Let Me Go Alpha, I Belong To Your Cousin

Aura's POV

"Why does everyone look like they're waiting for a miracle but no one even sees me?"

The words slipped past my lips like smoke, soft and pointless. My reflection only gazed back without an answer, wide-eyed and uncertain. I smoothed the ceremonial robe clinging to my figure and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. White silk, too fancy for someone like me. It is too clean for someone they all call "the invisible girl."

Tonight was my coming-of-age ceremony, the night I'd feel the pull of my wolf for the first time. The night my mate, if the Moon Goddess had been generous, would feel it too. Everyone in the pack gathered at the stone circle for this. They drank, danced, and whispered about power and legacy.

Me? I stood behind a dusty curtain in the far corner of the temple, unseen.

A knock jolted me. I flinched.

"Aura?" My cousin Ellyn poked her head in. "You're on next."

I nodded and smoothed down the trembling in my hands.

The walk from the temple to the circle felt like a death march. All eyes shifted. Not because they noticed me-no, never that. They just wanted to move on to the next event.

"Aura Blakes," the Elder announced, raising his gnarled hand toward the moon.

I moved forward, the scent of wildflowers and pine heavy in the air. The drumbeats reverberating across the trees made my heart thud in time. All I had to do was look up at the moon and let it happen-let the shift happen.

But before I could even tilt my head, a wave of scent hit me.

God, it hit hard.

It was nothing like the herbs or rain or even the rich forest earth. No. It was... something hotter. Darker. Like fire hidden beneath the ice. It wrapped around my throat and dragged breath from my lungs.

My knees buckled.

And then-he was there.

Alpha Ryder.

He didn't walk. He stormed toward me like he owned the air itself. His tall frame cut through the crowd, broad shoulders tense beneath his obsidian tunic, and those eyes-those eyes weren't just looking at me. They burned straight through me.

Gasps spread around the circle.

"What's going on?" someone whispered.

I couldn't speak. Could barely breathe. I just stood there as Ryder halted in front of me, his chest rising and falling like he'd run through hell to get to me.

Then-he growled. Not at me. At them.

And in the next breath, he gripped my arm, yanked me into him, and announced, loud and clear:

"She's mine."

The words crashed over the crowd like thunder. Like a war drum.

No rituals. No moon-blessed blessing. No explanation.

Just those two words.

"She's mine."

The Elder stammered. "Alpha Ryder-"

But Ryder ignored him. His thumb brushed across my pulse like he was memorizing it, his hold on my wrist was hot and rough.

I was still trying to catch up.

How could this be real?

How could he be my mate?

He didn't give me time to ask. One nod from him and the crowd parted like they feared him. I was half-dragged, half-carried through the trees, away from the ceremony, away from the firelight and the chants and the judgment.

We didn't stop until we reached the Alpha's lodge at the hill's edge. The doors opened at his touch, slamming shut behind us with the force of thunder.

He still hadn't said a word to me. Still hadn't let go.

"Alpha-" I began, barely whispering.

His eyes found mine. "Ryder," he said. "Say it."

"Ryder," I echoed, heartbeat stuttering.

That was when I realized something terrifying.

The pull in my chest wasn't fading. It was growing.

Ryder's hand cupped the side of my face. His touch was rough-calloused-but his thumb brushed against my cheek like I'd shatter. His jaw clenched, like he was fighting something-himself maybe.

"You feel it too," he murmured.

I swallowed hard. "What is this?"

He didn't answer. Not with words.

His mouth was on mine, stealing all sense from me. Not a kiss of soft discovery, but one of raw hunger. My body betrayed me-melted, molded into his like I was made for him.

And maybe I was.

Maybe the Moon Goddess did tie me to the Alpha.

But this... this wasn't how it was supposed to happen. No courting. No approval. No slow-bloomed love.

Just fire.

He pulled me close until my back hit the bedpost in his room. My head was spinning. My mind was screaming warnings I didn't understand.

