Cursed Bond: Claimed By The Alpha

Chapter 15 – The Rival’s Claim

The clearing vibrated with tension. Draven’s massive wolf form stood bristling, golden eyes locked on the Crimson Alpha, but the stranger didn’t flinch. His crimson gaze lingered on Elara as though she were prey—and prize.

“You don’t belong to him,” the Crimson Alpha said, his voice low and mocking. “The Moon Goddess does not make mistakes. If the curse marked you, then you belong to me.”

Elara’s heart slammed in her chest. The mark on her skin flared, burning so hot she gasped. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “That’s not true.”

But even as she denied it, the bond twisted inside her, pulling not just toward Draven… but toward the stranger too. A chain with two ends.

Draven snarled, his body vibrating with fury. Mine. His aura erupted, the ground trembling under the weight of his dominance. “Touch her and I’ll rip you apart.”

The Crimson Alpha’s smile sharpened. “You’ve already lost, old friend. She feels it, doesn’t she? The bond tugging both ways. She can’t fight it.” His crimson eyes pierced her. “Can you, little Luna?”

Elara’s breath came in shallow gasps. The fire in her veins answered before her words could. She could feel him—his hunger, his pull—like dark smoke curling around her soul. It terrified her, but it was real.

“No!” she cried, pressing her hand against her chest. “I don’t want this!”

The Crimson Alpha’s smile deepened. “It doesn’t matter what you want. The curse has chosen. One Alpha to protect you, the other to claim you. In the end, you will break… and I will be the one standing.”

Draven lunged, fury exploding in a blur of claws and teeth. Their clash shook the clearing, their roars like thunder. The red-eyed wolves howled, circling tighter, their eyes blazing as they awaited command.

Elara stumbled back, clutching her mark. Pain seared through her body, the bond forcing her to feel both Alphas at once—the savagery of Draven’s rage, the cold hunger of the Crimson Alpha. It was tearing her apart.

“Stop!” she screamed, her voice raw. “You’ll kill each other!”

Neither listened. Draven slammed the Crimson Alpha against a tree, his claws digging deep, bark splintering under the force. For a heartbeat, victory seemed near—until the stranger laughed.

A cruel, cold laugh that made Elara’s skin crawl.

“Is that all you have, Draven?” the Crimson Alpha hissed, crimson light flaring in his eyes. With inhuman strength, he shoved Draven back, sending the black wolf crashing into the dirt.

Draven staggered to his feet, blood dripping from his muzzle. His growl was pure fury, but Elara could feel through the bond how much the blood moon was draining him. Every second he fought, the curse pressed harder, the pull to darkness stronger.

The Crimson Alpha turned his gaze on Elara again, ignoring Draven’s snarl. “Do you feel it, little Luna? The truth the Goddess hid? You are not bound to save him. You are bound to choose.”

Her chest tightened. “Choose?”

His smile widened, sharp as fangs. “One Alpha lives. One Alpha dies. The curse demands blood. And in the end, it will be your decision that decides which.”

Elara’s heart froze. Around her, the red-eyed wolves crept closer, their obedience absolute. Draven crouched low, ready to tear through them all, but the Crimson Alpha’s words lodged inside her like a blade.

One must die. And the bond was already dragging her toward both.