Chapter 10
Maxwell’s POV.
What have I done to deserve this punishment? Why has the Moon Goddess chosen to torment me in this way? For so long, I’ve waited, yearned for my mate. I imagined the day I’d find her, my heart finally whole. But now that I’ve found her, she’s destined to belong to another as well?
stepped away from the door, my mind in turmoil. Rosa greeted me with a respectful bow as I passed her, but I barely acknowledged her presence. My thoughts were too heavy, a suffocating weight in my chest. Once inside my chambers, I shut the door quietly behind me and leaned against it, letting out a slow, shuddering breath.
The walls seemed to close in on me. My composure cracked, but no tears fell. Tears were a luxury I couldn’t afford. I am the King, the Alpha King. No matter how deeply I’m hurt, I cannot show weakness.
“You need to stop this,” Zion, my wolf, growled within me, his voice a low rumble of anger. “She is ours. Go back in there and claim/her before it’s too late!”
“What if she dies?” I shot back. “Is that what you want? Do you think I can risk her life to satisfy your impatience? Be quiet, Zion. I’m doing this for her. Once she’s healed, I’ll claim her, and no one will dare come near her. She is ours, my queen.”
Zion growled again, but he fell silent. I could feel his frustration, his restlessness, as if he were pacing within me, clawing at the edges of my control.
A sudden mind–link from my Beta, Cross, interrupted my storm of emotions.
“Your Majesty, where are you?”
“In my chambers. What is it?”
“Alpha Mathias sent a message. His pack was attacked today by unknown Lycans. He‘ s requested a meeting with you, me, and the other Alphas tomorrow morning.”
“Schedule it,” I ordered, my tone clipped. “I’ll see them.”
I cut the link and let out a sharp breath. My chest felt tight, my heart pounding too fast. What could this attack mean? Could it be connected to the unrest in the territories?
Before I could dwell on it further, I heard her voice, Delilah. She was calling for me. My mate needed me.
I didn’t think. I moved.
Bursting out of my chambers, J.found Rosa pacing anxiously in the hallway.
“What happened?” I demanded, my voice sharp.
“I’m not sure, Your Majesty,” Rosa said, her eyes wide with worry. “They’ve been arguing since she woke up.”
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“She’s awake?” My heart leaped at the news.
“Yes, Your Majesty, but-”
I didn’t let her finish. I strode down the hall, my long strides eating up the distance to the room. I pushed open the door, and what I saw made me stop cold.
Alpha Farrell was on the floor, groaning in pain, clutching his sides. Delilah stood over him, her electric–blue eyes glowing a fierce gold. Power radiated off her in waves, an energy I couldn’t place.
Farrell’s cries grew louder as he writhed under her gaze.
“Delilah!” I called out, my voice firm, authoritative. “Stop. You need to calm down.”
Her golden eyes snapped to me, and for a moment, I felt the weight of her gaze, as though she were peering into my soul. Instinctively, I shifted into my Alpha defense stance, ready to protect myself. But then, as if recognizing me, her eyes softened, reverting to their usual electric blue. Shock replaced the fury on her face.
“You? What are you?” she asked, pointing a trembling finger at me.
“I am Maxwell Lincoln,” I said evenly, holding her gaze. “Ruler of the seven zones and Alpha of the Shadow Claws Pack. I am your mate.”
Her eyes widened in disbelief before narrowing again as she turned her gaze to Farrell.
“If you are my mate, then what is he doing here?” she demanded, her voice like a blade cutting through the room.
I hesitated. Should I tell her the truth? Should I risk her anger? But before I could answer, Farrell spoke.
“Delilah,” he said hoarsely, dragging himself to his feet, “you are my mate too.”
The room fell into silence, the weight of his words suffocating.
“How can I be your mate, Farrell?” Delilah spat, her voice laced with venom. “You drove me out of my home and chose my friend as your Luna. You lost any claim to me long ago. Leave now before I make you regret staying.”
Her defiance made my chest swell with pride, but Farrell looked shaken, as if battling something within himself. He glanced at me, his eyes filled with an emotion I couldn’t place.
“Your Majesty,” Farrell said quietly, “your mate is also mine. I don’t know what the Moon Goddess is planning, but I will leave for now. We will need to discuss this.”
Without another word, he turned and left, leaving Delilah and me alone.
Rosa entered the room, hovering near the doorway, but Delilah ignored her. Instead, she sank onto the bed, folding her arms tightly across her chest. After a moment, she looked at me, her expression unreadable.
“I remember you,” she said at last. “You’re the man from the hotel–the elevator. How
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did I end up here?”
“You left after what happened,” I said, my voice faltering. “I found you unconscious. You would have died if Farrell hadn’t been there.”
“Do you
think he woke me up?” she scoffed, shaking her head. “This happens when I‘ m angry. My nanny used to give me a herbal mixture that knocked me out for an entire day.”
Her words stirred something in me, questions, suspicions. What was her nanny hiding?
“I could feel it,” she said softly, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“Feel what?”
“The mate bond,” she admitted. “I can feel it. I can smell you, sense you.”
She stood, walking toward me with deliberate steps. Her presence was intoxicating, her scent wrapping around me like a warm embrace. The sparks ignited the moment her hand brushed mine.
“I feel it too,” she whispered, a small, knowing smile on her lips. “But there’s more. I can hear your thoughts.”
Her revelation stunned me. I stared at her, speechless.
“How is that possible? I’m only human,” she murmured, her voice tinged with
confusion and vulnerability.
And in that moment, I knew whatever she was, whatever secrets she held, she was more than what she seemed. And she was mine.
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