"You're mine," he whispered, voice hoarse. "Only mine."

And then-he sealed it.

That night, Ryder didn't ask permission. He didn't pretend to be gentle.

He claimed me.

Every growl, every kiss, every breath was a declaration.

Not of love.

But of possession.

The pain in my chest made no sense to me. Was this how it felt to be chosen by an Alpha?

Because it didn't feel like a dream.

It felt like drowning.

Sometime later, when the moon sank low and my body shook from the heat he had put inside me, I lay twisted in his covers, skin sticky with sweat, heart raw with a tempest of emotions I didn't grasp.

He didn't speak again. Just held me tighter as though I might vanish if he let go.

I should've felt special.

But I only felt lost.

Because whatever this was...

It wasn't love.

Just before sleep could pull me under, I heard him whisper something into the dark.

"I should've told her... but it's too late now."

My heart stopped.

Told me what?

Aura's POV

The morning following the claim, I woke up unsure of what to expect. He kissed me as if I were his own, and my lips were still tingling and my skin was still burning from his touch. But nobody was beside me. Only the crumpled sheets and the tiniest trace of his scent remained in the air.

I sat up slowly, aching in areas I hadn't been before. My heart ached, not with regret, but with the weight of uncertainty. What now?

Would he return? Was that it? Was I just a girl who had her first time with the Alpha, and now he would move on like nothing had happened?

A knock shocked me. I drew the covers tightly around me, even though whoever it was had certainly already heard the whispering.

"Breakfast is ready downstairs," came the voice of the kitchen Omega, Tara. "The Alpha said you should eat."

I didn't answer immediately. My gaze strayed to the slight mark at the curve of my neck-faint, but there. His teeth. His claim.

He had claimed me before the entire pack, but now he was gone?

"I'll be down soon," I called back.

When I finally made it to the dining hall, my head turned. Whispers followed me like shadows. Some wolves gazed with unabashed envy. Others with judgment.

"She's just a nobody."

"Didn't even shift yet. What's so amazing about her?"

"He never looked at anyone like that before. Not even the council's daughters."

I took a seat in the farthest corner, barely touching my food. My thoughts swirled. Where was he? Why did he leave?

The day went in a haze. I tried not to let it eat at me, but by nightfall, I was pacing in the tiny room they'd given me.

Then, the scent returned.

Leather. Cedar. Something deeper, something that grabbed at the very borders of my soul.

He didn't knock. The door opened, and there he was. Alpha Ryder.

His eyes were intense. Stormy. And he stared at me like I was the only thing in the world he needed.

"I couldn't stay away," he mumbled, walking toward me.

I swallowed. "Then why did you leave?"

His jaw clenched. "I had business to attend to."

He reached out, caressing my cheek. My breath caught.

"You're not like the others, Aura," he whispered. "You feel it too, don't you?"

I was unable to speak. I gave a nod.

Then he kissed me, deep and slow like he needed to memorize my flavor. That night, we bonded again.

And the next night.

And the next.

He came in discreetly, always after dark. When no one could see. When the rest of the pack believed he was resting or out on patrol.

But with each visit, my heart wrenched tighter.

Because I was starting to believe. Starting to hope.

Was he my mate?

I attempted to ask him once. "Why do you only come at night?"

His answer had been a kiss, harsh and desperate. "Because I want you without the world watching."

But that wasn't the truth. Not really.

The reality was, he didn't want anyone to know.

The pack continued to speak. Whispers grew louder. Some praised me. Most despised me.

"She's not even of noble blood."

"She's nothing. A mistake."

I couldn't go into the kitchens without feeling eyes searing into my back. Couldn't stroll past the training grounds without hearing laughs.

Still, he came. Every night. Like I was his addiction.

He never promised anything. Never said what we were. But when he hugged me, I didn't care.

Until the night I overheard the truth.

It wasn't meant for my ears.

