CHAPTER 5:The Alpha’s Territory

The door burst inward with a crack of splintering wood.

A massive gray wolf forced its way through the broken frame, its eyes glowing in the dim light of the house. Another shape moved behind it in the darkness outside.

Aria stumbled backward.

“That is not normal,” she whispered.

Kael stepped forward without hesitation.

His entire posture shifted.

“Stay back,” he said quietly.

The wolf inside the doorway lowered its head and growled. Its lips pulled back to reveal long white fangs, and its muscles tensed like a spring ready to strike.

Aria’s heart slammed in her chest.

“That thing is huge.”

“It’s not a thing,” Kael replied.

“It’s a scout.”

The wolf lunged suddenly.

But Kael moved faster.

He intercepted it with shocking speed, grabbing the animal by the neck and slamming it sideways into the wall. The impact cracked the wood paneling and sent dust flying across the room.

Aria stared in disbelief.

“You just tackled a wolf.”

The animal snarled and tried to twist free.

Kael’s eyes darkened.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” he said.

The wolf suddenly shifted.

Fur receded and bones snapped into new shapes as the creature transformed into a human man on the floor. He groaned and pushed himself upright, glaring at Kael.

“You can’t hide her forever,” the man said.

Kael’s voice turned cold.

“She’s not yours to take.”

The man laughed harshly.

“She belongs to our Alpha.”

Aria felt a chill run through her.

“I belong to nobody,” she said.

The man’s eyes snapped toward her.

For a moment he simply stared.

Then his expression changed.

“So it’s true,” he murmured.

Kael stepped in front of her again.

“You’ve seen enough.”

The man wiped blood from his lip.

“Alpha Darius will be very pleased when we bring her back.”

Aria’s stomach dropped.

“You keep saying that name,” she said.

The man ignored her.

“Our Alpha has been searching for years,” he continued. “He’ll want to see how much she looks like her mother.”

Kael’s wolf surged beneath his skin.

“That’s enough.”

The man’s grin widened.

“You think claiming her will stop this?”

Aria frowned.

“Claiming me?”

Kael’s voice dropped dangerously.

“You’re leaving now.”

The man slowly pushed himself to his feet.

Behind him, the dark shapes of more wolves moved beyond the broken doorway.

“There are five more outside,” the man said calmly. “You can’t fight all of us alone.”

Kael didn’t move.

“I don’t need to.”

The ground trembled suddenly.

Low growls echoed through the forest beyond the house.

Aria’s eyes widened.

More wolves were emerging from the trees.

But these wolves were larger.

Darker.

And they were moving toward the house.

The man’s confidence vanished.

“You called your pack,” he said.

Kael’s voice was ice.

“You came into my territory.”

The growls outside grew louder.

One by one the rival wolves backed away from the doorway.

The man gave Aria one last look.

“We’ll be back,” he said quietly.

Then he shifted again and leapt into the forest.

The others followed quickly.

Within seconds the forest fell silent again.

Aria exhaled slowly.

“That was insane.”

Kael stepped toward the broken doorway and looked into the darkness for a long moment before turning back to her.

“You’re not safe here anymore,” he said.

“Because of my father.”

“Yes.”

Aria rubbed her temples.

“This day started with me trying to sell a house.”

“It ended with a pack war.”

She looked up at him.

“You’re serious about that.”

“Yes.”

Aria walked slowly toward the window and stared into the forest.

“So what happens now?”

Kael studied her carefully.

“My pack will come for you.”

“That sounds threatening.”

“To protect you.”

Aria turned back toward him.

“And if I don’t want protection?”

Kael stepped closer.

The distance between them felt charged with something neither of them could ignore.

“My wolf already chose you,” he said quietly.

Aria frowned.

“Your wolf keeps getting mentioned.”

“It’s the part of me that knows you’re my mate.”

The word hung in the air between them.

Mate.

Aria felt that strange warmth in her chest again.

“That’s impossible,” she said.

Kael didn’t argue.

“It doesn’t feel impossible.”

Before she could respond a deep howl echoed across the mountains.

Not from the forest.

From far away.

Kael froze.

That sound was different.

Older.

More powerful.

His wolf went completely still.

Aria noticed the change instantly.

“What was that?”

Kael’s voice was quiet.

“That,” he said, “was your father.”

And the howl meant only one thing.

The Alpha of the rival pack had entered his territory.