Ariana's heart thundered in her chest, her mind struggling to process the words that had just shattered her world. Alpha Kieran, the cold and powerful king of the wolves, stood before her, his eyes fixed on hers with a burning intensity that threatened to consume her. His sudden shift from his seat, his stance commanding, left her with no illusion of the weight of his presence. She wanted to believe this was some twisted joke, a trick of her own mind, something to shatter the surreal reality that had unfolded before her. But the silence that followed was deafening. No laughter. No reassurance that this was a prank.
"Mate," he murmured, his voice deep, rich with authority, and yet laced with something she couldn't place. The word reverberated through the hall like an ancient command, one that none dared question.
Her legs trembled, betraying the panic surging within her. It felt as though the air around her had thickened, and her breath came out in shallow gasps. The word mate was supposed to be a blessing, a symbol of destiny, but to Ariana, it was a sentence—one that sealed her fate in ways she could not understand.
Before she could react, her hands betrayed her. The tray she had been carrying slipped from her grasp, clattering on the floor in a deafening crash. Without thinking, her body moved on its own accord, her feet scrambling toward the door in desperate flight, an instinctual need to escape the overwhelming chaos that had suddenly taken hold.
But just as she reached the door, a low, bone-rattling growl from Kieran halted her in her tracks. It was not just a warning—it was a command, a primal force that shook the very walls of the grand hall. Ariana froze, her pulse racing, her skin crawling under the weight of his presence. She had nowhere to run.
Before she could even think of turning back, a powerful arm shot around her waist, pulling her back with terrifying ease. A gasp escaped her lips as her body collided with his chest, and she twisted in his grip, her wide eyes locking with his. Alpha Kieran's face was mere inches from hers, his gaze an iron trap, locking her in place with the intensity of a predator stalking its prey.
The heat of his body radiated into hers, his scent enveloping her, and for a fleeting moment, she forgot how to breathe. His eyes, once cold, softened briefly, but the dangerous undertones never left. Ariana's pulse quickened as his hand slid into her hair, tucking a loose strand behind her ear with a tenderness that didn't belong in this moment.
"You don't run from me," he murmured, his voice a velvet command that left no room for defiance.
The air grew heavier, charged with an undeniable force, and Ariana could feel the weight of the words in her very bones. Her head swam, the overwhelming mix of fear and confusion sending a wave of dizziness through her. She nodded shakily, her mind lost in the intensity of his touch.
His grip on her tightened, not painfully, but with a possessive strength that sent a flicker of unease through her. He gently pulled her backward, her feet moving automatically as he guided her toward the table where Rowan and Elara still sat, their eyes wide with shock. The tension in the hall could be cut with a knife.
Elara was the first to break the silence, her voice dripping with venom as she shot Ariana a glare that could freeze fire. "Unbelievable," she spat, her words cutting through the air like shards of glass. "Did you bewitch the King, Ariana? Did you cast some pathetic spell on him?"
Ariana's cheeks flushed crimson with shame, her gaze dropping instinctively to the floor. Of course, Elara would see this as something Ariana had manipulated. It was just like her to twist the truth, to make Ariana the villain in her own story. The mocking words from her sister were all too familiar, a reminder of the years of ridicule Ariana had endured from her own flesh and blood.
But Kieran's grip on her waist tightened once more, grounding her, preventing her from falling into the shame Elara sought to impose. His eyes flickered dangerously as they turned toward Elara, the warning in his gaze enough to freeze the words on her tongue.
"Enough," Kieran's voice rang out, cold and final. The force behind his command left no room for argument, and Elara's sneer faltered as her eyes widened, a hint of fear flashing in her gaze. For the first time, she seemed uncertain.
Rowan, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke, his voice thick with disbelief. His eyes flicked between Ariana and Kieran, confusion and a deep-seated resentment clouding his features.
"This… this can't be," Rowan muttered, his disbelief turning to accusation. "She's… she's not worthy."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence, and Kieran's eyes hardened, his body shifting with the cold, controlled fury of an Alpha King who had just been challenged. The air around them seemed to crackle with power, and Ariana felt the oppressive weight of his rage settle over her.
"Watch your tongue, Rowan," Kieran growled, his voice low, a warning that promised consequences for any who dared cross him.
Rowan paled, his defiance faltering for the briefest moment, but his stubbornness was not easily shaken. His mouth twisted into a grim line as he continued, "She's weak. She hasn't even shifted. I don't know what kind of illusion this is, but there's no way she's fit to be your mate."
Ariana's stomach dropped, the words slicing through her like a blade. Weak. She had spent her life trying to prove herself, only to have her very worth questioned in front of the Alpha King and his court. She could feel her heart sinking, but before she could respond, Kieran's fury ignited.
With a single step, Kieran closed the distance between himself and Rowan, his towering presence overwhelming. The room seemed to shrink with his intensity, and the force of his gaze sent a cold shiver down Ariana's spine.
"My mate is not for you to judge," Kieran snarled, each word laced with an unyielding venom that spoke of a threat that no one dared challenge. "She is under my protection. If you insult her, you insult me."
The room was dead silent. Rowan's face drained of color as he took a step back, his defiance crumbling in the face of Kieran's rage. His eyes burned with resentment, but he said no more. He knew better than to challenge the Alpha King.
Ariana's breath caught in her throat. Kieran had defended her, not just with words, but with the full force of his power. In that moment, she understood something—he would not allow anyone to harm her.
His gaze softened as he turned back to her, his hand gently brushing against her cheek, a stark contrast to the fury he had displayed moments before. His touch was warm, and Ariana felt a strange comfort in it, despite the chaos that surrounded her.
But as his fingers left her skin, a soft, ethereal glow caught her eye. She looked down to see a faint light pulsing beneath her wrist, something ancient and powerful stirring within her.
Gasps echoed throughout the room as everyone witnessed the mark glowing on her skin. Whispers of awe spread like wildfire. "The mate's mark…" someone murmured, "It's the sign of a true bond…"
Ariana's heart skipped a beat. Was this real? Could it be real?
Elara's face twisted with jealousy, her eyes seething with hatred as she stepped forward, her voice dripping with venom. "You may have his favor, Ari," she hissed. "But don't think for a second that this will end well for you."
A cold shiver ran down Ariana's spine, but before she could respond, Kieran's voice rang out, low and lethal.
"Try it," he said, his words carrying the weight of a promise. "Harm my mate, and you'll answer to me."
Elara faltered, her mouth snapping shut, her face blanching with fear. The challenge in Kieran's tone was unmistakable, and the room held its breath, everyone waiting to see who would be foolish enough to challenge the Alpha King.
For a moment, the tension was suffocating. But for Ariana, it was a strange kind of relief. She had been claimed. She had been chosen.