Alpha of My Nightmares

The moonlight felt cold that night. Colder than the stone floor I’d been sleeping on since I could remember. As an omega, I was less than invisible. A shadow in the corners of the Silverfang Pack. I was Nyra, a nobody. An orphan since the night my mother was slaughtered by wolves in the cursed forest seven years ago. Since then, I had no voice, no name, and no right to exist. But that night… everything changed. --- "Nyra." The voice of Beta Kalon echoed from the stairway to the underground kitchen. “I—I’m here...” I stammered, hands still submerged in icy dishwater. He looked at me strangely—like he was caught between pity and fear. “The Alpha summoned you. Now.” My breath caught. Alpha Kael? The one who never spoke to me, never looked my way, the one whose name made even warriors tremble? “Did I… do something wrong?” I whispered. Kalon shook his head. “No. You’re just… needed. He’s waiting in the ceremony hall.” Ceremony hall? My stomach twisted. No omega was ever summoned there—unless it was punishment… or a ritual. Hands trembling, I peeled off my soiled apron and followed him through the corridor, heart pounding. The torches lining the walls flickered as if they knew something I didn’t. And then, I saw him. Alpha Kael. Standing in the center of the moonlit hall, draped in a black ceremonial cloak. The Silverfang crest burned silver across his chest. His jet-black hair framed a face carved from stone—harsh, ruthless, and unreadable. His eyes met mine, and in that moment, I heard it: > Mate. Everything stopped. No. This couldn’t be happening. He… he was my mate? No smile touched his lips. No warmth flickered in his gaze. Just a single, cold command: “Sit.” My knees almost buckled as I obeyed. “From this night forward,” he said, voice like frost on glass, “you will be Luna of the Silverfang Pack.” Gasps echoed through the room. The elders whispered. Kalon’s face went pale. “What?” My voice was barely audible. “I—I’m not worthy...” Kael stepped forward. His scent hit me—forest, blood, and something darker. He gripped my chin, lifting it with force. “You are my mate, Nyra. But don’t mistake this for love. This is necessity.” I didn’t understand. But before I could ask, he lowered his mouth to my neck. And he bit me. The pain was blinding. I screamed as fire surged through my veins. My body spasmed, my vision blurred. There was no tenderness in it. No sacred moment. Only a forced bond. I collapsed to the floor, sobbing, shaking. Blood trickled down my neck. “You’re mine now,” Kael said flatly. Then he turned his back and walked away, leaving me in a pool of blood, pain, and shattered understanding. --- That night, I dreamed of my mother. And the wolf with black eyes that tore her apart. When I awoke, the mark on my neck still throbbed. Outside, I could hear the elders spreading the news: > “Alpha Kael has found his Luna.” But no one knew the truth. I didn’t want this. And Kael… didn’t seem to want me either. Still, the bond was there. And somewhere deep inside, beneath his cold stare, I saw something else. A shadow. As if I wasn’t just his mate… But the curse he feared the most.