Bound to the Monster Alpha

ANNA'S POV- THE MARRIAGE I NEVER WANTED The rain fell hard that night, pounding the old roof like the gods were mourning with me. I stood in front of my father’s portrait, clutching the edge of my torn shawl, my heart heavy with the kind of pain that made it hard to breathe. “Father,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “They’re selling me off. To him.” The candlelight flickered over the picture frame, and for a second, I imagined he could hear me. But he couldn’t. He’d been gone for two years, buried under the lies my stepmother built on his grave. Downstairs, I heard laughter, cold and sharp like broken glass. My stepmother, Lydia Hale. I stepped closer to the staircase, careful not to make the wood creak. Below, Lydia and her daughter, Clara, sat in their silk gowns, sipping wine. “She should be grateful,” Clara sneered. “Alpha Dominic is rich. Maybe he’ll feed her for once.” Lydia chuckled, her voice smooth with poison. “Grateful? She’ll be lucky if he doesn’t tear her apart on the first night. Men like him… don’t play gently.” My heart clenched. Alpha Dominic Black, the name everyone in the northern territories feared. The billionaire Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack. The monster who destroyed packs, who killed without blinking, who collected debts in blood. Lydia’s voice grew lower, almost giddy. “Once she marries him, our family debt will be wiped clean. He’ll take her, and we’ll finally be free.” Free. The word twisted inside me like a knife. Their freedom was my cage. I stumbled back, my vision blurring with tears. The walls of this house, once my father’s home, now felt like a tomb. I had to get out. I had to run. By midnight, I was standing in the rain, barefoot, wearing my torn white wedding gown. The silk clung to my body as the storm raged, but I didn’t care. I ran through the darkness, my heart beating so hard I thought it might burst. I didn’t know where I was going, only that I had to get away before morning, before Alpha Dominic arrived to claim his “bride.” The muddy road stretched endlessly before me. My lungs burned. My legs screamed. But fear was stronger than pain. Then I saw it, the faint glow of headlights approaching fast. A car. “Please, help me!” I waved desperately, stepping into the middle of the road. The car didn’t slow down. Panic surged through me. I stumbled, my foot caught in the edge of my gown. The car screeched to a stop just inches away from me. I froze, trembling. The door opened. A man stepped out. Even through the rain, his presence was suffocating. He was tall, dressed in black, his wet hair slicked back, his eyes cold, predatory, and glowing faintly silver under the moonlight. He didn’t speak at first. He just looked at me, his gaze travelling from my soaked gown to my shaking hands. “Running away, little bride?” His voice was deep, dark, and dangerous. My breath caught in my throat. “P-Please… I don’t know you.” He took a slow step toward me, his boots splashing through puddles. “Oh, but you do, Anna Hale.” I froze. He knew my name. He reached out and caught my wrist before I could move. His grip was iron, cold against my skin. “Let me go!” I cried, struggling. He leaned close, his breath hot against my ear. “You were about to marry me tonight, remember?” My heart stopped. No. No, it couldn’t be… He tilted my chin up with one gloved hand, forcing me to meet his eyes. Alpha Dominic Black. The monster himself. “Running away from me,” he said softly, almost amused, “was a bad idea, sweetheart.” I tried to pull free, but his grip tightened. “Please, I didn’t choose this…” He smirked faintly. “Neither did I. But now that you’ve run, I’ve decided something.” Rain poured down between us. My pulse thundered in my ears. “You belong to me, Anna. And from now on,” he said, his tone dropping into a growl, “you’ll learn what happens when a debt bride disobeys her Alpha.” He lifted me effortlessly into his arms. I hit his chest, pounding weakly, but his hold didn’t falter. “Put me down! I’d rather die than go with you!” He chuckled, a sound that made the air freeze. “Death would be mercy. Unfortunately for you, I don’t show mercy.” Lightning split the sky as he opened the car door and pushed me inside. My heart raced as the car started moving fast, the rain blurring the world outside. Tears streamed down my face. Behind the glass, his reflection looked calm and unreadable. But then I saw it, a flicker of something strange in his eyes. Pain. And for one breathless moment, I wondered, If the monster who took me was hiding his own chains, too. When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the silence. Thick, heavy, unnatural. My hands touched soft silk sheets under me, and I gasped. The bed was enormous, black velvet and silver embroidery. The air smelled faintly of cedar and smoke. I sat up too quickly, pain shooting through my arm where his grip had bruised me last night. My wedding gown was gone. I wore a plain white dress now, too big for my frame, the sleeves falling past my wrists. My bare feet touched the cold marble floor as I slid off the bed and took in my surroundings. The room was breathtaking and terrifying. A wave of fear rippled through me. My stepmother’s voice echoed in my head: “He’s a monster, Anna. If you anger him, he’ll tear you apart.” A soft knock interrupted my thoughts. The door creaked open, and a young woman entered, carrying a tray. She had chestnut hair, hazel eyes, and a nervous smile. “You’re awake,” she said quietly. “Alpha said you should eat.” I stared at the tray, fruit, bread, and tea. My stomach growled, but my pride burned hotter. “Where am I?” I whispered. “In Blue Moon territory,” she replied, avoiding my gaze. “The Alpha’s mansion.” My throat tightened. “You mean his… his prison.” Her smile faltered, but she didn’t answer. She placed the tray on a table and turned to leave. “Wait,” I called. “What’s your name?” “Eva,” she said softly. “And… Please, don’t make him angry. It never ends well.” Before I could ask what she meant, she slipped out, closing the door behind her. I stood there for a long time, staring at the food. Hunger won over fear. I took a small bite of bread, my hands trembling. That’s when I heard it, footsteps. Slow, steady, echoing across the marble hallway. The air shifted, thickening with power. My heart started to race before he even appeared. Then he did. Alpha Dominic Black. He filled the doorway with his presence, tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in black again. His damp hair glistened under the light, and his piercing silver eyes locked on me like a wolf stalking prey. He didn’t say a word at first. Just watched me. My breath hitched. “Why did you bring me here?” He walked closer, his boots soundless on the floor. “Because you ran,” he said simply. “That’s not a reason to kidnap me!” A smirk ghosted across his lips. “You’re my bride, Anna. My property, until your family’s debt is cleared.” “I’m not your property!” I shot back, my voice shaking with rage and fear. In one swift movement, he was in front of me, his hand gripping my chin, forcing my gaze up to meet his. “Then why are you wearing my colours? Sleeping in my bed?” I froze. His breath brushed my skin, warm and intoxicating. For a second, my wolf, still silent within me, stirred faintly. He let go, stepping back as if nothing had happened. “You’ll stay here until I decide otherwise. Try to run again, and you’ll regret it.” I clenched my fists. “You can’t just lock me up!” “Oh, I can,” he said coldly. “And I will.” He turned to leave, but I couldn’t stop myself. “Why do you hate me so much?” He paused at the door. For the briefest moment, his shoulders stiffened. “Ask your father,” he said softly. “My father’s dead,” I whispered. “Exactly.” His words hit like a knife. Before I could speak again, he was gone. Hours passed. I paced the room, fury and confusion burning in my chest. Why had he said that? What did my father have to do with his hatred? The door suddenly burst open again. Eva rushed in, pale and breathless. “You need to come with me. Now!” “What? Why?” my heart almost stopped.