I was returning from the spring, a basket of herbs pressed to my hip, my steps quiet on the stone hallway near the council room. The heavy wooden door was slightly ajar. I was going to walk by, I really was, but his voice stopped me.

Ryder.

"I don't care about your traditions," he yelled. "The girl means nothing."

The basket dropped from my fingers. The thud made no sound. My breath did.

"She's a means to an end. I needed the bond sealed before the council vote."

My heart twisted. No. He couldn't mean me. He couldn't.

"No one will suspect anything once I've chosen my Luna."

Another voice responded. Male. Deep. Councilman Drey, I guessed.

"As long as Luna comes from noble blood, your position remains secure."

A long pause.

"Then it's done," Ryder remarked.

I ran.

I didn't care if anyone saw me. The words replayed like a cruel joke, piercing through every moment we had shared. Every kiss. Every murmured moan. Every time I thought he was mine.

The girl means nothing.

I held my chest, moaning as if I could claw the pain from my ribs. My legs trembled as I staggered into the trees behind the packhouse. The chilly air seared my cheeks, but nothing hurt as much as the emptiness inside me.

He never stated I was his partner. Not once.

He never looked me in the eye when he left.

He never held me afterward. Never stayed.

Of course, it wasn't genuine. Of course, I was simply a pawn.

I was naive to believe differently.

The world tilted beneath my feet as I slid to the earth. The night, once a shelter, now felt like a jail. A terrible joke with no punchline.

The Alpha's secret obsession.

That's all I was.

Everything inside me cracked.

And yet...

