CHAPTER 5 - MAKING A CHOICE

KIERAN

The door slammed shut. A final, brutal punctuation. I leaned against it, chest heaving. My wolf was a caged beast beneath my skin. A raw, agitated energy.

Disgust. That’s what I felt. Disgust at myself. At the situation. At her....Astrid Sterling. The daughter of the traitors. The one who had humiliated me. And now… my mate.

The scent of her, mingled with my own, clung to me. It was intoxicating. Sickening. My body still throbbed. The wolf had taken over. It had claimed what was ours. Duty. That’s all it was. Duty to my father. To the Thorne line.

But the mate bond. It was a vicious, undeniable thing. It pulsed, deep in my core. A searing heat. It demanded more. It demanded her. 

I shoved away from the door.

Pacing.

Thinking.

The room was too small. Too confining. Just like my life felt. Every step was a frustrated stomp. Each one a battle against the primal urge to go back. To finish what the wolf had started.

She’s ours, my wolf snarled. A possessive rumble. She belongs to us.

She belongs 6ft under, I countered, my mind a steel trap. Her parents killed my mother.

The memory was a cold, sharp blade. Lyra Thorne. My real mother. Dead. Because Elias and Lyra Sterling, Astrid’s parents, had poisoned the sacred spring. A diversion. A distraction for their true crime. They had weakened the pack. And my mother, always the first to protect, had drunk from it. She had wasted away. Slowly. Agonizingly. While I, a pup, watched. Helpless.

Astrid. Her blood. Her name. It was all tainted. A constant reminder of what I had lost. And now, the Moon Goddess, in her twisted humor, had bound me to her. To the daughter of the woman who stole my mother from me.

That’s why I hated her. Not just because she was a prisoner. But because she was theirs. And the mate bond… it was a betrayal. A cruel joke. I was angry because I felt this pull. This sickening, undeniable attraction to the very person I was sworn to despise.

I ran a hand through my hair. It was still damp with sweat. My human form felt… wrong. Too weak. Too vulnerable. The wolf wanted out. To run. To hunt. To forget. Or to claim. To possess. To dominate.

I needed control. Over her. Over myself. Over this cursed bond.

Rhys.

The thought of my brother made my blood boil. He had no right. No right to be here. No right to look at her like that and no fucking challenge me.

He felt it too, didn’t he? The thought was a venomous whisper in my mind.

I Wasn't suprised when i found out - it wasn't rare for your twin to have the same mate as you but the way his eyes had locked onto hers. The way she had looked at him. A flicker of something. Recognition. Attraction? It made my fists clench. A deep, chilling jealousy.

She was mine. The Moon Goddess had declared it. And no one, not even Rhys, would challenge that. Not publicly.

I stalked to the window. The full moon hung high. Mocking me. Binding me. Its light seemed to mock my very existence. My burden.

I splashed water on my face. Cold. It did little to quell the fire in my veins. I pulled on fresh clothes. My uniform. The Alpha’s son. The future Alpha. I had to project strength. Control. No one could see the cracks.

The next morning, the packhouse buzzed. Not with celebration, but with tension. Word of the forced mate bond had spread like wildfire. Whispers followed me....not of admiration, but of morbid curiosity.

I strode through the main hall. My stride was purposeful. My expression, a mask of cold indifference. I was Alpha in all but title. And everyone knew it.

My first duty: the border dispute. Patrols had reported increased rogue activity. A new pack, encroaching on our eastern lands. Weakness would not be tolerated.

I entered the war room. Maps spread across the table. Elders gathered. Jax stood by the fireplace, a grim look on his face.

“Alpha Kieran,” Elder Thorne grunted. His voice held a hint of challenge. “The rogues are bolder. They test our borders.”

“Then we remind them who owns this land,” I stated. My voice was calm. Controlled. “Jax, double the patrols. Push them back. Show no mercy.”

Jax nodded. “Understood, Kieran.”

“And the Silverfang Pack,” Elder Thorne continued. “They demand a new treaty. Claiming our hunting grounds are over-fished.”

“They claim much,” I scoffed. My lips curled. “Send them a message. A Thorne does not negotiate from weakness. We dictate terms.”

