Alpha Kieran
1093 Words
“I will give you a chance to survive—only if you become my Luna’s replacement.”
His Luna's replacement.
The words echoed in my head, a cold weight pressing against my chest.
A Luna? What is that?
The chamber fell into a stunned silence. I stared at the man before me, my mind reeling, trying to grasp the meaning behind his words. But the quiet didn’t last. A voice, sharp with disbelief, shattered the stillness.
“What do you mean, brother?” Arnos demanded. “What do you mean by replacing Serena with this woman?”
The man—Kieran Duskbane—turned away without concern, moving to his throne as if his decision was absolute. As if he hadn’t just spoken madness into existence.
“A Luna?” I found my voice. “What is that?”
Arnos turned his glare on me, his eyes filled with nothing but hatred. “Silence. You are not allowed to speak.”
I lowered my head, heat burning my cheeks. “I only wanted to ask—”
“You have no right to ask.” His voice was a snarl, his fists clenched. Then he turned back to his brother. “Kieran, what is the meaning of this?!”
Murmurs erupted throughout the hall, their whispers thick with contempt and disbelief. I could feel their eyes burning into me, their judgment like a thousand invisible knives. They had every right to hate me. I was an outsider, an intruder—and worse, I had been accused of a crime beyond forgiveness.
“A murderer as our Luna?! This is absurd, Lord Kieran!” A man stepped forward, his heavy cloak marking him as someone of rank. “We will never accept this! This is a disgrace to the traditions of the Duskbane pack! Do you not care about your late wife?! How heartless can you be?!”
His words struck something deep inside me. This man—Kieran Duskbane—had just lost his mate. And yet, he stood there, unaffected, as if her death meant nothing.
Where was his grief? His rage?
Kieran remained unfazed, his expression unreadable. “Treason,” he mused. “A crime such as this would normally warrant death.”
“Then that is what you are committing right now, Lord Kieran,” the man accused.
Kieran merely smiled, and with that, the official bowed his head and stepped back.
“I have lost my Luna,” Kieran said, his voice eerily calm. “And I have every right to replace her. I am the Alpha. I make the rules.”
The Weres around him lowered their heads, their tails tucked between their legs. All except for Arnos, who rushed toward his brother and grasped his sleeve in desperation.
“Brother, why are you doing this? This is madness!”
Kieran placed a firm hand on Arnos’ shoulder. “Madness? No. Practicality.” His lips curled slightly. “As Alpha, I need a Luna. It would be a shame for the Duskbane pack to be leaderless.”
“You cannot do this to my daughter!” A trembling voice rang out. An elderly man staggered forward, his eyes red with grief. “How could you let my daughter die?! How could you not care?! My sweet Serena—she gave you everything! She loved you, and you never once returned it!”
Kieran turned, his gaze falling on the grieving father. The man faltered under the weight of that stare.
“She was your mate,” the old man pleaded. “How could you be so cruel to her? Does her life mean nothing to you?”
Kieran inhaled slowly. “She mattered,” he said. “Her smile. Her touch. Things will never be the same.”
His words should have sounded sincere. But something about him was off. Too composed. Too calculating. There was no sorrow in his eyes.
My stomach twisted. How could someone be so indifferent to the loss of a mate?
“You cannot take this woman in!” the old man cried. “She killed my daughter! We will never accept her! She does not belong here!”
“He’s right,” I spoke at last, my voice barely above a whisper. “You cannot let me stay here.”
Kieran smirked. “And what do you propose we do?”
I swallowed hard as he stepped closer. His fingers brushed my throat, the coldness of his touch sending a shiver down my spine.
“Are you suggesting we let you go?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
He chuckled, turning to the grieving father. “Louis, what do you think? Would you prefer I let her walk free, leaving your daughter’s death unanswered?”
My breath hitched.
He was toying with me.
“Of course not!” Louis spat. “I want her dead!”
I shook my head frantically. “Please! I swear, I didn’t know she was there! The truck came out of nowhere—I had no choice!”
“It does not matter,” Louis growled. His cane struck my stomach. Pain bloomed instantly, stealing the air from my lungs. I gasped as he struck again, my body curling in defense.
Blow after blow, I braced myself, swallowing the pain.
You can endure it. You always have.
“Enough.”
Kieran’s voice was low, dangerous. He caught the cane mid-swing and snapped it in half with ease. Louis stepped back, trembling.
“I never gave you permission to harm her.” Kieran’s tone was calm, but there was an edge of warning beneath it. “Or have you forgotten what I despise most?”
Louis swallowed. “Disobedience, my lord.”
“Good. Then stand aside.”
Kieran turned back to me. “Sit.”
I didn’t move. My body screamed in protest.
“I said, sit.”
I forced myself upright, my breath ragged. Satisfied, Kieran returned to his throne.
“Now,” he mused, “I have devised a perfect solution.”
I tensed. Whatever he was planning, it wouldn’t be good.
“What is it, brother?” Arnos demanded. “Is this for the pack’s benefit, or your own?”
“Both.” Kieran met my gaze. “This woman took my Luna from me. It is only fair she replaces her.”
I froze.
“I will give her 365 days. If, by the last day, she has failed to fulfill her role as my mate—she will be executed.”
- Writer
