Page 18 of The Forbidden Alpha

“I can do whatever the fuck I want. I can claim who I choose because I am in control of my destiny. Not some bitch in the clouds.”

I stilled at his words.

“You will never own me.” I glared into the dark of his eyes and refused to avert my gaze. I may not want to find my mate, but I would cling to a man I’d never meet if it meant I could hold on to my freedom.

Something close to desperation flashed across his features as his chest heaved, the violent display of his power still vibrating through the floorboards. For a long, agonizing moment, he didn’t move. He just stared at me, his beast simmering just beneath the surface of his skin, begging to be unleashed so he could devour me whole.

Then it disappeared, and he looked at me as if I were nothing. He turned his back on me, an act that said I wasn’t a threat. He meticulously straightened his cuffs—dark and unhurried as if my presence was already something he’d forgotten.

He stepped over the ruins of the fallen books, the leather covers crunching beneath his heavy boots. He stopped just inches from me, leaning down until his lips brushed the shell of my ear. His proximity alone was enough to make my vision swim.

“Wait for this mystery man,” he whispered. “When the Moon drops him at your feet, know that I’ll be the one to sever your soul from his.”

He pulled back, his face a mask of cold indifference. He didn’t look back at the mess he’d made or the woman he’d bruised. He turned and walked toward the oak doors. The latch clicked with a finality that made a shiver run down my spine.

I stayed there, my heart hammering against my ribs, surrounded by the scent of vanilla, decay, and the lingering, dangerous musk of a beast who refused to be told no. I looked down at the scattered books. The silence returned, but with it the weight of his promise.

Eventually, I stumbled into the hallway, my chest heaving, nearly colliding with Gabe. He caught me by the shoulders, his thumbs pressing firmly against my skin—grounding me. His eyes rounded as he looked down at me, his gaze sweeping over my appearance and the way I was trembling. For a second, his nostrils flared, catching where Shane’s scent mingled with my bitter one through my sweater. He tensed, his jaw tightening, but he didn’t demand answers. He didn’t ask what happened. He pulled me into his side, arm wrapping around me in a protective shield.

“Let’s get to the kitchen, Ady,” he murmured, his voice low. “It’s almost time for dinner.” He didn’t push. He just walked with me, his presence a quiet, unwavering barrier between me and the monster within the walls.

Chapter 9

The kitchen was a crash of pots and squeals from the wolves sitting around the table in the adjoined Great Hall. Jaxon would share what the Table had decided today, and the castle hummed with excitement. It wasn’t the best day for Gabe to take off, but he’d covered for me more times than I could list.

Twenty minutes later, the food was close to perfection. I moved with practiced efficiency, a memorized dance, layering the heavy oak table with platters of roasted meat and seasoned vegetables.

I turned for the kitchen when Beka spat, “Watch it.”

She sat in a skin-tight black strapless dress, her blond hair held up by a clawed clip. Her blue eyes narrowed. Her disgust made one thing clear: I didn’t deserve to breathe the same air. Her gaze flickered past me, searching for a man I had no interest in, her expression shifting for a split second into something desperate.

When her focus snapped back to me, it was predatory. She wasn’t just bullying someone beneath her; she was sizing up the competition she shouldn’t have to acknowledge. I let my gaze sweep over her—from the clawed clip to the straining seams of her dress—before offering a slow, unimpressed arch of my brow. Beka’s methods were elementary, and I didn’t give her the satisfaction of entertaining her; I simply turned my back, ignoring her.

Alpha Jaxon strode in with Luna Emilia on his arm. She wore a sweeping gown of forest-green silk, deep and mossy under the moonlight, her throat adorned with a ruby necklace. Beside her, Jaxon was clad in a charcoal designer shirt, the fabric strained across his shoulders, with a leather harness that looked more like it was meant for a weapon than for show.

He didn’t need to be announced; his presence did all the talking. I finished placing the last of the platters as the Alpha and Luna took their seats. I retreated through the wide stone archway that separated the Hall from the kitchen. I didn’t stop until I reached the center island, where the shadows of the work area provided safety.

Alpha Jaxon stood. The noise dropped and people sat straighter. To his right, my gaze faltered on Shane. The prince wasn’t looking at the Alpha; he was locked on me through the archway, his eyes tracking the frantic pulse in my neck from across the room. For a moment, neither of us moved. Then, feigning boredom, he lifted his glass and took a slow, deliberate sip—his eyes never leaving mine over the rim. It was a private performance. A reminder that he could look as long as he wanted, and there wasn’t a soul in this room who would stop him.

“The Table has reached a consensus!” his voice boomed, echoing through the tall ceiling and bouncing off the walls. “It’s sudden, but in two days’ time, we depart for the North. The Mating Festival will be held at Desert Moon!”

A collective gasp shattered the silence, followed by a frenzy of cheers and howling that made the hardwood tremble beneath my feet.

“As for the date of the Hunt…” Jaxon raised a hand, and the room went back to the breathless hush. A knowing grin split his face. “That is for the Goddess to decide. You will know when the moon tells you. Prepare yourselves.”

The Hunt wasn’t just a tradition; it was part of pack life. By keeping the date a secret, the Table held a psychological leash over their citizens—a reminder that while we lived in a modern world, our lives were still governed by their whims.

At the moon’s peak, the Alpha would release the tether, and every unmated male would shift, their souls consumed by one need driving them forward—to find their fated match. To the pack, it was a holy union. To me, it was a harvest. And I was one of the things being gathered.

The mystery caught through the room, a spark finding kindling. The energy would have been contagious if not for the dread that seeped into my bones. Women checked their reflection in their spoons, others in their cameras, and the males sat taller, their eyes glazed over with their minds on the hunt.

A hand caught my elbow.

“Two days, Ady! Only two days!” Mavy hissed, her eyes wide and sparkling with a manic sort of joy. She was vibrating in her seat. “We’re already ahead of the game, we got almost everything we needed yesterday. The stores are going to be packed until we leave!”

I forced a smile. “I’ll be fine.”

“Fine? Ady, this is Desert Moon.” She scoffed and leaned in closer, her voice dropping to an excited whisper that ignored the way my heart was trying to claw its way out of my ribs. “The King of the North is hosting. Every high-ranking Alpha from the coast is flying in. You aren’t going to be ‘fine.’ For the first time in your life, you’re actually going to be seen.”