STOLEN BY THE CURSED ALPHA

3:THE TASTE OF FREEDOM

AZARI FAIRBURN

Pain bloomed in my skull again as I slowly regained consciousness.

For a moment, I simply lay there, breathing heavily, frustration simmering under my skin. Without thinking, I slammed my fist against the wall behind me with a growl of anger.

The impact stung my knuckles — but something else caught my attention.

There were no chains.

I sat up sharply, blinking the haze from my vision. My wrists were bare. No heavy iron shackles. No cold stone scraping my knees.

And I wasn’t in the dungeon anymore.

I was lying on a bed. A real bed.

The mattress beneath me was soft, almost criminally so, like it had swallowed me whole while I slept. I glanced down at myself, heart still hammering, and frowned.

I was no longer wearing my ruined wedding gown. Instead, I wore a simple black cotton singlet, snug against my skin, and a pair of dark gray bum shorts. Barefoot. Barely dressed.

I stood up slowly, legs trembling slightly from residual adrenaline. The surrounding room was modest but… surprisingly decent.

The walls were made of polished stone, with wooden beams across the ceiling. There was a small table by the window, a worn but clean chair, and a fireplace along the far wall — cold now, but clearly used. A single large window dominated the room, its wooden shutters open to let in the crisp night air.

It wasn’t grand like Mooncrest’s halls, but it was warm. Cozy, even. Too cozy for a prisoner.

Was I dreaming?

Or was I dead?

Was one hit to the neck all it took to kill me?

Pathetic.

I wandered toward the window, curiosity gnawing at me.

Outside, the world was bathed in silver. The moon hung low and heavy in the sky, casting its glow over vast fields of swaying grass. Wildflowers dotted the hills, and dense woods framed the horizon like a jagged black crown. The stars glittered fiercely above — far more brilliant than anything I ever saw in Mooncrest.

Wherever this place was, it wasn’t home.

Yet, it was… beautiful. Untamed.

And surprisingly… intriguing.

The door creaked open behind me, tearing me from my thoughts. I spun around, already preparing to fight if I had to.

But it was just one guard.

He stood stiffly in the doorway, not bothering to mask the irritation in his stance.

“Alpha Kyrie said to move you to a more comfortable room,” the guard grunted, “so that it would reduce your attempts of escape.”

Alpha Kyrie. So that was the name of that bastard.

I recognized the guard’s voice immediately. He was one of the ones I had taken down earlier.

A slow, wicked grin spread across my face. “How’s your foot?” I asked sweetly.

The guard snarled low in his throat but said nothing, slamming the door shut behind him as he left.

I chuckled to myself, feeling the small, petty victory warm my bruised ribs.

At least I made someone bleed.

I turned back to the window, resting my forehead against the cool glass. The world outside was dark now, the moon even higher in the sky.

A dangerous idea sparked in my mind.

One more chance.

Maybe the guard’s anger had made him careless. Maybe…

I checked the door. Unlocked. i***t.

But walking out the front door would be suicide. Too obvious. Too exposed.

I tore the sheets from the bed, tying them together with shaking hands. Blanket. Sheet. Pillowcase. Knot after knot until I had a makeshift rope.

I tied one end securely around the heavy bedpost, then threw the other out the window.

The ground looked farther away than I’d thought.

Sucking in a breath, I swung a leg over the ledge and began climbing down.

The fabric burned against my palms, but I gritted my teeth, lowering myself carefully, inch by inch, until my feet hit the ground with a soft thud.

The impact sent a sharp jolt up my legs. I staggered, catching myself against a bush just as voices shouted from the walls.

I ducked into the shadows, heart hammering as a group of guards rushed past, their boots thudding heavily against the earth.

I waited until their voices faded, then took off running.

The wind whipped against my skin. The grass slashed at my legs. My heart roared in my ears.

Freedom.

I could feel it like an energy surge.

In my desperation, I didn’t see the guard until I slammed directly into him.

We both stumbled back, but he was faster, reaching for me with a snarl.

Reflex kicked in.

I drove my knee between his legs with everything I had.

He collapsed with a wheezing scream, clutching himself as he writhed on the ground.

But before he could lose consciousness, he managed to sound the alarm.

Damn it.

Shouts erupted behind me.

I ran, sprinting into the fields, my breath burning in my lungs.

They were chasing me, but the darkness was on my side. I dodged between trees, slipped behind rocks, ducked under low branches.

The woods swallowed me whole.

For a heartbeat, I believed I had made it.

And then I saw him.

Standing still as a statue, outlined by moonlight, waiting for me.

The figure was unmistakable.

Stormy-gray eyes. Battle-scarred skin. Raw fury radiating off him like a second skin.

Shit!

I gasped, stumbling back.

He took a step forward, muscles taut with restrained violence.

Panic clawed at my gut. I turned on my heel and ran in the opposite direction, faster, harder, desperate.

Only to slam into a solid wall of muscle that hadn’t been there a second ago.

How did he get here?

I stumbled back, heart racing. He caught me effortlessly, his hand closing around my wrist like a shackle.

This was it.

There was no escape.

Not this time..