Chapter 2:The Alpha’s Claim

Kael’s POV

Her scent wouldn’t leave me.

It clung to my skin like the rain that soaked through my clothes, sweet and wild all at once. I tried to ignore it, to lose myself in the dark forest, but it followed me like a shadow I couldn’t shake.

I should have walked away after killing the rogue. I should have left her there and forgotten the sound of her heartbeat. But I couldn’t.

That woman—Aria.

The moment our eyes met, something inside me snapped awake. My wolf had growled one word that I never wanted to hear again.

Mate.

The blood moon still hung heavy above the trees, red and cruel. It marked the night of the prophecy, the one I’d spent my whole life trying to avoid. The Alpha born under the blood moon will find a mate whose blood can save or destroy his kind.

I never believed in destiny. Not after seeing what it did to my family. But her scent… it matched every whisper I’d heard since I was a child.

My hands curled into fists. My claws slid out before I even realized it. “No,” I said quietly, trying to steady my breath. “She’s human. She can’t be the one.”

She is ours, my wolf growled from deep inside me.

“She’ll destroy everything,” I answered.

Or she’ll save you.

The voice faded, but the ache stayed. I could still feel her pulse somewhere far away, beating with mine, slow and steady. The bond was faint but real. It terrified me more than any war or curse ever could.

A branch snapped behind me. I turned fast, claws ready.

Ronan stepped out from between the trees, calm as always, though I could smell the unease on him. His dark hair was wet, his sharp eyes scanning me like he already knew what had happened.

“You’re late coming back,” he said, folding his arms. “The patrols said you ran into a rogue near the city.”

“I killed it.”

He studied me for a long moment. “That’s not all you found out there, is it?”

I didn’t answer.

Ronan’s gaze sharpened. “You smell like a human, Kael.”

“She was attacked. I stepped in.”

He raised a brow. “And?”

“And nothing.”

“Nothing?” He took a slow step closer. “Then why does your wolf sound like he’s ready to tear through anyone who gets near her?”

My jaw tightened. “It’s nothing, Ronan.”

He exhaled, shaking his head. “I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re lying. You think this woman’s your mate?”

The word mate burned in the air between us. I said nothing, but that was enough of an answer.

Ronan swore quietly. “The blood moon prophecy?”

“She matches it.”

His voice dropped low. “You know what that means.”

“I know.”

“Then walk away now,” he said. “End it before it begins.”

I stared at the ground, the smell of rain and earth heavy around us. “I tried.”

“And?”

“I couldn’t.”

Ronan’s expression softened. “Kael… this path only leads one way. If she’s the one from the prophecy, the curse will awaken. It’ll tear you apart.”

“I’m already torn,” I said quietly.

He didn’t argue. He just gave a small nod, the kind that said he’d stand beside me no matter how bad things got. That was what made him my Beta, not fear or obedience,but loyalty.

When Ronan finally left, the forest grew silent again. I looked up at the red moon. My heart still beat in time with hers, steady and sure, like it didn’t care what fate had planned.

“She’s my undoing,” I whispered to the night.

My wolf’s voice came back soft but firm.

Or your salvation.

And I didn’t know which one I feared more.

~~~~~~

By the time I reached the Nightfall Pack’s stronghold, the forest had gone quiet. The storm clouds were moving west, but the blood moon still hung above, casting a dull red glow over the valley. The mountain air smelled of pine and old stone. Home. Yet, for the first time, it didn’t feel like it.

The guards bowed their heads as I passed. No one dared to meet my eyes. They had seen the glow before, my wolf pressing too close to the surface. It always meant danger.

Inside, the hall was lit with torches. The walls were carved with the marks of my ancestors, the ones who carried the curse before me. I could feel their weight in the air.

Ronan followed a few steps behind, silent. He didn’t need to say anything. We both knew this wasn’t over.

At the far end of the hall, the old Seer waited. She was small, wrapped in layers of dark cloth, her white hair falling to her shoulders. Her blind eyes turned toward me before I even spoke.

“You found her,” she said.

Her voice was soft but carried through the room like a whisper of wind.

I froze. “You knew.”

“I always know,” she said, a faint smile on her lips. “The curse never sleeps forever, Alpha. It only waits.”

I stepped closer, my voice low. “She’s human.”

“That doesn’t change what she is to you.”

“She doesn’t even know what she’s done,” I said. “She doesn’t understand what’s happening.”

“She will,” the Seer replied. “The bond has already begun. Her blood has answered the moon’s call, and yours has answered hers.”

Ronan frowned. “Tell him how to stop it.”

The Seer tilted her head. “You cannot stop destiny, Beta. Only delay it. But the more you fight it, the more it consumes you.”

I clenched my fists. “Then what happens next?”

Her eyes turned milky white, her voice shifting like the air had thickened. “When the moon turns red again, her choice will decide your fate. One will rise, one will fall. Love will be your weapon or your curse.”

Ronan stepped forward, angry now. “That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the only one,” she said softly.

I stared at her, my heartbeat echoing in my chest. “If I stay away from her?”

“Your bond will rot,” the Seer said. “You will lose control of your wolf. The curse will take what is left of you.”

“And if I stay?”

Her smile was almost kind. “Then you will bleed for her.”

Silence filled the room. The torches flickered. For a moment, I could almost hear her heartbeat again, steady, calm, alive.

Ronan placed a hand on my shoulder. “Kael, we can handle this. We always have.”

I nodded, though I didn’t believe it. “We’ll strengthen the borders. Double the patrols. No one touches her.”

Ronan hesitated. “You’re protecting her?”

“I’m protecting the pack,” I said. “If the prophecy is true, she’s the key to the curse. I can’t let anyone else near her.”

He gave a short nod. “As you say, Alpha.”

When he left, I stood alone before the Seer.

Her voice came again, quiet and certain. “You cannot fight what calls to your soul, Kael Draven. The more you run from it, the deeper it hunts you.”

I turned away from her. “Then let it hunt.”

As I walked out, the echo of her words followed me.

The blood moon was sinking, but its power hadn’t faded. I could still feel her—Aria. Even from miles away, her heartbeat called to mine like a distant song I couldn’t silence.

My wolf stirred inside me, restless and wild.

Find her, he whispered.

“No,” I said under my breath.

You can’t stay away forever.

Maybe he was right. Maybe fate had already made its choice.

Because no matter how far I went, Aria Voss had already claimed me.