His To Claim

Alpha POV — RYAN The scent hit me first. It wasn’t roses or rain or some pretty f*****g flower. No, it was a mix of wildness and heat—like lightning had struck dry pine and left the forest smoldering. My wolf surged forward instantly, clawing at the edge of my skin, wanting out. Craving her. I stumbled forward, snarling under my breath. Rogues were all around, closing in fast, but my instincts weren’t on the fight anymore. Not fully. Something deeper—older—was calling me. Pulling me. Every hair on my body stood on end. My pulse beat in my ears like a war drum. Mine. That one word rumbled through my bones like thunder. I tore through the nearest rogue with brutal efficiency, claws raking across flesh, blood spraying hot across my jaw. One more dropped to the forest floor, twitching. Another came at me from the left—I didn’t hesitate. My wolf wasn’t wasting time with strategy now. He wanted her. Needed her. And then—I saw her. Fuck. She stood just beyond the treeline, a few feet from the battlefield, frozen like a deer caught in headlights. She was barefoot, her long black hair a mess of tangled waves, sticking to her sweat-slicked skin. Her eyes—stormy silver, too bright to be natural—locked with mine. And I stopped breathing. My heart clenched. My wolf roared. Mate. She blinked, chest rising and falling too fast, nostrils flaring as if she was catching my scent too. Her lips parted, just a little. A flicker of confusion crossed her face, then panic. And she turned to run. No. I shifted mid-sprint, bones breaking and reforming, fur retracting, claws turning back into fingers. My human body hit the dirt at a dead sprint, but I didn’t stop. I didn’t care that I was naked, bloodstained, still shaking from the fight. All that mattered was her. That wild, untamed creature who had just looked into my soul—and ran. I chased her through the woods like a madman, dodging branches, heart pounding, muscles burning. I could hear her—light feet pounding the earth, breath ragged, heartbeat screaming across the tether that now tied us together. I didn’t know her name. I didn’t know what the f**k she was doing in my territory. But I knew this: the moment I touched her, it was over. And I would touch her. She skidded down a slope, her body graceful and fast, but I was faster. Stronger. The Alpha. And I was done playing nice. “Stop!” I roared, voice raw and guttural. She didn’t. I launched myself at her, taking her down into the leaves. We rolled, and I ended up on top, my chest heaving, pinning her wrists to the forest floor. Her scent hit me again—so close now, so maddening—and my mouth watered. Her lips trembled. “Get off me.” Her voice was low. Husky. Like whiskey poured over ice. “I can’t,” I growled. “You feel it. Don’t lie.” She shook her head, eyes blazing. “I don’t know what this is. Let me go.” “This is fate,” I said, my voice rough, barely human. “You’re mine.” “f**k fate.” A dangerous smile pulled at my lips. I leaned closer, nose brushing against her throat. She shuddered beneath me. I inhaled deeply, letting the scent of her soak into every fiber of my being. “You can run,” I whispered. “But this bond doesn’t break. And I don’t let go.” She opened her mouth to say something—maybe to argue, maybe to scream—but I didn’t let her. I kissed her. Hard. Fast. Our teeth clashed, lips bruising, her taste exploding on my tongue. She tried to fight it—gods, she tried—but she was trembling under me, her thighs parting without meaning to, her back arching into the kiss. I pulled away first, barely holding onto my control. “This changes everything,” I said, voice hoarse. She was still breathing hard, her lips red, hair wild, pupils blown wide with lust and fury. “You’re insane,” she whispered. “Maybe,” I said, brushing her hair off her cheek. “But you’re mine now. You feel it. I know you do.” The pull between us wasn’t fading. If anything, it was getting stronger. My wolf growled, hungry to claim her fully. I’d never felt anything like it. Not once. Not even close. I wasn’t just drawn to her—I needed her. And the bond wasn’t going to wait forever. But I would. Because this wasn’t just about f*****g. It was about mating. And when I finally took her—it’d be on my terms. My bed. My rules. And she’d scream my name so loud, the whole f*****g forest would remember it.