Chapter 12: The Bond Didn't Wait
Alpha Liam POV
I was halfway through signing an execution order when the door opened without permission.
That alone narrowed my eyes.
Only three people in this territory ignored protocol.
Two of them were dead.
The third stood at attention now—breathing fast, boots dusty, armor scuffed like he'd run the whole way from the border instead of using a horse.
"Speak," I said.
The guard swallowed. "Alpha."
I didn't look up. "You have five seconds before I decide you've wasted my time."
"Yes, Alpha. Border patrol three reported—"
He paused, visibly forcing himself to steady. "They found an omega. Unconscious. Near the eastern boundary."
My pen stopped.
That was… unusual.
"Omegas don't wander that close to our border," I said calmly. "Especially alone."
"Yes, Alpha. That's why they sent for confirmation."
I finally lifted my gaze.
"How close?"
"Two hundred paces inside our territory."
That earned my full attention.
I leaned back in my chair. "Alive?"
"Yes."
"Injured?"
"No visible wounds. Malnourished. Exhausted. Covered in forest debris."
Forest.
My jaw tightened slightly.
"The Dark Forest?" I asked.
The guard hesitated—just long enough to confirm it.
"Yes, Alpha."
Silence filled the room.
The Dark Forest swallowed entire packs. Spat out bones. Sometimes nothing at all.
And now an omega had crawled out of it and collapsed on my land.
Interesting.
"Did she scent-mark?" I asked.
"No, Alpha."
"Was she claimed?"
"No bite. No brand."
Unclaimed.
Unprotected.
Alone.
I stood.
"Where is she?"
"Border outpost. They're waiting for your orders."
"I'm coming," I said.
The guard blinked. "Y-you're going yourself?"
I walked past him, already shrugging on my coat. "You don't leave unknown omegas near your border. Especially not ones that survive the forest."
The outpost was quiet when I arrived.
Too quiet.
Every guard snapped to attention the moment my boots hit the ground, eyes fixed forward, spines rigid. Their scents betrayed them—unease, curiosity, something like disbelief.
I ignored them.
"Where is she?"
The captain pointed. "Medical room, Alpha."
I pushed the door open.
The smell hit me first.
Blood. Dirt. Pine. Rain.
And something else.
Something faint.
Something that didn't belong to the forest.
I stopped just inside the doorway.
My wolf stirred.
Not aggressive.
Alert.
Interested.
I stepped closer.
She lay on the cot, wrapped in a blanket far too rough for skin that pale.
Small.
That was my first clear thought.
Not weak—small. Compact. As if she had learned, instinctively, to fold herself inward to survive. Her body curved slightly even in sleep, shoulders angled forward like she expected the world to strike her the moment she relaxed.
Too small to have survived what she had.
Her hair spilled across the pillow in a dark, tangled mess threaded with leaves and ash. Strands clung to her cheek, her throat, the hollow beneath her ear. Dirt streaked her skin in faint lines, but it didn't ruin her appearance.
If anything, it made her look… wrong here.
Like something gentle dropped into a place designed to erase it.
I stepped closer.
Her features were delicate in a way that didn't belong to the forest.
Long lashes rested against dirt-smudged skin. A straight nose faintly reddened from cold. Lips parted just enough to draw shallow, careful breaths.
Too soft.
Too intact.
Too beautiful for a place that devoured the weak.
Her wrists were thin where the blanket had slipped, fingers curled inward even in sleep, like she expected pain. Old bruises ringed her ankles—restraints. Poorly healed.
An omega like this should never have been alone.
My chest tightened.
An omega.
No.
Mine.
The thought came uninvited, sharp and possessive.
I frowned.
That didn't make sense.
I hadn't scented her yet.
Hadn't touched her.
Hadn't—
She shifted.
Just slightly.
And the air changed.
It hit me like a blade sliding under my ribs.
The bond snapped into place.
Hard.
Violent.
Instant.
My breath punched out of my chest as if something had struck me from the inside. The room tilted, vision blurring at the edges.
My wolf surged forward with a growl that rattled my bones, claws scraping against restraint.
Mate.
The word didn't form—it roared.
Ancient. Absolute.
I staggered back a step, grabbing the edge of the table as my heart thundered against my ribs.
That had never happened before.
Bonds were gradual. Built through proximity. Scent. Compatibility.
This one didn't test.
It didn't wait.
It claimed.
The guards stared at me with wide eyes.
"Leave," I snapped.
They didn't hesitate.
The door shut.
I turned back to her, breathing hard.
This omega—this stranger—had triggered a full mate response without even waking.
Impossible.
Unless—
I inhaled slowly.
Her scent was muted. Suppressed. Like something had dulled it, wrapped it, hidden it from the world.
But underneath…
Underneath was fire.
Raw. Untamed.
Unclaimed.
My wolf pressed hard against my control.
Claim her.
I clenched my jaw.
"No," I muttered.
She wasn't conscious.
Didn't know where she was.
Didn't know who I was.
Claiming her like this would be unforgivable.
She whimpered.
Barely a sound.
Pain.
Fear.
Even unconscious, emotion flickered across her face.
The bond flared again—hot, demanding.
Protect.
Anchor.
Claim.
My vision darkened.
I reached out before I could stop myself.
My fingers brushed her wrist.
The bond exploded.
Pain and heat ripped through me at once, sharp enough to steal sound from my throat. It was like claws sank into my chest and dragged something awake that had been sleeping my entire life.
Her pulse fluttered under my touch.
Fast.
Fragile.
Alive.
Mine.
The certainty was absolute.
I yanked my hand back like I'd touched fire.
That was dangerous.
If I held her any longer, my wolf would take over.
Not violently.
Permanently.
I paced once. Twice.
This couldn't be happening. Not here. Not like this
An unvetted omega emerging from the Dark Forest, triggering a primal mate bond?
Every strategic instinct screamed trap.
And every primal instinct screamed keep her.
I stopped pacing.
Decision settled.
I opened the door. "Captain."
He appeared immediately.
"She's coming with me."
He stiffened. "Alpha, protocol—"
"I am the protocol," I said.
He bowed. "Yes, Alpha."
"She is not to be touched. Not questioned. Not scented."
"Yes, Alpha."
"She wakes under my roof."
The ride back to the stronghold was tense.
She didn't wake.
Didn't stir.
Even unconscious, she reacted to proximity. Her breathing shifted whenever I drew near. Her scent stirred faintly, like something recognizing home without understanding why.
Too thin.
Too quiet.
Too alive for someone who should've died ten times over.
When we arrived, I carried her inside myself.
I didn't trust anyone else with her.
The moment I crossed the threshold, the bond pulsed again—stronger, deeper.
Claim.
My wolf growled approval.
I laid her gently on the bed in the secure wing.
My bed.
That realization sent a sharp jolt through me.
This was madness.
I turned to leave.
Her fingers twitched.
A soft sound escaped her throat.
I froze.
Slowly, her eyes fluttered.
I felt it before I saw it.
The bond tightening.
Locking.
Anchoring.
Her lashes lifted.
Confused.
Disoriented.
Terrified.
Her eyes were beautiful a lovely shade of blue
Her gaze found mine.
And in that exact moment—
The mate bond sealed.
She gasped, breath hitching as her scent surged free—unfiltered, unblocked, omega-soft and unmistakable.
Mine.
She sucked in a sharp breath, eyes widening.
"W—where…" she whispered.
I didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Didn't soften my voice.
"You're in my territory," I said.
Her pupils dilated.
The bond roared.
I leaned down, voice low, absolute, claiming what fate had already decided.
"You are my mate."
Her breath hitched...