The Rogue Alpha's Refuge

I dropped the ceramic mug in my hand, barely noticing the sharp crash as it shattered into fragments across the kitchen floor.

My gaze was locked on the man standing a few feet away.

My fated one.

Ronan Blackthorn-next in line to become Alpha of the Duskwind Pack-was my mate.

Damn it.

Shock widened Ronan's eyes as he stared at me, frozen in place.

I could feel the torrent of emotions rolling off him like crashing waves-desire, disbelief, longing, hope, and panic all blending into one volatile storm.

He stood there, unmoving, reflecting the same frozen disbelief etched into my own body. Neither of us had seen this coming. It completely blindsided us.

We should've known we were mates the moment we turned sixteen.

That's how it's supposed to work.

But it didn't. It hadn't. Not until now.

Both of us had long passed that fateful age-me turning nineteen today, and Ronan already twenty-one-but that unexplainable pull? That gut-wrenching certainty? It never came. Not until this moment.

Why now? Why not years ago?

"Kaia-"

He finally said my name, softly.

The sound of it on his lips sent chills through my spine, like a ghost brushing across my skin.

I parted my lips to respond, but the sound of footsteps behind us broke the moment.

Talia.

Her golden hair bounced lightly as she entered the kitchen, her smile beaming, footsteps light and carefree.

She wore a pastel pink dress that clung gracefully to her waist, highlighting her naturally elegant figure.

Her arrival sliced through the thick tension in the air like sunlight through fog.

And then I saw her throw her arms around Ronan's middle, leaning into his chest like she belonged there.

My stomach twisted. A sharp stab of envy surged through me-but I buried it before it could surface.

They're friends.

Just friends.

I repeated the words to myself like a prayer. No matter how close they were, they had never been more than that.

Still, Ronan looked caught off-guard, awkwardly adjusting his stance as he returned her hug with hesitation.

The expression on his face was unreadable, but I could see the internal conflict beneath it.

"There you are! I've been looking all over. You can't keep the birthday girl hidden away!"

Talia's voice was melodic and cheery, her light blue eyes gleaming with joy. She looked radiant.

My younger sister was glowing as she soaked up the warmth of Ronan's presence. And in that instant, my heart clenched, envy wrapping around it like a fist.

I hated how wrong it felt, this deep-seated desire to keep her away from him.

He was mine.

It was instinctual, primal.

As a wolf, the need to claim my mate pulsed through every fiber of my being, no matter what my human side whispered in protest.

Logic and morals be damned, I wanted to tell Talia the truth.

I wanted to look her in the eyes and tell her Ronan was meant for me.

But I couldn't.

Not yet.

Not without a conversation-one I dreaded having. I knew it would break her. And I wasn't ready to be the one to shatter her joy. Maybe I never would be.

Still, something shifted in me the moment I looked at him. I recognized that he was now part of me.

A part that no one else-not even my sister-had a right to. It was selfish. They were friends. Yet here I was, silently willing them apart.

While I longed to escape and hide from the turmoil, my wolf thrashed beneath the surface, ready to fight for what was hers.

It felt wrong.

I resented the bond for it.

"Kaia? Are you alright?"

Talia's voice broke through my spiraling thoughts. I looked up, her expression tinged with concern.

I couldn't stop my eyes from flicking toward how close she was standing to him before I quickly glanced away.

"I'm fine," I muttered, voice dry and shaky.

A blatant lie.

She didn't seem to pick up on it. She smiled again and tilted her head to Ronan, clearly unaware of the silent war going on inside me.

No matter how often I whispered to myself that they were only friends, my wolf refused to listen.

Not when I knew what Talia felt for him wasn't platonic.

She believed she was in love with him. She'd said it before.

And I suppose I should be grateful they'd never taken that step-never crossed that final line.

Ronan had never responded to her that way, never let it escalate.

But it never made sense to me-why so many wolves risked long-term bonds with people who weren't their mates. People like Talia, who thought they could outrun fate and make love work on their own terms. Noble, maybe, but always reckless.

Some even marked and mated with someone they thought they could love, only for everything to fall apart the moment their real mate appeared.

No one defies the mate bond.

Not forever.

It was written into our very bones from birth.

No matter how deep a forged love ran, it would always be eclipsed by what fate intended. Nothing compared to being bound to your true mate.

Which is why I couldn't understand Talia's obsession with Ronan.

She knew he wasn't her mate. She admitted it didn't matter to her. Of course, it would've made things easier if he had been, but she'd already decided he was the one she wanted.

It was reckless. And pointless.

Her mate was still out there. So was his. It didn't have to be me. But no illusion of love could overpower the raw, inescapable pull of destiny.

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms as I glanced at Ronan. He'd shifted his focus, pretending interest in Talia while carefully avoiding my eyes.

I could see through the cracks in his expression, though Talia remained blissfully unaware.

He leaned in and kissed her cheek, then trailed his hand up and down her arm in a comforting motion before clearing his throat.

"Shouldn't we let Kaia open her birthday gifts?"

Talia's face lit up like the sun, clapping her hands excitedly. I wasn't in the mood for any celebration, but her joy softened me. I couldn't say no-not to that face. She hooked her arm through mine and tugged me toward the living room.

I forced myself not to recoil at her touch.