Claimed by the Alpha

Episode 3: Bloodlines and Betrayals

The tension was palpable in the air, thick like fog in a moonlit, eerie forest. Elara felt her heart pounding against her chest as she propelled herself forward, her body avoiding the tree branches and her feet barely grazing the night soil. The cooling pulse of adrenaline reminded her of the icy night air enveloping her. The memories of his possessive grip were already sending shivers down her spine, but the phantom touch still felt like fire against her skin.

Despite all that, ceding to him would never be an option.

The beautiful yet terrifying howl resounded in the distance, making Elara go breathless. Adrenaline raced through her body, chasing away the shadow of fatigue. They were close. He was close.

Cutting her arms, the branches made getting away nearly impossible. Curved and twisted branches grabbed at her like monsters. Even so, she pushed forward, desperate to outrun the beast that had chased her all this time.

Claimed her.

“Little one, you made a grave error running from me.”

The moon was radiating light, glinting off of her bronze locks while icy water plunged under her skin. Frozen marbles replaced the ever burning lust within her as she recalled his commanding words—dangerously seductive and dripping with authority. The sound came from blackness, dark enough to blend beliefs into love and nightmares.

Those words bound her limbs in thick, invisible chains, ceasing all movement. Chains crafted from passion.

Swiftly, she turned to circle around a thick tree, bracing her back for impact as her chest began to heave like a pump. Right on cue, a rustle of the twig and a shift in the air—the sound which had recurvied around her prior, not gave birth to chains, albeit absolved her from them—placed them around him.

That is when he unceremoniously stepped into view.

Ronan Blackwood stepped into the light, the moon cascading through the trees highlighting him. The primal gleam in his golden eyes was rather fierce. His taut muscles were clearly visible while he remained shirtless,Scars marking his skin like trophies of war. He emanated pure power, raw and unmistakable.

Elara was struggling to breathe.

“I can’t be kept,” she blurted out, using what little breath she had left, even if it was hard to convince herself of that.

A soft, triumphant grin spread across his face. “That is where you are wrong,”

Before she knew it, he was in front of her, her back pressed against the coarse wood and his physique trapping her entirely. Her head spinning. She felt enveloped by a musky pine fragrance.

“You needed more than a head start,” he said quietly, hand moving to her chin. “But I knew I would be the one to catch you in the end.”

Elara managed to resist the intoxicating urge to surrender, turning her face. “I’m not yours.”

Anger darkened Ronan’s expression. “You were mine always.”

A feral growl growled out of his mouth, sending vibrations radiating through her. Despite her to fight the sudden wave of heat surging within her core, she felt the emotion, though. With the fists she was clenching. And she decided then that this could not be her reality. An Omega unable to retain their senses amidst the influence of an alpha. No. She was winning; this was not a life of begging for freedom. A tough battle would grant her the strength she sought.

Sure, he did make her feel weak, but more so, small.

Hated.

“Your muscles tell a different tale than your mouth,” he stated firmly, words directed at her wrist as his fingers lie over her pulse and began tracing circles slowly. “You've aligned your body on the other hand knows the truth, which isn’t the case.”

Elara’s abrupt withdrawal made his irises ignite even more. “The truth? The truth is you do not own me, Ronan.”

He inhaled sharply, as if remembering a fleeting memory that sparked amusement. “Go ahead and deceive yourself as much as you'd like. I can sense the desperation in you.”

She felt flames in her cheeks but directly looked at him. “You think that I will give in to you submissively, simply due to some ancient tie?”

Ronan’s grin was aggressively sharp. “You will. But not for the bond.”

Her heartbeat vibrated in her brain. “Then for what reason?”

His expression shifted to one fiercely penetrating and devoid of compassion. “Because you desire to.”

They both shifted as a another sound erupted from underneath the brush. She felt a surge of energy as a band of blurry paints rose from the darker areas of the brush. She staggered as Ronan marked the first move, grabbing her midsection and leading her to the side first.

Not wolves.

Hunters.

Elara's body grew rigid as a sharp sense of fear coursed through her veins. Their outfits were remarkably simplistic, yet the massive weapons slung over their shoulders caught the light of the moon beautifully. Crossbows, silver-tipped arrows. Deadly.

A low growl broke from his lips, indicating his tension. "I suggest you leave at once, or things will go south for you."

With a side smile, the leader of the hunters responded. “The prize on your head single-handedly covers each of us, not to mention far exceeds any conceivable value.”

Elara’s fingers curled into the bark behind her. A bounty? What had Ronan done to deserve these men hunting him like prey?

“I see no tremor in your hand,” he stated, without any of his concern and composure faltering for an instant.

“And yet, you came unprepared,” Elara taunted.

The hunter laughed. “Preparation would mean bringing something other than silver.”

Ronan’s face shifted. Something unreadable crossed it but his body underwent an alarming change. Muscles tautened alongside slumping bones. Skin darkened and vibrant fur erupted.

There was no pulling back now.

The cacophony of screaming erupted from every direction. The clash of bodies careening into one another, arrows snipping the air, each sharp cry morphing into excruciating auditory agony.

Elara reacted too late to the flurry. One of the hunters had directed die to spin corresponding with flashing knives.

From out of nowhere, a burst of hot energy ignited.

Completely ignoring the excruciating pain cascaded around her skull, deciding to walk the judgment step forward, Shifting her body backward caused his towering frame to tumble.

With how grabbed the dagger unshackled from her thigh holster, slamming it forth into his protruding arm, fur covered skin pallid surface hung like a waning moon and head lolling about.

Bellow he lets curse words of stavior bursts ensued cause limping backward she as fought etting grab sobbed with ferel void.

Wrapped in pulsating silence.

She spun around just in time to witness Ronan standing at the eye of the storm, his wolf self dominating the crumpled wrecks of their foes. His claws were soaked with blood, and his gaze was fixated on her.

Winded, unclothed, drained yet powerful, he shifted back.

But his face told no tale.

“What the hell was that?” Elara asked, wiping away the blood from her lips.

Ronan began stepping towards her. “That was a warning.”

Her body was shaking, and her head was spinning. “From who?”

After a moment of contemplation, his expression stiffening, he replied, “The same people who want me dead.”

“Why is that?” Elara narrowed her eyes.

He closed them again for a moment before speaking. “Because I broke the one law no Alpha is permitted to breach.”

Her lungs seemed to collapse. “Which is?”

His voice lower

ed to a barely audible tone, “I claimed a mate I was never allowed to claim.”

His lips curled in a subtle grin.