The Alpha’s Forbidden Mate

ELEVEN: THE NAME IN THE MUD

[KIERAN POINT OF VIEW]

The morning sun filtered through the trees, warm light streaking across the clearing.

It should have been peaceful—birdsong in the distance.

The scent of dew still clinging to the air.

Zelira walked just behind me, her expression unreadable, though I knew her well enough to sense the weight in her steps. Cael, for once, kept quiet, his usual banter swallowed by the hush of the trees. Even he could feel something pressing in around us.

But peace was the last thing I felt as we reached the cabin.

The broken door sagged against its hinges, exactly as I remembered.

I stepped inside, heart thudding when I caught the faintest trace of her—soft, human, fragile—still lingering in the air.

Cael crouched near the doorframe, frowning as he sniffed the ground. His expression darkened. "Not just her scent here. Something else. Strong and fresh."

I inhaled deeply, letting the air burn down my lungs.

Searching past the muddled traces.

My jaw tightened as recognition struck— It hit me like a blade to the ribs—foul, sharp, and unforgettable. That scent. His scent.

My breath left me in a growl before I could stop it.

Zelira's head snapped up, her own nostrils flaring. "You smell it too," she said quietly, though her hand was already reaching toward the dagger at her side.

My body was rigid, every nerve pulled tight.

That was the scent I could never forget—the one that clung to my wounds, the one that stalked me through nightmares.

"The one who attacked me," I said, voice low and edged. "He's been here."

Cael's grin faltered, slipping into something sharper. "You're certain?"

I didn't need to reply. The truth was heavy in the air, unmistakable.

Zelira's eyes flicked toward the cabin, then back to me. "If he knows this place..." Her voice thinned, trailing into a silence I didn't want to hear. Then she forced the words out, low and grim. "He knows you're still alive, and I'm sure by now... he's figured out who saved you."

I swallowed hard, the image forcing itself into my mind: her stumbling back here, maybe searching for the pendant she lost—only to find him instead.

The thought made my chest burn.

I curled my hands into fists, claws aching to break through.

Then came the sound. Crunching footsteps against dry leaves. Not one pair. Many.

Zelira's hand lingered on her blade, her gaze sharp.

Cael gave a lopsided smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Guess we're not alone in this game anymore," he said.

The morning air shifted, heavy with the wild, rancid scent of wolves who had long abandoned packs and sanity.

Five rogues stepped out from between the trees, sunlight glinting off their wild eyes and scarred faces.

Their lips curled back in cruel grins, saliva glistening on their teeth.

Even in daylight, they radiated menace.

"Well, well," one rasped, his voice cracked like broken stone. "Our master was right... the future alpha still breathes. The same wretch everyone believes drove a dagger into his own father's heart." His lips curled into a vicious grin. Mockery dripping from every word as the others howled with laughter behind him.

Zelira stepped forward, her blade glinting as she sneered. "Big words coming from rogues—filthy strays without a pack, without honor. No alpha, no pride... just mangy dogs snapping at scraps your master tosses you."

The laughter died at once, replaced by snarls and bared teeth.

Their fury sparking like dry tinder.

One of the rogues snarled, stepping forward with a jagged grin. "Strays, really?" he rasped, spittle flying from his lips. "Better a stray than chained like lapdogs to a dying pack. At least we answer to strength—not to weak little pups pretending to be warriors."

The others barked laughter, their eyes gleaming with savage delight as they closed in tighter.

Cael's smirk was quick, sharp. "Enough yapping, mutts," he shot back, his tone dripping with mockery. "Five against three? You should've brought more."

I didn't move my eyes from them, the fury in my chest burning hotter. This wasn't chance.

They hadn't stumbled here. They were sent.

The rogues circled, their growls low and feral, vibrating through the morning air.

"Stay close," I told Zelira and Cael without taking my eyes off the enemy.

The biggest rogue lunged first, a blur of teeth and claws. I met him head-on, shifting my weight and slamming him to the ground with a crack that rattled the earth.

My wolf howled inside me, clawing at the edges of my control, demanding to be unleashed.

Then another rogue came from the side. Zelira intercepted him, blade flashing in the sunlight. Her strike cut across his chest, drawing a snarl of rage. She didn't flinch, pressing forward with deadly precision.

Behind me, Cael laughed—actually laughed—as he ducked under a wild swing. "Come on, is that all you've got?" He drove his elbow into the rogue's ribs, following with a clean strike that sent the man staggering back.

Two more closed in, trying to flank us. Their foul scent filled my lungs, fueling my rage.

I shifted—my bones snapped, fur tore through skin, and in seconds the world sharpened into my wolf's vision.

I hit one before he could react, my teeth sinking into his shoulder.

His scream ripped through the forest as blood sprayed hot across the grass.

