The Claim

My lips moved against Kaius's, hesitant at first, then with growing urgency. The world around us seemed to fade away as an unfamiliar heat spread through my veins.

"Pretend," Kaius whispered against my ear, his lips brushing my skin.

"Why would I—" I began breathlessly, but was cut short by the strange sensation coursing through my body. This wasn't like anything I'd experienced with Dorian. This kiss felt... different. Electric. Like sparks dancing along every nerve ending.

I didn't have time to make sense of it. Dorian cut through the crowd, his face contorted with rage. "She is not your mate. Release her at once."

Kaius turned slowly, keeping his arm possessively around my waist. "And why would you say that?"

"Look at her," Dorian sneered, gesturing at me dismissively. "She is a low rank here, barely above omega. An Alpha like you could never be mated to filth like her."

Something flashed in Kaius's eyes—something dangerous. "Why should that bother you? Unless... she means something to you?"

I watched Dorian's face as he realized the trap he'd stepped into. His eyes darted to Selene, who was glaring at him with suspicion.

"She wouldn't be good enough for an alliance," Dorian backtracked hastily. "She is nothing. Worthless. I'm merely protecting the honor of your bloodline."

The growl that emanated from Kaius's chest shook the very air, rattling the crystal chandelier overhead. "Watch. Your. Tongue."

The collective gasp from the pack was audible. Several members dropped to their knees instinctively, bowing before a power they recognized as far superior to their own Alpha's.

Dorian's face paled. "I... apologize, Alpha."

Frost smirked from behind Kaius. "The mighty Mistwood Alpha, bowing like a pup."

"I believe the female beside you is your mate and Luna, correct?" Kaius asked, his voice dripping with condescension. "The one you've been flaunting all evening?"

Dorian was trapped in his own lie. He glanced at Selene, whose face had grown increasingly suspicious. "Yes... this is my mate and my Luna."

"Dorian, what is happening?" Selene hissed. "Why does he even care about that lowborn pack rat?"

Kaius's voice dropped to a deadly soft tone. "Then I would warn you only once: do not ever speak in such a manner to my mate again. Else I will remind you why the Ravenhollow Pack borders have expanded three times in as many years."

I fought to keep my face neutral, but inside, a small part of me glowed with satisfaction. For once, Dorian was the one being humiliated. The one being put in his place.

"Understood," Dorian said, swallowing hard.

"Come with me, mate," Kaius commanded, turning to me. "This place is beneath you now."

As he guided me toward the exit, the whispers began.

"How did trash like her catch his eye?" a female pack member whispered, not bothering to lower her voice enough.

Another wolf responded in a hushed tone, "Do you think he knows what she was to our Alpha?"

Kaius paused, turning to address the entire room. "My mate will be addressed as Luna Elowen of Ravenhollow from this moment. Anyone who forgets will answer to me personally."

The silence that followed was absolute. I could barely process what was happening. How did Kaius even know my name? We had never met before, of that I was certain. And why would he claim me as his mate when the bond we shared was clearly not real?

I glanced back once as we left the hall. My mother stood frozen, her eyes wide with shock and worry. I tried to communicate with my gaze that I would be okay, though I had no idea if that was true.

Once we were outside, the cool night air hit my flushed skin. Kaius continued walking briskly, his hand still firmly on my lower back, guiding me away from the ball and toward the edge of the pack grounds. Frost followed at a discreet distance.

"Where are you taking me to?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my efforts to sound brave. My steps faltered as we approached the tree line.

"Where we can be alone," Kaius replied without slowing his stride.

I nearly tripped over a root. "The forest? You're taking me to the forest?"

He glanced back at me, moonlight reflecting in his eyes. "You fear the darkness, little wolf?"

I swallowed hard, remembering all the stories I'd heard about Kaius Valerian and his pack. "I fear what hides within it."

Frost chuckled from behind us. "Smart girl."

We reached a small clearing bathed in moonlight. Kaius stopped and turned to his Beta. "Far enough, Frost. Wait at the perimeter."

"As you wish." Frost bowed slightly, eyes glinting with amusement. "Though she looks like she might bolt, Alpha."

Kaius's lips curved slightly. "She won't."

When we were alone, my heart hammered against my ribs. I could run, but what was the point? If the stories were true, Kaius could catch me before I'd taken three steps.

"What do you want from me?" I asked, my voice barely audible.

Kaius circled me slowly, his eyes locked on mine. "To talk."

I couldn't help the bitter laugh that escaped me. "You want to talk? you? The same Kaius Valerian whose name pack mothers invoke when children misbehave?"

He remained unaffected by my words. "You've heard stories."

"Everyone has." I backed away instinctively. "The Alpha who bathed in the blood of his enemies. The man who wiped out three packs in a single moon."

"Four, actually," he corrected casually. "The history books missed one."

My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it. "So is that why I'm here? To be victim number five? Another message to the werewolf world?"

He tilted his head, studying me with unnerving intensity. "You're afraid, yet you speak to me this way. Interesting."

Something in me snapped. If I was going to die, I might as well face it directly. "Do you want to kill me, Alpha Kaius? Is that why you made that absurd mate claim?"

He moved closer, his fingers surprisingly gentle as they brushed my cheek. "If I wanted your death, little wolf, I would have taken your life in that ballroom. Your blood would still be warm on the marble floor."

I flinched at his words, vivid and terrible. "Then what—"

"Death is simple," he cut me off, his voice dropping to a dangerous softness. "What I want from you is far more... complex."

Standing there in the moonlight, face to face with the most feared Alpha in the territory, I realized no one would come looking for me.

No one would miss the rejected mate, the slave's daughter.

Ironically, if this was to be my end, at least I'd had the satisfaction of seeing Dorian humiliated first. A small consolation, but I would take what I could get.

"Enough," I said, surprising myself with the steel in my voice despite the tremor in my hands. 'I'm done with your riddles and half-truths. What do you want from me?' I met his gaze directly, my heartbeat racing but my stance unwavering. 'Speak plainly or let me go.'"