Chapter 9: Mate (III)
Kane's POV:
So, the daughter of Alpha Samuel was my mate. Of all the possibilities, I hadn't anticipated this. She must have just turned eighteen, allowing me to finally scent her out. The realization hit me hard. I'd known Samuel had a daughter, but I had never involved myself with his family or any of his pack members—except when formalities required it. I wouldn't have recognized the woman calling her name as the Luna if she hadn't stepped forward to speak to me during the first initiation of the contract.
Ella... Elena, I repeated the name in my head. Her name even sounded sweet, like something foreign on my defiled tongue, a name too pure for someone like me.
Seeing her, though, stirred something in me. The moment our eyes met, everything inside me screamed mine. The pull was undeniable. I didn't want her to leave my sight—not yet, not ever. There was this primal fear that she might vanish, disappear as soon as I'd found her. How could I let her walk away?
But I knew better. If she was indeed the daughter of the Luna, then this woman was soon to be my mother-in-law. And no matter how powerful or ruthless I was, there were boundaries to respect. I wasn't going to start off by disrespecting my future family—especially not the mother to my mate.
Yet, watching her walk away felt wrong, like I was allowing something precious to slip through my fingers. The possessiveness surged within me. Every instinct screamed to grab her, pull her back, claim her right there and then. But I was Alpha Kane, not some wild animal incapable of control. Still, the tension was a living thing between us. I could feel her wolf responding, the undeniable pull that only mates could share. Even though her back was turned, I could sense her awareness of me, the way her body seemed to acknowledge mine without words.
But the situation was complicated. Samuel, her father, was indebted to me—bound by a contract that gave me power over his pack. A contract that was not forged out of mutual respect but out of necessity and dominance. I knew how much Elena hated me without even needing to hear it. It was in her eyes, the shock, the disbelief when she realized who I was. I could see the struggle in her, the battle between her desire to acknowledge our bond and the weight of everything she must have heard about me.
And yet, the thought of her being mine—truly mine—was something I couldn't ignore. The very idea that the fiery, beautiful daughter of Alpha Samuel, with her long, flowing hair and defiant spirit, was destined to be mine filled me with an unfamiliar sense of pride and possessiveness. I had expected my mate to be someone who would simply fall in line, someone who would submit. But Elena... she was a challenge. And damn if I didn't want to rise to it.
I clenched my fists at my sides, trying to rein in the overpowering emotions that threatened to consume me. I wanted her now, but I knew this wasn't the time. Rushing things with her would only push her further away, and I couldn't afford that—not when I had just found her.
When I looked back at the Luna , her eyes met mine with a guarded intensity. She wasn't blind to the connection between her daughter and me. She'd noticed how Elena had reacted, and she was probably weighing her options—wondering how to protect her only child from me, the notorious Alpha Kane. Little did she know, there was nothing she could do to break the bond that was already forming. Elena was mine, and I wasn't about to let her go.
But I had to be smart about this. "I'll be back to finalize this situation as you have noticed that your daughter is my mate, Luna," I said, my voice low but filled with the authority that came naturally to me.
She nodded, her expression unreadable, and I turned to leave. But my mind was already on Elena, wondering how I would approach her next. She was my mate, and that meant sooner or later, she'd have to accept it, no matter how much she fought it now.
I turned away from where Elena and her mother had disappeared, my mind still reeling from the unexpected turn of events. The woman I had just scented as my mate—Alpha Samuel's daughter. A part of me couldn't believe it, but the pull was undeniable. Fate had finally thrown me a curveball I hadn't expected, but I wasn't one to walk away from a challenge.
I headed back to where I had left Luke, my beta, waiting by the trees outside the pack house. As I approached, I could see him standing exactly where I told him to stay, ever the loyal soldier. His sharp eyes locked on mine, and I could already tell he was curious. The look on my face must have given everything away.
"Plans have changed," I said, stopping a few feet in front of him.
His eyebrow raised slightly, but he kept his silence, waiting for me to explain.
"I've found my mate."
For the first time, I saw real shock cross his usually composed face. Luke had been with me through thick and thin—he knew everything about me, including how I'd stopped waiting for a mate years ago. His eyes widened slightly as if he was trying to process what I'd just said. "You... found her?"
I gave him a nod, letting the realization sink in for both of us.
"And she's Samuel's daughter," I added, watching his expression go from shock to a mixture of surprise and understanding. He let out a low whistle.
