Page 4

K ieran

All I can focus on is her. Hazel. My Mate.

She moves like a shadow through the crowd, her steps quick and deliberate, though she doesn’t seem to notice the way her troop members keep glancing her way. They can’t help it—she’s magnetic without even trying. And she has my scent all over her.

My wolf is restless, clawing at the edges of my mind, urging me to close the space between us. The bond is new and raw, but it’s already consuming me. I’ve waited years to find her, and now that I have, every instinct in me screams to claim her. To mark her. To make her mine.

But she’s Nightclaw.

The thought cuts through the haze of the desire I feel for her, grounding me in the stark reality of who she is. Her presence complicates everything. The alliance negotiations are fragile enough without adding this…connection into the mix.

And yet, none of that seems to matter. The idea of her being from Nightclaw, of her wolf tying her allegiance to Magnus Callister as a warrior, and being under the authority of Jag Nightbeam, doesn’t make me hesitate.

If anything, it’s perfect. An alliance cemented not just in words, but in the unshakable bond of mates .

I lean forward in my seat, my eyes following her every move. Her troop leader, a wiry wolf with sharp features, claps a hand on her shoulder, saying something that makes her nod.

A growl rumbles low in my chest, quiet enough that no one hears it but me. My wolf surges forward, the primal need to protect and claim rising to the surface.

She’s ours. No one touches her but us.

I grip the arm of my chair, the wood groaning under the force of my hold.

The rational part of my mind tells me this reaction is absurd, that I have no right to feel this way, but the bond doesn’t care about logic.

It’s wild and consuming, and it’s taking every ounce of self-control I have to stay seated.

“I should go down there,” I mutter to myself, already envisioning the way I’d pull her from the crowd, ignoring every whisper and stare as I brought her to my side.

“Alpha,” Damon’s voice cuts through my thoughts, calm and measured as always.

I glance at him, irritation flickering in my chest. My Beta stands at my side, his expression unreadable, though his tone carries the faintest edge of warning.

“What is it?” I ask, my voice tight.

Damon leans in, his words low and meant only for me. “I’ve received a report about the wolf I saw you with. I made some…inquiries.”

My jaw tightens, and a cold weight settles in my stomach. “What kind of report?”

“Troubling,” he says, his gaze shifting briefly to Hazel before returning to me. “It’s about her connection to Magnus. Our sources believe she’s been spying for him, possibly trying to establish a connection with you to feed him information about our plans.”

“No,” I say immediately, the denial spilling from my lips before I can stop it. My wolf bristles, his fury burning hot in my chest. She wouldn’t. She’s ours. I would have sensed it.

Damon doesn’t flinch. “It makes sense, Kieran. Think about it. Magnus has been desperate to find a way to weaken us, and she’s the perfect pawn. Who would suspect her, a wolfless Omega, of playing spy?”

“She’s not an Omega,” I snap, the words harsher than I intended. “And she is definitely not wolfless.” Otherwise, how could we have felt our Mate bond?

Damon raises a brow, noting that I will not tolerate his disrespect of her.

“Fine. She’s Nightclaw. And she’s Magnus’ daughter.

That alone should give you pause.” He reaches into his pocket and hands me his phone.

There are images and pages of strategy against the Moonfang.

All focused on how they will breach our walls and spy our ranks.

“They have been planning this for months. This was found in the younger Callister’s belongings when I noticed you taking her into the woods.”

I glance back at Hazel, my mind racing. She’s Magnus’ daughter, not just a warrior under his command?

She stands with her troop now, her head held high despite the way some of them look at her, like she doesn’t quite belong.

The sight twists something in my chest, but Damon’s words linger, casting a shadow over the bond that feels so pure, so right.

“She is not a good candidate for…your pleasures, Alpha. It will do the pack good to discard her.”

I grit my teeth, my fingers digging into the arm of my chair.

Damon is rarely wrong, and his instincts have kept this pack safe for years.

But the idea of Hazel—my Hazel—being involved in anything that could harm Moonfang feels impossible.

But she is Nightclaw. Her allegiance has belonged to them all her life.

“I’ll deal with it,” I say finally, my tone clipped.

Damon nods, stepping back as if the matter is already settled. But it isn’t. Not for me.

My eyes find her again, drawn to her like a moth to flame. Her dark brown hair catches the light, her stormy gray eyes scanning the arena with a sharpness that speaks of her training. She’s lean and small compared to the others, but there’s a fire in her, a strength that makes her stand out.

And she’s mine .

The thought sends a surge of possessiveness through me, my wolf snarling in agreement.

