Mated to the Alpha's Heir

Chapter 2

Ronan

Shit.

Now it all makes sense as to why Aric has been pacing in the back of my mind since I arrived. He sensed our mate was close, and now he lunges forward, snarling and clawing at the edges of my mind for control so that he can reach her. He is pushing against the edges of my control so hard that my vision blurs around the edges.

I can almost see his breath clouding in my mind's eye, hot and feral. I have never seen him act this way, but that is what you get when the Mate bond takes hold. I’d heard all the stories about how it hijacks your soul, rewrites your instincts. But nothing could have prepared me for this.

For her.

Everything ceases to exist the moment our gazes meet.

Her scent — wildflowers and rain — hits me like a punch to the chest, and suddenly it feels like I’ve been starving my whole life and only now found air.

“Go to her,” he growls. “Claim her.”

It's like a bolt of white-hot lightning cracks between us, rooting me to the spot. She can't seem to tear her eyes away from me any more than I can from her. For a breathless moment, the world narrows down to just this — her wide, startled eyes, the faint glow of the lantern light painting her skin gold, and the way my entire soul roars mine.

Aric pushes harder, begging me to move — to touch her, to claim her — and it takes every ounce of willpower I have to keep my feet planted.

My father’s throat clears, sharp and commanding, shattering the fragile spell between us. There are a hundred eyes on me, and I can’t move. Not toward her. Not away. I’m trapped in the storm that she’s become.

“Son?”

The word is an anchor dragging me back to reality as he holds out the microphone. The lanterns sway above like stars caught in branches, casting flickering shadows across the stage. The night air is warm, and my skin burns even hotter beneath the collar of my collared shirt.

Mom and Dad insisted that I be in a three-piece f*cking suit even though it's ninety degrees, even with the sun down. It's suffocating.

Aric snarls in protest, slamming against the mental barrier so hard that it nearly crumbles, in trying to keep him from taking control completely.

“Later,” I snapped at him, forcing him back with every ounce of willpower I have. “We can’t lose it here. There are to many eyes one us right now.”

But Aric’s growl only deepens, promising me that “later” had better come soon.

I drag in a sharp breath before taking the microphone from my father’s outstretched hand. I turn back to face the crowd — even as every instinct in my body screams to go to her.

F*ck, a speech is the last thing I want to do right now.

I clear my throat, the mic cold in my hand, and force my voice to steady.

“Thank you all for being here tonight. It’s good to be home.”

The words feel hollow, like someone else is speaking through me. I scan the crowd, but my gaze keeps drifting—pulled like a magnet—back to her.

My mate stands at the edge of the gathering, her spine straight, boots planted like she’s guarding the gates of hell. Dressed in all black—black jeans, black shirt, and a dark braid over one shoulder. A shadow among firelights. By all appearances, she looks like any other warrior, but even from here, I can still catch the faint scent of Omega mixed with her scent.

Not the kind of girl you expect to be mated to the next Alpha.

And yet, here we are.

“I’ve spent the last few years away at college preparing to take on the responsibilities that come with leading this pack. I’ve trained, studied, and learned what it means to protect what matters.”

Her eyes narrow slightly. Not in challenge—more like disbelief. Like she’s trying to reconcile the man on the stage with the bond that just snapped into place between us.

Aric growls low in my chest. "She’s ours. She should be beside us, not shoved to the outskirts like some exile."

I ignore him. Barely.

“Shadow Ridge has always been my home. And in the months ahead, I’ll be stepping into the role of Alpha. I promise to lead with strength, with honor, and with loyalty to every member of this pack.”

Her jaw tightens, and her lips press into a thin line. She’s trying to keep it together, but I see it—the flicker of panic, the way her fingers twitch at her sides like she’s resisting the urge to run.

She wasn’t expecting this. Not me. Not the bond.

And damn, I wasn’t expecting her either.

“Tonight is about celebration. About connection. About the future we’re building together.”

I pause, letting my gaze settle on her fully now. Her eyes meet mine, and for a second, the world tilts again. She doesn’t look away.

“Thank you for welcoming me back. I look forward to earning your trust.”

Applause erupts around me as the entire crowd cheers for their new Alpha. The mic drops from my hand as I see her slowly starting to slip away into the darkness. ‘Oh no, you don't, mate,’ I say to myself as I all but run off the stage and down the short set of stairs.