"The daughter of Alpha Samuel," he repeated, shaking his head in disbelief. "Does this mean… the contract's going to be suspended?" he asked cautiously.
I chuckled darkly at that. "You know how I operate, Luke. That contract doesn't change just because I've found my mate. They're still indebted to me, even if Samuel's going to be my father-in-law." The thought of that made me chuckle even more. Fate had a twisted sense of humor, but I wasn't complaining.
Luke gave a small nod, understanding my position completely. "You're not leaving without her, are you?"
"No," I growled low in my throat, the possessiveness rising in me again. "I'm not leaving without my mate."
I turned to look back at the path that led to the cabins, the place where I had just met her. Every part of me itched to go after her, to claim her right now and take her back to my pack where she belonged. But I wasn't a fool. Elena wasn't going to be an easy conquest—she had fire, and that only made me want her more. I would have to play this carefully. She hated me, that much was clear. I could see it in the way her eyes widened in disbelief when she realized who I was. But that didn't matter. She was mine, and no amount of resistance would change that.
I turned back to Luke. "You head back to our pack. Set things straight. Make sure everything is in order," I commanded.
Luke gave a respectful nod, though his gaze still held some amusement. "I'll handle things. And Kane—good luck with wooing her. Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you."
I chuckled. "She's going to be a challenge, but I've never backed down from one before, have I?"
"No, you haven't," Luke said with a grin.
With that, Luke shifted into his wolf, disappearing into the forest as he made his way back to our pack. I stayed behind, my mind already plotting my next move. Elena wasn't just any woman. She was my mate. But more than that, she was the daughter of the alpha who owed me everything. Her stubbornness and the hatred she undoubtedly harbored toward me would only make things more interesting.
There was no point in delaying the inevitable. I was going to get her, and I wasn't going to leave without her. She could try to resist, but it would only be a matter of time before she realized the truth. Mates were bound by fate, and no amount of denial could change that.
I started walking back toward the pack house, my wolf pacing restlessly inside me. Ash was just as eager as I was to claim our mate, but I had to keep a lid on my urges. There was a delicate balance here. Samuel and his pack were still indebted to me, and despite how much I wanted to storm in and take what was mine, I couldn't afford to play recklessly. Not yet.
As I neared the pack house, I spotted a few of the pack members glancing my way, clearly aware of who I was. They kept their distance, and I couldn't help but smirk. Fear and respect—two things I had earned over the years, and they served me well in situations like this.
I was Alpha Kane, after all. And I wasn't just here to play nice. I was here to collect my mate, and I'd be damned if anyone stood in my way.
I could almost see her in my mind's eye, the way her eyes had widened when we locked gazes, the way her breath had caught as the realization hit her. She knew, even if she wasn't ready to admit it yet. She felt the pull, just like I did.
This was only the beginning. Soon enough, Elena would be mine. And when that day came, there would be no going back.
Something New
Claimed by the Alpha and the Vampire Prince:Masquerading as aMan
Chapter 10: Father-In-Law
Alpha Kane's POV:
I returned to Alpha Samuel's office just as he was about to leave. His hand hovered over the door handle, and he looked up, clearly surprised to see me standing there.
"Alpha Kane, I thought you had already left," he said, his voice carrying a hint of confusion. "Is there anything you've forgotten?"
I didn't answer his question directly. Instead, I narrowed my eyes slightly, taking in the subtle signs of tension in his stance. "You seem to be in a hurry," I commented, my tone casual but pointed. His smile faltered for a brief second before he composed himself.
"Aah, yeah," he responded, chuckling softly as if to ease his nerves. "I was heading back to my place since it's my daughter's birthday today."
Just like I thought, I mused silently. She had just turned eighteen, which explained why I was finally able to scent her. My mate.
"Well," I began, folding my arms across my chest, watching him carefully, "speaking of your daughter, that's exactly what I came to talk to you about."
As soon as the words left my mouth, the lightness in his expression vanished, replaced by a subtle tension that rippled through his entire body. His smile tightened, and his gaze sharpened.
He stiffened, clearly on edge. "My daughter?" he repeated, his voice wary now. "What about her, Alpha Kane?"
There it was—his immediate defensiveness, almost like he knew what was coming, but didn't want to believe it. His instincts were telling him something was amiss, and from the way his shoulders squared, he was bracing for whatever came next.
I smirked inwardly, fully aware of the power dynamic in the room. The air felt charged, and I could practically taste the tension. This conversation was about to get interesting.
