Bound to the Alpha
1149 Words
I woke with the echo of Kade’s mark burning into my skin, a raw, pulsing ache that refused to fade.
The moon was low, the first pale rays of dawn breaking through the curtains of my room in the Blackthorne fortress. Everything looked different now sharper, more dangerous, as though the world itself had shifted while I slept.
My wolf stirred restlessly, pacing inside me. She knew we had been claimed. She felt Kade’s scent still clinging to our fur, and it made her shiver with a confused hunger I wanted no part of.
I pushed myself upright, ignoring the sharp sting where he had bitten me. My hand trembled as I touched the wound. Even now, the bond hummed between us, an invisible tether that connected my heartbeat to his.
A prisoner. That was what I was. No matter how Kade dressed it up with talk of protection and fate, I had no choice.
I tried to stand, but the world swayed, a wave of dizziness crashing through me. I caught the edge of the nightstand, breathing hard, refusing to collapse. I would not let him see me broken.
The door opened without a knock, just like always.
Kade stepped inside, and the air changed instantly. It was like he carried winter in his veins, sharp and biting. His eyes locked on mine, glowing faintly gold, and I could see the wolf beneath the man.
“You’re awake,” he said. His voice was calm, but there was a tightness in it, as though he’d been holding his breath all night.
I looked away, focusing on the fireplace instead of him. “Did you expect me to sleep forever?”
He didn’t answer, only crossed the room in three strides and stopped inches from me. His scent hit me again, fresh pine and leather, mixed with something wild that I couldn’t name.
I hated that it made my pulse race.
“You look pale,” he observed. “Does it hurt?”
I laughed, a short, bitter sound. “What do you think?”
His jaw tensed, and he reached for my chin. I tried to flinch away, but he caught me gently, turning my head so he could study the bite. His thumb brushed over the mark, sending a shudder all the way to my toes.
“It will heal,” he murmured, voice low. “The bond will get stronger, and the pain will fade.”
“I don’t want it to get stronger,” I snapped.
His eyes darkened, a storm brewing behind them. “It already has.”
He let go of me, stepping back as though I’d burned him. For a moment, I saw something break across his features regret, maybe, or guilt. But it vanished too quickly to be sure.
“You should eat,” he said finally, his voice cold again. “Your father expects us in the council chamber after sunrise.”
My stomach twisted. Roman. My father. The man who had given me to Kade like a bargaining chip.
“I’m not hungry,” I lied.
Kade raised a brow, unimpressed. “Eat anyway.”
The plate on the table was piled with fruit and smoked meat, bread still warm. The sight of it made me sick, but I forced down a few bites, refusing to show weakness.
Kade watched me, silent and tense. I felt his gaze like a weight on my skin, branding me deeper than any bite.
Finally he sighed, rubbing a hand across his jaw. “Raven… I’m not your enemy.”
I froze, a laugh bubbling up that was half hysteria. “You bit me, Kade. You claimed me. How can you say you’re not my enemy?”
He didn’t flinch. “Because they would have killed you.”
“Who?”
His mouth tightened. “The Council. The rival packs. Anyone who sees you as a threat.”
I shook my head, refusing to accept it. “I’m not a threat to anyone.”
“Yes, you are.” His voice was soft, but it felt like a blade sliding between my ribs. “You are the daughter of Roman Blackthorne. You carry blood that could change everything. They will never let you live freely.”
A chill ran through me, sharper than any winter wind.
“You mean…my mother?”
He nodded slowly. “She was descended from the Moon’s chosen. That makes you their greatest fear and their greatest prize.”
I staggered back, my knees hitting the bed frame. I remembered my mother, her kindness, her quiet strength, the way she had sung to me under the full moon. How could she be part of something so dangerous?
“It’s a myth,” I whispered. “Just a story for pups.”
Kade’s eyes were relentless. “It’s real, Raven. And they will come for you because of it.”
I wanted to scream. I wanted to tear the mark from my skin and burn every piece of the fate he tried to chain me to.
Instead, I sat back on the bed, shaking. “So you bit me to protect me.”
His silence was answer enough.
I felt tears burn my eyes, but I forced them back. No more crying. No more weakness.
“You took away my choice,” I said hoarsely. “Do you understand that?”
His shoulders stiffened. “I do.”
I waited for an apology that never came.
He reached for me again, almost hesitating, then drew his fingers down the side of my face with surprising gentleness. “Hate me if you want,” he said. “But stay alive.”
Then he turned and left, the door closing with a dull thud behind him.
I sat there for a long time, breathing in ragged bursts, trying to make sense of the new world crashing around me. The Blackthorne fortress felt like a tomb.
My mother’s blood. The Moon’s chosen. A threat to everyone.
No wonder my father had given me away like a bargaining chip. No wonder Kade had marked me.
I wrapped my arms around my knees, trying to swallow the howl rising in my throat. My wolf was restless, pacing behind my ribs, confused by Kade’s presence.
He had been my brother’s friend. He had been my first crush. And now he was the Alpha who held my life in his hands.
I could still taste his kiss from last night, a wound and a comfort both.
When the sun finally broke through the window, warm and golden, it felt wrong. There should have been rain, thunder, something to match the storm inside me.
Instead, I had to stand. I had to face what came next.
The council chamber waited.
My father waited.
Kade waited.
And whether I liked it or not, I was bound to him now.
- Writer
