Chapter 5 – The Alpha King's Claim
Kieran's POV
Blood stained the courtyard stones, thick and sharp in the air. Wolves lay scattered, some groaning, some still. My warriors held the line, their blades slick, their jaws tight, their breathing heavy. Zade's infiltrators hadn't expected my walls to stand so firm.
"Alpha!" Lucas' voice cut through the clamor as he and Marcus pushed forward, both bloodied but steady. Lucas' eyes flicked to me before he dropped to one knee. "Saphira is secure. We've already moved her to the inner chamber, guarded by our most loyal. No one will reach her."
Relief punched through me, sharp and sudden, but I forced my face into stone. Zade couldn't see me falter. Couldn't see the way my chest had tightened at the thought of her. I gave a short nod. "Good. Hold her position. No one enters without my order."
Zade staggered to his feet a few paces away, wiping blood from his lip. His wolves were battered, half of them pinned beneath my warriors, others limping back toward the gate with ears flattened. Yet he still grinned at me, that same arrogant twist of lips that made me want to tear them from his face.
"You hide her away like some fragile treasure," he spat, circling, his claws unsheathed. "Do you think locking her behind stone will keep her from me? She knows who she belongs to. You can fight me here all night, Kieran, but when she looks at you, she'll still see me."
I moved, fast and sharp, my claws closing around his throat before he could blink. His breath hitched as I shoved him against the wall, the stone cracking behind him. His pack growled, shifting forward, but a single command from me had my warriors driving them back with brutal precision.
"She doesn't see you," I said, my voice low, dangerous. "She sees the wolf who cast her out. The Alpha too weak to stand by her when she needed him. She owes you nothing."
Zade snarled, spittle flying. "She was mine first!"
"Then why is she here now?" I pressed harder, my claws grazing his skin, a bead of blood sliding down. "Why does she carry my crest, not yours? Why does she sleep beneath my roof?"
His eyes burned, but the flicker of panic beneath his rage betrayed him. His pack had no leverage. He had no leverage. Not anymore.
"You'll regret this," he choked out, his smirk twisting. "You think claiming her will end me? You think she'll ever love you? You're nothing but a king desperate for a warm body."
I slammed him harder into the wall, teeth bared. "This is not about love. This is about truth. And the truth is simple—she's mine now. You'll never touch her again."
A roar broke from my warriors as Marcus drove his blade into the shoulder of one of Zade's betas, sending the wolf crashing to the ground. Steel clashed, cries rang out, and still, I kept Zade pinned, my claws at his throat, my dominance wrapping tight around him like chains he couldn't break.
"You're losing," I said coldly. "Look around you. Your pack is bleeding. Your warriors are broken. And the longer you stand here, the more you prove you're no Alpha. You're nothing but a coward clinging to scraps."
His eyes narrowed, fury trembling through him. "She'll never be your Luna," he hissed. "Even if you crown her, even if you brand her with your sigil, she'll never belong to you."
I leaned close, my breath hot against his ear. "Belonging is earned. You wouldn't understand."
For a moment, silence stretched, thick with blood and tension. My claws hovered, one swipe away from ending him. One kill, and this would be finished. One kill, and she would never hear his voice again.
But then Lucas' voice cut through. "Alpha"
I didn't turn. My grip tightened, but I kept my ears open.
"There are still enemies at the west wall. If you kill him here, it will be war without end. His pack will never stop coming."
Zade smirked, even as my claws pressed harder. "Listen to your Beta, King. He knows spilling my blood will bind you to mine forever. Better to let me walk away. Better to wonder every night if she still dreams of me."
I snarled, shoving him hard to the ground. Dust scattered, blood dripping from his lip as he scrambled back to his feet. "Run," I growled, my voice cracking like thunder. "Run, and know this,you set foot near her again, and I won't stop at your throat. I'll burn your entire pack to ash."
His wolves hesitated, beaten and bruised, their eyes darting between us. Then, with a guttural snarl, Zade turned and fled toward the gates, his pack limping after him. His pride was in tatters, but his arrogance lingered in the way he looked back once, his eyes locking on mine with silent promise.
This wasn't over.
The gates slammed shut behind them. Silence fell heavy over the courtyard, broken only by the groans of the wounded. My warriors stood tall, but the night's weight pressed down on us all.
"Secure the bodies. Guard every wall. No one rests until I say," I ordered, my voice sharp. They bowed and scattered, moving with grim purpose.
Marcus stepped forward, wiping blood from his blade. "We held them back, Alpha. But this attack was coordinated. Someone must have let them through the outer patrols."
My jaw tightened. "An inside hand."
Lucas nodded grimly. "We'll find them."
But my thoughts were already elsewhere. My chest ached with the need to see her, to assure myself she was still safe. I started toward the palace, ignoring the burn of cuts along my arms, the sting of blood soaking my tunic. None of it mattered. Not compared to her.
The corridors were eerily quiet as I pushed through, the torches casting long shadows on the stone. My boots echoed on the floor, my pulse loud in my ears.
When I reached her chamber, the guards outside straightened. Relief brushed me for a heartbeat,until I saw the door. Wide open.
My chest froze.
I surged forward, slamming inside. The chamber was empty. The curtains fluttered against the night breeze. The sheets were cold.
She was gone.
"Saphira!" My roar shook the walls, but the silence that followed clawed into my bones.