BOUND TO THE MAD ALPHA

Chapter 3

Caelia sprinted past the velvet curtain into the crowded corridor, her heart slamming against her ribs like a trapped bird.

Her skin still throbbed where Julian’s mouth had pressed into her neck, and her lungs burned with every frantic breath. She pulled her hood low over her eyes, desperate to melt into the sea of silk-draped she-wolves.

"Well, well. Look what dragged itself out of the dark."

A hand slammed into Caelia’s shoulder, shoving her hard into a cold stone pillar.

Caelia winced, her hand flying to her chest as she straightened up.

Standing in front of her was Cassandra Damon, radiating pure, suffocating Alpha aura. Behind her stood two high-ranking cronies, blocking the hallway entirely.

Cassandra was striking—sharp gold eyes, flawless ivory skin, and draped in royal blue velvet lined with silver thread.

But her jaw was locked, her lips curled into a spiteful, venomous sneer.

"Going somewhere, Omega?" Cassandra sneered, stepping directly into her space.

Her golden eyes flicked down to Caelia’s neck, zeroing in on the flushed skin near her collarbone.

Cassandra’s expression twisted into pure rage.

"I saw you coming out of the restricted wing. You actually snuck in there to seek him out, didn't you?"

"I took a wrong turn," Caelia said, standing her ground and glaring right back. "I don't have time for your delusions. Excuse me…"

"Delusions?"

Cassandra laughed, a sharp, cold sound that drew the eyes of nearby she-wolves.

"Do you take me for an i***t? You knew the Alpha Heir was in the middle of an episode, and you used your cheap, pathetic body to bait him while his mind was weak!"

Before Caelia could step around her, Cassandra lunged, grabbing her by the throat and slamming her back against the stone.

The sudden grip cut off Caelia’s air.

"Listen to me, you worthless trash," Cassandra hissed, leaning in until her golden eyes burned inches away. "Do you have any idea who I am? I am Cassandra, the High Minister’s daughter of the Lunaris Pack! My bloodline is pure, my rank is absolute, and I am the only she-wolf strong enough to stabilize Julian's madness and bear his heirs!"

Caelia grabbed Cassandra’s wrist, her nails digging into her skin as she choked out a rasping laugh.

"Stabilize him? Fine, then take him for all I care! You mad wolves deserve each other!"

Cassandra’s eyes flashed with lethal fury. "You dare insult me?—"

Her free hand raised as her fingernails lengthened into sharp, bone-white claws.

"You think a momentary trick of scent makes you special? He was out of his mind! A pathetic rat like you couldn't survive one night in his bed without being torn apart. Let's see how arrogant you are after I carve that face of yours!"

Cassandra slashed her hand down—

A swift, heavy hand caught Cassandra’s wrist in mid-air, stopping the claws an inch from Caelia’s cheek.

"That's enough, Cassandra."

The voice was smooth, deep, and dripping with lazy arrogance.

Cassandra froze, her head snapping to the side.

Caelia fell forward as the grip released, clutching her throat and drawing in a sharp, painful breath.

Standing beside them was a tall Alpha warrior with striking amber eyes and golden-brown hair resting over broad shoulders.

His dark crimson cloak bore the crest of the Blood Fang Pack.

Orion Valen.

"Orion," Cassandra snarled, tearing her wrist out of his grip. "This is none of your business. Stay out of Lunaris pack matters!"

"It becomes my business when you're throwing your low-grade Alpha authority around to suffocate a candidate in a public corridor," Orion said smoothly, stepping between Cassandra and Caelia.

He looked down at Caelia, his amber eyes sparking with amusement as he offered her a broad hand.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?"

Caelia slapped his hand away, pushing herself up against the wall on her own feet. "I don't need a knight in shining armor, Blood Fang. I can handle my own problems."

Everyone knew the Blood Fang, knew who Orion Valen was. Caelia wanted nothing more to do with any high-class wolf, lest they discover her secret.

Orion blinked in surprise, then let out a low, delighted chuckle.

"Feisty. I like that."

Cassandra’s face went crimson with humiliation. "She sneaked into the restricted sector! She attempted to trap the High Alpha Heir!"

"Did she?"

Orion turned back to Cassandra, folding his arms lazily.

"Funny... from where I'm standing, she's the only she-wolf in this entire academy with enough spine to stand near Julian Kade without wetting herself. In fact, she’s far too interesting to be wasted on your political petty drama."

Orion turned back to Caelia, a slow, dangerous smirk playing on his lips.

"If Julian doesn't claim you at the altar, little bird, you should come with me to the Blood Fang territory. We appreciate women with claws."

"I'm not a trophy for either of you Alphas to claim," Caelia snapped, adjusting her cardigan over her bruised collarbone. "Keep your invitations to yourself."

Cassandra gasped, outraged, while Orion only grinned wider.

Before anyone could speak again, a thunderous chime echoed through the entire fortress.

The ancient spell-bells atop Astraea Academy began to toll, vibrating straight through the stone floor.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

The heavy double doors at the end of the hall swung open, revealing the Royal Sanctuary.

Heavy white smoke poured out of the archway, smelling of ancient magic, raw silver, and elder blood.

"The Preliminary Evaluation is concluded!" a herald’s voice bellowed across the hall, drowning out the crowd. "All eligible daughters... step forward to face the Moon Stone!"

Caelia heaved a sigh of relief that she had managed to successfully evade the evaluation.

Cassandra glared at Caelia one last time, brushing her blue velvet dress down. "Enjoy your final moments of breathing, trash. When the Stone rejects your wolfless blood, I'll make sure you're thrown to the rogues."

She turned and marched toward the glowing sanctuary doors.

Orion leaned in slightly closer to Caelia, his amber eyes lingering on her face. "Watch yourself in there, little bird. The Stone doesn't hide secrets."

"I know how to survive," Caelia said coldly, brushing past him as the wave of she-wolves began moving forward.

She stepped through the archway into the Royal Sanctuary.

The chamber was vast and lined with hundreds of armored guards.

High above on an obsidian dais sat High Alpha Alaric Kade alongside the pack elders. Standing beside him, clad in pristine velvet and radiating a dark, terrifying calm, was Julian.

His dark eyes swept over the entering crowd like a hawk hunting prey.

And in the absolute center of the room stood the altar.

Floating above an iron pillar was a massive, jagged crystal pulsating with a blinding, ancient white light.

The Moon Stone.

Caelia’s chest seized.

The black corruption in her veins roared in agony at the holy magic radiating from the crystal. Cold sweat broke out across her forehead as she took her place in line.

Her name was about to be called. She was about to step onto that dais.

And the moment her hands touched that stone, it wouldn't just judge her—it was going to blow her dark secrets wide open in front of the entire realm.

“s**t! How do I escape this one?”