She is mine

As Alexander's furious voice ripped through the charged air, my senses sharpened, and I tore myself away from Cole's embrace, gasping for breath as I stumbled back, the taste of blood lingering on my lips. The courtyard seemed to spin around me, shadows dancing on the walls like twisted phantoms, and I turned to face the stunned onlookers, my heart pounding in my chest.

Eyes widened in shock and fear met mine, whispers swirling like a tempest, carrying the weight of judgment and confusion. Mother Luna's expression had shifted from pity to concern, her eyes betraying a glimmer of unease. Alpha Ashur's features hardened into a mask of authority, his gaze piercing through me with a mix of disappointment and wariness.

I scanned the faces of my packmates, seeing the fear and uncertainty reflected in their eyes, their whispers a tumultuous tide crashing against the walls of the grand hall. A pang of guilt clawed at my chest, mingling with the storm of emotions raging within me. What had I done? How could I have let my anger and pain drive me to such reckless actions?

In a moment of desperate need for clarity, I turned towards the glistening pool of water nearby, its surface mirroring the chaos that had unfolded in the courtyard. My reflection stared back at me, and I gasped in shock at the sight that met my eyes. The once vibrant blue of my irises had darkened to a fiery crimson, a stark contrast against the pallor of my skin.

"Cole is now Neuri's new mate, and that is final!" I suddenly roar from the pit of my gut, growling out my fury in a primal voice unlike any I had ever used before only seeing red. "No wolf is worthy of Neuri, nor anyone else who claims her as their mate is... There is only one man whom she wants, only one man who matters, and that man is him!" 

"What kind of sick joke is this?" Alexander spat, stepping forward.

I turned to face him as my nostril flared, my breathing ragged, and my ears pricked for the slightest movement of his steps towards me.

"You... oh, you..." I whispered, moving my head slightly from left to right as I sized him with my eyes.

"You are my mate, and you will stop this nonsense once and for all." He screamed in my mind.

His voice was carried with force, but beneath it, I tasted fear, and my lips curled upward as I laughed, raising my chin, "Make me."

I could tell from the madness in his eyes that my words penetrated his mind, but he stood there, uttering words filled with rage. "You dare defy me, Cleo? After all I've done for you, after all, we've been through? You belong to me, body and soul!"

But his words only fueled the fire burning within me. With every ounce of strength I could muster, I stood tall, meeting his gaze head-on. "I belong to no one but myself, Alexander. Not a murderer like you, not anyone else. I am a wolf, free and wild, bound by no male's chains."

With a sudden surge of thirst for blood, I stepped forward, closing the distance between us until there was only a hair's breadth separating our bodies as my gaze bore into his.

"You may be the alpha, Alexander, but you do not own me," I declared without my mouth. "I am my own wolf, and I will not be bound by your rules or your expectations."

A flicker of doubt crossed Alexander's face, his grip on his authority faltering ever so slightly. But before he could respond, a voice cut through the tension like a knife.

"Enough."

The command came from Horatio, the seer, his voice resonating with undeniable authority as he stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the gathered wolves with steely force.

"This conflict ends here and now," he declared, his tone brooking no argument. "Neuri has made her choice, and as her alpha, it is your duty to respect that choice. Any who dare to challenge it will face the consequences."

"Father!" Alexander shouted, his anger mounting. "She is mine—!!"

Suddenly, Alpha Ashur silenced him with a raised hand. "Do not waste your breath. Cleo is still the future Luna of this pack..." His eyes held mine, his message unmistakable.

"But honey..." Mother Luna cried, giving her alpha a look of betrayal, and I swear I could see tears well up in her eyes.

"Cole, take her to your quarter!" Alpha Ashur barked in response, his gaze never wavering from mine. "Everyone else, get out of here!"

His words washed over me and I felt a bit calmer. Feeling a sense of weakness, I took a shaking step back and tripped over, but Cole caught me easily. 

In an instant, he scooped me up into his arms, his hands tightening around me as he carried me away from Alexander and Mother Luna, away from everyone else, out of the quarter.

When we were finally in the silence of his quarter moment later, I locked eyes with him, studying the contours of his sharp jawline. I was still weak, but the adrenaline pulsing through my system had subsided somewhat, giving way to the pain throbbing in my chest.

Calmly, he lay me on his bed, placing his hand gently on my forehead, his other hand cupping my jaw, caressing my cheek as his thumb traced a path over my lips.

"Why me?" He asked softly, gazing down at me as he brushed his thumbs over my cheeks.

How could I answer such a question when I know for a fact that Alexender was my mate? He completed the ritual. Our souls were tied, even in his absence, I still felt the linger of him in my mind and body.

"I am sorry," I whispered, averting my gaze. "Please forgive me, Cole. I am so sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you into my mess."

"Shh..." He hushed, his eyes searching my face, his fingers tracing my eyelids, brushing my hair behind my ears, his palm resting on my cheek as he leaned forward, capturing my lips in a tender kiss.

"I don't care that you are not mine." He murmured, his gaze intense, his voice low, and my heart gave a painful leap as his lips skimmed my neck.

I shivered at the feeling, tilting my head to give him better access, and my eyes fell closed as he sucked gently on the sensitive spot just below my earlobe.

For a servant, he started to release this strong aura that clung to him, a warmth spreading through me, making my knees buckle. I tried to push myself up on my elbows, wanting to deepen the kiss, but he pulled away before I could move, his eyes dark with lust.

"Sleep," he commanded. "We'll talk about this later."

With that, I speechlessly watched him, walk away from me, his back blurring the further he got, and my vision blurred with unshed tears. This time, I didn't hesitate as I slid myself under the covers, pulling them up to my chin as I buried my face into them, crying my heart out until exhaustion overtook me.