I didn't cry

I waited for him to arrive while lying in the dark and listening to my breathing.

~~~~~~

I stayed away from the dining hall the following morning. The whispers weren't simply whispers anymore-they were poison.

"She's a phase."

"A toy."

"He'll move on soon."

I stayed by the river instead, watching the water run. Trying to quiet the fury inside me.

I had given him everything. My body. My heart.

And he had called me temporary.

The night arrived again. And so did he.

Like nothing had changed. Like he hadn't just broken something sacred.

"Aura," he muttered, reaching for me.

I flinched.

His brow wrinkled. "What's wrong?"

I stared him in the eye. "Do you love me?"

He froze. Just for a second. But that was enough.

"I'm your Alpha," he said instead.

I tightened my throat. "That doesn't answer my question."

His expression was shuttered as he stepped back. "Avoid asking questions you don't want answered."

The door shut behind him.

I shivered as I sat on the bed's side.

I did want the answer.

But I already knew it.

Aura's POV

The packhouse buzzed with unusual excitement the morning after the full moon. The hallways, previously silent in the early hours, were filled with murmuring and shuffling feet. I didn't want to come out of my room, not after the night Ryder spent entwined in my bed again, only to depart before daylight like a ghost.

I clutched my knees on the side of my bed, my fingertips still caressing the spot where he'd laid his palm on my waist. Every night he came to me-touching, talking, eating me like I was his only addiction. But every morning, I woke up to nothingness.

A tap on the door startled me. I instantly controlled myself and opened it to see Mira, my friend and the only person who hadn't turned chilly since Ryder's attention started landing on me.

"You need to come to the dining hall," she whispered gently, eyes avoiding mine.

"Why?"

"Because everyone's waiting. The Alpha has something to say."

My heart fell. I followed her down the steps, the packhouse increasing louder with every footfall. Wolves stood along the walls, the tension heavier than fog.

Ryder stood in the front, stately in his fitted black shirt, arms crossed over his chest. He looked the same-flawless, poised, unshaken-but something in the air warned me this moment would break me.

He raised his voice. "I have an announcement."

Silence.

I clasped Mira's hand.

"I am officially announcing my engagement to Luna Leona of the Silverblood Pack."

Time halted.

The room was filled with a loud gasp. I was having trouble breathing. I was struck like a silver dagger by the word Leona. I blinked, waiting for him to say anything else-for it to be a mistake, a lie, anything except the reality.

But Ryder's stare didn't falter. He didn't look at me. Not once.

Mira muttered, "I'm sorry, Aura."

I nodded, but I couldn't move. My legs felt like stone.

I waited until everyone left, expressing faux congratulations and masking their astonishment with hollow smiles. I turned back to my room, shutting the door behind me before falling to my knees.

Why?

Why would he come to me every night, claim me so entirely, only to reveal another as his Luna?

My heart begged for answers, but my lips stayed silent. The tears poured freely now, not from sadness alone-but bewilderment, betrayal, and the agonizing anguish of being forgotten in public and sought in secret.

I couldn't get any sleep that night. I foolishly waited for the creak of the door to open.

And it did.

Ryder approached without a word, slipping into my shadows like he belonged there. I sat up in bed, drawing the covers around me. My voice trembled.

"You're engaged."

He exhaled and reached for me. "Don't think about that right now."

"How can I not?"

His lips found my neck. "Because I'm here. With you."

That should've made it better, but it simply worsened the wound.

He stroked me like I was his everything and yet out there, in the eyes of the pack, I was no one. I hated how my body still reacted to his touch, how my heart still soared at his voice.

Was I nothing more than a secret? A yearning he couldn't tame?

The nights dragged on, and he kept coming. I tried to shove him away once, only for him to return more frantic than before. Every kiss, every whispered promise, only confused me more.

The pack started to notice. I felt the shift.

Gossip spread like wildfire. Wherever I walked, I caught side stares. Conversations halted as I entered a room. Some she-wolves hissed; others gazed at me with sorrow.

"She must have something on him."

"Why would he want her? She's not even a ranking wolf."

"She's probably using witchcraft."

I kept my head down, but my heart screams every time I heard them.

Mira attempted to help, tried to shelter me from their cruelty. But she couldn't stop the murmurs. I became the unwanted centerpiece of every talk.

The girl the Alpha touched in the dark-but refused to see in daylight.

One evening, following a particularly hard gaze from Elder Calista, I walked farther into the east wing of the packhouse, a place I rarely visited. I craved quiet.

That's when I heard voices behind a locked door.

Ryder's voice.

I pressed myself against the stone wall, heart thumping.

"She doesn't need to know the full terms," he replied, his voice low and inscrutable.

Another man responded. I recognized Beta Kade. "Are you sure about this, Alpha? Once the Silverbloods formalize the partnership, there's no backing out."

"She's not the issue. Aura is a distraction, not a threat."

My breath caught.

"Then end it. Cut her off before things get messy."

There was silence, and then Ryder murmured, "It's not that simple."

I hurried away from the door before I could hear more. My vision dimmed, wrath and heartbreak slamming like waves inside me.

A distraction.

That's what I was to him. A wonderful little pastime. Something to touch, taste, consume-and toss.

I raced from that hallway and ran till I found myself in the woods, the moonlight cutting through the branches. I didn't shift. I just sat there, gripping my chest like it would stop the anguish.

I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. But worst of all, I couldn't stop wishing he'd knock on my door again.

And he did. Every single night.

He still kissed me like I belonged to him, still held me like he couldn't breathe without me.

But my heart was no longer fooled. I saw him now. I knew the truth and despised that I still longed for him.

Days passed. I moved like a ghost through the packhouse. Even Mira fought to bring me out of my silence.

When I woke up one morning, I had an odd feeling of being sick. I barely made it to the bathroom before retching into the sink after shoving off the blankets.

My legs shook. My heart was racing.

Did I eat something bad?

I looked in the mirror at myself. My skin was pallid. My eyes are glassy.

A knot emerged in my stomach-not from sickness but from realization.

No. It couldn't be.

I staggered back to bed, heart thumping. I snuggled under the covers and laid a hand on my belly, shaking.

Something wasn't right.

And deep inside... I understood exactly what it was.