wagon's iron wall.

"I've heard the Alpha King never lets prisoners leave alive."

"Maybe."

"If that's true... we're finished."

Bryan didn't respond.

A few seconds later, he quietly asked,

"James..."

I looked at him.

"Your father seems to love you very much. You're a lucky man."

I frowned.

His words made me smile bitterly.

"You don't know what it's like growing up without a mother."

"And today... I'll finally meet her."

"And do you know something?"

"For more than ten years, I've been hunted because of this."

"Simply because I'm the illegitimate son of the Luna."

My voice grew weaker.

"I hate that fact."

"But I could never hate my father."

Bryan fell silent.

His gaze became distant, as though he were lost in thought.

Then he lifted his head.

"I grew up without a father."

"I don't even know what he looks like."

For the first time...

I saw sadness hidden beneath his cold expression.

For some reason, my chest tightened.

I gently patted his shoulder even though both of us were shackled.

"The woman who was with you... who is she?"

"She's the woman who saved me when I first came here."

Bryan stared at me for a moment.

Then, for the first time since we met, the corner of his lips curled into a very faint smile.

"I've only just arrived in this world."

"You'd never guess where I came from."

"You're from the human world?"

Before he could answer, the wagon suddenly came to a halt.

Bang!

The thunderous sound of enormous iron gates echoed outside.

"Prisoners! Get out!"

The soldiers' shouts filled the air.

Bryan and I exchanged a brief glance.

The great hall doors slowly opened.

We lifted our heads.

A woman dressed in a white gown walked inside, her hands bound by golden chains.

Her face was pale, yet her beauty still carried the dignity of a Luna.

My chest tightened instantly.

"Mother..."

She stopped walking.

Tears welled up in her eyes the moment she saw me.

Her body trembled as she sobbed, her voice shaking with longing.

I clenched my teeth.

I wanted to run into her arms, but the silver chains around my body made it impossible to move.

Then, by accident, Mother's gaze shifted toward Bryan, who stood beside me.

Her entire body froze.

I saw her eyes tremble violently.

There was a sorrow far deeper than the one she had shown when she looked at me.

But it lasted only for a moment.

She quickly looked away, as though trying to hide something.

Bryan simply stared back at her with a blank expression.

There was no sign of recognition.

Yet somehow...

It felt as though they already knew each other.

For some reason, Mother's gaze toward Bryan felt... different.

"James... where's your father?" she whispered.

"He's coming to save us."

My words were cut short as a Gamma yanked my chain, sending me crashing to the floor.

"Are you still pretending, Yura?" the Alpha King said with a mocking smile.

"Look at him carefully."

"Your son now stands before you as a prisoner."

His words stole my breath.

"I'll make sure your son dies before the next sunrise."

I saw Mother's body tremble violently.

Although tears streamed down her face, she still lifted her head with unwavering courage.

"If you want to kill someone..."

"Kill me."

"But don't lay a hand on my children."

Bryan and I were forced to kneel in the center of the royal hall.

The silver chains around our wrists and ankles clinked every time the soldiers shoved us forward.

In front of us stood King Maxim with an icy stare, while Mother... Queen Luna Yura... remained under heavy guard.

The hall fell silent.

King Maxim slowly walked toward us.

At first, his gaze was fixed solely on me.

But after taking a few more steps, he stopped directly in front of Bryan.

His brows furrowed.

He inhaled deeply.

Once.

Then again.

The entire hall became deathly quiet.

"This scent..."

King Maxim's voice was barely above a whisper.

His eyes carefully examined Bryan's face.

Bryan returned his gaze without the slightest hint of fear.

"Strange..." King Maxim murmured.

He sniffed the air around Bryan once more.

"The scent of a White Wolf..."

"You... carry the scent of a White Wolf?"

"But your eyes are black."

"Who are you?"

Bryan locked eyes with Maxim.

"I am the angel of your death!"

he shouted fearlessly.

My heart began pounding.

The nobles immediately started whispering among themselves.

"Impossible..."

"How could a rogue wolf become the Alpha King's doom?"

Laughter echoed throughout the hall.

"Hmm... You've got courage."

King Maxim closed his eyes again, as if trying to confirm something only a pure Alpha could sense.

When he opened them, his expression changed completely.

Within Bryan...

He sensed the aura of nobility.

An aura possessed only by those of royal blood.

"Impossible."

King Maxim's voice grew colder.

"How could a wanderer possess the scent of royalty?"

Bryan remained silent.

His face showed no trace of panic.

Meanwhile, I noticed Mother's face suddenly turn pale.

Her hands clenched tightly behind the golden chains around her wrists.

No...

Her eyes silently pleaded.

Don't let him realize it.

King Maxim stepped even closer.

His eyes never left Bryan.

"Who are your parents?"

Bryan slowly shook his head.

"I don't know."

"Where do you come from?"

"I don't remember."

That answer only made King Maxim more suspicious.

He could tell Bryan wasn't lying.

Yet the aura within the young man couldn't possibly be fake.

"The scent of royalty is unmistakable," he muttered.

"You're no ordinary wolf."

It was far too pure.

Even so, King Maxim shook his head.

Something was troubling his thoughts.

According to legend, the White Wolf Clan could recognize the scent of its own blood.

"No..."

King Maxim's voice shattered the tense silence.

"No... That's impossible!"

"You're my son?"

"How could a wolf with black eyes possibly be my flesh and blood?"

"You're a cursed half-blood!"

he roared.

His gaze swept over Bryan from head to toe once more.

"But... that aura cannot be denied."

On the other side of the hall, the Queen Mother suddenly stepped forward.

It was Ellena Oxford, the young woman who had become the Alpha King's consort.

"Enough!"

Her voice echoed throughout the chamber.

Everyone immediately turned toward her.

"He's just an ordinary boy!"

"Mixed-blood wolves often confuse your sense of smell, Alpha!"

"Just let him go."

"Don't stain this castle with his presence."

"He has nothing to do with the royal family."

I looked at her in confusion.

Why was she trying so hard to convince Maxim?

King Maxim returned to his throne.

"Since the identity of this silver-haired young man remains suspicious..."

"I'll treat him the same as James."

I immediately lifted my head.

"What?"

"They will both remain prisoners of the kingdom."

"Throw them into the underground dungeon."

"Tomorrow morning, their punishment will be decided before all the nobles."

"They will fight the Lycan King... to the death."

Two soldiers immediately pulled me to my feet.

Bryan was dragged in the same direction.

As we passed Mother, I saw her close her eyes, holding back the tears that finally slipped down her cheeks.

"Mother..."

"We'll be alright."

"The Black Wolf Clan... and my father..."

"They'll save us."

I tried to comfort her as the soldiers dragged us away toward the prison cells, where tomorrow's deadly trial awaited.