After His False Mark, The Alpha King Claimed Me | Read Free Preview
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Chapter 1 — The Mark That Lied
"You were never marked."
The doctor's words hung in the air like a death sentence. I stared at him, my throat tight and my pulse hammering against my ribs. "That's impossible. Run the test again."
Dr. Hale's expression didn't change. It was still professional and careful. He gestured to the screen where my bloodwork results glowed in sterile white light.
"Luna Keira, I've run it three times. There's no trace of a mate bond in your system. No marking hormone, no pheromone signature. Nothing."
My legs went numb. I gripped the edge of the examination table, the cold metal biting into my palms. "But I have the mark. It's right here." I pulled down the collar of my shirt, exposing the crescent-shaped scar on my neck, the one Alden had given me two years ago during our mating ceremony.
Dr. Hale looked uncomfortable. "That's a physical scar, yes. But biologically, there is no bond."
The room tilted. I had to get out. I mumbled something, a thanks maybe, and stumbled into the hallway, my vision blurring at the edges.
Two years. Two years of believing Alden and I were bound by fate, that we had built Stormfang Pack together as true mates, was all a lie.
I drove home on autopilot, my mind raging like a storm. The way Alden always seemed distant. The careful politeness between us, like we were colleagues instead of lovers. The way he never let me mark him in return.
I had convinced myself it was just his nature. But now every memory felt like evidence of a lie I'd been too blind to see.
When I pulled into the driveway, the house loomed before me coldly. The front door was unlocked. I heard voices coming from Alden's office and I strained my ears to hear.
I wasn't surprised when I heard Rena's voice.
She was here again. Of course she was. She'd been coming to the house for months now, always under the pretense of treating Alden's old injuries.
He'd been hurt badly during the rogue war years ago, and Rena, one of the few Omegas with healing abilities, had saved his life. I'd never questioned her presence.
But now, standing in the hallway with the doctor's words still echoing in my skull, I felt something twist inside me.
I moved closer to the door, my footsteps silent. Through the crack, I could see them. Alden leaned against his desk, his expression softer than I'd ever seen it, and Rena standing close, her hand on his arm.
"You can't keep doing this," Rena said, her voice trembling. "It's tearing me apart, Alden. Watching you with her, pretending we're nothing—"
"I know." Alden's voice was rough and strained. "But you understand why it has to be this way. If anyone found out you're my Fated Mate—"
The world suddenly stopped.
Fated Mate.
My chest felt like it was caving in. I couldn't breathe.
"An Omega," Alden continued, his tone sounding bitter. "How would that look? The Alpha of Stormfang Pack, mated to a lowborn healer. I'd lose everything. All my respect and alliances. Keira's a beta, but she's strong and respected. She's the perfect Luna for appearances."
"And Erion?" Rena's voice cracked. "How much longer do I have to pretend he's not mine? He's our son, Alden. Ours."
My knees buckled. I grabbed the doorframe to keep from collapsing. Erion. The boy we'd "adopted" three months ago. The child I'd loved, cared for, tried so hard to bond with… even when he pushed me away, even when Alden's mother made cruel jokes about my supposed infertility.
It had all been a lie.
Alden had made me believe I couldn't have children. He'd watched me cry over it, watched me endure his family's scorn, and said nothing. Because the truth was worse: the child in our home was his and Rena's. A secret family, hidden in plain sight.
"Soon," Alden murmured. "I promise. Once things settle, we'll find a way."
I didn't wait to hear more. I turned and stumbled down the hall, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might shatter my ribs.
When I reached the foyer, I heard running footsteps. A second later, something cold and wet splashed across my chest.
"Got you!" Erion shrieked, laughing as he aimed the water gun at me again.
I stood frozen, water dripping down my dress, staring at the boy I'd tried so hard to love. His eyes, suddenly noticing how they looked eerily alike to Alden's eyes, gleamed with mischief behind him as he ran off, still laughing.
All those nights I'd read him stories. All the lunches I'd packed. Every attempt to be his mother, met with indifference or cruelty.
Because I wasn't his mother. I never had been.
The housekeeper appeared, apologetic. "Luna Keira, I'm so sorry. Let me get you a towel. Oh, and this came for you earlier, it seemed urgent." She pressed a thick envelope into my hands.
I barely registered it at first. My fingers moved mechanically, breaking the red wax seal. A crest was pressed into it. It was a crescent moon wrapped in thorns. Something about it tugged at a memory I couldn't quite grasp.
Inside was a single sheet of parchment.
To Keira Ashford,
You are the daughter of Alpha Ronan Ashford of the Mooncrest Pack. You are his only living heir, and the rightful Alpha of his bloodline.
Your return is long overdue.
