Bound To The Cursed Alpha

Aria Nightshade had spent nineteen years pretending to be ordinary. Pretending she wasn’t stronger than she looked. Pretending she didn’t hear whispers that no one else could hear. Pretending the silver mark that sometimes glowed on her wrist was nothing more than a scar. Because in Nightshade Pack, being different was a death sentence. She pulled her hood lower as she hurried through the narrow alley behind the pack house. Rain poured from the dark sky, soaking her thin cloak and turning the dirt road into mud. Most wolves were gathered in the main hall for the Alpha’s feast, which was exactly why she had chosen tonight to leave. If she waited any longer, they would find out. And once they found out, she would never escape. A sharp voice echoed from the hall behind her. “Search the lower quarter!” Aria froze. Her heartbeat thundered in her chest. “They couldn’t have discovered it already…” She pressed herself against the cold stone wall and listened. Another voice spoke, lower and more dangerous. “Alpha Victor wants the girl brought to him before midnight.” Her blood turned to ice. They were searching for her. A memory flashed through her mind—earlier that evening, hidden in the healer’s room, she had overheard two elders speaking. The mark has appeared. Then the prophecy is true. The Alpha must know immediately. She hadn’t stayed to hear the rest. Fear had driven her straight to her small room, where she grabbed the few things she owned and fled before the guards arrived. Now they were hunting her. Aria forced herself to move. She slipped through the shadows, avoiding the lantern light until the pack’s outer wall came into view. Beyond it stretched Blackthorn Forest—a place every Nightshade wolf was forbidden to enter. “Better the forest than the Alpha,” she whispered. She climbed the wall, tearing her palms on the rough stone. The moment she dropped to the other side, a howl split the night behind her. “They’ve seen me!” Aria ran. Branches whipped across her face as she plunged deeper into the forest. The rain grew heavier, turning the ground slippery beneath her boots. Another howl echoed. Closer. Too close. She stumbled over a root and crashed to the ground. Pain shot through her ankle, but she forced herself back up. “You can do this,” she gasped. “You have to.” The forest grew darker with every step. Strange mist curled around the trees, and the air carried a scent she didn’t recognize—pine, cold earth, and something wild. A warning rose in the back of her mind. You’ve crossed the border. Aria slowed. “What border?” Then she saw it. Carved into a massive oak tree was the symbol of a black wolf surrounded by silver flames. Her breath caught. Blackthorn Pack. The territory of the ruthless Alpha Kael. Stories about him were told in every pack. They said he had destroyed rogues with his bare hands. They said enemy Alphas lowered their eyes when he entered a room. They said no trespasser ever left Blackthorn alive. Aria swallowed hard. “Great,” she muttered. “Out of all the forests in the kingdom…” A twig snapped behind her. She spun around. Nothing. Only darkness between the trees. Slowly, she backed away. Another snap. This time from her left. Then her right. Her pulse raced. “Who’s there?” Silence. The mist thickened. Aria’s fingers curled around the small knife hidden beneath her cloak. It was useless against a wolf, but it made her feel less helpless. A low growl rolled through the forest. Deep. Powerful. Close. She turned and ran. The growl became thunder behind her. Something large crashed through the trees, matching her speed effortlessly. Aria didn’t dare look back. She leapt over fallen logs, splashed through a shallow stream, and pushed her aching legs harder. The silver mark on her wrist suddenly burned. “Not now,” she hissed. Light flickered beneath her skin. Another growl sounded directly behind her. Aria glanced over her shoulder— And saw glowing blue eyes. Massive. Unblinking. Watching her from the darkness. Terror stole her breath. The creature stepped into the moonlight. A gigantic black wolf. Far larger than any wolf she had ever seen. Its blue eyes were fixed entirely on her. Aria’s foot caught on a stone. She fell hard onto the wet forest floor, the knife flying from her hand. The wolf stopped only a few feet away. Steam curled from its muzzle as it breathed. Aria slowly backed away, her heart hammering so loudly she was sure the beast could hear it. “Please…” she whispered. The wolf tilted its head. Then, to her horror, silver light exploded around it. The massive body shifted. Bones cracked. Fur disappeared. And where the wolf had stood, a tall man dressed in black stood staring down at her with the same glowing blue eyes. Alpha Kael Blackthorn. His gaze swept over her torn cloak, muddy boots, and the faint silver light still leaking from the mark on her wrist. The forest became deathly silent. Kael’s expression hardened. “You,” he said coldly. “Are hiding something.”