Claimed By The Lycan

5 years later….

I’d finally carved out a life I could call my own. It wasn't easy. Four years ago, I was taking any job I could get, sketching designs on napkins during my breaks. I submitted them on a whim, half-expecting nothing. But that one shot hit the mark. Now, I’m a headlining designer for a major brand. The money’s good, the respect is real, and the fear of being found is quieter.

But my real success and anchor in this world isn't my career. It’s my two little boys, Sawyer and Asher. My four-year-old twin princes.

They’re the stunning, unexpected result of that one desperate night with a man whose face I can’t remember. A stranger in a bar who became the reason I survived. People might think raising twins alone is a burden, but they saved me. They gave me a reason to get up every morning and fight.

When they ask about their dad, I point to the stars.

“He's an astronaut on a very important mission,” I tell them. It’s a sweet, simple lie that protects them from a truth I don't even fully know.

Because the truth is, their father is a ghost. And some ghosts are better left in the past.

I thought the hardest part was over. I’d escaped Taylor, survived on the run, and built a new identity from the ground up.

But the past has a way of finding me.

Just after I fled, a sealed letter was left at my door. Its contents shattered the foundation of my old life.

My mother, who I’d believed was dead my entire life, was alive. She’d been hiding in the Locked Forest all this time.

And Taylor? He’d painted a target on my back for his entire pack. He told them I was his cheating mate who’d betrayed him, and he offered a fortune in gold to anyone who dragged me back.

The betrayal was a physical ache. I was devastated, wracked with guilt for my dad who was left behind, and terrified for my mom. But going back then would have been a death sentence for all of us.

So I buried the rage, vowing that one day, when I was strong enough, I would make him pay.

That day arrived at a glamorous charity gala. It was my biggest moment yet, a chance to cement my new life. I was making connections, feeling finally in control.

Then I saw him.

Taylor, with Ennik smirking on his arm, cutting through the crowd like a shark. His eyes locked on me, and five years hadn't dulled the hate in them one bit.

He was in my space in an instant, his hand clamping down on my arm like a vise. “A rebellious mutt like you doesn't belong here. You'll ruin everything. Get out.”

But before I could even speak, a small, fierce voice cut through the tension.

“Let go of my mom!” Sawyer shoved his way between us, his little face set in a defiant scowl.

Taylor’s sneer was a vicious, ugly thing. His eyes raked over me like I was trash he’d scraped off his shoe.

“So that’s the real story,” he hissed, his voice dripping with contempt. “You didn’t just run. You were knocked up. You really are just a common—”

“You rejected me!” The words tore out of me, sharp and loud enough to make nearby heads turn. I jabbed a finger at Ennik, all my buried rage finally exploding. “Don’t you dare! You were cheating with her for months while calling me your mate!”

A hot, wild energy surged under my skin. My wolf, Alea, was pushing forward, desperate to break free.

I trembled, fighting her back with everything I had.

The last thing my sons needed to see was their mom turning into a monster in the middle of a fancy party.

But Ennik saw my weakness and pounced.

“A lowly Omega like you doesn’t get to talk to us like that!” she shrieked, shoving me hard in the chest.

I stumbled back, but I never hit the ground.

A large, steady hand caught me, its grip firm and sure. And then the scent hit me—rich, powerful sandalwood.

It slammed into my senses, making my heart hammer against my ribs. My wolf didn't just calm down; she perked up, recognizing something deep and fundamental in that smell.

“I’d think twice before putting your hands on her again.” A low, commanding growl echoed right by my ear, a sound so full of power it made the air vibrate.

The voice wasn't loud, but it was absolute. Ennik flinched back as if she’d been struck, her bravado vanishing as she scrambled to hide behind Taylor.

I looked up. And the world stopped.

“This doesn’t concern you—” Taylor started, his voice a blustering protest, but it was instantly silenced by a low, rumbling growl from the man that vibrated through the very air.

The mysterious man stepped forward, his gaze pinning Taylor in place.

“I believe I made it clear,” he said, his voice dangerously calm. “Touching Lori means you’re dealing with me.”

Taylor bristled, his pride warring with the primal instinct telling him to back down. “And who the hell are you to give me orders?”

“I am Nolan Hemsworth, Lycan of the Silverdome Pack,” he declared, his voice leaving no room for argument. “And it becomes my business when someone threatens my mate.”

The word mate hung in the air, sucking the sound out of the room. My mind went blank. Nolan Hemsworth. The stories about him were legendary, a Lycan so powerful he could decimate an army of hunters without breaking a sweat.

And as he turned to look at me, the final, earth-shattering piece clicked into place. The strong jaw, the intense eye, it was him. The man from the bar five years ago. The stranger whose face I could never quite remember.

He was the father of my sons.

I watched, stunned, as Ennik practically melted into the floor behind Taylor. The crowd around us was whispering, their curiosity a buzzing hive.

Taylor, finally realizing he was hopelessly outmatched, took a grudging step back, his face a mask of pure hatred.

“This isn’t over,” he spat. “You can’t watch her every second.”

Lycan’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Try me.”

With that, Taylor and Ennik slunk away, leaving me standing shell-shocked beside the man who had just turned my world upside down again.

“You…” I stammered, my voice barely a whisper.

He cut me off, his tone laced with a frustrating mix of anger and amusement. “You ran off that night like a thief in the night. And you’ve been running ever since, putting yourself in danger instead of learning to fight.”

I hurried after him as he started to walk away, gesturing for my wide-eyed boys to follow. “Wait, can you please just—”

“You should be thanking me,” he said over his shoulder, not slowing down. “I saved you from him and his goons five years ago. You’ve been so busy building your human life, you forgot to train the wolf inside you.”

Fear and a strange, fluttering hope warred in my chest. I wasn't sure I was happy to see him, but the thought of my sons finally meeting their father made my breath catch.

“About that night, we…” I started, my face flushing.

A faint, knowing smirk touched his lips. “You were… unforgettable, Loretta Sullivan.”

My eyes widened. “How do you know my na—”

A sharp look from him silenced me instantly. He gave a slight nod toward the event still going on around us, a clear command to pull myself together.

For the rest of the evening, I felt Ennik’s poisonous stares from across the room. I tried to focus, but it was useless.

I finally gave up, gathering Sawyer and Asher to leave early. I thought the drama was over.

I was wrong.

As I reached my car, a hand shot out from the shadows, grabbing my neck and slamming me against the cold metal. Taylor’s face was twisted with rage, his eyes burning.

“You’re a real traitor,” he snarled, his grip tightening. “Conspiring with that damn Lycan!”

I tried to break free but I couldn’t beat him. Taylor tightened his grip.

A sinister smile playing on his lips. “You thought you could betray us and get away with it, huh?”

I struggled to respond, choking out the words, “I... I had no—”

Just as the tension reached its peak, Nolan appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

“I’ve said that I won’t hesitate to make you cry and kneel before her if you keep trying to oppress him,” Nolan’s voice echoed throughout the room.

“I don’t care who you are, man! This is my business and hers.” Taylor spat out, and pushed me away.

Nolan laughed at Taylor’s provocation. Then he said--