The elders exchanged glances. Some nodded. Others looked uneasy. My father’s presence was a heavy weight. He watched me, assessing.

Suddenly Lena stepped forward - She was a beta. Her eyes, usually sultry, were narrowed. She had been… a distraction. Before.

“Alpha Kieran,” she purred. Her voice was too sweet. “Perhaps a more… diplomatic approach is needed. Some of us are worried about escalating tensions.” Her gaze flickered to me. A challenge. Then to Astrid, who was now seated at the far end of the table, quiet, observing. “Especially with… new additions to the pack.” Her lips twisted into a sneer.

My blood ran cold. She dared. To question my judgment. To insult my mate. My property.

“Lena,” I said. My voice was low. Dangerous. “You know the rules. Betas speak when spoken to. And you never, ever question the Alpha’s decisions. Or his mate.” My eyes, now glowing with a faint, predatory gold, locked onto hers. “Do I make myself clear?”

Her face paled. She flinched. “Yes, Alpha Kieran.” Her voice was a terrified whisper.

“Good.” I turned from her. My gaze swept the room. A silent warning to anyone else who dared to challenge me.

The meeting continued. But my mind was elsewhere. The thought of Lena’s insolence. The underlying disrespect for Astrid. For my claim. It festered.

I ended the meeting abruptly. My patience was thin. I needed to clear my head. I stormed out of the war room. My footsteps heavy. My anger a palpable aura around me.

I walked through the quieter corridors. Seeking solitude. My wolf was restless. It demanded action. A target for my rage.

Then I saw them.

Astrid. And Rhys.

They were in a secluded alcove. Near the library’s entrance. Rhys was leaning against the wall. His usual calm demeanor. Astrid stood before him. Her head tilted. Listening. Her expression was… soft. Vulnerable. A look I had never seen directed at me.

Rhys reached out. His hand brushed her arm. A comforting gesture. A familiar one.

My blood ran cold. Then boiled.

He had no right. No right to touch her. To comfort her. To even speak to her. She was mine.

A low growl rumbled in my chest. My fists clenched. The jealousy was a searing fire. It consumed me.

I stalked towards them. Every step deliberate. Heavy. My presence radiated cold fury.

Rhys looked up first. His calm expression didn't falter. But his eyes, dark and intense, met mine. A challenge.

Astrid turned. Her eyes widened. Fear. Then, a flash of defiance.

Before I could speak, before I could unleash the fury that threatened to consume me, Logan appeared. His face was grim.

“Alpha Kieran,” he said, his voice urgent. “The Elders demand your presence. And the Luna’s. Now.”

My jaw clenched. Another interruption. Another demand.

I glared at Rhys. A silent promise of retribution. Then I grabbed Astrid’s arm. My grip was bruising. I pulled her along. Ignoring her gasp. Ignoring Rhys’s steady gaze.

We entered the council chamber. The same one from the night before. The Elders were all seated. Xavier at the head. Elara beside him, a smirk playing on her lips. Rhys was already there. Standing by the far wall. His eyes, dark and intense, met mine. Then Astrid’s.

Xavier cleared his throat. His gaze swept the room. Then fixed on Astrid.

“Astrid Sterling,” he began. His voice was deep. Resonant. “The Moon Goddess has spoken. And the Thorne line will be strengthened. However, the pack requires clarity. A unified front.”

He paused. The silence was heavy.

“You have been bound to Kieran. But a second bond has been sensed.” His eyes flickered to Rhys. Then back to Astrid. “Therefore, by ancient pack law, you are granted a choice.”

My heart hammered. This was it. The public humiliation. The ultimate test.

“You will publicly choose which of the Alpha’s sons will stand by your side as your chosen mate.” Xavier’s voice was an unyielding command. “The other will serve the pack in a different capacity. This decision will be final.”

He leaned forward. His eyes bore into Astrid’s. Cold. Demanding.

“You have until the next full moon. One week. To make your decision. The pack awaits your choice.”

My gaze snapped to Astrid. Her face was pale. Her eyes wide. A flicker of terror. And something else. A dawning realization. The weight of her impossible choice.

She had to pick me or Rhys and i'd make sure she chose me.