BOUND THE CURSED ALPHA

The night was wrong. Luna felt it long before she understood it. The forest had always been alive at night—whispers of wind through leaves, distant howls, insects humming in the dark. But tonight… there was nothing. No sound. No movement. Just silence. And it was suffocating. Her breath came out in uneven gasps as she ran, her feet slamming against the damp earth. Twigs snapped beneath her weight, branches clawed at her arms, leaving thin, burning scratches across her skin. Her dress, once soft and clean, now clung to her body, heavy with mud and sweat. She didn’t dare look back. Because she already knew. They were still chasing her. She could feel them. That sickening sensation crawling up her spine, like eyes glued to her back, like something dark and hungry closing in. Her heart pounded so hard it hurt. Faster. Faster. Faster. “Don’t stop…” she whispered to herself, her voice trembling. “Don’t stop, Luna…” But her legs were giving out. Her lungs burned. Her vision blurred. And then— Her foot caught on something. A root. She crashed forward with a sharp cry, her body hitting the ground hard. Pain exploded through her knees and palms as she slid across the dirt. For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. The world spun violently around her. “No…” she choked out, panic surging. She forced herself up, her arms shaking as she pushed against the ground. Her body screamed at her to stop, to rest, to give in. But she couldn’t. Because they were close now. Too close. A low growl echoed through the trees. Her blood turned cold. Slowly… She turned her head. And saw them. Shadows moving between the trees. Tall. Distorted. Not fully human. Watching her. Waiting. A sob tore from her chest as she scrambled backward, her back slamming into the rough bark of a tree. There was nowhere left to run. Nowhere left to hide. “Please…” she whispered, tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t do anything…” A figure stepped forward. Larger than the rest. His presence alone made the air feel heavier, darker. His eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, fixed entirely on her. Predatory. Cold. “You shouldn’t have come here,” he said, his voice deep and void of any emotion. Luna shook her head desperately. “I didn’t know—” “You smelled wrong the moment you entered this forest.” Her breath hitched. Smelled…? “What are you—” A sudden force cut through the air. Fast. Violent. Before she could even react, the man in front of her was thrown backward, his body slamming brutally into a tree with a sickening crack. Everything froze. The shadows stilled. The air shifted. And then— Something else stepped into the clearing. Something worse. Luna felt it instantly. A presence so overwhelming it made her chest tighten, her instincts screaming at her to run… even though she physically couldn’t. He didn’t walk. He appeared. Like darkness itself had taken form. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Covered in blood that didn’t belong to him. His head tilted slightly as his gaze swept over the scene… before landing on her. And the moment it did— Everything changed. Her breath caught. Her body went still. Her heart… Skipped. His eyes were red. Not normal red. Not human. They burned. Like fire trapped behind glass. The man who had been thrown to the tree groaned, trying to stand, but he barely got halfway before the newcomer moved. It happened in a blink. One second he was there— The next, he was gone. A sickening sound split the air. Blood sprayed across the ground. And just like that… The man was dead. Silence fell again. But this time, it was heavier. Because now… Only two remained. Luna. And him. Her fingers dug into the bark behind her as he turned slowly in her direction. Every step he took was deliberate, controlled… like he had all the time in the world. Like she wasn’t a threat. Like she already belonged to him. Her breath trembled as he stopped in front of her. Too close. Way too close. She could smell him now. Smoke. Blood. And something darker. Something intoxicating. Her heart raced wildly, her body reacting in ways she didn’t understand. Fear… But something else too. Something that made her chest tighten and her pulse quicken differently. His hand lifted slowly. She flinched. But he didn’t hurt her. Instead, his fingers wrapped around her chin, firm but not rough, forcing her to look up at him. The moment their eyes locked— A sharp jolt shot through her body. Her breath hitched. What… was that? His gaze narrowed slightly, studying her like she was something rare. Something… unexpected. “Interesting…” he murmured. His voice was low. Rough. Dangerous. Luna swallowed hard. “W-who are you…?” For a moment, he didn’t answer. He just stared at her. Like he was trying to see through her. Then his lips curved slightly. Not a smile. Something darker. “You’re asking the wrong question.” His thumb brushed against her lower lip. Soft. Slow. And her entire body reacted instantly. A shiver ran down her spine. Her breath stuttered. Confusion flooded her mind. Why… did that feel like that? “Y-you’re hurting me…” she whispered, even though he wasn’t. Not really. His eyes darkened. “No,” he said quietly. “I’m not.” And somehow… He was right. Because what she felt wasn’t pain. It was something else entirely. Something deeper. Something dangerous. “Then why…” her voice broke, “why does it feel like this…?” His gaze flickered. For the first time, something uncertain crossed his expression. “Because,” he said slowly, “you feel it too.” Her heart slammed against her chest. Feel what? She didn’t understand. But she couldn’t deny it. That pull. That invisible force drawing her toward him… even as fear told her to run. “I don’t—” Before she could finish, he moved. Fast. One second there was space between them— The next, her body was pressed tightly against his. A small gasp escaped her lips as her hands instinctively grabbed his chest. Hard. Warm. Alive. His heartbeat thundered beneath her palms. Wild. Untamed. Just like his presence. Her own heart matched it. Beat for beat. Too fast. Too intense. “Let me go…” she whispered weakly. But there was no strength behind it. Because part of her didn’t want him to. His arm tightened around her waist. Possessive. Unyielding. His head lowered slightly, his lips brushing dangerously close to her ear. “You’re trembling,” he murmured. His breath was warm. It sent a violent shiver through her body. “Is it fear…” His fingers tightened slightly. “Or something else?” She couldn’t answer. Because she didn’t know. And that terrified her more than anything. “I…” Her voice failed. His hand slid from her chin to her throat, not squeezing, just resting there… feeling her pulse. Fast. Unsteady. His eyes darkened even more. “There it is…” he whispered. Her breath caught. “What…?” His gaze locked onto hers. Intense. Burning. “Mine.” Her heart stopped. “W-what…?” He leaned closer. So close their foreheads almost touched. “You don’t understand yet,” he said softly. “But you will.” Her mind spun. Nothing made sense. Nothing felt real. And yet… Everything felt too real. His grip on her tightened slightly. Not enough to hurt. But enough to remind her— She wasn’t free. “Let me go…” she whispered again, more desperately this time. A pause. A long, heavy pause. Then— “No.” The word was quiet. But absolute. Her stomach dropped. Fear surged through her again. But so did something else. Something that made her chest ache. Something that made her stay. “You’re not going anywhere,” he said. His thumb brushed her cheek this time. Gentler. Confusingly gentle. “Because from this moment on…” He tilted her face up slightly. Their lips were inches apart. Her breath hitched. Her body froze. “You belong to me.” The words wrapped around her like chains. Heavy. Unbreakable. And somewhere deep inside her… Something responded. The wind suddenly howled through the forest, breaking the unnatural silence. But it was too late. Because whatever had just begun between them… Could not be undone. And far in the distance… Hidden in the shadows… A pair of eyes watched. Waiting. Knowing. Because this bond… Was not fate. It was a curse.