BOUND TO THE ALPHA

BOUND TO THE TO THE ALPHA

BOUND TO THE ALPHA’S CURSE

Episode 6

The fire in Lucian's eyes didn’t fade as he stared at Amara, his breathing shallow, chest rising and falling as though he was holding something back.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” he said, voice low and rough like gravel. “Do you have any idea what this place does to me?”

Amara didn’t flinch. Her bare feet dug into the forest floor, her heart hammering as if in sync with the thunder rumbling above them.

“You said this is where your curse began,” she replied, lifting her chin. “If I want to understand you, I need to see all of you, Lucian. Even the broken pieces.”

He took a step toward her. Then another.

“You think understanding me will fix this?” he asked bitterly. “You think love is enough to tame a monster?”

She swallowed hard. The wind tugged at her hair, leaves swirling around them like ghosts from the past. The air pulsed with energy. Magic. Pain.

“I’m not afraid of the monster,” Amara whispered. “I’m afraid of losing you to it.”

That stopped him.

Lucian’s jaw clenched, his hands twitching by his sides.

“You don’t get it,” he growled. “Every full moon, I lose more of myself. I see you, and I want to protect you—but this thing inside me wants to claim you. Mark you. Own you.”

Amara stepped closer until their chests almost touched.

“Then let it,” she breathed.

Lucian’s eyes flashed golden.

“You don’t know what you’re asking for,” he rasped. “My mark… it’s not like the others. Once I do it, there’s no turning back. No running.”

“I’m not running.”

“Once I taste you…” His voice cracked. “I might not stop.”

Silence stretched between them, thick and pulsing with desire. A drop of rain hit Amara’s cheek, followed by another. Soon, the sky opened, drenching them both.

She was soaked within seconds, her thin blouse clinging to her skin. Lucian’s shirt stuck to his sculpted frame, dark and dripping. His gaze dropped to her lips, then lower, lingering on her curves.

He let out a tortured groan.

“Don’t do this to me, Amara.”

“You already have me,” she said, her voice breaking. “And I think… you’ve always had me.”

With a strangled noise, Lucian grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into him. His mouth crashed down onto hers, hungry, desperate, consuming. Amara gasped into the kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck.

Lightning cracked above them, but they didn’t stop. His hands roamed her body, gripping her thighs, her hips, like he was anchoring himself to her reality.

Their kiss deepened, rough and messy, like everything unsaid was being poured into their lips. He spun her, pressing her back against a tree, his body caging hers. She moaned into his mouth as he kissed down her throat, his canines grazing her skin.

“You’re mine,” he murmured. “Mine, Amara. And I will fight heaven, hell, and every curse in between to keep you.”

Suddenly, his body went stiff.

Amara blinked up at him. “Lucian?”

He grunted, staggering back from her. His hands clutched his sides, eyes wild with pain.

“No,” he hissed. “Not now—”

Amara rushed to him. “Lucian, what’s happening?!”

His bones cracked, his body twisting unnaturally. His claws tore through his fingertips, and his eyes glowed brighter than before.

“The curse—” he growled. “It’s early. It shouldn’t be happening yet!”

Amara’s heart dropped.

The transformation was starting.

Right in front of her.

And he couldn’t stop it.

She reached for him, but he backed away with a snarl.

“Run!” he roared. “Get away from me before I hurt you!”

“I won’t leave you!”

But it was too late. His roar tore through the forest, loud and animalistic. His body shifted, fur sprouting across his arms, muscles expanding violently.

The man she loved disappeared into the beast.

And the beast was hungry.