Bound to my enemy alpha

The Escape Attempt

The night pressed heavy on the mansion, the kind of silence that carried secrets. Even the guards pacing outside seemed lulled by the weight of it. Their footsteps were lazy, predictable—exactly what Nina had been waiting for.

Her golden eyes flickered in the dim candlelight of her room as she pressed her back against the cold wall. Every part of her body screamed exhaustion after days of being confined here, after swallowing every ounce of pride just to breathe the same air as her enemy. But her wolf… her wolf was restless, clawing at the cage of her chest, demanding freedom.

Nina had made her decision. Tonight, she would not be anyone’s captive. Not Kael’s bride. Not the Elders’ sacrifice. Not the enemy’s trophy.

She shoved the thin blanket aside and rose silently, her bare feet brushing against the stone floor. Every movement was deliberate, quiet, controlled. Her heart, though, thudded so violently she was sure the guards could hear it echoing down the hall.

One mistake and I’m done for.

But Nina had lived long enough under the weight of others’ choices. Tonight was hers.

She crept toward the balcony, easing open the doors. The cold night air kissed her skin, raising goosebumps across her arms, but she welcomed it. The scent of pine and damp soil wafted in, carrying a taste of freedom so sharp it almost hurt.

The courtyard stretched below—patrolled, but not impossible. She had studied their rotations for two days now, watching from behind the curtains, memorizing every step. The guards weren’t sloppy, but they weren’t expecting her to try so soon either. Not when she had seemed so… compliant.

Nina’s lips curled into a bitter smile. Let them underestimate me.

She swung one leg over the balcony rail, then the other, gripping the cold iron bars before lowering herself carefully. Her muscles strained, her palms burned against the rough surface, but she moved quickly, determined. By the time her feet touched the ground, her chest was already trembling with adrenaline.

Her wolf stirred inside her, urging her forward. Run.

Nina crouched low, scanning the shadows. A pair of guards strolled near the east gate, their voices low, casual. She waited, counting her breaths. One. Two. Three. As they passed, she slipped along the wall, her body pressed tight against the stone until she melted into the darkness.

Every step closer to the border sent her heart racing faster. Her freedom was there, waiting just beyond the thick line of trees. Just a few more careful turns, a few more seconds of silence, and she’d vanish into the forest before anyone noticed.

Her fingers curled into fists. Almost there.

The night was kind to her—no broken twigs underfoot, no betraying rustle of leaves. She moved like a shadow, swift and silent, and for a moment, she truly believed she could do it. She could escape. She could make it home.

But then—

“Going somewhere?”

The voice cut through the silence like a blade.

Nina froze. The world stopped with her.

From the edge of the clearing, half cloaked in shadow, he stood. Kael.

The Alpha’s posture was calm, almost lazy, but his presence filled the air like a storm ready to break. The moonlight caught the sharp line of his jaw, the darkness of his eyes, the quiet power in every inch of his body. He wasn’t even trying to block her path physically—not yet. But his voice, his aura, pinned her in place all the same.

Her chest heaved as her wolf snarled within her. She forced her chin up, masking her shock with defiance. “Move.”

Kael tilted his head, studying her like she was both a puzzle and a threat. “You think I’ll just let you walk past me?”

“I don’t need your permission.” Her voice was low, shaking only slightly.

Something flickered in his eyes—amusement, maybe irritation, maybe both. “You’re bold, I’ll give you that. Bold… and reckless.”

Nina’s fists trembled at her sides. The mate bond thrummed in the air between them, a pulse she hated, a current that tugged at her even as she tried to resist. It made her aware of the way the moonlight slid across his shoulders, the way his voice brushed against her skin like smoke. She hated it. She hated him.

“Stay out of my way,” she growled.

Kael stepped forward, unhurried. Each stride was deliberate, controlled, but the closer he came, the heavier the air grew. The instinct to submit whispered at the edge of her mind, but Nina bit down on it hard. She would never bow to him.

“Do you know what happens to rogues caught at the border?” he asked, his voice smooth but edged with steel.

Nina glared. “Do you know what happens to alphas who think they can cage me?”

The corner of his mouth twitched, not quite a smile, not quite a threat. “You’re not ready for the answer to that.”

Her blood boiled. Every fiber of her wanted to shift, to lunge, to claw past him even if it meant bleeding. But she knew what that would look like—his wolf towering over hers, the sheer power of him pressing her into the earth until she broke. Not tonight.

So instead, she took a step closer, close enough to meet his eyes without faltering. “You may have my pack fooled. You may even think you have me bound. But remember this, Kael—wolves don’t stay caged forever.”

His jaw tightened, his eyes darkening in the moonlight. For a heartbeat, neither of them moved. The tension was so thick it wrapped around them like chains, pulling tighter, tighter—until Nina’s chest ached from holding her breath.

And then, just when she thought he might let her go—might step aside—Kael leaned in, his voice low enough that only she could hear.

“You’re mine, Nina. Whether you fight it or not.”

Her stomach twisted, fury and something far more dangerous tangling in her veins. The mate bond pulsed violently, a fire she couldn’t smother, no matter how she tried.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to slap him, claw him, anything to erase the way his words set her blood on fire.

But before she could move, the sound of howling split the air—distant, sharp, but growing closer. Both of them turned, their wolves bristling.

It wasn’t Kael’s guards. It wasn’t his pack.

Nina’s breath caught.

The howls came from deeper in the forest. Low. Ruthless. Familiar.

The Shadow Clan.

Kael’s head snapped toward the sound, his expression hardening instantly. When he turned back to Nina, his gaze was nothing short of lethal.

“You picked the worst night to run,” he growled.

And before she could answer, before she could decide whether to fight him or flee into the trees, the shadows shifted at the edge of the border—eyes gleaming, fangs bared.

They weren’t alone anymore.