a claiming collar

After his mother and sisters left the room, Lysander sat alone, the weight of their words sinking in. An Alpha never lets go of what he claims.

He groaned, running his fingers through his hair. “There has to be a way to get rid of this scent…”

Determined, he grabbed his cloak and quietly slipped out of his room, making his way down to the marketplace.

The market was lively, filled with vampires going about their nightly business. He passed by potion shops, herbal stalls, and perfume vendors, searching for anything that could cover the scent.

After nearly an hour of searching, Lysander sighed in frustration. Every vendor gave him the same answer—nothing could erase an Alpha’s scent completely. It had to fade on its own.

Disappointed, he turned around and headed home.

Lysander walked into his room, ready to collapse on his bed—

But then he stopped.

Sitting neatly on his desk was a plate with a slice of cake, a fresh blood bag, and a small, wrapped gift.

His heart skipped a beat. Where did this come from?

He cautiously stepped closer, eyeing the items suspiciously. The cake looked rich, topped with dark berries, and the blood bag was filled with high-quality blood—something only nobles could afford.

His gaze then landed on the gift. It was wrapped elegantly in black and silver paper.

Lysander hesitated before slowly untying the ribbon and peeling away the wrapping. Inside was a beautiful necklace—a delicate silver chain with a deep red rose pendant.

His brows furrowed. “What the…?”

A small note was attached. Lysander picked it up and read it carefully.

"For the clumsy little bat. Wear it well."

There was no signature.

Lysander's eyes widened. Who—?!

His mind immediately went to the Alpha, but he quickly shook his head. “No way. He was so mean to me. There’s no way he’d send something like this…”

But then… who else could it be?

And more importantly—how did they get past the castle’s tight security?

Lysander gulped, gripping the necklace in his hand.

For some reason… a chill ran down his spine.

Lysander stared at the necklace in his hands, his mind racing with unanswered questions. Who sent this? How did they get in?

But before he could think any further, a golden glow began creeping in through the window.

His eyes widened. The sun!

Moving quickly, he rushed to close the thick velvet curtains, sealing the room in comforting darkness. With a sigh of relief, he climbed into bed, the exhaustion from the long night finally catching up to him.

Still clutching the necklace in his hand, he let his eyes flutter shut.

And soon, he drifted into sleep.

Hours later, as the moon began to rise, Lysander stirred awake. He yawned, stretching his limbs before sitting up.

The first thing he noticed was the necklace still clutched in his hand. He stared at it for a moment, then hesitantly fastened it around his neck.

The rose pendant rested gently against his collarbone, and as soon as it did—

A strange warmth spread through his chest.

Lysander frowned, confused by the sudden sensation, but before he could think too much about it—

The door burst open.

Seraphina and Celeste walked in, ready to drag him out of bed, but the moment they stepped inside, they froze.

The air in the room was thick with scent—Alpha scent.

But this time… it was stronger.

It was no longer faint or fading. Instead, it had deepened into something richer, more intoxicating. It wasn’t just a lingering mark anymore—it was pure.

And worst of all… it smelled good.

Seraphina’s eyes widened in horror. “What. The. Hell.”

Celeste clamped a hand over her nose. “Lysander, what did you do?!”

Lysander blinked in confusion. “Huh? What are you talking about?”

Seraphina stalked toward him, sniffing the air with suspicion before her gaze landed on the necklace.

Her expression darkened. “You idiot.”

Lysander tilted his head. “What?”

Seraphina pointed at the rose pendant. “That’s what you did.”

Lysander looked down at the necklace. “Wait… this?”

Celeste groaned. “Ugh, I knew you were dumb, but this is another level. Do you not realize what this is?!”

Lysander frowned. “A… gift?”

Seraphina pinched the bridge of her nose. “Not just a gift, Lysander. That necklace—” she paused, looking at him with exasperation.

“That’s an Alpha’s claiming charm.”

Lysander’s heart stopped.

“…A what?

Lysander stared at the necklace in his hands, his mind racing with unanswered questions. Who sent this? How did they get in?

But before he could think any further, a golden glow began creeping in through the window.

His eyes widened. The sun!

Moving quickly, he rushed to close the thick velvet curtains, sealing the room in comforting darkness. With a sigh of relief, he climbed into bed, the exhaustion from the long night finally catching up to him.

Still clutching the necklace in his hand, he let his eyes flutter shut.

And soon, he drifted into sleep.

Lysander rubbed his eyes groggily as he sat up in bed, still trying to shake off the strange warmth from the necklace. But the moment he moved, he felt something tight around his neck.

His fingers instinctively reached up—

Clink.

Lysander froze.

His heart pounded as his hands ran over the smooth, cool surface of—

A collar?!

“What the hell—?!” Lysander scrambled out of bed and rushed to his mirror.

His breath caught in his throat.

A sleek black collar wrapped snugly around his neck. It was smooth and elegant, but in the center, right above his throat, was a small, sharp pin.

Lysander’s fingers trembled as he touched it. “No, no, no—where did this come from?!”

His mind raced.

The necklace. The blood bag. The cake.

The scent growing stronger.

And now this?!

Panic swelled in his chest. Did the Alpha do this?! But how?!

There was no way—no way—he had gotten into the castle. The security was too tight. The borders were protected.

And yet…

Lysander stared at the collar in the mirror, his hands shaking.

His sisters were going to kill him.

Before he could even begin to process what was happening, his bedroom door swung open.

Seraphina and Celeste stood there, ready to wake him up—

But the second they stepped inside, they stopped dead in their tracks.

Their eyes widened.

The scent in the room was even stronger than before.

Seraphina’s gaze immediately zeroed in on the collar around Lysander’s neck.

Her jaw dropped. “No. Way.”

Celeste let out a strangled noise. “Oh, we are so dead.”

Lysander turned to them, panic in his eyes. “I—I don’t know how it got here! I just woke up and—”

Seraphina stormed up to him, grabbing his face and tilting his head to examine the collar.

“…You idiot.”

Lysander flailed. “Why does everyone keep calling me that?!”

Seraphina pointed at the small pin in the collar. “Because this isn’t just for decoration.”

Lysander blinked. “What do you mean?”

Celeste groaned. “It’s an Alpha’s Binding Collar.”

Lysander’s stomach twisted. “W-what does that mean?!”

Seraphina took a deep breath. “It means you’re officially marked as his.”

Lysander staggered back. “NO WAY—”

Celeste crossed her arms. “Oh, it gets worse.”

Lysander paled. “Worse?!”

Seraphina smirked, but it was not a happy smirk. “That pin? It’s enchanted.”

Lysander gulped. “…What kind of enchantment?”

Celeste sighed. “The moment another Alpha tries to touch you or claim you, it’ll activate.”

Lysander’s breathing hitched. “A-activate how?”

Seraphina’s smirk grew darker. “It’ll release the Alpha’s scent in full force. Enough to let every single werewolf in the kingdom know… that you belong to him.”

Lysander nearly collapsed on the spot.

What had he gotten himself into?!

to be continued

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