MATED TO THE SECRET ALPHA
Chapter 173: Mate

Chapter 173: Mate

Kael’s snarl rumbled through the clearing as Reana dug her paws into the earth, lowering into a defensive crouch.

This wasn’t about winning anymore.

This was about surviving.

But just as he pounced, a massive grey blur flashed forward and slammed into Kael mid-leap, knocking him sideways.

Kael hit the ground with a furious growl, immediately rolling to his feet, teeth bared, hackles high.

A colossal grey wolf stood between him and Reana, head low, a deep warning growl vibrating from his chest, despite his injuries.

It was Beta Thane.

Reana could see that the injured Beta couldn’t beat Kael. She knew it was a gamble, a desperate, dangerous gamble. But he wasn’t here to win.

He was here to buy her time to find a solution.

Roaring in fury, Kael lunged at him. The two collided with a savage crash, snapping and clawing, the air thick with snarls and the sharp scent of blood that not only dyed their furs and matted it, but painted the snow red.

The fight lasted less than two minutes before Kael’s fangs closed viciously around Thane’s shoulder, lifting the massive Beta off his paws and hurling him across the field like a broken doll.

Thane hit the ground hard, a pained grunt escaping him as he skidded through the grass and didn’t get up after that.

"Gasp!"

A collective gasp rippled through the warriors.

Kael turned, blood dripping from his muzzle, golden eyes blazing with unfocused rage. His chest heaved, a ragged snarl tearing from his throat as he locked on Reana once again.

This time, there was no hesitation.

He charged.

Reana braced herself, body screaming in protest. She couldn’t outrun him. She couldn’t overpower him.

And if he caught her — he might kill her.

Perhaps, not because he wanted to, but because he had lost himself.

’KAEL!’ she screamed through their link, a raw, desperate roar.

For a fraction of a second, he faltered. The monster inside him hesitated slightly, but it wouldn’t hold for long because the murderous look in his eyes only grew sharper.

Reana didn’t waste the few seconds of his inaction. She lunged forward before he could pose for defense and sank her fangs into his shoulder.

The taste of his blood filled her mouth, metallic and fresh. Kael roared as his momentum slammed her to the ground again, but she refused to let go.

They rolled violently across the field. Kael thrashed, raked his claws across her side as pain exploded in her ribs, but Reana clung tighter, heart pounding, spirit screaming his name.

’Kael!’ she growled, forcing her voice into his mind past the maelstrom of rage.

The chaos inside him slammed against her, a wild, searing tide of grief, fury, confusion, and unbearable pain. It nearly drowned her.

But she held on... not just with her teeth, but with her very soul.

Kael stumbled, muscles shuddering beneath her grip. His molten eyes blinked rapidly, as if something deep inside him struggled to surface.

’Kael,’ she whispered, trembling. ’You don’t want this. You won’t enjoy killing me like this. You want to see me succumb to your aging poison, don’t you? You want to see me beg you to kill me. Don’t you want to find your mate?’

Kael froze.

For a heartbeat, the entire world held still.

The warriors held their breath. The very wind seemed to stop.

As if he finally understood, Kael released a sound that wasn’t a snarl. It wasn’t a roar... but a broken, wounded whimper.

His great body shuddered violently.

Slowly, Reana loosened her hold and slowly released her jaw. But she didn’t back away immediately.

She stayed, observing him as Kael’s chest heaved under the weight of his own torment. His furious golden gaze dulled, flickering into something raw and ragged.

And then, just when it seemed he might collapse, Kael turned and sprinted away, vanishing into the woods, leaving everything and everyone behind.

The warriors shifted. Instinct told them to give chase, especially now that he appeared weak, but Reana mindlinked them sharply:

’Let him go.’

And then, she shifted to her human form. Snow rained down on her white fur. As it melted, streaks of crimson revealed the extent of her injuries, but she ignored the pain.

Reana raised her head, surveying her surroundings. Seeing that most of the wounded were still moving, she sighed with relief. Then, her gaze drifted to Beta Thane.

"Thane," she called out. Her voice was cold, masking the panic in her chest.

Beta Thane stirred weakly, a low groan escaping him. Relief surged through Reana’s battered body. He was alive. Somehow.

She staggered toward him, forcing her aching limbs to move. Warriors rushed forward now, carefully lifting Thane and other wounded while casting wary glances at the trees where Kael had disappeared.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"I... I think I’ll live," Thane rasped, his mouth twitching into a grimace that might have been a smile if not for the pain wracking his body, as he leaned on another warrior.

Relief, so fierce it almost dropped her to her knees, flooded Reana’s chest. She brushed blood-matted fur from her shoulder with trembling fingers.

Her voice softened, despite the hard edge she forced herself to wear for the sake of the warriors gathering around.

"You fought well," she said quietly, her voice thick with pride as her gaze shifted through the other wounded. "You all fought well."

The wounded tried to bow but she waved her hand, "Send them to the healer."

Just as she turned and was about to leave, Elder Collins trotted forward. "Luna."

Reana turned to him. "What happened to Kael?" she asked.

"I don’t know," he began. "After you left the pack’s graveyard, disaster struck..." the elder hesitated. He couldn’t tell her about what happened to his niece’s grave. It was better she heard it from someone else. "I believe that Kael was possessed by the spirits because he broke the long lasting tradition of maintaining peace and quiet in the sacred graveyard."

Reana frowned. "Did something happen after I left?"

"It’s not a matter to discuss while you’re standing, Luna." His gaze drifted off to her fur-covered body. "You’re injured. You need treatment. I’ll call for a council meeting tomorrow morning to discuss this matter."

Reana didn’t push him further. She gave him a faint nod before leaving.

But a few steps towards her quarters, her wolf suddenly stirred as a strange scent wafted into her nose.

’Mate.’