Haunted by the alpha king

His rules

~ Aria ~

The day bleeds slowly into the chamber, gold light streaming through tall windows that mock me with their freedom. Beyond them, the world stretches wide—forests, mountains, sky. but here I am caged, bound in silks I refuse to touch.

The furs beneath me still carry his scent, my body aching from his possession. The bond hums, quiet but relentless, chains no blade could sever.

A soft knock breaks the silence. Before I can answer, two maids slip inside, eyes downcast. They bear trays of polished gold—jewelry, combs, paints—and fresh garments in shades of ivory and crimson. Their movements are careful as though tending an altar.

“The King commands his Queen be made ready,” one murmurs.

“I don’t want them,” I snap, pushing the silks away.

Neither lifts her gaze. One whispers only, “He will be displeased.”

Good, I think bitterly. Let him be.

But before I can say more, the doors groan open on iron hinges. Kael strides inside, every inch of him an Alpha King—broad shoulders sheathed in black leather, silver crown gleaming against his dark hair, storm-grey eyes locking on me the instant he enters.

The maids bow low, trembling under his gaze. He dismisses them with a flick of his hand, and they scurry out, leaving me alone with him.

My heart hammers, but I force my chin high. “I told them no.”

His gaze flicks to the silks discarded on the bed, then back to me. He doesn’t speak at once, only studies me with that unnerving calm. Then, slowly, he closes the distance until his shadow swallows me whole.

“You think you have a choice,” he says softly but dangerously.

My pulse pounds, but I meet his stare. “I do.”

His lips curve, not in a smile but in something darker. “Then listen, Aria. Hear my rules, and know them as law.”

He circles me like a predator, each step deliberate, each word a chain tightening around my throat.

“One: you will not deny me. In body or in word. When I want you, you will yield. When I command, you will obey.”

My fists clench, nails biting into my palms.

“Two: you will show respect before the pack and the court. You will bow when they bow, wear what I choose, and stand at my side as Queen.”

“I am not your Queen,” I hiss.

His eyes flash silver, sharp as blades. “Three: you will never attempt escape. This land, this throne, this bond—these are your prison now. Run, and I will drag you back by your hair. Run again, and I will chain you in gold before the entire court.”

My throat tightens, but I force my voice steady. “You can cage me, but you will never break me.”

His smirk deepens. “Four: you will never speak those words again.”

Heat flares in my face. “And if I do?”

He halts in front of me, towering, his hand rising to cup my jaw. His thumb strokes once, deceptively gentle, before his grip hardens, tilting my head back. His gaze sears into mine, molten and merciless.

“Then I will remind you,” he growls, “what it means to belong to the Alpha King.”

The bond thrums—hungry and hot. My wolf whines, betraying me with the shiver that races down my spine.

He feels it. Of course he does. His smirk turns feral.

“You hate the rules,” he murmurs. “Good. Hate makes you fight. And when you fight, I get to break you all over again.”

His mouth crashes onto mine—ruthless, claiming, a brand of dominance. I thrash, but his arms are iron. One hand pins my wrists above my head; the other grips my waist, unyielding.

“Say the rules,” he growls against my lips.

“No,” I pant, defiant.

His teeth catch my lower lip, biting hard enough to draw a gasp. “Say them.”

I shake my head, trembling, refusing.

His hand slides lower, down my hip, dragging the silks between us until the thin fabric tangles around my thighs. His touch is fire—coaxing sounds from me I can’t smother.

“Your body already obeys,” he whispers, dark and satisfied. “Your lips will follow.”

Tears sting in my eyes, fury and shame twisting with the unbearable pull of the bond. My chest heaves, but still I spit the words through clenched teeth: “I won’t.”

His growl rumbles against my throat as he drives me down into the furs, pinning me like prey. His eyes glow, wolf-bright, his scent thick and overwhelming.

“You test me,” he says, voice low, vibrating with danger. “So I’ll remind you.”

The silks ride higher under his hand, his palm skimming my thigh—teasing me, claiming me, setting heat coiling traitorously in my belly.

“Rule one,” he whispers, pressing against me until a moan betrays my lips. “You do not deny me.”

“Stop,” I beg, my voice breaking.

His mouth trails fire down my throat. “Rule two: you will respect me before all others. But here, in this bed, respect looks like this—” His hand squeezes, hard, pulling another gasp from me.

“No,” I cry, tears spilling.

He slows deliberately, torment disguised as patience. “Rule three: you will not run. Not from me. Not from this.”

His mouth claims mine, swallowing my sob. The bond surges, drowning me, binding tighter with every kiss, every touch. My wolf claws toward him, desperate for surrender.

“Say it,” he commands, breaking the kiss, breath hot against my cheek. “Say the rules.”

I tremble, caught between fury and fire. My lips part, traitorous—but I choke the words back, shaking my head violently.

Something flickers in his eyes—anger, yes, but deeper. Hunger.

“Stubborn little mate,” he growls, voice rough. “Then I’ll teach you slowly. Every night, every dawn, until the rules live in your bones.”

He draws back, leaving me gasping, trembling, half undone. His hand lingers on my throat, not choking, just reminding. Then he rises, pulling me with him.

The silks lie tangled in sunlight. He lifts them, draping the fabric over my shoulders with startling gentleness.

“You will wear them,” he says final and absolute.

I open my mouth to refuse, but the bond pulses, silencing me. My wolf presses into his command, purring in submission While my fists clench helplessly.

Kael’s fingers trail down my arm, slow, possessive. “Good. That’s the beginning.”

His eyes gleam with victory, though his voice softens just enough to wound. “One day, you won’t fight me, Aria. One day, you’ll follow the rules because you want to.”

Tears burn, fury roaring in my chest. “That day will never come.”

He smirks, dark and certain. “We’ll see.”

And when the maids return, trembling, to dress me in silks I swore I’d never wear, the truth carves into me: step by step, rule by rule, he is remaking me.

And I am powerless to stop him.