CHAPTER 005

Tyler’s P.O.V.

The silence that settled over the hallway was suffocating. Every guard, servant, and warrior who had rushed toward the commotion stood frozen, none daring to breathe louder than a whisper.

Cedric’s face had gone pale.

“My King…” he began carefully. “Surely this is all a misunderstanding.”

I stared at him without blinking. “I don’t remember asking for your opinion.”

The temperature in the hallway seemed to drop even further. Rage simmered beneath my skin, threatening to snap the last thread of restraint I had left. Even Owen, standing a few steps behind me, crossed his arms with an amused expression clearly enjoying Cedric’s discomfort.

Cedric forced a laugh. “She’s merely an Omega. An insignificant servant. If she has somehow deceived you into believing—”

“Enough.” My voice echoed through the corridor as the Alpha command rolled off my tongue effortlessly.

Several wolves left immediately while some lowered their heads. Even Cedric instinctively stiffened before catching himself.

I took one slow step toward him. “You have exactly one opportunity to explain why my mate had to bear bruises from head to toe.”

His throat bobbed. “My King… discipline within one’s own pack—”

I took one last step towards him.

“I wasn’t asking about your disciplinary methods. I asked why…” My eyes drifted briefly toward Amira. “…my mate looks like she’s survived a battlefield.”

Cedric opened his mouth but nothing came out. At least he had finally realized that no excuse would satisfy me.

I turned towards Amira. She looked exhausted and her breathing was uneven. Her face had lost what little color remained while her hand pressed against her side trembled ever so slightly. She shouldn’t even be standing.

“Did you walk here?” I asked quietly.

She hesitated before giving a tiny nod.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. For reasons I couldn’t explain, a wave of relief washed over me. She was stubborn. Far too stubborn. But thank the Moon Goddess I had arrived before it was too late.

“You should be resting.” I said softly.

“I couldn’t.” Her voice cracked. “I had to come back.”

My gaze softened despite myself. “For what?”

She looked away. “…Something important.”

She was definitely hiding something but it seemed like whatever she had returned for, mattered more to her than her own safety and I wasn’t about to force the truth from her. At least not today.

Cedric suddenly cleared his throat. “My King, if she’s stolen something from the pack, naturally we must investigate before allowing her to leave.”

I slowly turned back toward him. “You seem awfully interested in keeping someone you claim is worthless.”

His jaw tightened. “She belongs to Blackridge pack.”

“No.” The word left my mouth without hesitation. “She doesn’t.”

His green eyes flashed. “According to pack law—”

“I don’t care about your laws.” The hallway fell silent once more. “The moment I recognized her as my mate…”

I reached for Amira’s trembling hand. “…she became my responsibility.”

The instant our fingers touched, a sharp pulse shot through my body and the heat exploded beneath my skin. My wolf surged forward so violently that I nearly lost control again.

Zess growled happily. Mine. I think the same warmth flooded Amira and her knees buckled. Without thinking, I wrapped an arm around her waist before she could fall.

Her breath caught the instant our eyes met, and despite everything happening around us, I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips. She was too damn beautiful. Her eyes were Hazel brown and for one brief second…Everything else disappeared.

She looked at me like she couldn’t understand why someone was holding her without intending to hurt her and it squeezed something painfully deep inside my chest.

How badly had this girl been treated?

“You’re okay.” I whispered to her before pulling her behind me.

Her lips parted but she didn’t say anything. Behind me, Owen quietly looked away. Even his playful demeanor wasn’t so playful anymore. Cedric, however, looked furious.

“My King,” he said through gritted teeth, “surely you’re not planning to make an Omega your Luna.”

Before I could answer, Amira suddenly came forward. “I never agreed to be anyone’s Luna.”

She lowered her gaze as she turned to face me. “My King… I’m grateful you saved me.”

Her fingers twisted together nervously. “But one mate already rejected me and I simply don’t want to become another burden.”

For the first time in years, I became speechless. Not because she had said something shocking but rather because she honestly believed she truly wasn’t worthy of anything.

I stepped closer to her until only a few inches separated us. “You think too little of yourself.”

She looked up as she scanned my face in an even more surprised manner.

“I don’t know what kind of fools raised you…” My eyes briefly slid toward Cedric. “…but let me make one thing perfectly clear.”

I lifted her chin gently. “If the Moon Goddess herself chose you for me…” I smiled. “Then there isn’t a greater honor in this world.”

I could see the tears instantly gathered in her eyes but she quickly looked away before they could fall.

And at that exact moment, a guard came sprinting down the corridor.

“Alpha!”

He stopped abruptly upon seeing me and immediately bowed. “Pardon my manners.”

“What is it?” Cedric barked impatiently.

The guard swallowed hard as he looked around. “We searched the Omega quarters like you ordered…”

Cedric’s eyes narrowed. “And…”

“There was nothing significant except that it seemed like the room had already been searched before we arrived.”

Cedric heaved a deep sigh before waving his hands off. “Get out.”

