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Author: Ghale Larson
last update Last Updated: 2024-11-29 10:56:58

Melanie

I stared at Oswald, my mouth agape, unable to comprehend what Amy had just said.

“Mate,” my wolf repeated, her tone insistent and unwavering.

"No," I whispered under my breath, shaking my head as if that would silence her.

Oswald raised a brow, his silver eyes twinkling with amusement, and the corner of his mouth curled into a knowing smirk. That expression—like he knew exactly what was going through my head—made my stomach twist.

“You’re lying,” I shot at Amy. “This has to be a joke. A cruel, ridiculous prank.”

“The goddess doesn’t make mistakes,” Amy replied smugly.

I opened my mouth to argue, but my voice caught in my throat. The intensity of Oswald’s gaze rooted me to the spot. He wasn’t saying anything, but I could feel it—the pull, the connection, the undeniable truth of the bond.

A second-chance mate.

On my eighteenth birthday.

Just hours after Mason rejected me.

I couldn’t process it. My legs felt unsteady, and my heart pounded in my chest like a drum. I zoned out, cau
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    MelanieAs Oswald’s arm tightened around my waist, guiding me into the dining hall, I felt like the center of a storm. The room fell silent—eerily silent. Every head turned in our direction, eyes wide with shock and confusion.I wanted to melt into the floor. My steps faltered, but Oswald steadied me, his hold firm and unwavering.The Alpha King’s presence was magnetic, commanding. It radiated off him like a tangible force, making it impossible for anyone to look away, much less question him. He led me to the head table without hesitation, his stride confident and deliberate.Former Alpha Henry, seated at Oswald’s right, stiffened as we approached. He rose halfway from his chair in deference, but Oswald’s next words froze him mid-motion.“Stand,” Oswald commanded, his voice smooth but brooking no argument.Henry’s lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, I thought he might refuse. But then he complied, albeit reluctantly, standing stiffly as Oswald gestured toward the now-vaca

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  • The Alpha King’s Gifted Mate    12

    MelanieThe cool night air wrapped around me as I stood in a quiet corner of the courtyard with my parents. The sounds of the pack’s celebration were distant, muffled by the tall hedges surrounding us. My dad crossed his arms, his expression both stern and concerned, while my mom gently squeezed my hand.“Babydoll,” Dad said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Explain. Now.”I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat making it difficult to speak. “I… I don’t know where to start.”“Start from the beginning, sweetie,” Mom encouraged, her voice soft and comforting.Taking a shaky breath, I nodded. “Earlier today… I met my mate.”Mom gasped, her eyes lighting up. “Your mate? Oh, honey, that’s wonderful!”But Dad’s eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you look happy about it?”“Because,” I said, my voice trembling. “It was Alpha Mason.”The warmth in Mom’s expression evaporated. “Mason? Are you sure?”I nodded. “Positive. I… I felt the bond. But it doesn’t matter because he—” My voice cracked, and

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  • The Alpha King’s Gifted Mate    13

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  • The Alpha King’s Gifted Mate    16

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  • The Alpha King’s Gifted Mate    17

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    MelanieThe return to the Royal Crimson Pack’s territory was bittersweet. The sun was rising as we crested the last hill, painting the blood-soaked horizon in shades of gold and crimson. It felt like a cruel irony, the beauty of the dawn juxtaposed against the pain etched in every step we took. The pack lands were quieter than they should have been, the air heavy with grief and exhaustion. Our warriors bore the weight of loss, and though they moved forward, their eyes told the stories of the friends, brothers, and sisters we’d left behind. Rook, still unconscious, was carried by a pair of strong wolves. He looked fragile in their arms, a stark contrast to the overwhelming power he’d wielded as the Alpha of Shadows. I walked alongside them, refusing to leave his side. Oswald stayed close to me, his steady presence grounding me. His hand brushed against mine, a silent reassurance that I wasn’t alone. As we passed through the gates of the Royal Crimson Pack’s stronghold, the rema

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    MelanieThe ground trembled beneath us, cracks spiraling outward like jagged veins across the temple floor. Dust filled the air, choking and thick, but I didn’t care. My eyes were locked on him—Rook, standing tall in the center of the crumbling ritual circle, his body radiating dark power that rippled through the air like a storm. The sky above the temple churned, dark clouds roiling in an unnatural vortex, blotting out the moon and stars. The world seemed to hold its breath, suspended in the shadow of the Alpha of Shadows. “Rook!” I shouted, my voice hoarse but defiant. He turned toward me, his glowing eyes piercing through the gloom. For a moment, I thought I saw the man I had come to know—the fierce, determined wolf who had fought alongside us against the cult. But that glimmer of familiarity was swallowed by the overwhelming darkness. “You shouldn’t have come,” Rook said, his voice resonating with a power that wasn’t entirely his own. It was layered, twisted, as though ano