“Ronan? Where are you going?” My father calls behind me, but I pay him no mind as Aric and I follow her scent.

“Find her,” Aric growls.

“What the f*ck do you think I'm doing—chasing rabbits for fun?” I spit. “Back off, Aric. If you want her found faster, stop clawing at my brain and let me move.”

I break into a half jog, my boots pounding against the packed earth as I follow the thread of her scent—wildflowers and rain, threaded with adrenaline. Giving half nods as more and more pack members attempt to step into my path to welcome me home.

She’s fast. Not just physically, but tactically. She’s not running blindly. She’s disappearing, using the darkness and her dark clothing to sink into the darkness. She is a warrior who is all but abandoning her post now.

“Punishment worthy, little mate, and I can't wait to give you that,” I mutter to myself as the music slowly fades behind me. The lantern light is soon swallowed by the trees as I veer off the main path, giving way to moonlight, fractured through branches. The shadows here are deeper, quieter, and her scent twists through them like smoke.

“She’s trying to lose us,” Aric snarls, his frustration clawing at my ribs.

I came to a halt just inside a small opening deep in the forest. Her scent is coming from multiple directions now. She’s doubled back. Smart girl, I smile to myself.

I slow my pace, listening. The rustle of leaves. The snap of a twig. The hitch of breath.

There.

I catch the faintest glimmer in the moonlight as she ducks back behind one of the massive tree trunks. I pivot to sneak around to the opposite side, making sure to keep my footsteps as silent as possible.

I ease around the tree, and there she is.

Moonlight spills over her like it'd been waiting for this exact moment. Her braid has come loose, with a few dark strands clinging to her damp skin and sticking to the curve of her jaw. Her chest rises and falls too quickly.

Her clothes cling to her frame, molded to lean muscle and soft curves — a body built from battle, not vanity. There’s a streak of dirt on her cheek from where she must have brushed against a tree, and somehow it makes her even more devastating. Real. Mine.

Aric presses forward, practically salivating. "Touch her. Claim her."

I take another step closer, slow enough that she doesn’t spook, but close enough to cage her in with my presence.

“You really thought you could outrun me?” My voice is low, rough with the effort of restraint that it takes not to just grab her and press her against the tree.

Her eyes are wide in surprise, and her chest is heaving with every breath she takes. She doesn’t answer. Just straightens her back with her shoulders squared, and her chin lifted high. But I see it—the slight tremor in her fingers, the way her pulse jumps at the base of her throat. She’s not afraid. She’s overwhelmed.

Aric growls, and her pupils blow even wider until I can't even see the irises of her eyes anymore. The bond is taking over, for both of us. Aric’s and my need for our mate is taking over every thought; all I can think about is the way her skin will feel beneath mine. The way her lips will taste. The way she is going to moan my name the moment that I sink into her wet heat.

I groan as I inhale, and my nostrils fill with the scent of her growing arousal.

"She wants us," Aric snarls, triumphant.

My control frays, and I have to curl my hands into fists at my sides to keep from touching her. “Do you feel it?” I ask, my voice low, meant only for her.

She shakes her head, “We can't.”

“Can't what, mate?” I growl, stepping closer until her back brushes the bark of a tree. My breath fans across her cheek as I reach out and play with one of the loose strands of her dark braid. Winding it around my finger.

Her lips part, but no sound comes out. “Can't accept what the Moon Goddess has blessed us with? I'm not sure whether she would appreciate the disrespect.”

Her pulse flutters wildly now, and she looks like she might bolt — or lean in. The scent of her growing arousal swells again, filling my head with nothing but need.

“Y-you’re the next Alpha,” she stammers.

“And?”

“And, I am just a warrior omega. There has to be a mistake. I'm not meant to be a Luna,” she whispers, her voice cracking — but she doesn’t move. She doesn’t run.

Aric roars inside my head. “MINE,” only I thought it was inside my head. Aric manages to take control just enough to pin her to the tree at her back and press our lips to hers.

For a second, she’s rigid with shock, but the second my tongue sweeps across her lips seeking permission, any fight she might have had about the difference in rank flows out of her. She opens, allowing me inside, inciting a deep, satisfied rumble inside my chest. And she melts against me, her hands fisting my shirt, dragging me closer until there’s no space left between us.