Cursed Bond: Claimed By The Alpha

Chapter 3 – The Bond’s Fire

The room was too big, too silent, and too suffocating. Elara paced the length of the Alpha’s chamber, her bare feet sinking into thick wolf-hide rugs. Every shadow seemed alive, whispering doubts, feeding her fear.

She pressed her palms against her chest. Her heartbeat was wild, but beneath it throbbed something else — a strange, searing heat curling through her veins. Every time she thought of Draven’s golden eyes, that heat flared, leaving her trembling.

“No,” she whispered, clutching her sides. “This isn’t real. I’m not one of them. I’m not.”

The door creaked open, and she spun around, heart leaping.

It wasn’t Draven. It was a woman — tall, beautiful, with fiery auburn hair and eyes that glowed amber like embers in the dark. She carried a tray of food, but her sneer twisted the gesture into mockery.

“So,” the woman drawled, setting the tray down with a sharp clatter, “this is the human the Alpha dragged home.”

Elara stiffened, wrapping her arms around herself. “Who are you?”

The woman’s smirk widened. “Selena. Beta’s daughter. Future Luna… until you showed up.”

Elara’s throat tightened. She didn’t know the full weight of those words, but the venom in Selena’s tone cut like a blade.

“You don’t belong here,” Selena hissed, stepping closer. “The Alpha is mine. You’re nothing but a weak little mistake. The pack already despises you — and when you fail him, I’ll be waiting to take my place.”

Elara’s lips parted, but no words came out. For the first time since her capture, shame clawed at her chest. Maybe Selena was right. Maybe she didn’t belong here.

Before she could respond, the air shifted. Heavy. Electric.

Draven entered the room.

Selena instantly lowered her head, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “Alpha.”

His gaze flicked to her, sharp as a blade. “Leave.”

Selena lingered long enough to flash Elara a look of pure hatred before sweeping out, the door shutting firmly behind her.

Draven’s eyes locked on Elara. The bond roared to life — heat seared through her blood, curling low in her stomach, stealing her breath. Her knees weakened, her skin prickling under the invisible thread pulling them together.

“Stay away from her,” Draven said, voice rumbling like thunder.

Elara blinked, startled. “What?”

“She’s dangerous when she’s jealous.” His tone dropped, sharp as claws. Then his gaze sharpened, pinning her in place. “But she’s right about one thing. You don’t belong here.”

Her heart clenched. “Then let me go.”

For a heartbeat, something flickered in his eyes — pain, maybe, or regret. Then it vanished beneath steel.

“I can’t.” He stepped closer, and the heat in her veins blazed until her skin burned. “Every time you breathe, I feel it. The bond is fire. And fire consumes everything.”

Elara stumbled back until her spine hit the wall. “I don’t want this,” she whispered.

Draven’s jaw clenched. His golden eyes glowed like molten sun. “Neither do I.”

The silence between them was suffocating, the bond snapping tight, crackling with unspoken desire and buried rage. Both trapped. Both cursed.

Then, from outside, a horn echoed through the pack grounds. Wolves howled in unison, the sound chilling the air.

Draven turned sharply toward the door, his expression hardening.

“What’s happening?” Elara gasped.

“Hunters,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. His eyes burned brighter as he reached for the door. “They’ve found you.”

And with that, he was gone — leaving Elara trembling in the darkness, her body burning from the bond, and her soul whispering a truth she refused to believe.