Bound To The Alpha King

Chapter 1

Aurora Vale had learned from a very young age that being born into a pack did not always mean being loved by it She lived in a modern city where humans walked beneath towering glass buildings while werewolves lived secretly among them hiding their true nature behind ordinary lives Aurora belonged to the Moonridge Pack one of the oldest and most powerful packs in the country but despite being part of such a powerful pack she had never been treated like family To them she was only the unwanted girl who had somehow survived when everyone expected her to disappear Her days began before sunrise when the rest of the pack was still sleeping Aurora would quietly leave the small room she had been given at the edge of the pack compound and begin working before anyone could order her to do it She cleaned the kitchen prepared breakfast washed clothes and helped in the pack house while the other young wolves spent their mornings training or attending school Aurora had learned not to complain because every time she did someone reminded her that she should be grateful they had allowed her to stay She had no parents to defend her and no powerful family name to protect her Her mother had died when Aurora was still a child and her father had disappeared years before that leaving behind nothing except a silver necklace that Aurora always wore beneath her clothes The necklace was the only thing she had from him and she protected it more carefully than anything else in her life That morning Aurora stood alone in the huge kitchen preparing breakfast while the city lights slowly faded beyond the windows Her long dark hair was tied behind her head and her tired eyes watched the sunrise She had barely slept because she had spent most of the night finishing work that the other members of the pack had left for her Yet she still forced herself to keep moving because she knew what would happen if she stopped The kitchen door suddenly opened and one of the pack girls walked inside Aurora immediately lowered her eyes The girl looked at her with a cold smile and dropped a pile of clothes onto the table You forgot these she said Aurora looked at the clothes and recognized them as clothes that belonged to the Alpha family I was told they were not needed until tomorrow Aurora said quietly The girl laughed You are not here to question anyone You are here to serve Aurora said nothing She simply picked up the clothes and carried them toward the laundry room Her fingers tightened around the fabric but she refused to cry She had promised herself long ago that she would never give them the satisfaction of seeing her break She had survived years of being ignored insulted and treated like she was less than everyone else and somehow she was still standing What Aurora did not know was that everything in her life was about to change That same morning a black car entered the gates of Moonridge Pack The guards immediately straightened when they saw it because everyone knew who was inside The car belonged to Keal Draven The Alpha King The most feared and respected werewolf in the modern world Keal was not simply an Alpha He was the ruler of several powerful packs and the man whose name could silence an entire room His reputation was built on strength discipline and an icy personality No one knew what he was thinking and almost no one dared to challenge him The car stopped outside the pack house and Keal stepped out wearing a black suit His expression was calm but his presence immediately made the air feel heavier The members of Moonridge Pack rushed outside to welcome him The Alpha of Moonridge bowed his head respectfully as Keal approached Welcome Alpha King Keal gave him a brief look I did not come here for a celebration The Alpha immediately became nervous Then why are you here Keal did not answer immediately His eyes moved across the pack compound as if he were searching for something he had never seen before He could feel a strange scent in the air It was faint but powerful and it had been pulling at something deep inside him for days He had ignored it at first believing it was nothing but the closer he came to Moonridge the stronger it became Meanwhile Aurora was carrying a basket of laundry toward the back building when she suddenly stopped Her heart began beating strangely She placed a hand against her chest and frowned She did not understand what was happening Her wolf which had always been unusually quiet suddenly lifted its head inside her mind Mate The single word echoed through her mind Aurora froze She had never heard her wolf speak with such certainty Mate She whispered under her breath before quickly shaking her head No that cannot be true She had spent her whole life believing that no one would ever choose her She could not possibly have a mate especially not someone powerful But then the wind changed and a strange scent reached her The scent was dark warm and powerful and something inside her responded instantly Aurora turned toward the main house without knowing why At the same moment Keal stopped walking His expression changed for the first time His wolf had awakened completely after years of silence Mate Keal's eyes moved toward the far side of the compound His guards noticed the sudden change in him but none dared ask what was wrong Keal followed the scent and walked away from the Alpha who was still trying to speak to him He passed the garden and the training ground until he reached the back of the compound Then he saw her Aurora was standing beside the laundry building holding a basket in her arms Her clothes were simple and slightly worn and a few strands of hair had escaped from the tie around her head She looked nothing like the women who usually surrounded powerful Alphas Yet Keal could not look away Aurora felt his presence before she saw him She slowly raised her eyes and their gazes met For a moment the entire world seemed to disappear Keal stared at her with an expression Aurora could not understand Aurora felt her wolf trembling inside her Mate Keal took one step toward her Aurora instinctively stepped backward Keal stopped His eyes narrowed slightly as if he had just discovered something impossible Who are you he asked Aurora swallowed hard Aurora Vale she whispered Keal repeated her name silently as though testing the sound of it Aurora Vale Then his eyes moved toward the silver necklace hidden beneath her clothes He could not see it but something about her presence felt strangely familiar Aurora lowered her gaze because she was afraid of what might happen if the pack saw the Alpha King speaking to her Keal noticed the fear in her eyes and his expression hardened Not because he was angry with her but because he suddenly understood something The girl standing before him was afraid of her own pack Why are you afraid Aurora did not answer Keal stepped closer Aurora stepped back again Do not be afraid of me he said quietly Aurora finally looked at him I am not afraid of you Her voice was soft but there was something strong beneath it I am afraid of what happens when people like you notice people like me Keal stared at her Those words were not what he expected to hear He had met countless people who wanted his attention and power but this girl seemed desperate to escape it Before he could respond a voice suddenly echoed from behind them Aurora What are you doing standing there Aurora turned pale The pack girl from earlier was standing near the garden staring at her and then at Keal Her expression changed immediately when she realized who he was Keal turned slowly toward her The entire atmosphere changed The girl lowered her head in fear Alpha King Keal looked back at Aurora and then at the laundry basket in her hands His jaw tightened Who made her do this he asked No one answered Aurora quickly shook her head It is fine Keal looked at her You call this fine Aurora lowered her eyes because she did not know what else to say For the first time in her life someone had looked at her suffering and actually seemed angry about it And for the first time Aurora wondered if the life she had always known was about to disappear forever Because the most powerful werewolf in the modern world had just found his mate and he was looking at Aurora Vale as if he had no intention of letting anyone hurt her again