The Alpha's Begged Prey

Maya blinked awake, her limbs stretching over tangled sheets that still held the scent of heat, sweat, and him. The sun slipped lazily through the velvet curtains, brushing her bare skin with gold. She rolled onto her side, letting her fingers trail over the space where Alpha Rio had slept. Still warm. A slow smile touched her lips as she swept her tousled hair into a bun. Her lips parted with a dreamy sigh, tongue flicking across them to taste the memory of him. Last night… Their mating had been nothing short of wild, primal, perfect. The way he growled her name as he marked her shoulder. The way his hands gripped her hips like she was his anchor. f**k, that man could ruin her and rebuild her in the same breath. She felt sore in the best way possible. A strange emptiness fluttered in her stomach—but she brushed it off. Nerves, probably. Today was her goddamn mating ceremony. Today, she’d become Beta of the Moonlight Pack. “Alpha Rio?” she called out softly, her voice still raspy with sleep. She stretched her arms above her head, arching her back like a cat. That’s when the door burst open. The bang of it crashing against the wall yanked her upright. Four guards stormed in, eyes blazing and weapons drawn. “What the f**k?” Maya gasped, dragging the sheet over her chest. “Do you not f*****g knock? I—where’s Gaia?!” Her voice was sharp with confusion. “Why are you in here?!” But the guards didn’t answer. Their glares cut through her like ice. Before she could process it, the man she loved—her Alpha, her mate—stalked into the room like a storm unleashed. “Alpha Rio!” Relief hit her for half a second—until his hand cracked across her face. The slap echoed like a gunshot in the room. Her head jerked sideways, cheek flaming with pain. The sheet slipped, exposing her thigh, but shame was the last thing she felt. Her heart thundered, pupils dilating in disbelief. “Wha—what the hell was that?” she gasped, lifting her hand to her cheek. “Are you f*****g kidding me?” Her voice trembled, but not with fear. With rage. “You dare speak?” Rio’s voice was colder than the Arctic wind. “Why the f**k are you in my bed? What the hell have you done to my fiancée?!” Maya’s breath caught. “What?” she whispered. “I am your f*****g fiancée…” He growled. Not the playful, lust-soaked growl she knew. This was feral, hostile, from a part of his wolf that wanted blood. “You’re insane,” she whispered. “We just spent the entire f*****g night together. You marked me, Rio. Don’t you f*****g remember?!” “Get this goddamn lunatic out of here!” he barked at the guards. Two of them lunged forward, yanking the sheet away, exposing her bare skin. She snarled, adrenaline crashing through her like lightning. “Don’t f*****g touch me!” she screamed, launching a swift elbow into one’s ribs. He grunted but didn’t let go. She kicked, twisted—tried to shift, tried to summon her wolf—but nothing came. What the f**k… where’s my wolf? They slammed her to the ground, her naked back scraping against the polished wooden floor. Her wrists were pinned above her head. The pain barely registered—because the betrayal burned hotter. “I’ll f*****g kill you for this!” she spat, thrashing. “You all know me! I’m Maya White! I’m your soon-to-be Beta, your Alpha’s mate!” The guards exchanged wary glances, like they were looking at a madwoman. One of them—Marcus, a soldier she’d trained personally—snarled, “You think pretending to be our Beta makes you one? Impersonating Maya White is treason, bitch.” “Impersonating?!” Maya laughed, a bitter, broken sound. “I taught you how to fight, you son of a b***h. I helped your damn mate deliver your pup. You know me!” Rio stepped forward again, towering over her. His eyes were as cold as obsidian. He crouched down and grabbed her chin with iron fingers, yanking her face to his. “You really think you can trick me with your sick little fantasies?” he hissed. “Where the f**k is my real fiancée?” “I am your fiancée!” she sobbed, voice cracking like dry ice. “I’m Maya, you marked me, you said you loved me—” He slapped her again. Only this time, her hand shot up like a whip and caught his wrist mid-air. “Don’t you f*****g dare,” she growled. For a second, everything stilled. His lips curled into a snarl, and his eyes flared with fury. “You wanna fight me now?” he hissed. “Go ahead. Show me what kind of freak you are.” “I’m not the freak here,” she snapped, tears now spilling unchecked. “I’m the one waking up to a goddamn nightmare while you grope around pretending I don’t f*****g exist!” He yanked his hand back, eyes blazing with fury, but he didn’t strike again. “You’ve lost your goddamn mind,” he muttered. The door creaked open again. And this time—Gaia walked in. Relief flooded Maya’s chest like a dam breaking. “Gaia,” she choked out. “Thank the Goddess—tell them. Tell them who I am. Tell them the truth!” The moment Gaia stepped in, everyone bowed. The guards lowered their weapons. Maya’s stomach turned. "Why were they bowing to her? Gaia is just my personal assistant...my slave." Rio’s face softened. “I thought this intruder hurt you, baby.” He reached for Gaia’s hand, pulled her close—and kissed her. Right there. In front of Maya. The world shattered. Maya blinked. Once. Twice. No. No f*****g way. Gaia turned to her slowly, face calm, perfect. “You shouldn’t be here...intruder” she said softly. Maya choked on her breath. “Wha… Gaia? Wh-what the hell are you doing? That’s my mate.” “I’m sorry you must be confused or are you insane?” Gaia said, tilting her head. “Well, I’m the one Alpha Rio marked. You’re just a stranger.” Maya felt the ground tilt beneath her. “No,” she whispered. “No, you lying b***h. You did something to him. This is a spell. Some mind-f**k bullshit. I’m not f*****g crazy.” She looked around, pleading. “Please. Someone tell me you remember me. Lulu. Clara. Rio—look at me!” But their faces were masks of disgust. “She’s delusional,” one muttered. “She’s a threat. What pack is she from? She dosen't even have a scent." another added. Gaia turned to Rio, her voice gentle. “Maybe we should lock her up until she calms down and confesses. She might hurt someone.” Maya’s entire body shook. Her wolf was silent. Her mate didn’t know her. Her life—stolen in a blink. She screamed. A full-throated, raw, animalistic sound that rattled the windows. “I swear to the Goddess, I’ll make every single one of you pay! You don’t f*****g know who you’re messing with!” Rio leaned down, his breath hot against her ear. “You’re lucky I don’t kill you right here,” he whispered. “But I don’t spill blood on my own sheets.” She spat in his face. He wiped it off with a disgusted grunt and stood. “Take her to the dungeons. Chain her. No food, no water. Let her rot.” As they dragged her away, Maya's heart pounded. She didn’t know how the hell Gaia had done this—but one thing was clear. She had been erased and no one—even her mate—remembered who the f**k she was.