Marked By The Alpha

Chapter Four – The Alpha's Claims

The world swam in and out of focus as Ivy slowly stirred awake. Her body felt heavy, every muscle aching as though she had been torn apart and rebuilt piece by piece. The memory of fire beneath her skin lingered, echoing the way Selra had surged forward, clawing her way into existence.

Her wolf had awakened.

But instead of triumph, dread filled Ivy’s chest.

She opened her eyes to find herself lying on a bed—silken sheets beneath her, the faint scent of cedar and smoke clinging to the air. Panic shot through her veins. This wasn’t her home.

It was Arthur’s.

Selra’s low growl echoed in her mind. Wake fully. You’re in the lion’s den now.

Ivy’s heart raced as she pushed herself up, only to feel a weight at her wrist. Chains. Slim but strong, gleaming silver in the dim candlelight. She tugged instinctively, pain flaring where the metal touched her skin.

Silver. Wolfbane-laced.

Arthur hadn’t just brought her here—he had restrained her.

The door creaked open. His presence filled the room before his body did. Arthur stepped inside, towering and calm, his dark eyes catching the flicker of the candlelight like shards of obsidian.

“You’re awake,” he said simply, his deep voice vibrating in her bones.

Ivy’s throat tightened. “Where’s Michael?” she demanded, forcing strength into her voice.

Arthur’s jaw ticked, a shadow of annoyance crossing his face. “Alive,” he answered curtly. “For now. He should thank the Moon I restrained myself.”

She exhaled shakily, relief and dread battling inside her. “Let me go,” she said, yanking at the chain. “I don’t belong here. I didn’t choose this.”

Arthur moved closer, each step slow and deliberate. “Didn’t you?” His gaze dropped to the mark on her neck, glowing faintly beneath the skin. “Your body carries my claim. Your wolf has awakened because of me. You think that’s a coincidence?”

Selra snarled in Ivy’s mind. Do not listen. His words are poison.

But Ivy couldn’t ignore the fire still smoldering in her blood, the undeniable pull of the bond.

“I didn’t ask for this,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

Arthur crouched beside the bed, his presence overwhelming. His fingers brushed her cheek with surprising gentleness, though power radiated from him like heat from a flame. “And yet,” he murmured, “you were made for it. For me. No matter how much you deny it, your soul recognizes mine.”

Tears burned at her eyes, not from tenderness but from fury. “You don’t get to decide my fate.”

Arthur’s expression shifted, darkening, though his voice stayed calm. “You think fate is a choice? That you can run from what the Moon has bound? No, Ivy. You are mine. Body. Wolf. Soul. The sooner you accept that, the less you’ll suffer.”

Selra’s voice thundered in her mind. Fight him. Resist. I will not bow to him, and neither should you.

Ivy’s pulse hammered as she met Arthur’s gaze, her anger momentarily outweighing her fear. “And if I never accept it? What then? Will you keep me in chains forever?”

For a moment, silence stretched between them. Then, Arthur leaned in closer, so near his breath brushed her lips.

“If I must,” he whispered, his tone both threat and promise.

Her stomach twisted, her skin burning beneath the intensity of his gaze. The bond flared again, confusing her with the mix of fear and an ache she didn’t want to name.

Arthur straightened abruptly, turning toward the door as though sensing something. His voice hardened. “Rest, Ivy. You’ll need your strength. Soon, the pack will see you by my side. They will know their Luna has awakened.”

The door shut behind him, leaving Ivy in suffocating silence.

Her chest heaved, rage and despair churning like a storm. She tugged uselessly at the chains again, the silver burning her skin.

Do not waste your strength, Selra said, her tone steady despite the fury Ivy felt in her. There will be a moment to strike. We will take it. But first, you must know your heart. If you fall to him completely, I cannot protect you.

Ivy squeezed her eyes shut, trembling. I don’t know my heart. I don’t know what I feel anymore.

Selra’s growl was soft, almost sorrowful. Then you must learn quickly. Because both Arthur and Michael will fight for you. And only one path will set you free.

A noise at the window made Ivy’s head snap up. The curtains shifted, and then a familiar figure emerged from the shadows.

“Ivy,” Michael whispered urgently, his voice like salvation.

Her breath caught. “Michael—”

“Quiet,” he hissed, rushing to her side. His hands trembled as he tried to undo the chains, wincing at the burn of silver. “Gods, what has he done to you?”

Tears pricked Ivy’s eyes. The sight of him—alive, determined—cracked the wall of hopelessness Arthur had built around her.

“He said the pack will see me as his Luna,” she whispered, panic lacing her words. “Michael, I can’t—”

“You won’t,” Michael cut in, his voice hardening with resolve. “I won’t let him claim you, Ivy. I’ll get you out of here, even if it kills me.”

Her heart ached at his words, torn between gratitude and terror. “If he finds you here—”

“He already wants me dead,” Michael said with a bitter laugh. “What’s one more risk?”

Before Ivy could reply, the door burst open.

Arthur stood there, his eyes blazing with fury, his aura filling the room like a tidal wave.

Michael froze, his body shielding Ivy instinctively.

Arthur’s voice was low, lethal. “I warned you once. And you came into my den anyway.”

The air thickened with danger, the scent of violence sharp and certain.

Ivy’s heart pounded, the bond pulling her toward Arthur even as her soul screamed for Michael’s protection.

And in that suffocating moment, Ivy realized the war for her future had already begun.