The Alpha I should Hate

Ivy’ I never imagined my life would come to this. Standing at the altar, my heart pounding in my chest, I had to remind myself to breathe. My hands trembled, gripping the sides of my dress, the lace cool against my fingers. The weight of the moment pressed down on me, but it wasn’t the wedding that suffocated me. It was him. The man I had been forced to marry. The Alpha who owned me in every sense, yet cared for nothing about me. His cold, piercing eyes were fixed on me, devoid of warmth, of anything resembling affection. Just the emptiness of a predator waiting for its prey to move. I never wanted this. Not this life. Not him. But what choice did I have? The contract was already signed. My future was sealed in those blood-red letters. Marry him, or watch my family and everything I cared about burn to the ground. I glanced up at him again, my pulse quickening, though I loathed every second of it. His eyes—like twin flames—bore into me, and I could feel his power surging from across the altar. The way he looked at me, like I was a mere possession, a thing to be used, made my stomach churn. “Ivy…” His voice broke through my thoughts, low and commanding. His gaze held mine, locking me in place. “You’ve made your choice. There’s no going back now.” I opened my mouth to speak, but the words caught in my throat. I had made my choice—because I had no choice at all. I looked down at the parchment in my hand, the weight of the contract pressing down on my chest. The ink was still fresh, the terms as cold as the man standing before me. “Marry Alpha Leon of the Crimson Wolf Pack. Bind yourself to him, or face the destruction of your pack. Sign, and you will be his.” It sounded simple, but the reality was far darker. I wasn’t marrying him for love, or desire, or even respect. I was marrying him to survive. The Alpha’s grip on the pack was ironclad, and his power extended far beyond the borders of our territory. His enemies wanted my family destroyed, and this contract was the only thing keeping us alive. “Are you ready, Ivy?” Leon’s voice dragged me back to the present. I swallowed hard, fighting the wave of nausea rising in my throat. “I’m ready,” I lied through clenched teeth. The priest spoke the words, his voice low and reverent. But they sounded hollow to me. I didn’t hear anything beyond the blood rushing in my ears. “Do you, Ivy, take Alpha Leon as your mate?” I hesitated, my breath catching in my throat. This was the moment. The moment I would be bound to him, to a man who didn’t care for me, to a man who saw me as nothing more than a bargaining chip. “Do you, Ivy?” the priest repeated. I had no choice but to nod. The weight of the world pressed down on my shoulders as I whispered, “I do.” The contract was sealed. The bond was forged. As Leon stepped forward, his fingers brushing against mine, I could feel the bond pulling me, a hot rush of desire mingled with resentment. He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear as he whispered, “You’re mine now.” The words hung in the air, a threat, a promise. And I couldn’t escape it. “You’re mine now.” The words echoed in my ears like a curse. He didn’t kiss me. He didn’t even pretend to care. Instead, his breath skimmed my skin cool, deadly like a warning. I felt it run down my spine, a chill that didn’t come from the wind. I stood frozen while the witnesses applauded a wedding built on blood, lies, and power. I wasn’t a bride. I was a prisoner dressed in white. I didn’t look at him as we turned to face the crowd gathered inside the stone hall of the Crimson Wolf Pack. Warriors stood in perfect lines, councilmen with hard faces whispered among themselves, and nobles from his side watched me with curiosity and cold judgment. None of them knew me. None of them cared. No one from my family was here. Because they were dead. My father — Alpha Mason Blackwood — had been executed by the same man now holding my hand. Leon Nightshade. He had invaded our territory without warning. Burned our packhouse. Slaughtered our warriors. And then he took my father’s head like it was nothing. My mother died with him. My youngest brother too. He took everything from me. And now, he had me. I didn’t speak as we walked down the aisle. I didn’t smile. I didn’t cry. I just held my head up and walked beside him, each step heavy with rage and helplessness. I told myself I wouldn’t break — not here, not in front of them. But a part of me had already shattered. The part that used to believe in love. In fated mates. In hope. That girl died the day Leon spilled my father’s blood on the grass. — We reached the end of the hall. The giant oak doors opened with a groan. Cold wind rushed in, but Leon didn’t even flinch. He turned to face the room, his grip still locked around mine. “From this day forward,” he said, voice strong and sharp, “Luna Ivy belongs to the Crimson Wolf Pack. No one touches her. No one questions her. She is under my protection.” The room erupted in cheers. I didn’t move. Protection. What a lie. The only danger I needed protecting from… was him. I felt his eyes on me, but I didn’t meet them. Because if I looked up, I’d scream. — The so-called honeymoon suite was beautiful — grand, warm, soft candlelight dancing on every surface. Silken drapes. A carved wooden bed covered in furs. It should’ve felt romantic. It didn’t. It felt like a tomb. Leon shut the door behind us. I stood stiffly in the center of the room, still in my wedding dress, my body aching from holding everything in. He started unbuttoning his jacket like this was just another day. “You can relax,” he said, voice flat. “I’m not going to force myself on you.” I turned to him slowly. “How generous of you.” He didn’t react. He just rolled up his sleeves and poured himself a drink, his movements calm and careful, like a man who always had control. “You should drink something,” he said. “You look like you’re about to pass out.” “I’m fine,” I snapped. He took a sip, watching me over the rim of his glass. “No, you’re not. You’re pale. Shaking. Your wolf is unstable.” I stiffened. He could feel that? Of course he could. The ritual we’d just completed hadn’t only joined us by law — it had created a partial mate bond. My wolf, wild and grieving, was now trapped with his. I felt her snarling inside me, pacing, furious and confused. She didn’t understand why we were here. Neither did I. “What do you want from me?” I asked, wrapping my arms around myself. “Why force me into this? Why not just kill me with the others?” His eyes hardened. “Because you’re useful.” I flinched. He didn’t even bother to hide it. “I needed a Luna,” he continued. “One with a strong lineage. Someone tied to the northern lands. Someone who’d make it easier to unite the territory without more bloodshed.” “So I’m just a pawn,” I whispered. “A political tool.” He stared at me for a long moment. “No. You’re insurance.” The room tilted slightly. I grabbed the edge of the dresser, trying to steady my breath. “But why me?” I managed. “You could’ve picked someone else. Someone who didn’t hate you.” “I didn’t want someone who’d get ideas,” he said. “You? You won’t try anything. Not with your pack’s survivors depending on you.” He stepped closer, eyes sharp. “I picked you because I knew you’d do anything to keep them safe. Even marry your enemy.” My breath hitched. He was right. And I hated him more for it. — Night fell. He didn’t touch me. He took the couch by the fire, lying shirtless with a blanket draped over his lower half. I stayed curled on the far side of the massive bed, wrapped in furs, my body stiff and cold. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t think. I kept hearing my father’s voice. The last words he ever said to me. “Run.” But I didn’t run. I surrendered. To save what was left of my people, I walked willingly into the arms of their killer. My wolf whimpered inside me, broken and trapped. And I finally let myself cry. Not because I had just married a monster. But because I knew deep down… I would never escape him. Not alive. And maybe… not even dead.