The alpha’s forbidden mate

Episode 1 : Kaelie’s POV The sky above Grey City was dark purple, like a bruise. It was always like this… thick clouds blocked the sun and made the streets cold and dim. I shivered and pulled my thin wool shawl tighter around me. My fingers were stained pink and brown from handling dried roses all morning, but my basket was still half full. "Dried roses! Get your roses here! Lasts longer than a fresh dream!" I called out, but my voice felt small against the wind. Nobody stopped. The people in the market walked with their heads down, their eyes fixed on the cracked pavement. They looked like grey ghosts. I could see the colors around them… mostly dull greys and muddy browns. It was the color of sadness and hunger. "You’re wasting your breath, girl," a raspy voice said from my left. I turned and smiled at Robert. He was a kind man with a face like a wrinkled map. He sat on a wooden crate every day, selling old pieces of scrap metal and rusted tools. He had a pile of copper pipes and broken gears spread out on a dirty cloth in front of him. "I have to try, Robert," I said, sitting on my little stool. "Pa Elias needs his medicine. The shop raised the price again today.” Robert shook his head, his hands busy polishing a piece of brass. "The world is getting colder, Kaelie. People don't want flowers when their stomachs are empty." I looked at the huge black tower far away, the Obsidian Spire. It reached so high into the clouds that I couldn’t see the top. That was where the Iron Claws lived. They didn’t care about empty stomachs or medicine. They had everything. "Robert," I said, leaning in closer. My voice dropped to a whisper. "Tell me about the Boundary Forest. The woods right at the foot of the Spire." Robert stopped polishing. He looked at me, his eyes wide with fear. "Why would you ask about that cursed place? You know the rules. Humans who step past the iron fence don't come back. The wolves... they don't like trespassers." "I know the rules," I said, my heart starting to beat faster. "But I heard my grandfather talking in his sleep. He kept whispering about the ‘Lunar Lily’. He said it only grows in the deep shade of the Boundary Forest. He said it’s the only thing that can break a fever that won't go away." Robert sighed and looked around to make sure no one was listening. "The Lunar Lily... it’s a legend, Kaelie. They say it glows with a soft blue light, even when there is no moon. It’s a powerful herb, yes. It can heal almost anything. But it grows in the Alpha’s private garden." "But it grows there? For sure?" I pushed, my mind already racing. "Yes," Robert whispered. "Near the streams. Where the ground is damp and the shadows are thick. But the wolves use technology we don't understand. They have sensors in the trees. They have drones that fly like silent birds. And they have Jaxen Vane." Just hearing the name made the air feel colder. Jaxen Vane… te Alpha who killed his own father. People said he could smell a human from a mile away. "He’s just a man, isn't he?" I asked. "No," Robert said firmly. "He is a beast who wears a man’s skin. Do not think of going there, child. Your grandfather would rather die than see you torn to pieces by a wolf’s claws." "I’ll take a dozen roses." The sudden voice made me jump. I turned to see a woman standing in front of my stall. She was dressed in a thick coat, and her face was hidden by a hood. I looked at her colors. She was surrounded by a soft, pale yellow… the color of nervousness. "Of course," I said, my professional voice coming back. I stood up and carefully picked out the best dried roses. I tied them with a bit of twine. "That will be six copper pieces." The woman handed me the coins quickly, her hands shaking. She took the flowers and disappeared into the crowd without a word. I tucked the coins into the hidden pouch in my skirt. It wasn't enough for the medicine, but it was a start. I sat back down, my mind returning to what Robert said. "The streams... you said the flowers grow near the streams?" Robert looked at me sternly. "Kaelie Thorne, look at me. You are a good girl. You have that strange scent of rain and books about you, you’re special. Don't throw your life away for a flower that might not even exist." "I can't just watch him fade away, Robert," I said, my eyes stinging. "He’s all I have. He’s the only one who didn't look at me like I was a freak when I told him about the colors." Robert reached out and patted my hand. "Just stay safe. The Grey City is bad, but the Spire is a nightmare." I was about to ask him more about the sensors in the trees when I heard a loud shout from the end of the market street. "Kaelie! Kaelie!" I stood up, my heart sinking. I knew that voice. It was Mira, my best friend. She was usually laughing, but her voice now sounded high and full of panic. I saw her pushing through the crowd, her face red and her hair messy. She wasn't wearing her apron. She was running so fast she nearly tripped over a crate of cabbages. "Mira? What is it?" I called out, stepping away from my spot. Mira reached me and grabbed my arms. She was gasping for air, her chest heaving. Her colors were a bright, jagged red… the color of extreme terror. "Kaelie... you have to... you have to come now," she panted, her grip tightening on my skin until it hurt. "What’s wrong? Is it Pa Elias?" I asked, my voice trembling. Mira nodded, tears starting to spill down her cheeks. "I was just at your house. I went to bring him some bread. Kaelie, he’s not breathing right. He’s shaking, and his skin is turning grey. I tried to give him water, but he couldn't swallow. It’s happening, Kaelie. He’s getting worse. He’s fading fast!" The world seemed to go silent. All I could think about was my grandfather alone in that cold room, struggling for air. "Go!" Robert shouted, standing up from his crate. "I’ll watch your things! Just go!" I didn't wait. I turned and ran, my boots pounding against the cold stones of the Grey City. My mind was screaming. ‘Not now. Please, not now.’ I knew I couldn't wait any longer. I couldn't save up enough money for his medicine. The fever was winning. If I wanted to see my grandfather alive by morning, I had to do the one thing I promised I would never do. Tonight, I was going to the Boundary Forest. Tonight, I was going to steal from the wolves.