—Damien Ashford
I stared at the words until they blurred. I thought I was hallucinating until I sat down and read it again.
I had parents. They'd died when I was young, leaving me in the care of a beta family. I'd grown up believing that was all I was a beta who was orphaned and alone.
But this letter claimed something else entirely.
I pressed my fingers to the charm I always wore around my neck, a small silver pendant I'd had since childhood. Surprisingly, I noticed that the pattern etched into it matched the crest on the seal perfectly.
My breath caught in my throat.
Chapter 2 — Blood Wakes
What? I'm actually an Alpha heir?
The question echoed in my mind as I stared at the letter, my hands trembling. At first, I suspected it was a trap. Some elaborate scheme to lure me away from Stormfang Pack.
Heat bloomed in my chest, spreading through my veins like liquid fire. My wolf stirred, but not the quiet, manageable presence I'd always known, but something far more powerful.
I could suddenly feel my vision sharpening. My senses heightened, and the anger and pressure that had been crushing me moments ago suddenly ignited into something else entirely.
It was strength.
I gasped, bracing myself against the wall as the transformation rippled through me. It felt like Alpha blood awakening, or maybe it was something else because this was too shocking.
The front door opened and I heard Alden's footsteps echoing in the hallway.
I shoved the letter into my pocket and straightened, forcing my expression into neutrality. When he appeared, his face was drawn and tired. He didn't even seem to notice my wet dress or the water still pooling on the floor.
"Keira," he said, his voice strained. "We need to talk."
I waited silently, trying my possible best to not react. I couldn't show him I knew yet.
He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture I'd once found endearing. "I've been under a lot of pressure lately. The pack expansion, the alliance negotiations… and it's affecting me physically. My wolf keeps shutting down and falling into dormancy. It's dangerous."
"I see," I replied flatly.
"Rena's treatments have been helping, but they're not enough anymore. I need her here more consistently." He met my eyes, and I saw the lie forming before he even spoke it. "I think it would be best if she moved in with us for a while. Just temporarily, until I stabilize."
The audacity of it stole my breath. They were fated mates, so they should have been together all along. And now they didn't even bother to hide it anymore.
I could have screamed. I could have thrown his betrayal in his face. Instead, I smiled.
"Of course," I said softly. "If that's what you need."
Alden blinked, surprised by how easily I'd agreed. "You're… you're okay with this?"
"You're clearly under tremendous stress," I continued, my tone measured and considerate. "In fact, I think you should rest for a few days. Take a step back from pack affairs. Let me handle things while you focus on your recovery."
His expression softened with relief and something that might have been guilt. "Keira, you're… thank you. You're so understanding. I don't know what I'd do without you."
I turned away before he could see the coldness in my eyes. "It's nothing. You should rest now."
As his footsteps retreated up the stairs, I pulled out the letter again, reading the name at the bottom. Damien Ashford.
If this was real, there was only one way to find out.
-----
The drive to Mooncrest Pack territory took three hours. I'd told the household staff I was visiting a potential alliance partner and would return by evening. No one questioned it since I handled all of Alden's external relations anyway.
As I crossed into Mooncrest lands, my breath caught. I'd known the pack was powerful and respected, but the reality still surprised me.
A guard stopped me at the gate. When I gave my name, his eyes widened slightly, and he immediately stepped aside to let me through.
Damien was waiting in the main hall. He was a tall man in his fifties with sharp features and kind eyes. He looked at me for a long moment, and I saw something like grief flicker across his face.
"You look just like him," he said quietly. "My brother."
I smiled, not knowing how to react. "You sent the letter."
He nodded. "You're the only bloodline left from Ronan. His only true child." He paused, studying me. "You didn't know, did you? That you were his daughter?"
"I was raised by a beta family. They told me my parents died in a rogue attack."
"They did. But not your biological parents." Damien gestured for me to follow him deeper into the compound. "Ronan's mate, your mother, died giving birth to you. He was devastated. And then, a year later, Ronan was killed in the same war that nearly destroyed Stormfang Pack."
My chest tightened. "And the son? The one everyone thought was his heir?"
Damien's expression darkened. "Not his biological child. Marienne, Ronan's second mate, brought the boy with her. She claimed he was Ronan's from a previous relationship, and in his grief, Ronan accepted it. But the boy has no Alpha blood."
We stopped in front of a set of double doors. Damien's hand rested on the handle, but he didn't open it yet.
"Marienne has been running this pack since Ronan died. She and her son, Lucian, have grown very comfortable in their positions. Your return threatens everything they've built."
"Then why tell me now?" I asked.
"Because it's the right thing to do. And because this pack deserves its true Alpha." He pushed open the doors. "But I warn you, they won't give it up without a fight."
