Claimed by King

Chapter 7: The Unseen Battle

(Juliana's POV)

The night was endless, the kind that wrapped itself around you like a heavy blanket, suffocating in its stillness. Sleep eluded me as I sat by the window, watching the moon carve a silver path across the darkened landscape.

My thoughts were loud, echoing in the silence of the room.

Claimed.

The word rang in my head, over and over, each time feeling heavier than the last.

I traced my fingers along the mark on my shoulder, the rough outline familiar yet foreign. It had always been there, a silent part of me I had never questioned. But now, it felt different. Like it carried a weight I wasn't ready to bear.

"Power," he'd said.

I didn't feel powerful. I felt... lost.

The morning came slowly, the first rays of sunlight creeping over the mountains like hesitant whispers. The quiet hum of the pack's activity reached my ears as I stepped out of the room, my footsteps soft against the polished stone floors.

I needed air.

The pack's grounds stretched wide and open, a contrast to the confining walls of the Alpha King's estate. Warriors trained in the distance, their movements sharp and precise. The familiar sound of blades clashing and grunts of exertion tugged at something deep inside me—a reminder of who I was.

I walked toward the edge of the training grounds, my hands stuffed into the pockets of my jacket. The crisp morning air bit at my skin, but I welcomed it.

"Juliana," a voice called.

I turned to see the Delta approaching, his expression a mix of concern and curiosity.

"Training starts in an hour," he said, nodding toward the sparring rings. "Will you be joining us?"

The question caught me off guard. It shouldn't have—I was a warrior, after all—but something about it felt... off.

"Not today," I replied, my voice quieter than I intended.

The Delta studied me for a moment, his brow furrowing.

"Understood," he said finally, his tone careful. He hesitated before walking away, glancing back at me once as if he wanted to say more but thought better of it.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

The truth was, I didn't know if I could step into the sparring ring right now. The bond thrummed beneath my skin like a second heartbeat, a constant reminder of everything I couldn't outrun.

I wasn't the same person I had been before the battle.

The sound of footsteps behind me pulled me from my thoughts.

"I thought I might find you here," his voice said, deep and calm.

I didn't need to turn around to know it was him.

"Is there a reason you're following me everywhere?" I asked, keeping my gaze fixed on the distant horizon.

The Alpha King chuckled softly, the sound low and rich. "I wouldn't call this 'everywhere,'" he said. "But I am keeping an eye on you."

"Why?" I turned to face him, my arms crossed tightly over my chest.

"Because you're important," he said simply.

His words hung in the air between us, heavy and unyielding.

"Important," I repeated, my tone flat. "To who? To you? To the pack?"

"To both," he replied, his crimson eyes steady. "And to yourself, even if you don't see it yet."

His confidence unnerved me.

"I'm just a warrior," I said, the words bitter on my tongue. "I'm no one special."

"Do you really believe that?" he asked, his voice quiet but firm.

I looked away, unable to hold his gaze.

"Juliana," he said, stepping closer. His presence was overwhelming, his shadow falling over me like a storm cloud.

"You survived a battle most wouldn't," he continued. "You stood your ground when others faltered. And there's something inside you—something even you haven't realized yet."

His words ignited a flicker of anger in me.

"You think you know me?" I snapped, my voice rising. "You don't. You don't know what I've been through, what I've lost—"

"I know enough," he interrupted, his tone firm.

His eyes softened, and for a moment, the weight of his own struggles seemed to bleed into his gaze.

"I know what it's like to carry the weight of something you didn't choose," he said. "To feel like the world is asking too much of you."

The anger drained from me as quickly as it had come, leaving behind a hollow ache.

"Then you know why I can't do this," I said, my voice breaking. "Why I can't... be what you need me to be."

He was silent for a long moment, his eyes searching mine.

"I'm not asking you to be anything other than who you are," he said finally. "But I won't let you give up on yourself."

His words struck something deep inside me—a place I'd tried to bury, a part of me I didn't want to face.

I looked away, my throat tightening.

"I don't know how to do this," I whispered.

"Neither do I," he admitted.

His honesty surprised me.

"But we'll figure it out," he said. "Together."

The word hung in the air, its weight both comforting and terrifying.

As the day stretched on, I found myself returning to the training grounds.

The warriors greeted me with nods of respect, their movements pausing briefly as I passed.

I stepped into the sparring ring, the familiar weight of a blade in my hand grounding me in a way nothing else could.

The Delta stepped forward, his expression cautious but determined.

"Ready?" he asked.

I nodded, adjusting my stance.

The first clash of steel sent a shockwave through my body, the adrenaline flooding my veins like a long-lost friend. Each movement, each strike, felt like a piece of myself falling back into place.

The bond still pulsed beneath my skin, but for now, I could ignore it.

For now, I could fight.

(Alpha King's POV)

He watched her from the edge of the training grounds, his arms crossed as she moved through the sparring ring with precision and purpose.

She was a force of nature—raw, unrelenting, and impossibly strong.

But beneath her fierce exterior, he saw the cracks. The pain she tried so hard to hide.

He knew it would take time—time for her to accept the bond, time for her to trust him, and time for her to see the power within herself.

But he wasn't going anywhere.

Not now. Not ever.