Chapter 2: The Alpha’s Instinct
568 Words
Ronan’s POV
I had not planned to claim her that night.
I had sensed her weeks before, a faint pull that gnawed at my wolf whenever I passed the human district. I told myself it was nothing. Humans were off-limits. Weak. Fragile. Dangerous to care for.
But when I walked into that restaurant and saw her standing there, humiliated and shaking, something inside me snapped.
My wolf surged forward, furious. Possessive.
She was mine.
The male touching her did not deserve mercy. I could smell his arrogance, his disrespect, the way he had already broken her heart. When he spoke to her with that smirk, my restraint shattered completely.
I stepped in before I could stop myself.
The moment my eyes met hers, the bond ignited. Not gently. Not patiently. It burned. She was human, yet my wolf recognized her instantly. Mate.
When I told the room she belonged to me, I wasn’t posturing. I was claiming what fate had already decided.
Now she stood in front of me outside the restaurant, arms wrapped around herself, breathing unevenly. The cold night air bit at her skin. My jacket was already draped over her shoulders before she realized it.
“I didn’t ask for this,” she said, her voice trembling but defiant.
“No,” I agreed. “But neither did I.”
She looked up at me then, anger and fear swirling in her eyes. “You can’t just say I belong to you like I’m an object.”
My jaw tightened. “In my world, mates are not suggestions.”
“That’s not my world,” she snapped.
Her courage surprised me. Most humans would have been cowering by now. Instead, she stood her ground even while shaking. Weak, yes. But not fragile.
“You were betrayed,” I said calmly. “You are unprotected. That makes you vulnerable.”
“I’m not helpless,” she whispered.
“I know,” I said, stepping closer. “That’s why you survived tonight.”
Her heartbeat raced. I could hear it. Smell her fear, her confusion, her undeniable pull toward me. The bond tugged hard, urging me to take her away, mark her, seal what was already written.
I didn’t.
Not yet.
“You’re coming with me,” I said.
Her eyes widened. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“You are,” I replied evenly. “Because other Alphas will sense what I sensed tonight.”
She went pale. “Sense what?”
“That you are unclaimed,” I said. “And valuable.”
Silence stretched between us. I hated the fear blooming in her scent, but I would not lie to soften the truth.
“You can hate me,” I continued. “You can fight me. But I will not leave you exposed.”
“Why?” she asked quietly.
Because my wolf would tear the world apart to keep you alive.
Instead, I said, “Because you’re mine.”
Her lips parted, breath hitching. The bond thrummed between us, tight and demanding. She didn’t accept it. Not yet. But she didn’t run either.
Good.
This would not be easy. Humans never were. And mates who resisted were the most dangerous kind.
But I would protect her.
Even from herself.
And whether she accepted it tonight or not, the truth remained.
Once an Alpha finds his mate, there is no walking away.
- Writer