I nodded as we stepped inside and the first person I saw was a woman in her forties, with a young man beside her who was looking at me with naked hostility.
My stepmother and Lucian, her son.
"So," Marienne said, her voice like ice. "You're the lost daughter. How… convenient."
I met her gaze steadily. "Yes."
Lucian laughed bitterly. "Heir? She's been gone for decades. She has no claim here."
"I have every claim," I said quietly. "And I intend to take what's mine."
Marienne's expression didn't change, but I saw the calculation in her eyes. She glanced at Damien, then back to me. "Perhaps we can come to an… arrangement. One that benefits everyone."
"I'm listening."
She smiled coldly. "We'll give you one hundred million dollars. You can keep the title of Alpha's daughter, but you will sign away your inheritance rights."
Somehow, I'd expected this. Their so-called negotiation was nothing but trying to buy me off.
"No," I replied, simply.
Her smile vanished. "Excuse me?"
"I said no. I'm not selling my birthright."
Marienne's face hardened. "Then you're a fool. Lucian." She signalled to her son.
He stepped forward, and suddenly guards came out from the shadows, blocking the way.
"You're not leaving here until you sign," Marienne smirked. "One way or another."
I'd been mentally prepared for resistance, but I still didn't expect them to actually use force. Damien moved to stand beside me, his expression grim but unsurprised.
The air grew thick with tension. I felt my newly awakened Alpha power rising, preparing to defend myself if necessary.
But suddenly, there were hurried footsteps echoing in the hall outside, and the doors burst open.
A squad of elite guards marched in, dressed in black gear, their presence commanding immediate attention. Behind them came a man in an expensive black suit.
He walked directly to Marienne and leaned in, whispering something in her ear. The color drained from her face and Lucian's eyes went wide.
The man straightened and turned, scanning the room until his gaze landed on me. He approached me, his expression neutral but his eyes sharp.
"Are you Keira Ashford?" he asked.
I didn't understand what was happening, but I nodded. "Yes."
"The Alpha King requests your presence. He wishes to invite you to dinner this evening." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a simple black card, then handed it to me.
Chapter 3 — The King's Card
Keira's POV
I held the card in my hand, staring at the name printed in silver lettering. Kaelan. Just that single name, elegant and simple, with a phone number beneath it.
My fingers trembled slightly as I turned it over, searching for more information like a title, an address, or anything that would help me understand what had just happened, but there was nothing. Just that one name, like he did not need more introduction.
The Alpha King. That's what the messenger had said.
I easily traced him to the whispers in pack meetings and the careful mentions in alliance discussions. The youngest Alpha King in generations who was known to be ruthless and calculating, and held more power at twenty-eight than most Alphas accumulated in a lifetime.
But he'd always seemed mythical, like someone who existed in a different world entirely from mine, and now he wanted to have dinner with me.
My head was spinning. Too much had happened too fast, and I couldn't seem to catch my breath long enough to think clearly.
I was about to leave the house to process what was going on when Damien stopped me at the entrance. His hand didn't quite touch me, but his presence effectively blocked my path.
"Keira, wait." His voice carried an urgency that made me pause. "We need to talk before you go."
After everything that had happened with the Mooncrest Pack, from Marienne's cold calculations, Lucian's hostility, and the guards moving to trap me, I still didn't trust anyone connected to them.
My guard was up, my newly awakened instincts coiling tight beneath my skin. Damien could seem kind and he could act like he wanted to help, but he was still part of the family that had just tried to force me into signing away my birthright.
"If this is about convincing me to take Marienne's offer," I said carefully, "you're wasting your breath."
"It's not." He glanced over his shoulder, making sure we were alone in the corridor. "I'm trying to help you understand what just happened in there."
He tried to reassure me, his voice taking on that patient tone people used when they thought you were being unreasonable. "I'm not like the others, Keira. I'm not trying to manipulate you or push you into something that benefits me. I genuinely want to help."
I said nothing, just studied his face for any sign of deception. I'd gotten so good at seeing what I wanted to see with Alden, at believing the lies because they were wrapped in kind words and gentle touches. I wouldn't make that mistake again. Trust was a luxury I could no longer afford.
"You don't believe me," Damien observed. "I don't blame you. But hear me out anyway."
I didn't believe him, not completely, but I waited. After everything that had happened today, I needed information more than I needed to maintain my pride.
He gestured toward the card still clutched in my hand. "Do you understand what that represents? Not just the invitation, but what it means that Kaelan sent his personal people to intervene?"
"I assume it means he has influence," I said carefully.
