THE KING'S CLAIM
The words hung in the air like thunder after lightning.
For a moment, no one in the clearing breathed.
Aria’s mind went completely blank.
Belongs… to him?
She slowly lifted her head, staring up at the Alpha King beside her. His expression was calm, but there was something powerful in the way he stood—something protective.
Across from them, Kael’s face hardened.
“What?” he said sharply.
The Alpha King didn’t look surprised by his reaction. Instead, he folded his arms loosely behind his back, his golden eyes steady.
“You heard me.”
The murmurs from the crowd exploded immediately.
“What does he mean?”
“How can she belong to the Alpha King?”
“That makes no sense.”
Even the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack looked confused now.
Kael took a step forward, his voice colder than before.
“She is my mate.”
The words sounded almost like a challenge.
But the Alpha King didn’t react the way anyone expected.
Instead, he tilted his head slightly, studying Kael with quiet amusement.
“For now,” he replied calmly.
Kael’s jaw clenched.
The bond between him and Aria still lingered faintly in the air, though the rejection had nearly shattered it.
Yet something else had begun to stir.
Something older.
Something deeper.
Aria suddenly felt another strange pull inside her chest.
It wasn’t the same warmth she had felt toward Kael.
This one was different.
Stronger.
Heavier.
Her breathing slowed as she realized something terrifying.
The pull was coming from the Alpha King.
She quickly stepped back, startled by the sensation.
But the moment she moved—
The Alpha King’s hand gently caught her wrist.
The contact was brief.
Yet the effect was immediate.
A powerful wave of energy rushed through her body.
Aria gasped softly.
Her heart raced as heat spread through her chest again—far stronger than before.
The Alpha King felt it too.
His golden eyes darkened slightly as he looked down at her.
“Interesting,” he murmured quietly.
Kael noticed the exchange instantly.
A low growl escaped his chest.
“Let go of her.”
The Alpha King slowly released Aria’s wrist without protest.
But his gaze remained fixed on her face.
Something thoughtful passed through his eyes.
Kael stepped closer, his temper clearly rising.
“She is my mate,” he repeated firmly.
“And I haven’t rejected her yet.”
The Alpha King finally looked back at him.
“Then finish it,” he said calmly.
The clearing fell silent again.
Everyone stared at Kael.
He had been moments away from rejecting Aria before the Alpha King interrupted.
Now the entire pack was waiting.
Kael’s eyes moved briefly toward Aria.
For a split second, something conflicted flashed across his face.
The bond between them still tugged faintly at his wolf.
But pride and anger were stronger.
He turned fully toward her.
His voice rang clearly across the clearing.
“I, Kael Blackwood…”
Aria’s chest tightened.
“…reject you, Aria…”
The final thread of the bond shattered.
Pain exploded through her chest like a blade twisting inside her heart.
Aria gasped, her knees weakening as the rejection tore through her.
Her wolf—if it had ever existed—cried out silently inside her.
The crowd watched with mixed reactions.
Some looked satisfied.
Others looked uncomfortable.
But the rejection had been completed.
The mate bond between Aria and Kael was gone.
Kael exhaled slowly.
The pressure inside his chest faded as the bond disappeared.
For a moment, he simply stood there.
Then suddenly—
A deep, dangerous growl rolled through the clearing.
Everyone froze.
Because it didn’t come from Kael.
It came from the Alpha King.
His golden eyes burned with something fierce now.
Not anger.
Something far more possessive.
Slowly, he stepped forward again.
Until he stood directly beside Aria once more.
She was still trying to steady her breathing from the pain of the rejection.
The Alpha King looked down at her briefly.
Then he turned to face the entire pack.
His deep voice carried effortlessly across the clearing.
“Good.”
The single word confused everyone.
Then he continued.
“Now that she is no longer bound to you…”
His golden eyes locked onto Kael.
“…there is nothing stopping me from claiming what is mine.”
A shocked silence fell again.
Kael’s expression darkened.
“What are you talking about?”
The Alpha King’s lips curved slightly.
Then he spoke the words that would change everything.
“Because…”
His gaze dropped briefly to Aria again.
“…she is my true mate.”