Theron's growl rolled through the clearing like thunder, low and dangerous. His massive frame stood between Aiden and the rogue, every inch of him radiating dominance. His white fur bristled, tail high in authority, lips peeled back to reveal sharp fangs that gleamed beneath the moonlight.
Across from him, the rogue mirrored the stance — smaller but wild-eyed, his gray fur slick and uneven, his breath heavy with the stench of blood and dirt. Both wolves crouched low, muscles tensed, the air between them humming with raw violence.
Aiden stood behind Theron, chest heaving, claws digging into the earth. His mind screamed to stay back, to obey, but his heart — his wolf — burned with defiance.
"I'm not letting anyone fight for me," he whispered to himself.
Then he moved.
In one breath, his human form rippled away, replaced by sleek black fur that shimmered like the night itself. His body stretched lean and fast, his tail low, his blue eyes glowing like twin rivers under the moon. The earth trembled under his paws as instinct took over completely.
A sharp bark split the silence — his bark.
Both wolves turned toward the sound, their snarls faltering for just a heartbeat. But that was all Aiden needed.
He lunged.
His body blurred through the air, claws out, jaws open in a fierce snarl that echoed through the forest. He hit the rogue's side hard, driving the larger wolf off balance and into the dirt. Snarls and growls filled the clearing as they rolled, teeth snapping, claws slashing.
Aiden fought like he had always trained — fast, clever, relentless. Not with brute Alpha strength, but with speed and precision born from years as a "beta." He dodged the rogue's bite, twisting under its throat and slashing across its foreleg.
The rogue howled, blood spraying into the grass.
Theron moved to intercept, but stopped mid-step — amber eyes locked on the black wolf now fighting in the moonlight. His chest tightened.
Aiden.
There was pride in that moment — sharp, fleeting pride — but it was buried under something else. Fear. Because Aiden wasn't fighting like an Omega. He was fighting like someone trying to prove he wasn't one.
And that kind of desperation could get him killed.
"Aiden!" Theron's voice ripped through the bond, commanding, instinctive — Get back!
But Aiden didn't listen.
The rogue lunged again, blood dripping from its leg, rage and pain fueling it. Aiden sidestepped, twisting sharply, but not fast enough — claws raked across his shoulder, tearing fur and skin. He yelped, stumbling, but before the rogue could pin him down—
A white blur slammed into them.
Theron hit the rogue like a storm. The impact cracked the earth beneath them. Snarls turned into roars as the Alpha King unleashed his fury, sinking his fangs into the rogue's shoulder and ripping him away from Aiden.
The rogue screeched, kicking and twisting, but Theron's strength was unmatched. He pinned the gray wolf down with a paw the size of a man's head, his jaws closing around its neck in one lethal motion.
One snap — and silence.
The forest stilled. The only sounds were the wind, the rushing river, and Aiden's ragged breathing.
Theron released the corpse and turned. His white fur was streaked with blood — some his, most not. His amber eyes glowed bright and furious as he stalked toward Aiden.
Aiden stood frozen, panting, the wound on his shoulder dripping crimson onto black fur. His ears flattened instinctively as the Alpha's presence washed over him, heavy and commanding.
Theron stopped inches away, nose brushing against Aiden's neck, inhaling deeply. His growl was low but thick with emotion — anger, relief, something else buried too deep to name.
"What were you thinking?" he snarled through the bond, voice rough with restrained fury. "You could have died."
Aiden's fur bristled, a small defiant growl escaping his throat.
"I wasn't going to hide," he shot back, eyes blazing blue fire. "I'm not weak."
Theron's growl deepened, vibrating through both of them until Aiden felt it in his bones. But beneath that sound was something else — a shudder of fear, one Theron didn't want him to hear.
Because for one breathless moment, he had thought he'd lose him.
Theron's growl was still echoing in the air when Aiden's voice cut through it—sharp, trembling, furious.
"You keep treating me like glass," Aiden hissed, stepping forward. His black fur was matted with blood, his blue eyes gleaming like fire over ice. "Like I've never lived a life where fighting was everyday."
His tail lifted — not tucked, not submissive — but high and still, challenging. It made Theron's eyes flash dangerously, amber brightening to molten gold.
"I was a beta!" Aiden barked, voice cracking under the weight of his anger. "Only after you—" He stopped, chest heaving, claws flexing against the dirt. The words burned in his throat, but he spat them anyway. "After that goddammn Moon Goddess bonded me to you!"
The air shivered.
It wasn't loud — not even visible — but something ancient stirred in that single breath. The moonlight above dimmed and then flared, bright enough to paint silver across Theron's white fur.
His gaze shifted, deepened — not just amber now, but molten, infinite.
Aiden's breath caught.
For just a heartbeat, he saw something vast and divine in those eyes. The same warmth that brushed against his mind when the bond had first burned into his skin — something too old to name, too powerful to comprehend.
Then it was gone.
Theron's growl snapped the moment apart, his claws digging into the earth. His voice, when it came, was lower — too calm, too dangerous."You think I asked for that bond?" he said, stepping closer until Aiden had to tilt his head to hold his gaze. "You think I wanted the Moon's will forced on either of us?"
Aiden bared his teeth, still refusing to back down. "Then why keep acting like I'm some fragile thing that'll shatter if you don't wrap me in your shadow?"
Theron's expression twitched — a flicker of guilt, gone in an instant. "Because if you break," he said, voice like a rumble of distant thunder, "so does everything else."
Aiden froze.
The words didn't sound like Theron's. They felt heavier — older. Like they carried more than one voice.
But before Aiden could question it, Theron looked away, breaking the invisible tension that hung between them. His fur shimmered as the shift faded, leaving him human again, breathing hard, blood streaking his jaw.
"Go home," Theron said finally, quieter now. "Before I stop pretending to be calm."
Aiden didn't move at first. His heart pounded, defiance still burning in his chest — but that faint, unearthly glow from a moment ago wouldn't leave his mind.
He turned, ears flat, tail low but not in submission — in frustration."I'm not weak," he whispered again, more to himself this time, and walked off into the trees.
Theron stood there long after he was gone, eyes lifted to the moon. The silver light trembled — like it was listening.
And under his breath, the Alpha King whispered words not meant for mortal ears.