BOUND THE CURSED ALPHA

chapter 3

The footsteps echoed louder.

Closer.

Relentless.

Luna’s pulse pounded violently in her ears as her fingers instinctively tightened around Kael’s hand. She didn’t even realize she was holding onto him—only that letting go suddenly felt… impossible.

Kael didn’t look at her.

His entire focus was ahead.

Sharp. Deadly.

Predatory.

“Stay behind me,” he repeated, his voice low and firm.

Luna swallowed hard but nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. Her body moved on its own, stepping behind him, instinctively trusting the danger in his tone.

The air grew heavier.

Then—

They appeared.

Shadows slipping through the entrance like smoke.

One.

Three.

Five.

More.

Figures cloaked in darkness, their presence suffocating, their eyes glowing faintly like beasts lurking in the night.

Luna’s breath caught.

“They found us…” she whispered.

Kael’s jaw tightened slightly.

“They didn’t find us,” he said coldly. “They were sent.”

A figure stepped forward. Taller than the others. Slower. Confident.

“Kael Draven…” the man’s voice echoed through the hall, smooth but laced with mockery. “Still alive. Still causing problems.”

Luna felt Kael’s energy shift.

Darker.

Colder.

More dangerous.

“You should have stayed away,” Kael replied, his tone flat.

The man chuckled softly. “And miss this opportunity? Unlikely.”

His gaze shifted.

Locked onto Luna.

And her blood ran cold.

“So… she’s the one.”

Kael moved instantly.

One step to the side—completely blocking her from view.

A growl rumbled deep in his chest.

“Don’t look at her.”

The man smiled wider.

“Oh, but I must. Do you even know what you’ve found?”

Luna’s heart pounded.

“What… is he talking about…?” she whispered.

Kael didn’t respond.

Didn’t move.

Didn’t breathe.

But she felt it.

The tension in his body.

Like something was about to snap.

The man took another step forward.

“She doesn’t belong to you, Kael.”

A pause.

Then, softly:

“She belongs to the curse.”

The words hit like ice.

Luna’s breath hitched violently.

“What…?”

Kael’s hand suddenly tightened around hers.

Hard.

Possessive.

“She belongs to no one,” he said, his voice dangerously low.

The man laughed.

“You really don’t understand, do you?”

His eyes glowed brighter.

“That bond you feel… that connection…”

A slow, cruel smile spread across his face.

“It’s not fate.”

Silence.

Heavy.

Terrifying.

“It’s a chain.”

Luna’s chest tightened painfully.

A chain…?

“No…” she whispered.

Kael’s grip tightened again.

“Enough.”

The single word was sharp. Final.

The air snapped.

Then everything exploded.

Kael moved.

Faster than anything Luna had ever seen.

One second he was in front of her—

The next, he was in the middle of them.

A body hit the ground.

Blood splattered across the stone floor.

A scream tore through the air.

Luna gasped, stumbling back as chaos erupted around her.

The attackers lunged.

Kael met them head-on.

No hesitation.

No mercy.

His movements were brutal. Precise.

Every strike lethal.

Every motion controlled violence.

He wasn’t just fighting.

He was destroying them.

A man rushed toward Luna—

Her heart nearly stopped—

But before he could reach her, Kael appeared again.

His hand shot out—grabbing the man by the throat—

And slammed him into the wall with a sickening crack.

“Don’t.”

The word wasn’t loud.

But it carried death in it.

The man struggled, gasping, clawing at Kael’s arm.

Kael’s eyes burned brighter.

“You don’t get to touch her.”

Then—

A sharp twist.

Silence.

The body dropped.

Luna’s breath came out in shallow gasps.

Her entire body trembled.

She had never seen anything like this.

Never felt anything like this.

Fear.

Shock.

And something else.

Something darker.

Something that made her chest tighten every time he moved… every time he protected her.

The last attacker stepped back slowly.

Fear finally creeping into his expression.

“This isn’t over,” he spat. “You can’t fight it forever.”

Kael didn’t respond.

He just stared at him.

Cold.

Unmoving.

Then the man vanished into the shadows.

Silence fell again.

Broken only by Luna’s uneven breathing.

Kael stood still for a moment.

Then slowly…

He turned.

His eyes found hers instantly.

And everything else faded.

Her heart pounded violently as he walked toward her.

Slow.

Deliberate.

There was blood on him.

On his hands.

On his clothes.

But his gaze…

It wasn’t on the fight anymore.

It was on her.

Only her.

“You’re hurt,” he said.

She blinked, confused. “I’m not—”

His hand lifted, brushing lightly against her arm where a thin scratch bled slightly.

Her breath caught.

“I said I’m fine…” she whispered.

But her voice was weaker now.

Unsteady.

Because of the way he was looking at her.

Like she mattered.

Too much.

His fingers lingered on her skin for a second longer than necessary.

Then—

He exhaled slowly.

“They know.”

Her stomach dropped.

“Know what?”

His jaw tightened.

“About you.”

Her heart started racing again.

“I don’t even know what I am!”

Silence.

Then—

“Exactly.”

The word hit harder than anything else.

Her breath shook.

“What does that mean…?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he stepped closer again.

Closing the distance.

Too close.

His hand rose…

Then gently cupped her face.

This time, she didn’t pull away.

Didn’t move.

Couldn’t.

“From now on,” he said quietly, “you stay with me.”

Her lips parted.

“What? No—”

“You don’t have a choice.”

Her eyes flashed with anger. “Stop saying that!”

His gaze darkened slightly.

“You saw what just happened.”

Her chest rose and fell quickly.

“They’re not going to stop.”

A pause.

Then softer:

“And neither will I.”

Her heart skipped.

“What is that supposed to mean…?”

His thumb brushed her cheek slowly.

“You’re mine to protect.”

Her breath hitched.

“And mine to keep.”

Silence.

Heavy.

Dangerous.

Her mind screamed at her to refuse.

To fight.

To run.

But her body—

Her heart—

Stayed.

And that terrified her the most.

Because deep down…

She was starting to believe him.