"I'm going to take her with me when I leave, and apparently, I think I'll be staying over for a few days." My voice was calm, almost casual, but the effect was immediate. Alpha Samuel's face drained of color, his knees nearly buckling as if the weight of my words was too much for him.
"Please…" he stammered, his tone edging toward desperation. "Anyone but my daughter, Alpha Kane. Please, I beg you."
I watched as he stood there, pleading for his daughter's sake, clearly misunderstanding my intentions. In his mind, I was simply exerting my dominance, claiming her as part of the contract, ready to take whatever I pleased from him and his pack. Not that it was beyond me—technically, the contract allowed me to request anything I wanted, and Samuel would be obligated to deliver. But this wasn't just some trivial demand.
I could have started by telling him the truth—that his daughter was my mate—but where was the fun in that? Besides, rattling him a bit made the situation more entertaining.
Still, I could see his genuine panic, and while I had no qualms about playing with people's emotions, he was my mate's father. I figured I could ease his worries a little before he passed out in front of me.
"Are you going to stand between me and my mate?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, my tone shifting ever so slightly to challenge him.
The words hit him like a physical blow, and he paled even more, if that was possible. "M-Mate?" he stuttered, his shock clear. The disbelief in his voice made the situation all the more amusing.
"Yes, apparently, your daughter is my mate," I explained, watching closely as his face twisted with confusion, his mind racing to make sense of it all. I was half-worried he might drop dead on the spot, and then I'd have to explain to Elena how her father keeled over in my presence. Not the best way to start things off with my mate.
"But that's impossible!" Samuel blurted, his eyes wide, his voice shaky. "My daughter's mate is… Derick."
His words sparked something dangerous inside me. The name alone was enough to send a surge of fury through my veins, igniting a possessive rage I hadn't felt in a long time. How in the hell does my mate already have a mate?
"Derick?" I growled, my voice low and menacing, fists clenching as the murderous urge coursed through me. My wolf was already snarling, demanding blood. Who the hell is this Derick, and why does he think he has any claim over what's mine?
Samuel seemed to realize his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth. His eyes widened even more as he took a small step back, clearly sensing the shift in the air, the danger now crackling between us.
"You better start explaining," I said, my voice a dark warning. "Before I lose what little patience I have left."
"Okay, Alpha Kane... calm down." Samuel raised his hands in a gesture of peace, his voice trembling, trying to defuse the ticking bomb that was my temper. "Derick was... well, we all thought he was her mate."
I glared at him, my wolf barely contained, pacing restlessly within me. "You thought?" I growled through clenched teeth, the possessive rage boiling just beneath the surface. I didn't like the sound of this—of another man even being mentioned in the same sentence as my mate.
Samuel gulped, visibly nervous. "Yes, we all assumed," he rushed out, "even Derick did. They've known each other since they were kids. Everyone thought they were destined to be mates. Your mate... Elena... she even believed it. That's why she's been... waiting."
"Waiting?" I repeated, the word tasting bitter on my tongue. My heart pounded furiously at the thought of my mate holding herself back, waiting for some other man to claim her. I was not the kind of man to share, nor would I ever.
"She refused to let things get... physical until her eighteenth birthday, to confirm their bond. Today was supposed to be the day they'd find out for sure," Samuel explained, wringing his hands nervously.
"Supposed to be?" My voice was deadly quiet, but the meaning behind it was clear. Samuel was treading on very dangerous ground, and we both knew it.
"Yes... but obviously, it's not Derick," Samuel said quickly, glancing at me to see if his explanation had calmed me even slightly. "You're her true mate, Alpha Kane."
The knowledge that Derick had been in the picture at all made my blood boil, but hearing Samuel's confirmation that I was her mate allowed me a moment of satisfaction. She wasn't his, and she never would be. But still, the thought of that fool even thinking he had a claim on her made my wolf want to tear something—or someone—apart.
"Where is he now?" I asked, my voice sharper than I intended, but I didn't care. I needed to know where this so-called 'mate' of hers was.
Samuel shifted uncomfortably, clearly aware of the direction this was going. "Derick is still around. He's a good man, Kane," he added cautiously, as if that would somehow make me less inclined to rip him apart. "He's the Beta's son, and—"
"I don't care who he is," I interrupted, my voice low and dangerous. "No one touches what's mine."
Something New
Claimed by the Alpha and the Vampire Prince:Masquerading as aMan
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