Chapter 2: The Alpha's Claim
950 Words
Chapter 2: The Alpha’s Claim
The moon hung high, watching like a silent witness as Kael carried her through the trees.
Ariya was light, but her presence was heavy in his arms—like she belonged there. Like he had carried her before, in another lifetime. The scent of her skin clung to him now, wrapping around his instincts like a chain. Every beat of her heart pulsed through him.
His inner wolf paced with restless energy.
> Mate.
His jaw clenched. This wasn’t how he imagined their meeting. Not in the middle of a cursed forest. Not after tracking her for weeks with the intention of interrogating her.
Not like this.
But fate had no respect for plans.
Ariya stirred, her lashes fluttering before her eyes snapped open—startled, wild.
She pushed against his chest. “Let me go!”
Kael didn’t stop walking. “You fainted.”
“Because you scared the hell out of me!” Her voice trembled, but not from fear—more from confusion. “You touched me. I… felt something. What did you do to me?”
“I didn’t do anything,” he said calmly. “It’s what you are.”
“What does that mean?” she snapped, twisting again. “Who the hell are you?”
He paused at the edge of a ridge. Beneath them, his territory stretched for miles—ancient forests, rivers of starlight, and the towering walls of Shadowfang Keep.
Kael turned his head to meet her gaze. “I’m the Lycan King.”
She stilled.
The words hung in the air, thick with meaning.
Kael continued, his voice low and absolute. “And you, Ariya Vale… are mine.”
Her breath caught.
She hated how those words made something inside her quiver. “No. I belong to no one.”
Kael studied her, a shadow of amusement passing his face. “You’re strong. Good. You’ll need to be.”
Before she could argue again, he leapt—one clean, silent bound from the ridge to the earth below.
Ariya gasped and clutched his tunic.
They landed with a thud, and Kael strode forward into the heart of Shadowfang’s land. Soldiers at the gate froze as their king approached, eyes narrowing at the unfamiliar girl in his arms.
One of them stepped forward. “Sire?”
“She’s not a threat,” Kael said before they could ask. “She’s under my protection now. See to it that everyone knows.”
The guard nodded, but his gaze lingered on Ariya—curious, cautious.
Kael’s voice turned colder. “Do not stare at what belongs to me.”
The soldier dropped his eyes instantly.
Ariya’s cheeks burned. “You don’t get to say that.”
“I just did.”
“You don’t own me.”
“I don’t want to own you,” Kael said, walking into the castle. “I want to protect you.”
That silenced her.
The halls were vast, carved from dark stone and laced with silver runes. Torches burned with steady blue flame. Everything smelled of pine, smoke, and power.
Kael brought her into a chamber at the top of a spiral staircase. It was warm, filled with furs, moonstone, and a roaring fireplace.
He finally set her down gently on the edge of a bed too grand to belong to a monster.
Ariya pushed her hair from her face, breathing hard. “You’re insane.”
Kael crouched before her, eyes level with hers. “What do you remember from before the forest?”
She blinked. “What?”
“Did anyone ever tell you who you really are?”
Ariya’s hands fisted in the blanket beneath her. “I’m the daughter of a herbalist. I’ve lived in Windmere village my whole life.”
Kael tilted his head. “You’ve never shifted?”
She looked at him like he’d grown horns. “Shifted?”
He rose to his full height, thinking. “Someone’s hidden the truth from you.”
“What truth?”
Kael moved slowly to the table in the room and poured her water. “You are not just anyone. You carry royal blood. Shifter blood. It sings through your veins—I heard it when I found you.”
Ariya stared, stunned.
“I’ve never felt anything like it,” he added softly. “Not until you.”
She gripped the cup as he handed it to her. “You said I’m your… mate.”
He nodded once. “Fated. Chosen by the Moon Goddess.”
“I didn’t agree to that.”
He stepped closer, slow and deliberate. “It’s not something you agree to. It’s written in your soul.”
She hated that his voice made her heart flutter. “And if I don’t want to be your… your mate?”
Kael didn’t flinch.
“I’ll protect you anyway.”
Ariya looked away. She didn’t want to believe him. But he hadn’t hurt her. In fact, he’d carried her through the woods, fought off the guards, and spoke to her like a storm bottled in a man’s body.
She felt it again—that heat under her skin.
“What happens now?” she whispered.
Kael’s voice was low. “Now, I keep you safe.”
“From what?”
“Everyone.”
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Far below, in the cold tunnels of the ruined Eastern Wing, a voice echoed in the dark.
“She’s here?”
“Yes, Alpha,” hissed a figure cloaked in shadow. “The girl you warned us about. The Blood Moon’s heir.”
The rogue alpha smiled with wicked delight.
“Then it begins.”
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🌒 END OF CHAPTER 2
- Writer