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    MelanieRook’s capture weighed heavily on me, a constant ache in my chest that I couldn’t shake. He had warned us, risked everything to fight against his own bloodline, and now he was in their hands. The image of him being dragged away by those cultists haunted me, even in my waking hours. But I wouldn’t let his sacrifice be for nothing.Oswald and I stood in the war room, the map of the Blackspire Mountains spread out before us. The air was thick with tension as we plotted our next move. Hazel stood to my right, her fingers tracing the lines of the map, while Quincy Otto lingered near the edge of the room, flipping through an ancient, tattered book.“They’ll take him here,” Quincy said finally, pointing to a spot on the map marked with jagged peaks. “The Temple of the Veil. It’s where the cult conducts its most powerful rituals. If they mean to turn Rook into the Alpha of Shadows, they’ll need the temple’s energy to do it.”Oswald’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. “Then we’ll

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    MelanieThe air was thick with tension as we gathered in the central hall of the Royal Crimson Pack’s fortress. The wariness that clung to the room was palpable. Every face around me—Oswald’s, Quincy’s, Hazel’s, and even Rook’s—carried the weight of what lay ahead. The cult wasn’t just a threat to us anymore; they were a threat to everything we had fought to protect.“Let’s get this straight,” Oswald said, his voice tight as he folded his arms across his chest. “We’re trusting a rogue who’s the son of the enemy and a traitor who once conspired against the pack. Tell me how that doesn’t sound like the worst idea we’ve ever had.”I glanced at Rook, who stood rigid near the corner, his jaw clenched but his gaze unwavering. He wasn’t fazed by the hostility, which only added to the enigma he’d become. Quincy, on the other hand, smirked faintly, clearly enjoying Oswald’s skepticism.“Because if we don’t,” I said, breaking the silence, “we lose any chance of stopping this before it’s too lat

  • The Alpha King’s Gifted Mate    99

    RookThe battle had settled into uneasy silence, the air thick with the acrid scent of blood and the sharper sting of betrayal. Rogues lay scattered across the battlefield, their bodies lifeless, but it wasn’t a victory. The cult leader—my father—had escaped, and with him, the artifact that could doom us all. I stood in the eye of the storm, my heart warring against my instincts as I turned to face Melanie and Oswald.Their eyes bore into me, a mixture of fury and mistrust. They had every right to question me. My past was steeped in lies, half-truths, and bloodlines I wished I could sever. “You need to explain yourself,” Oswald growled, his tone low and dangerous. “Now.”I took a step back, holding up my hands in a gesture of surrender. “I will. But first, I need you to understand that I’m not here to hurt you. I never was.”“You expect us to believe that after what we just saw?” Melanie’s voice was sharp, but beneath it, I could hear the tremor of uncertainty. Her golden eyes search

  • The Alpha King’s Gifted Mate    98

    MelanieThe sound of howls pierced the still night air, a chilling harbinger of the storm descending upon us. My heart raced, a drumbeat in the chaos as the pack mobilized. Every wolf—strong or wounded, young or seasoned—stood ready to defend our home. I could feel the energy humming in the air, dark and unnatural, an unwelcome intrusion into our sacred land.Beside me, Oswald barked orders, his voice carrying authority and resolve despite the tension etched into his features. His hand briefly brushed mine, a fleeting but steadying touch. I drew strength from it, pushing aside my fears. The rogues were here, and there would be no turning back.The first wave hit hard. The rogues, eyes gleaming with an unnatural light, were faster and more coordinated than any enemy we’d faced before. Their movements were sharp, their attacks precise, as if they were being guided by an unseen force. I shifted into my wolf form, joining the fray with a feral growl. My claws tore through the flank of a

  • The Alpha King’s Gifted Mate    97

    MelanieRook stood at the edge of the firelight, his silver eyes catching the flicker of flames as he paced. The weight of his presence was palpable, and the silence between us stretched like a taut wire. Oswald leaned against the nearby table, arms crossed, his gaze sharp as he waited for Rook to speak. I stood beside him, my thoughts racing. The pendant, the shard, the whispers of the Shadowstone—all of it was beginning to form a picture, but the edges were jagged, incomplete.Finally, Rook stopped pacing and looked at me. His jaw tightened as if the words he was about to say physically hurt to utter. “You want the truth? Fine. My pack, the Shadowfangs, is gone. They were wiped out by a force unlike anything you’ve ever faced.”My breath caught. Though the devastation of war wasn’t new to me, the bitterness in his tone carried a weight that made my chest tighten. “What kind of force?” I asked.“A rogue Alpha,” Rook said, his voice low and cold. “Not just any rogue. This one isn’t ac

  • The Alpha King’s Gifted Mate    96

    MelanieThe silver pendant lay on the table in front of me, its faint glow casting eerie shadows across the room. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Its intricate wolf design shimmered with an otherworldly energy, a reminder of the forces we had yet to understand. Rook’s sudden disappearance and the organized rogue attack weighed heavily on my mind. This pendant was more than just a clue—it was a thread connecting us to the growing storm.I reached out to touch it, hesitating when my fingers hovered above the surface. Even without making contact, I could feel the power radiating from it, a strange resonance that felt both familiar and foreign. It reminded me of the moonstone, the ancient relic we’d fought so hard to destroy. Could it be connected to that same magic?“Don’t,” Hazel said sharply, breaking my trance. She stepped forward, her expression grim as she glanced between me and the pendant. “We don’t know what it’s capable of.”“I wasn’t going to,” I said, pulling my hand back. My

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