The Mark Of A Rival

The moment Rhea stepped into the main hall of Blackthorn Pack's estate, all eyes snapped to her. Warriors lined the walls, their gazes sharp with curiosity and suspicion. Whispers buzzed in the air—words she couldn't quite catch but knew were about her.

She shouldn't be here.

That was the unspoken sentiment radiating from everyone. Betas didn't belong at the center of a war brewing between two Alphas.

But she was here. And she wasn't leaving.

At the far end of the hall, Alpha Kieran lounged on his throne-like chair, his posture deceptively relaxed. He exuded a dark, commanding presence that sent a shiver down Rhea's spine. He had summoned her, and she had no choice but to answer.

Kieran's piercing silver eyes locked onto hers, and his lips curved into something between a smirk and a sneer. "Well, well. You've finally arrived. I was beginning to think you'd lost your way."

Rhea stiffened but kept her voice even. "I came as you ordered."

Kieran let out a low chuckle, the sound filled with something dangerous. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Not ordered, little Beta. I simply requested. You still had a choice."

Lies.

She had no choice, not when an Alpha commanded her presence with the weight of power behind his words. And he knew it.

"I heard you had an interesting encounter on the way here." His eyes darkened. "With him."

She didn't need to ask who.

Alpha Darius.

The memory of her run-in with the rival Alpha burned fresh in her mind. She had barely escaped unscathed, and yet the ghost of Darius's touch lingered on her skin.

Rhea clenched her fists. "He tried to stop me. I didn't let him."

Kieran's gaze sharpened. "Did he hurt you?"

The way his voice dropped sent a ripple of unease through the room. His warriors shifted, sensing the shift in their Alpha's mood.

"No," she lied, hoping Kieran wouldn't notice the faint bruising on her wrist where Darius had grabbed her. She didn't want to give either of them another reason to escalate their feud.

Unfortunately, Kieran was too perceptive. He moved with lethal grace, closing the distance between them in an instant. Before she could react, his fingers wrapped gently around her wrist, pulling it toward him. His eyes darkened as he traced over the mark left behind.

Rhea tried to yank her hand back, but he held firm.

"He put his hands on you." Kieran's voice was low, quiet. Dangerous.

"He wanted to test me," Rhea said, keeping her voice calm. "I didn't back down."

Kieran exhaled sharply, his grip loosening but not releasing her. "He won't touch you again."

There was something possessive in the way he said it, something that made Rhea's heart stutter.

"I can handle myself," she reminded him.

His smirk returned, but there was no amusement in his eyes. "Is that so?"

Kieran let go of her wrist and turned away as if dismissing the conversation altogether. He strode toward his throne, but before he sat, he spoke again.

"I need to know exactly what he said to you."

Rhea hesitated.

She had no loyalty to Darius, but telling Kieran the full truth felt like walking into a trap. She had felt Darius's interest, his amusement at testing her limits. He had told her she intrigued him.

She didn't think Kieran would take that well.

"He taunted me," she finally said. "Wanted to know why I was willing to stand beside you."

Kieran scoffed. "He's always been a snake." He drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. "And did he tell you what he really wants?"

Rhea's pulse quickened.

She had wondered. Darius had called her interesting, had been toying with her, testing her resolve. But there was something deeper in his gaze that she hadn't understood.

"I don't think he just wants war," she admitted. "He's after something else."

Kieran's eyes flashed with something unreadable.

Then, suddenly, he rose to his feet. "Come with me."

He didn't wait for her to follow. He strode through the hall, his warriors stepping aside as he passed. Rhea hesitated before trailing after him, her boots clicking against the stone floor.

Kieran led her down a dim corridor until they reached a heavy wooden door. He pushed it open, revealing a room lined with maps, strategy notes, and battle plans.

He turned to face her. "If Darius has set his sights on you, that changes everything."

Rhea frowned. "I don't belong to him."

"No," Kieran murmured. "But he might want to change that."

A chill ran down her spine.

Rival Alphas fought for power, land, dominance. And sometimes, for the ones they couldn't have.

"Then I'll make sure he knows I'm not interested."

Kieran studied her for a long moment before stepping closer, his towering presence making the room feel smaller.

"You don't understand, Rhea." His voice dropped to a near whisper. "For an Alpha like Darius, it's not about your interest. It's about his obsession."

She swallowed hard.

Was that what this was? An obsession?

Before she could respond, a knock at the door interrupted them.

A warrior entered, his face grim. "Alpha, we have a situation. Darius's men are at our border."

Kieran's jaw clenched.

Rhea's stomach twisted.

She had barely escaped Darius once.

And now he was here waiting for her.