"Influence." Damien let out a short laugh, but there was no humor in it. "That's like calling the ocean damp. Keira, you need to understand something crucial about your position here." His expression turned serious. "As the Alpha's daughter who suddenly returned after all these years, no one in this pack would ever let you live freely."
The words settled over me like ice water. I'd suspected as much from their reactions, from the desperation in Marienne's attempt to buy me off, but hearing it stated so plainly made it real in a way it hadn't been before.
"You walked in here threatening decades of carefully built power structures," Damien continued. "Marienne has spent years positioning Lucian as the heir. She's made promises, formed alliances, and distributed favors all based on the assumption that he would inherit everything. Your existence threatens all of that."
"So I'm a problem that needs to be solved," I said quietly.
"Exactly. And problems like you don't usually leave Mooncrest Pack territory alive." His bluntness made me flinch, but I appreciated it more than empty reassurances. "Marienne tried money first because it was cleaner. When you refused, she moved to force. Those guards weren't just meant to intimidate you, Keira."
I didn't need him to finish that sentence. The implications were clear enough.
"But then Kaelan's squad arrived," I said slowly, beginning to understand.
"You were lucky," Damien said, emphasizing the word. "Very lucky. Because Alpha King Kaelan had taken notice of you and even invited you to dinner."
I looked down at the card again, seeing it differently now. I suddenly saw it as not just an invitation, but a lifeline.
"He's the one everyone talks about, isn't he?" I asked. "The youngest Alpha King."
Damien nodded. "Kaelan is twenty-eight and already controls more territory than any Alpha King in the last century. He's brilliant, ruthless when he needs to be, and he doesn't make moves without calculating every possible outcome." He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "And right now, he's extending his hand to you. That's not luck, Keira. That's an opportunity."
The weight of the card seemed to increase in my hand. "Opportunity for what?"
Damien's gaze was steady, calculating. "Forming an alliance with him will mean that not even Marienne would be able to stand in your way. No one would dare touch you if you had the Alpha King's support."
I swallowed hard.
"You should accept Kaelan's invitation and see where things could lead," Damien pressed. "Even if it's just dinner and nothing comes of it. It tells everyone in this pack and beyond that you're not someone to be dismissed or threatened."
I said nothing for a long moment, turning his words over in my mind. He was right. I understood that much, even through the fog of confusion and exhaustion that had been pressing down on me since I'd left the doctor's office this morning.
Having the Alpha King extend a hand was an opportunity I couldn't afford to ignore, no matter how uncertain I felt about it.
"Alright," I said finally, slipping the card back into my pocket. "I'll accept his invitation."
Relief flickered across Damien's face. "Good. That's good, Keira. Be smart about this. Kaelan could be your best chance at not just surviving, but thriving."
So I agreed. Not because I trusted Damien, or because I understood what the Alpha King wanted from me, but because I recognized the truth in his words. I was alone, and being alone in pack politics was the same as being dead.
"I should go," I said, suddenly desperate to leave this place. "Before Marienne decides to try something else."
Damien stepped aside, clearing my path. "Goodbye, Keira."
I didn't trust myself to respond to that, so I just turned and walked away, my hand finding its way back to my pocket where the card rested.
The drive back to Stormfang Pack territory felt endless. My mind couldn't settle, jumping from Alden's betrayal to Marienne's threats to that card and the dangerous possibility it represented.
When I finally pulled into the driveway, I stopped to breathe before I got out. The front door was unlocked, so I stepped inside and was immediately struck by how quiet everything was.
"Hello?" My voice echoed in the foyer.
One of the servants appeared, her expression carefully neutral. "Luna Keira! We didn't expect you back quite yet."
"Where is everyone?" I asked, though part of me already knew.
She hesitated. "Alpha Alden took Miss Rena and Erion out for the day. He said they wouldn't be returning tonight."
The words hit like a physical blow. While I'd been fighting for my life and my future, Alden had been playing happy family with his real mate and their real child.
I checked my phone and I saw his missed calls and messages.
Erion really wanted to spend time with Rena today. I'm taking them to the park. Don't wait up.
We're staying at a hotel tonight. See you tomorrow.
The three of them were out together, behaving like a perfect little family. Because they were a family. A real family, and I was just the facade.
Fine. Their absence only made my next steps easier. I climbed the stairs and pulled out my suitcases. When I called a few servants to help me pack, they were surprised to see me boxing up everything I owned.
"Are you planning to travel far, ma'am?" one asked carefully.
I kept my tone calm. "I'm leaving for a while. But don't inform Alden. He's busy lately and doesn't need to be disturbed."
He was indeed busy, just not with me. He was busy with his mate and his child. As I closed one of the boxes, I felt a faint, cold smile forming.
Let him have his perfect family time. Let him believe everything was still under control. His peaceful days were coming to an end.
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