Her gaze flicks up then, meeting mine for a brief, electric moment. The bond hums between us, strong and undeniable, and my wolf surges forward, demanding that I go to her, that I pull her from this place and keep her safe by my side.

But Damon’s words echo in my mind, a sharp reminder of the storm brewing around us.

Her scent curls around me like a thread of wildfire, smoky yet soft, sharp and sweet with an edge of something primal.

The heat of her body against mine. The buttery softness of her skin, the feel of my lips roaming her body.

The way she moaned my name as I entered her.

The way she came for me, over and over, her gorgeous face crumpled in the throes of ecstasy. Mine.

She’s moving toward me, her round, translucent eyes locked on mine. Her dark brown hair falls in loose waves over her shoulders, and the firelight catches on the sheen of her sweat. She bites her lip in that way that hardens me in an instant.

Those lush, rich cherry lips. Her scent hits me like a physical blow, stronger now, tinged with the unmistakable heat of her wolf. I’m ready to fuck her right here, not caring that there is an event I should be present at. That there are treaties to sign. That there are negotiations to be made.

“She is my mate, Damon,” I snarl, my wolf’s protective instincts kicking in. My fingers curl into fists at my sides, nails digging into my palms as I fight the instinct to go to her. To claim her. To shield her from the stares of everyone around us.

“Alpha,” Damon’s voice murmurs at my side, quiet but firm.

“This is exactly what Magnus wants. You think it’s a coincidence that she’s here, that you’re reacting to her this way?

She’s a tool. A distraction. She does not have a wolf to mate.

If the whispers among her troop are true, then she may have used something to initiate the Mate bond. Some kind of spell, perhaps.”

I don’t respond, my jaw tight as I watch Hazel step into the circle of light cast by the nearest brazier. My wolf growls, a deep rumble that vibrates through my chest. She’s ours. She’s innocent. You know this .

But Damon’s words slither through my mind like poison.

What if she’s not? What if she’s been placed here to weaken me, to sabotage everything I’ve built for Moonfang?

It’s right there in cold, hard evidence.

There’s no reason for her to abandon her pack just because we are Mates.

It is the perfect avenue to work in their favor. What was I thinking?

Hazel stops just a few feet away, the firelight dancing across her face. Her scent washes over me again, and I feel my control slipping, the bond thrumming between us like a live wire.

“Alpha Kieran,” she says, her voice steady despite the faint tremor beneath it. “I need to speak with you.”

“What is your relationship with Magnus?”

I watch the confusion settle in her eyes.

“Kieran, wait. I can explain. Just—”

“Answer me,” I growl.

Her cheeks color with shame. “He's my father.” Her admittance is like a spear through my chest. They are blood. There is no use.

“You’ve been working with Magnus,” I say, the accusation spilling from my lips like venom. “Spying. You want to get closer to me to feed him information to use against me.”

Her eyes widen.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she defends, her voice trembling now. “I’ve done nothing...it’s what I came to talk to you about. I think we—”

“How could I feel a wolf within you if everyone in your own pack knows you as his wolfless runt? What sort of sorcery is that? You must be a skilled liar to pull off such deception.”

Her brows scrunch together as if confused again. If she's playing tricks on me, she's awfully good at it.

“I am not wolfless. Not anymore. You're right. My pack sees me as the wolfless runt because my wolf took her sweet time. But she's here. She has awoken.”

“I don't believe you!”

“You saw me fight in that pit. You felt my wolf back there in the woods. You know the truth, Kieran!”

“Liar,” I snarl, the word tasting bitter even as I say it. “Get out. ”

She takes a step closer, her scent enveloping me once more, and I hate how much I want to believe her. My wolf howls in protest, his fury directed at me now, but I force him back. “You have to believe me. I am your Ma—”

“This bond means nothing,” I say, the words cutting into me as much as they cut into her. “You mean nothing. I never want to see you again.”

Her breath catches, and for a moment, her composure slips. Pain flashes across her face, raw and unfiltered, before she masks it again.

“Is that what you want, then?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

“You sought me out. And now, that makes me the bane of your existence? Have it as you wish.” Her eyes shimmer with unshed tears.

The sight carves a hole in my chest, but I stay frozen, rooted to the spot as I watch her leave.

My wolf is screaming now, his rage and anguish echoing in my mind. Go to her. Fix this. She’s ours. Ours.

But I can’t move. The weight of my responsibility feels like a weight bearing down on me, suffocating and inescapable. I’ve sacrificed too much for my pack to let this bond jeopardize everything. I’ve had to build this pack from scratch and nothing. Not even this Goddess-blessed bond will ruin it.

I stand there with my heart thrumming with pain and regret. I tell myself I’ve done the right thing.