Mated To The Ruthless Alpha

One day before I turned twenty-one and could finally leave the hell-hole I called a pack. I had one day left. Just a single day stood between me and freedom. At eighteen, wolves were considered adults, but our laws forbade anyone under twenty-one from leaving their pack. It was said that living without a pack drove wolves insane, turning them rogue, but I didn’t care. Nothing could be worse than this life. I stroked the midnight-black fur of the only companion I had—Nyx, a stray wolf who had followed me for the past year. "Tomorrow, Nyx, you and I will leave this place. We’ll find a real home." She whined softly, pressing her head against my palm as if she understood. The moment of quiet was shattered. "What are you doing, lazing about?" The sharp voice cut through the cool evening air, making me stiffen. I turned just in time to see Selene Draven stalking toward me, her lips curled in disdain. "Do we keep you here just to waste our air?" I scrambled to my feet, my heart already hammering. "I—I’m on my break," I managed, but the words barely left my lips before a sharp slap snapped my head to the side. Pain flared across my cheek, and I stumbled back. "I work nonstop for twelve hours. I deserve to—" Another slap cut me off. "This filthy b***h!" Selene screeched, her nails digging into my arm. "How dare you talk back to me?" She stepped forward, her eyes flashing with cruelty, but a low, rumbling growl made her freeze. Nyx. I gripped the wolf’s thick fur, warning her under my breath. "Nyx, back off." She had already suffered so much because of me. I had told her again and again to leave this pack, to find safety somewhere else, but she never listened. No matter how much she suffered, she always came back to me. Selene sneered. "You and this pathetic mutt." Nyx’s growls deepened, the sound vibrating in the night air. Selene pretended to be unfazed, but I saw the flicker of fear in her eyes. "Whatever," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I’m reporting you to my brother." She shoved past me, her shoulder slamming into mine hard enough to make me stumble. I didn’t even have time to react before Nyx lunged. "Nyx, no!" I gasped, but it was too late. Nyx’s claws sank into Selene’s arm, drawing a sharp scream from the Alpha’s daughter as she tried to shift. Blood splattered the ground, its metallic scent thick in the air. I panicked. People would come. "Nyx!" I cried, my voice choked with desperation. "Stop! You’ll get in trouble!" But Nyx didn’t stop. She fought like a rabid animal, her teeth bared in wild fury. Selene’s wolf—a brown one—finally shifted, but she lacked the ruthlessness to match Nyx’s feral strength. A furious roar shook the night. "Selene!" I spun around just as Lucien Draven—Selene’s brother—charged toward the fight. He was flanked by two enforcers, and within seconds, they ripped the wolves apart. The moment Lucien’s fiery red eyes locked onto me, my blood ran cold. "What did you do?" he snarled, taking a step forward. I stumbled back, my entire body trembling. "Lucien, I—" "She set that violent wolf on me!" Selene sobbed dramatically, clinging to her brother’s arm. "She wanted to kill me!" "That’s not what happened!" I shot back. "She—" "Enough." The venom in his voice made me flinch. "Why can’t you go a single day without causing trouble?" Lucien growled, his face inches from mine. I knew the truth didn’t matter. Even if Selene had been the one beating me to the ground, even if Nyx had just been protecting me, it wouldn’t change anything. Selene was the beloved daughter of the Alpha. I was the cursed daughter of the Beta, the unwanted omega accused of killing my mother in childbirth. I bowed my head, fighting the sting of tears. "I’m sorry." The pack had seen enough of my suffering. They didn’t deserve the satisfaction of seeing me break one last time. But Lucien’s next words shattered me. "Be sorry for the wolf you just killed." I froze. The world tilted beneath me. "No…" My voice came out hoarse. Lucien turned to the enforcers standing behind him. "Chop off its head." "No, not Nyx!" I screamed as two burly men grabbed her. She fought, thrashing and snarling, but they dragged her away. "It was my mistake!" I sobbed, trying to rush after her, but Lucien’s hand slammed into my shoulder. "Stay." The Alpha command wrapped around me like iron chains. My body locked in place, unable to move. "Please," I begged. "She’s the only one I have! I swear we’ll leave—just let her go!" Lucien sighed as if I were an inconvenience. "Shut up. You’re giving me a headache." I barely noticed Selene smirking in his arms before dropping her head again in fake exhaustion. "Your punishment will be decided later," Lucien muttered before walking away. I was left standing there, broken, as Nyx’s distant howls echoed in my ears. The sound ripped through me, unfroze my legs, and I ran. I chased the scent of blood through the trees, but I was too late. Someone grabbed my arm as I rounded a corner, yanking me back. "There you are." Elara Hale, the pack’s Beta female, tightened her grip. "Your break ended ten minutes ago. What are you still doing here?" she snapped, already dragging me away. "Elara—" "No time for your dramatics," she cut me off. "We have work to do. Lucien’s succession as Alpha is tomorrow. If you abandon your duties, you’ll suffer more." I stared at her, barely able to breathe through the crushing pain in my chest. "That wolf is dead," she said coldly. "Mourn later. Work now." How easy it was for her to say. How easy it was for all of them to demand everything from me—to take everything from me. Nyx died for nothing. But I swore on her death that after tomorrow, I would never let them take anything from me again