Rejected First, Claimed Later: Taken By The Cruel Alpha

The command of my bride

Astrid's POV:

I had never been a person who dreamed of bloody revenge. My ambitions were far simpler, born from a life of quiet desperation: I just wanted to escape. My father's house had become a cage of endless torture, and for years, I had searched for my mate as if searching for a miracle. In my mind, only a fated bond and a powerful family could provide the shield I needed to survive these people.

And I always thought Damien Morozov was that person until he brutally rejected me, betrayed me and threatened to kill me.

However, now, Kirill, the strongest, most formidable man I had ever known was standing before me, asking for my hand.

Only moments ago, I was certain he had come to punish me, to finally teach me a lesson for rejecting him five years ago when he had nothing.

But now, the sight before me was impossible to ignore. He had brought Elina and her daughter, Lisa, to their knees, stripping away their power in a single move. That sight alone began to shift something deep inside me.

I reached out and placed my hand over his, closing the distance. If the world wanted to call me selfish, let them. I was selfish. To Kirill, I had always been the woman who took what she needed to survive.

"Take me with you, Alpha," I said as I looked directly into his eyes.

Kirill's smirk sharpened, a dark, triumphant gleam ignited in his gaze. It was the look of a conqueror who had finally claimed his most elusive prize and that was me.

"You made the right decision, Astrid," Kirill murmured. His voice carried a possessive warmth that sent a shiver down my spine. He guided me down the final step and led me straight to the central couch, the seat of honor in our house, a place I had been forbidden from even touching. He settled me onto the plush velvet before turning his icy gaze back toward Elina and Lisa.

"You still haven't slapped your daughter," Kirill noted. "It seems I'll have to handle the discipline myself."

He began to march toward them when my father, sensing the impending violence, scrambled to step between Kirill and his wife.

"My lord, please," my father stammered, his hands trembling. "You've come to take my daughter, and she is yours. But Astrid made a mistake today; her mother was simply trying to discipline her. Every parent does that to their child to keep them on the right path. Am I right, Astrid?" He turned his head toward me, his eyes burning with a silent, desperate command to stay quiet and play along.

Kirill didn't look away from my father, but his voice softened as he addressed me. "Is it true, love? Was this just a simple matter of 'discipline'?"

Before I could speak, Elina broke her silence, her voice thick with a calculated, martyred sweetness. "Astrid, Lisa is your sister. If someone must be punished for the misunderstanding that hurt you, then let it be me. Don't let your heart be hardened."

"Then, slap yourself," I said, my voice echoing coldly in the room. "Do it."

Elina's face was drained of color the moment I uttered those words.

She hadn't expected me to strike back so quickly, but she had forgotten that after years of being pushed into a corner, I would never let such a golden opportunity go to waste.

"You heard the command of my bride," Kirill growled. With a dismissive flick of his arm, he shoved my father aside like he was nothing more than a nuisance. In this pack, no one dared to even speak to Levi Clifford without permission, yet here he was, stumbling and powerless. It felt like a dream, I wanted to lose myself in it.

The sound of the impact was sharp. Elina didn't hesitate; she threw a stinging slap across her own face, her head snapping to the side.

"Mom!" Lisa shrieked. "Are you insane, Astrid? How could you do this to our mother?"

"My mother is dead," I said, rising slowly to my feet, resentment fueling my voice. "She is your mother, Lisa. Not mine."

Seeing them tremble was something I always wanted to see. When I had been the one on the floor, bleeding and begging, they had laughed. Now, the roles were finally reversed.

Lisa lost her mind. Driven by a superiority complex, she lunged across the gap between us, her hand raised to strike me. But before she could even get close, a hand shoved her back with such force that she went flying.

Kirill was suddenly in front of me. I looked at the broad expanse of his back before peeking around him. Lisa was sprawled on the floor, her hair disheveled and her pride shattered. A female warrior from Kirill's personal guard stepped out of the shadows, grabbing Lisa by her hair and forcing her head up.

"Alpha, what should I do with her?" the warrior asked.

"Imprison her," Kirill commanded.

"My lord, don't do this!" My father scrambled across the floor, his dignity completely gone as he caught Kirill's legs, weeping.

"Lisa made a mistake, a huge mistake. She's the next Luna of this pack! Please, I beg you, don't take her!"

Elina, too, desperately pleaded with Kirill to show mercy.

I couldn't believe my eyes and ears. My father never did this for me. Just because I was his illegitimate daughter, he never wished to even take a stand for me. But for Lisa, he was crying and begging.

"Get away, Levi. I am not here to create a scene. I wanted my bride to be in better shape. I didn't know your wife and your daughter would hit her before my arrival. If not for your loyal house butler, I would have never found out what you all were doing to Astrid."

He again kicked my father away while Lisa was being dragged out as a prisoner.

I had stopped blinking as my eyes remained fixed on Kirill. He did what not even Damien could do for me in years.

"Astrid, if you want to pack your belongings, then do it now. We are leaving," Kirill told me, turning to me.

"I don't have anything to pack," I said. I wanted to escape this cage forever. "Take me with you," I said, lowering my gaze in respect and a slight fear too.