Liam's POV
The pack was awake before the sun.
Liam noticed that on his first morning here.
He noticed everything.
The way warriors trained before dawn. The way patrols rotated with rigid precision. The way fear and respect mixed whenever the Alpha stepped into a space. It was a strong pack. Organized. Efficient. To an outsider, it would look impressive.
But Liam had ruled long enough to understand the difference between strength and control.
This pack was controlled.
Not respected.
There was a tension under the surface. A quiet stiffness in the lower ranks. Omegas moved like shadows, never speaking unless spoken to, never looking anyone in the eye. Even now, as Liam walked through the clearing, he saw one omega quickly lower her gaze and step aside.
He slowed.
He nodded to her anyway.
She looked startled.
Kael stirred, displeased.
"Let's just take our mate and leave this God forsaken place."
Liam continued walking.
His own Lycandom was nothing like this. His people were loyal because they *chose* to be. Because they were protected, not crushed. The warriors respected him. The children adored him. The elders trusted him.
Here, authority felt like a weapon.
His jaw tightened.
And yet… he stayed.
Because of her.
Kael rose fully now.
*Ours.*
Liam ignored him.
He had been ignoring that voice for weeks.
Ever since the Luna Festival.
Ever since the moment his eyes met hers.
Ever since the scent of vanilla and roses became impossible to forget.
He turned toward the forest path before he even realized what he was doing.
He told himself it was for peace.
For quiet.
For air.
But the truth was simple.
He hoped to see her.
And fate, apparently, was in a generous mood.
Because she was there.
Katie stepped out from the side path, thick upcurls falling over one shoulder, golden‑brown skin glowing in the early light. She froze when she saw him.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then her eyes narrowed.
"You again."
Liam almost smiled.
"You say that every time."
"Because you keep appearing," she said. "It's weird."
Kael hummed.
*Bold. Strong. Ours.*
Liam gestured toward the trees.
"I was going for a walk."
"In the exact direction I was going?"
He laughs "Suspicious, I know."
She sighed.
"I'm not turning around."
"Neither am I."
So they walked.
The silence between them felt easy. Natural. Familiar.
Leaves crunched beneath their feet.
Birds called.
The morning felt softer here.
"You don't talk much," she said.
"Only when necessary."
"That sounds boring."
"It saves time."
She huffed.
"You're strange."
"So I've been told."
As they went deeper, her shoulders relaxed.
This place grounded her.
Kael marked it.
*Safe.*
She stopped suddenly and turned.
"Okay. Why do you keep showing up? Are you like stalking me or something?"
He looked at her.
Then he laughed.
Soft and genuine.
The sound startled both of them.
"You're laughing?" she asked.
"You sound offended."
"I am."
"You think I follow you?"
"…Do you?"
"No."
The wind shifted.
Her scent hit him fully.
Vanilla.
Roses.
Need.
Mine.
Liam stepped closer.
Katie's breath caught.
"Liam—"
He kissed her.
This time, there was no restraint.
His hand slid into her hair, pulling her closer. She gasped, fingers gripping his shirt. The bond flared violently, heat racing through him.
She melted for a moment.
Then she shoved him.
"What are you doing?!"
Before he answered—
"Katie."
They turned.
Marissa stood there.
Furious.
"What are you doing with the Lycan King?"
Katie stiffened.
Marissa stepped closer.
"She's a filthy omega," she told Liam. "Did she seduce you?..... Well I never would've thought you'd try to climb the ranks by seducing the Lycan King..... you really are nothing but a filthy whore."
Liam moved.
His hand closed around her throat.
"Say that againand I promise this will be your last day on this earth."
Katie grabbed him.
"Liam, stop!"
He looked over to Katie... "Why should I-..." He stopped mid sentence not wanting Katie to genuinely fear him.
He released Marissa, all the while giving her a look of disgust.
She fled.
Katie rounded on him.
"You could have killed her!"
"She insulted my mate."
The words slipped out.
Silence.
Katie froze.
"…Your what?"
Liam's pulse pounded.
He had not meant to reveal that.
But the truth hung between them now.
"My mate."
Her eyes widened.
"That's not possible..... My wolf hasn't even fully appeared yet"
"It is."
"No."
Fear flickered.
"This is a mistake."
"It isn't."
"You don't know me."
"I know enough."
She shook her head.
"I can't deal with this."
She left.
Liam stayed.
The forest felt colder.
Kael paced.
*We take her.*
"Soon."
He returned to the pack.
The Alpha greeted him as he walked through the pack doors.
"How long will you stay?"
"A few more weeks."
A lie.
Because he would not leave.
Not now.
Not until he could safely take her with him.
---
That night, Liam stood alone on the balcony outside the guest wing, staring out over the sleeping pack.
The moon hung high, silver and watchful. It painted everything in quiet light—the rooftops, the training grounds, the forest beyond. It should have been peaceful.
It wasn't.
Kael was restless, pacing inside him like a caged storm.
*She is ours.*
"I know," Liam murmured under his breath.
The word still felt dangerous.
Ours.
Not a possibility. A truth.
And yet, she had looked at him today like he was the enemy.
He replayed the moment again and again—the shock in her eyes when he kissed her, the anger when she pushed him away, the way her scent had spiked with confusion and something softer she didn't understand yet.
Good.
It meant the bond was there.
It meant she felt it too.
But the Alpha…
Liam's gaze darkened.
This pack was suffocating her. He could see it in the way she only truly relaxed in the forest. In the way her shoulders carried tension even when she smiled. In the way others spoke to her—like she was something lesser.
Kael snarled.
*Take her..... Take her away from here*
Liam's hands gripped the balcony railing.
"Not yet."
He would not steal her.
Not when she didn't know who she was.
Not when she didn't know what she meant to the world.
Because Katie was more than an omega.
He felt it in his bones. In his blood. In instincts that had never once led him wrong.
She was powerful.
Important.
And if this pack—or anyone else—realized it before she was ready…
They would try to control her.
Or destroy her.
Liam exhaled slowly, forcing calm into his body.
"I will not let that happen."
The vow settled into his chest like iron.
Kael quieted, satisfied.
For the first time since arriving, Liam allowed himself to imagine the future.
Katie standing beside him.
Not behind.
Not beneath.
Beside.
His equal. His Luna.
His mate.
A small smile touched his lips.
"You're going to hate me when you find out," he said softly to the night.
Because he would wait.
He would protect her.
He would give her time.
But if anyone tried to hurt her—
The Lycan King would remind the world why his name was feared.
Liam turned from the balcony and walked back inside.
Tomorrow, he would start earning her trust.