BOUND TO THE ALPHA’S ENEMY

Sera's POV I always thought love would save me. That if I loved hard enough, trusted deeply enough, it would protect me. But tonight, love murdered everyone I ever knew. The scent of roses still clung to my veil as I stood barefoot on the cold stone floor, blood soaking through the delicate lace of my wedding dress. It wasn’t mine. It was my father’s. My mother’s. My brother’s. Their blood. My breath hitched, sharp and shallow, as I backed into the corner of the great hall, the room where I had said my vows just hours ago. A place once glowing with candlelight and laughter was now silent except for the dripping of blood—steady, like a cruel metronome keeping time. Kael stood in the center of the c*****e, his tuxedo jacket gone, his white shirt smeared with streaks of crimson. His eyes glowed gold in the low light—wolf eyes. Cold. Unapologetic. I couldn’t understand it. I couldn’t. “No,” I whispered. “This has to be… a mistake. You said you loved me.” His head tilted slightly, like a predator curious about its prey. “I did. I do. But love doesn’t erase duty, Sera.” Duty? I stared at him, my hands trembling as I clutched the edges of my bloodstained skirt. “You killed them. You—Kael—they’re my family!” “They were an obstacle,” he said calmly, stepping toward me, each footfall echoing in the silence like a death knell. “Your father refused to hand over the land. Your mother knew too much about the Council. They had to go.” My knees buckled, and I slid to the floor. The cold seeped into my skin, but I barely noticed. My brain couldn’t catch up to my heart, which had cracked wide open in my chest. “You said we were fated. You said I was your mate.” My voice cracked. “I gave you everything, Kael. My soul. My body. My trust.” He crouched in front of me, his face so close I could see the specks of red in his irises. “You were my way in. You made it easy.” The words cut deeper than claws. I slapped him. It was instinct, a final spark of defiance in a body that felt like it was dying. My palm met his cheek with a crack, but Kael didn’t flinch. He just looked at me, a slow smile curling across his face. “There’s that fire I liked,” he murmured. “Too bad it’s wasted.” I scrambled back, blood on my hands and feet, my body screaming to run even though I didn’t know where to go. Outside, the moon hung full and heavy in the sky—mocking me. I had once believed it blessed our union. Now it illuminated my slaughtered family. “Why?” I croaked. “Why pretend? Why go through the wedding? Why touch me like you—like you meant it?” His eyes darkened. “Because you were useful. You still are.” He moved faster than I could react, his hand curling around my arm. Not hard enough to bruise—but hard enough to remind me he could break me if he wanted to. “You’re mine, Sera. You always were. That won’t change.” I stared at him, the man I once kissed under the stars, the man who had whispered my name like it was sacred. I didn’t recognize him anymore. “I’d rather die than be yours,” I spat. His grip tightened for a beat. Then he laughed—low and hollow. “You won’t die. Not yet. You carry a legacy in your blood, and I’m not done with you.” I had heard of monsters before. Read about them in old stories. I never imagined I’d marry one. That the man I thought would be my perfect husband turned out to be a nightmare. My heart pounded in my ears as Kael rose and turned away, barking orders to his pack warriors. Clean the bodies. Burn the lodge. Lock Sera away until she’s ready to cooperate. Cooperate? He thought I’d bow to him now? That I would stay and let him turn me into a prisoner, I would rather die than be a prisoner to him. No. Something cold and sharp settled in my chest. Not fear. Not grief. Something stronger. Vengeance. I waited until he disappeared into another room before crawling across the floor, my fingers slipping in blood. I reached my brother’s body—Luca. His lifeless eyes stared at the ceiling, eyes that were always filled with life looked empty and drained of life. His jaw slack, his hand still clenched around the dagger he hadn’t even been able to draw. The same dagger that dad gave to him when he turned 18 as a symbol of his royalty, that dagger couldn't even save him. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, pressing my forehead to his. “I’ll make him pay.” A noise startled me. Footsteps. Fast. I looked up to see one of the kitchen staff—Elira. Human like me. Pale and trembling. “You can’t stay,” she hissed, grabbing my hand. “He’ll keep you like a prisoner. You have to run.” “But the guards—” “I know a way out. Through the cellar.” She led me down the narrow passage, my bare feet silent on the stone. Behind us, smoke had already begun to rise. Kael was burning the evidence. All of it. Including me. We emerged in the cold night behind the lodge. I could still hear wolves howling—victory howls. I turned to Elira. “Why are you helping me?” Her lips trembled. “Because if I were you, I’d want someone to believe I was still human.” Then she shoved me forward. “Run. Don’t stop.” I ran. Through the trees, through the darkness, through the pain threatening to consume me. I ran with nothing but a ripped dress, a shattered heart, and a name whispered in fear. Ravyn. If I were going to survive, I’d need the one werewolf Kael feared. The monster who hated Alphas more than I did. The outlaw who’d burn the world just to watch it scream. I didn’t know if he’d help me. I just knew he was my only chance. And if fate thought it could destroy me with love—it had no idea what I’d become.