Betrayed by Blood, Claimed by the Alpha

Betrayed by Blood 3~

The ache was the first thing I noticed—sharp and wrapped around my entire body. I blinked slowly, the room coming into focus, but everything felt unfamiliar and wrong. I shifted slightly, and pain shot through my body like a dam.

Where am I?

My heart began to race, the last things I remembered flashing in my mind: the cliff, the fall, that word… mate. Had I imagined it? Or did I really hear it?

I forced myself to sit up, the bed beneath me far softer than anything I'd ever known, which only made me feel more out of place. The air smelled faintly of cedar and lemon, nothing like the forest where I'd woken before. I looked around; the room was painted in cream, it had two windows covered with curtains. The room lacked furniture yet it was far different from what I was used to back home.

The door creaked, and I looked up as someone entered. My throat tightened, and I swallowed down the panic rising in my chest.

"You're awake," the man said, his voice flat. He looked me over, and I could see the irritation in his eyes. I shrunk back into myself, wondering who he was. I watched as he walked around, doing his job, then he suddenly stopped and looked at me. "You shouldn't be sitting. We had to stitch you," he gritted out in annoyance.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out and quickly laid back down again.

The man opened his mouth as though he was going to say something then stopped, "You should be fine in a few hours," he said gruffly.

"T-thank you. umm…W-where am I?" I managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

He raised an eyebrow. "You're in the Vehiron Pack."

My eyes widened at his words as the words echoed in my head again. Mate. Mate. Mate.

A shiver ran through me. This couldn't be real. This man… he was my mate?

Cain. Alpha Cain.

My mate.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the thought to disappear. There was no way he would accept me. He was ruthless, a monster by every tale I'd heard. His reputation was enough to make anyone cower in fear. They said he's rejected every woman who came near him, throwing them aside like discarded toys.

He would never accept me. Alpha Cain wouldn't even look twice at me, let alone take me as his mate. I was truly screwed in all senses.

What had the moon goddess been thinking? Was I her next comedy project because this is truly laughable.

An hour later, I heard the door creak again, the same man I'd seen earlier stepped in. "Alpha Cain wants to see you," he said simply, his tone giving me no comfort.

I froze at the mention of his name—Alpha Cain. The words hung in the air like a heavy weight, making it hard to breathe.

"Alpha Cain wants to see you," the man repeated, his eyes flicking over me with the same irritation as before.

I nodded weakly, unsure if I could move or speak at all but managed to get up. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening to me. I know he's going to reject me, but I was hoping I still had time. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening to me.

The man didn't wait for a response. He turned on his heel and started walking toward the door, clearly uninterested in my reaction.

We finally stopped outside a thick door; I could hear the low murmur of voices on the other side. The man didn't knock, simply opened the door and gestured for me to step inside.

Inside the room, the scent of leather and cedar was thick in the air. At the far end, sitting at a massive desk made of dark wood, was him. My mate.

His presence was so powerful and intense that it almost felt like the air around him was charged. He lifted his gaze as I entered, and my breath caught in my throat. He was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen.

He didn't speak, just watched me with those cold, unreadable eyes. The man who had led me here stepped back, leaving me standing alone before Cain. I felt like prey in front of a predator. I shrunk back into myself, my heart beating harder than ever.

"Sit," Cain said, his voice rough and commanding.

I didn't move, frozen in place. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving mine. "Are you deaf?" His voice was low.

I flinched and slowly moved to the chair across from him, sitting stiffly, my hands clenched on my thighs.

Alpha Cain's eyes darkened, and I could see the anger flickering behind his eyes. He stared at me for a long moment, his lips pressed tightly. Then, suddenly, his voice dropped dangerously.

"How old are you?" He asked, his words colder than before.

I swallowed hard, barely holding his gaze. "Nineteen," I replied.

His eyes flashed, and for a moment, I swore I saw them glow an eerie shade of dark.

He stood up abruptly. "He growled under his breath, a bitter laugh escaping his throat. "You're not even old enough to be rejected properly."

I felt my stomach twist in knots. His words hit me like a blow, and my heart sank deeper than I ever thought possible. In two months, I'll be twenty. The ripe age of getting rejected.

He ran his fingers through his hair manically. "You're not my mate," he snapped, "I don't want one. Not now, not ever."

His fists clenched at his sides, and his eyes never left mine. "Until you're old enough to be rejected, stay the hell out of my sight."