But even as I tore him down, the other rogues didn't retreat. They fought harder, like they weren't afraid of dying. Like someone had told them to kill or be killed.

I flung the rogue aside, blood staining my muzzle, and locked eyes with the leader still standing. His grin was feral, but there was something deliberate in it, almost mocking.

"Elric will have your head," he spat, voice rough with blood. "Then next...that pathetic human who saved you."

The name struck like a blade to the chest, burning into my mind.

Elric— at last, the shadow behind my father's death had a name.

The world narrowed, a red haze clouded my vision as the words slammed into me like a blade.

Snarl ripped free of my chest, louder and darker than before, echoing through the forest. My control shattered. Every instinct screamed to tear him apart, to silence him before another breath left his throat.

The leader barely had time to blink before I lunged, my fury crashing down like a storm.

The rogue's words echoed in my skull long after I sank my teeth into his throat.

His body went limp, but the fire in my veins only burned hotter.

I staggered back, chest heaving, claws dripping crimson.

Zelira and Cael were staring at me, their faces pale with shock, but I barely saw them.

The world blurred under the weight of one truth.

If the rogues knew about her... if Elric had sent them... Then he already knew.

My gut twisted with dread, heavier than any wound I'd taken.

The traitor wasn't just after me anymore.

He wanted her.

Now, because of me, she was marked.

I wiped the blood from my mouth with the back of my hand.

Forcing myself to shift back, bones grinding until I stood on two feet again.

My body ached, but it was nothing compared to the pounding in my chest.

Cael looked between us, still catching his breath, the humor drained from his face. "If that Elric's dogs know about her, then she's not safe. How much do they know?"

I clenched my fists. "They know enough," I muttered, my throat raw. "Too much."

Zelira wiped her blade clean, though her hands trembled. "We can't waste time. If he's already sent them, he won't stop. She's as good as hunted."

Silence stretched between us, thick and heavy, until I finally spoke. "That's why we need to find her. Before he does."

Zelira nodded sharply, determination cutting through her fear. "Then where do we start? We don't even know her name."

I turned back toward the cabin, my eyes falling on the faint trace of her scent lingering in the air, so delicate I'd almost missed it.

It tugged at me, pulling deep in my chest—familiar, grounding, unforgettable.

I tightened my grip on the pendant in my pocket. "I'll find her," I said, more to myself than to them. "I don't care what it takes."

The three of us didn't speak much as we made our way back toward the hideout.

The forest was heavy with the scent of blood and wet earth, the rain from earlier still dripping from the branches overhead.

Every step echoed with the weight of what the rogue had said.

I kept scanning the ground, half out of habit, half because I couldn't shake the gnawing pull in my chest.

Then something caught the corner of my eye— small rectangle, half-buried in the mud.

I crouched down and plucked it from the ground, wiping away the dirt with my thumb. My heart stalled.

It was an identification card, school card. s

Staring back at me was her face. Her name was printed clearly beneath it: Liora Şilen.

For a moment I couldn't breathe. The world narrowed to that single piece of plastic in my hand. The girl who saved me.

The girl Elric was hunting.

Zelira stepped closer, her sharp eyes flicking to the card. "So... she's the girl," she whispered. "Now we have a name."

Cael leaned over my shoulder, letting out a low whistle. "Pretty... and innocent," he said with a crooked grin. "She doesn't even know the mess she's in. Because of her blood, half the forest is looking for her. But hey—thanks to her, our best friend is still alive. Guess we owe her for that. Maybe I should bake her a thank-you pie or something."

Zelira didn't even blink at his joke. Her voice was cold, firm. "This isn't funny, Cael. That girl has no idea she's already being hunted. If Elric is moving pieces, she's in danger every second we're standing here."

Cael lifted his hands in mock surrender, but his grin slipped away. "Yeah, yeah... I know." His tone shifted, heavier now. "Saving an alpha-to-be? That just painted the biggest damn target on her back. The killer won't stop until he finds her."

"Thanks to this," I said quietly and turned the card over in my hand, frowning. "But... why her thing is in the middle of the forest?"

Zelira's eyes narrowed, catching the weight in my tone. "You think she came back?"

"For sure. For her pendant," I muttered, my grip tightening around the card.

The thought twisted in my gut. If that was true, then she had already been closer to the danger than she ever should've been.

Cael gave a low chuckle, shaking his head. "Well, that's convenient. Looks like fate's throwing us a bone for once."

But all I felt was the heavy dread settling deeper in my chest.

If she had dropped this while running, then she had already been here—already too close to the danger circling us.

I closed my hand tighter around the card, my jaw locking. "We've got her name now. Next... we go to her."

My gaze dropped back to the plastic in my hand, tracing the bold letters at the top.

The school's name stared back at me, clear as day.

That instant, I knew exactly where to start.