I shook my head in disbelief of whatever was happening right in front of me. I had already grabbed Amira’s hand to leave when the sharp click of heels sounded against the polished marble floor in our direction.

“Father!” The shrill voice echoed through the corridor.

A woman dressed in a short ivory gown hurried toward us, her golden curls bouncing with every furious step she took. Behind her walked another woman with graceful elegance, draped in emerald silk and adorned with enough jewels to blind an entire room.

Unlike the young lady’s obvious rage, the older woman’s expression remained composed, though her cold glare revealed the same arrogance.

I remembered her. The same lady who had stomped on Amira that night until she almost passed out. The moment her eyes landed on me, the fury on her face dissolved into something entirely different.

She straightened her posture and lowered her voice into what she probably believed was an enchanting tone.

“My King…”She curtsied elegantly.

“I’m Catherine. It is an honor to finally meet you properly. I didn’t get to apologize for the misunderstanding we had last time.”

I didn’t even spare her a glance. My attention remained fixed on the trembling girl beside me who was now glaring at the floor.

Catherine’s smile faltered.

“My King…” she tried again even as I noticed her fingers had curled into fists.

The clear ignorance was obvious enough for everyone to notice.

“My King,” Luna Beatrice spoke smoothly, offering me a practiced smile. “Please forgive my daughter’s lack of manners. We’ve been dealing with… some unfortunate circumstances.”

Her gaze slid toward Amira with open disgust. “This Omega has always been troublesome.”

Omega? That word again. It left her lips as though Amira were something filthy.

I slowly lifted my head. “So, is this how the Luna of Blackridge pack speaks about members of her own pack.”

Beatrice blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

“You heard me.”

A flicker of discomfort crossed her features before she quickly recovered. “My King, perhaps you misunderstand. She isn’t truly one of us.”

“No?”

“She was nothing more than a stray child my husband rescued years ago.”

Rescued? I almost laughed. If this was a rescue…I would hate to imagine what cruelty looked like. Beside me, I felt Amira stiffen. Her eyes remained fixed on the floor. Not once did she try defending herself or interrupting.

She simply accepted every insult thrown at her as though she had heard them so many times they no longer surprised her.

That realization made something inside my chest tighten painfully. How many years? How many years had she lived like this?

Catherine suddenly stepped forward, pointing an accusing finger toward Amira. “She’s manipulating you!”

Every head turned towards her. “Father has always been too kind to her!” she cried dramatically. “We gave her food. We gave her shelter. We raised her, and this is how she repays us?”

My eyebrows lifted. Kind? I glanced at Amira’s slightly bruised cheek. The fading fingerprints around her wrist. The exhaustion weighing down her tiny frame.

“She seduced Derek first,” Catherine continued bitterly. “Now she’s trying to wrap the Lycan King around her finger. She’s nothing but a manipulative little snake.”

I finally looked directly at Catherine. She smiled hopefully, believing she had captured my attention.

“Who exactly are you… and why would Amira need to steal me from anyone?” I asked coldly. “Last I checked, I walked into this pack of my own free will.”

Her smile disappeared. “I…”

My voice remained frighteningly steady. “Why would I deem myself so low for the likes of you. In case you are simply not aware of what is going on right now, I’m the one taking Amira away from all of you!!”

“You treated her as though she wasn’t worthy of basic dignity and somehow…” I tilted my head slightly. “…you’ve convinced yourself she’s the villain?”

Catherine’s lips trembled. “You don’t understand.”

My eyes hardened and for the first time since entering the Blackridge Packhouse… I allowed my Alpha aura to slip free. It was barely a fraction but the effect was immediate.

The walls seemed to vibrate and several decorative vases cracked.

“Calm yourself, my King. You can take_”

I cut in immediately. “I’ve tolerated this conversation long enough. I came here out of respect for an alliance forged by my late father.”

I looked directly at Cedric. “But respect must be earned.”

The Alpha swallowed hard. “My King, surely this can still be resolved peacefully.”

I held Amira’s hand as I stared at her. “ It can and it’s by ensuring my mate never spends another second beneath your roof.”

Owen pushed himself away from the wall with a satisfied grin. “Well,” he drawled, dusting imaginary lint off his sleeve. “I guess that settles it.”

I didn’t know what exactly caused the surge of feeling at that moment but I feared that one more harsh word from them would shatter it completely. I found myself wanting to erase every ounce of sadness hidden behind her eyes.

It was an absurd thought. I had known her for only a matter of minutes and days yet my wolf had already accepted her completely.

No. Not just my wolf. Me.

I wanted to know what made her smile. What her laugh sounded like. What dreams she had buried beneath the years of pain. I wanted to give her a life where she never had to flinch when someone raised a hand.

That realization hit me with startling clarity. I wasn’t merely protecting my mate because instinct demanded it.

I was protecting her because somewhere between finding her crumpled on the floor and seeing the fear in her eyes…I had already begun to fall hopelessly in love with her and I wasn’t ashamed of it.

My only concern was If I would be able to give her the love she deserves and in all of this, Does she feel the same way I do?