DYNASTY OF THE ALPHA BLOODLINE

Chapter Two: Chains of Fate

Liora’s boots skid on the icy path as she stumbles back from the Carpathian foothills, her research team trailing behind, their faces pale. The city skyline looms in the distance, a jagged contrast to the wild peaks.

“We’re done for today,” she mutters, voice tight. “Head back to the apartment and rest.”

Markus nods, clutching his bag, while Elena shivers, her notebook pressed to her chest.

That cavern, the blood-stained button, the bone-chilling howl, it’s all too much. Something is out there and it is heading for her.

They load into the rental vehicle and the engine growls as they negotiate twisting mountain roads back to the city.

Liora peers out the window, the skyscrapers getting closer, but her thoughts are on her father's call. She whispers to herself, terror twisting in her stomach, "He's coming."

Markus gives her a brow furrowed look. “You okay, Liora? You’ve been off since that fall.”

“I’m fine,” she snaps, sharper than intended. “Just… tired.” But she’s not fine. She’s running from more than monsters, she’s running from Caspian Blackthorn, from her father’s plans to chain her to that cold noble. She can still hear Caspian’s voice from their first meeting: “This is power, Liora, not love. Obey.”

She’d fled, using this research trip as a cover, but now her father’s caught up.

They reach their rented apartment in the city’s heart, the hum of traffic seeping through the walls. Liora dropped her team at the apartment and waved them before driving away back to her mansion.

Liora pushes inside, the stale air hitting her as she shrugs off her jacket. Her father’s voice booms before she can take another step.

“Liora Veyne!” Lord Veyne stands by the window overlooking the courtyard, his cane tapping the hardwood floor. His gray hair is thinning, his frame stooped, but his eyes burn with fury. “You ran from your engagement? Caspian’s been humiliated, our family disgraced!”

Her stomach drops. “Father, I—”

“Don’t!” he cuts her off, slamming the cane down, the sound echoing. “You should’ve been back hours ago, preparing for the ceremony! My health’s failing, my heart can’t take this!” A wet cough racks him, and he grips the window sill, his knuckles white. “Tomorrow, you marry Caspian. No more running.”

“Marry him?” Liora’s voice shakes, her fists clenching. “He’s a monster! Cold, controlling, he doesn’t even want me, just the alliance! You can’t force this!”

“Force?” Her father’s laugh is bitter, cutting. “This is survival, Liora. The company’s on the brink, Blackthorn’s wealth is our only chance. You’ll marry him, or I’ll drag you to the altar myself!” He turns away, wheezing, his shoulders trembling with each breath.

Liora storms to her room, slamming the door. The aching scratch on her arm serves as a stark reminder of that secret room. She walks the room, mumbling, "I can't do this anymore."

As she lay in bed, restless and unable to sleep, Liora's mind was racing with desperate escape plans.

By dawn, the apartment buzzes with noise. Servants barge in, hauling dresses and flowers, Caspian’s men barking orders in the hallway.

Liora was shoved into a white gown by one of the stylists, the fabric suffocating her. Her reflection in the mirror made her look like a stranger. “I won’t,” she whispers, but a servant yanks her arm, forcing her to sit for makeup.

By mid-morning, she slips out, her heart pounding so hard. She plans to confront Caspian, begging him to end this nightmare called marriage. Liora took a cab to avoid distractions, heading to Caspian’s hotel.

Caspian's hotel suite in the city’s upscale district is a short subway ride away, the neon sign flickering as she storms to his door.

Liora bangs hard. “Caspian, open up! We need to talk!” No answer. Catching her breath, she dashes through the open door. He is on the bed with a dark-haired woman who is chuckling and holding his chest with her hands. Liora’s stomach twists, disappointment flooding her, but then, relief. A reason to escape.

“Caspian!” she shouts, stepping in. He jolts up, the woman scrambling for a sheet.

His gray eyes narrow, cold as ice. “Liora? What the hell are you doing here?”

“Call off the wedding!” she demands, voice shaking but fierce. “You’re with her,” pointing at the mistress. “A proof that you don’t care! So, let me go, Caspian!”

He smirks, sliding off the bed, picking up his shirt. “No chance. You’ll marry me, or your father’s company collapses. I’ll ruin him, make sure he doesn’t live to see another day.” His tone is venom, a death threat wrapped in silk. “You’re mine, Liora. Run, and I’ll hunt you down.”

Liora’s blood runs cold. “You wouldn’t dare,” she whispers, but his smile says he would. She spins, bolting from the suite, tears stinging her eyes.

“Get her!” Caspian roars. Heavy footsteps thunder, his men chasing after her.

Liora dashes through the city's streets, past horn-blaring taxis and staring people, in the direction of the wooded outskirts. She continues even if her gown tears as it snags on a log. As they approach her, Caspian's men shout and run after her. Her breath is raspy as she plunges into the woodland, branches cutting her face.

She stumbles, falling down a hill and hitting the woods. Pain sears her side as she hits the ground. Snarls erupt, wayward wolves, mangy and red-eyed, circle her, claws gouging the earth. “Stay back!” she screams, kicking as one lunges, teeth grazing her calf. Another closes in, saliva dripping. She’s done, until a shadow crashes through the trees.

A man, towering, scarred, with searing amber eyes, roars, “Get away!” His body twists, fur bursting, bones cracking as he shifts into a massive werewolf. Claws s***h, blood sprays as he tears into the wolves. They yelp, fleeing into the shadows. Liora stares, breathless, as he turns, panting, his amber gaze locking on hers.

The massive wolf approached her, Liora was scared, crawling backwards as the wolf matches towards her.

Liora turned to her side and picked up a stick, pointing at the wolf for defense. “Stay back.”

The wolf then gradually shifts into his human form. A tall, handsome man stood before Liora. He took two steps towards her. “What's your name?”

“Liora,” she gasps, clutching her leg. “I…I didn’t—” Footsteps crash behind her, Caspian's men approach, shouting her name. Her heart leaps. “They’re after me!”

His eyes darken, a snarl rumbling deep. “Why are they after you?.” He scoops her up, her weight nothing to him, and instantly ,it hits him, Mate.

Kael, the wolf, was stunned by what he felt but there was no time as Caspian's men approached closer. They bolted deeper into the forest, Caspian's men crying fading. Liora clings to him, fear and awe warring inside her. Who is he? Where’s he taking her?

Back at the hotel, Caspian glares out the window, his mistress adjusting her dress beside him. “She won’t escape,” he hisses , fists clenched. “And if she does, I will make sure her father never sees the day again.”