Mating The Dark Alpha

The Drakkenfell King

Naeryssa’s POV

Standing in the dark tunnel, a heavy, suffocating weight pressed against my lungs. I froze, tracing the cold stone wall where the entrance had sealed shut. Memories of Father and Mother flashed through my mind; I clamped a hand over my mouth, refusing to cry. Not now. Not when my life came at the cost of theirs.

Swallowing hard, my trembling fingers brushed a small metal lever. I yanked it down.

A faint glow flickered as crystals lining the walls hummed to life, revealing the narrow passage. I glanced at my hands, stained crimson. My dress smeared with the blood of the Drakkenfell wolf I’d killed. Hair matted with sweat and debris. I swallowed bile, fighting back nausea with my jaw clenching until it ached.

“Mother, Father,” I rasped. “I’ll be back soon. After I’ve avenged your deaths.”

^ ~————~^

The walk blurred into misery.

The tunnel grew danker, mud and filth clinging to my skin as I crawled through the narrow pipe. The air thickened with petrichor. Once I was out, the cold night air slapped my face in the woods beyond Astraelle.

I grabbed the cursed fabric of my dress and ripped a long slit up the thigh, giving my legs room to move.

Then I ran.

Branches whipped my face, stinging my cheeks, but I didn’t stop. Once I’d neared the open road to Veyorta, the world suddenly tilted.

“Oh, f**k!”

A massive weight slammed into my side, I shrieked. Hitting the ground as the air rushed out of my lings and I wheezed.

Before I could scramble back to my feet, a heavy paw pinned my chest down, claws digging into the dirt on either side of my head.

A coal-black wolf pressed against me, then shifted to skin. Six other men stepped from the shadows, with a scowl on their faces.

Their auras coiled around me, suffocating. The wolf-turned-male; tall, broad-shouldered, knelt over me. His hand locked around my throat as he dragged me to my feet. Scars ran down his neck and shoulders. His cold, menacing stare left me almost frozen to a spot.

“Trying to run, are you?” he growled. The others snarled, mid-shift.

“Let me… go!”

I snapped out of the haze, wriggling against his tightening grip. They formed a kill circle when he tossed me into the center.

“Is this what Drakkenfell warriors are worth?” I groaned, spitting blood, wiping my lips with the back of my palm. “Coward wolves coming at a helpless human all at once?”

“You reek of Drakkenfell blood,” he mused, eyes narrowing at my stained dress. “You killed one of ours. If I hadn’t been in Kyron’s head, I’d doubt a mere human did that. As much as I’d love to rip your throat out, I’d approach you with caution.”

I faltered, blinking fast. This was bad! Luceris’s damned bracelet already left me without my powers. Chest heaving, I edged forward. “Then you should know I can kill you where you stand too.”

He chuckled, low and dark. “I’m intrigued, Veyl child. But I’ll let the Alpha King decide your fate.”

Before I could make sense of his words, one man seized my arms, yanking them back. Another pulled my hair aside, jaws clamping my shoulder, biting hard.

“No… no!”

I screamed as venom flooded me. The world blackened for a moment as my screams tore through the woods. The forest spun, blurring into a haze.

^~———-~~~^

The first thing I felt was the scent.

Thick and intoxicating. A heady mixture of cedarwood musk and pine. It didn't just fill my nose; it felt like it was coating my tongue, making my heart thump against my ribs before my eyes even opened.

I groaned, my shoulder throbbing where I’d been bitten. I forced my eyelids apart. I wasn't in a dungeon. The massive room was draped in heavy furs and dark tapestries, lit by the flickering glow of a fireplace.

I trust you had a splendid night, yes?"

Jolting up on my feet, my eyes grew wide. Then, I saw him.

He was seated on a couch in the corner, shrouded in shadows. Even sitting, his presence was suffocating. His aura snaked across the floor like invisible smoke, wrapping around my ankles and climbing up my chest until it felt hard to breathe. I was human, and I still hurt from their dominance. But this was different. I didn’t need anyone to tell me I was in the presence of an apex predator.

He leaned forward, the flickering embers catching the sharp line of his jaw. Shoulder-length dark hair fell over his face, crimson eyes glinting with something dangerous in them. His muscles strained against the compression shirt he had on.

A low, guttural sound vibrated through the room when he laughed. The sound sent chills down my spine, raising the hair on my arms.

"Who are you?!” I rasped, “Where am I? And what have you done to me?!”

"Patience, Kitten.” he muttered. His deep voice wedged itself into my mind. “I’m still trying to decide what, exactly, you are.”

“What?” I blinked, stumbling back and studying the room for any chance of escape as my breath grew labored.

“You look like a harmless,fragile human,” he continued, raking his fingers through his hair when he tilted back to fully scrutinize me. Crimson eyes flitting from side to side. “And yet, one of my elites lies dead by your hand. A man ten times your size, drained of his life force before he was gutted."

Realization crashed over me in waves. His aura, the sheer, predatory arrogance. This wasn't just a beta wolf, or an elite!

"Kaelen Vargan," I whispered the name almost like the mere sound of it burned my tongue. The Alpha King of Drakkenfell. The man who gave out his orders to have my parents killed!

My blood boiled hot like lava, all I saw was red. I was beyond livid at this point. My gaze darted around the room, landing on a silver tray near the bed, with a small fruit knife in it.

Almost like he could tell the thoughts that crossed my mind, he lifted to his feet, wearing a smirk.

I didn't think. The rage that had been simmering in me since the palace fell, shot through my skin like prickly needles. I lunged forward, my fingers closing around the cold hilt of the knife. I charged, throwing every ounce of my weight and my hatred into a single strike.

The blade sank into his chest, right over his heart. But he didn't move. He didn't flinch. He didn't even blink.

“Was this how you killed him?” He asked, “Kyron is a beta wolf, and there’s no way in hell you could’ve killed him so easily. Not like this, there’s no strength in your arms.”

I let go, stumbling back in confusion as I watched the crimson seep through the spot where the knife plunged into him.

“How?!…You—“

“—Clearly, Drayven is wrong,” He scoffed, “I told him he was mistaken. So tell me, Kitten. Who the f**k helped you?”

I stared at the hilt protruding from his shirt, my breath hitching. He simply looked down at the knife, pulled it out, tossed it to one side, then back up at me. That terrifying laughter bubbling in his throat again.

Suddenly, his hand shot out, moving faster than my eyes could follow. He grabbed my wrists tight, lifting my hand above my head, slamming my back against the wall.

A gasp escaped me; not just from the impact, but from the contact. Where his skin touched mine, a jolt of electricity rushed through me.

"How rude of you,” he snarled, his face inches from mine. The mask of amusement was gone, replaced by a raw, terrifying anger. His aura exploded outward, pinning me in place. “You meet my hospitality with murder intent, and I am deeply offended, Princess."

"Go to hell!" I spat, glaring into his red eyes. "I’ll kill you and everything you love, for what you’ve done! I’ll make you pay for what you did to my family, and to my kingdom!”

I thrashed against him, repulsed by the mere closeness of his body against mine. All I wanted to do was to slit his bloody throat. Kaelen’s expression shifted. He gave a slow, mocking nod. He didn’t seem to be bothered by his bleeding wounds, even as the flesh knitted together with a sickening squelch; if anything, he seemed bored by my defiance.

"I care little for your tantrums, Princess. The only reason your head isn't currently decorating a pike outside my gates is because I haven't figured out what to do with you yet." He leaned in closer, his scent overwhelming, “But don't mistake my curiosity for mercy."