The Ruthless Alpha

An Alphas demand

The next morning dawned heavy and oppressive as if the earth itself knew something terrible was coming. I tiptoed through the packhouse, careful not to draw attention to myself. After last night’s commotion, tension buzzed in the air, setting my nerves on edge.

By midday, everyone had gathered in the great hall, summoned by the Alpha himself. I stood at the back, as inconspicuous as possible, my eyes fixed on the worn wooden floor. The surrounding chatter was low but anxious. No one spoke openly about it, but we all knew the reason for the meeting: Kane.

The room grew silent as Darius entered, his presence commanding and cold. Alpha Darius was a towering man with sharp features and a voice that carried authority. Beside him stood Cassandra, resplendent in a pale blue dress that made her look like the picture of innocence. Her cruel smirk, however, betrayed the illusion.

Darius surveyed the room, his icy gaze making everyone straighten their spines. “The new Alpha from Bloodmoon has sent his demand,” he announced, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. “As per tradition, Kane has invoked his right to tribute.”

A ripple of unease swept through the crowd. Tribute could mean anything, and the Bloodmoon pack’s reputation made it clear that their Alpha would not ask for something small or insignificant.

“What does he want?” Caden, one of the warriors, asked, his voice steady despite the tension.

Darius paused, his lips pressing into a thin line. For a moment, I thought he might avoid the question, but then he spoke, his voice hard and uncompromising. “He has asked for my daughter’s hand in marriage.”

The hall erupted into chaos. Gasps of shock and murmurs of disbelief filled the air, and I could feel the tension rising to a fever pitch. Cassandra’s eyes widened for a brief moment before she quickly schooled her expression into one of disdain.

“He can’t do that!” one of the Betas exclaimed.

“He’s trying to humiliate us!” another growled.

Cassandra’s friends crowded around her, whispering and offering words of consolation, but I could see the panic in her eyes. She may have been cruel, but she wasn’t stupid. Everyone, myself included, had heard the stories about Kane—the ruthless Alpha who ruled with an iron fist. A marriage to him wasn’t just a sentence to a life of submission; it was a death sentence for anyone too weak to endure him.

Darius raised a hand, silencing the room. His gaze swept over us, and for a brief moment, I warmed myself with the thought of Cassandra in the hands of a beast. But then Darius' eyes landed on me.

I froze, my heart plummeting to my stomach.

“Aria,” he said, his voice calm but chilling. “Step forward.”

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to me. My hands trembled as I set down the tray I’d been holding and made my way to the front of the room, my legs feeling like lead.

Cassandra’s expression shifted from panic to something crueller—a gleam of realization that made my stomach churn.

When I reached Darius, I kept my gaze fixed on the floor. “Yes, Alpha?”

He took a step closer, his towering presence suffocating. “You will take Cassandra’s place.”

I blinked, unsure if I’d heard him correctly. My head snapped up, and for a moment, I forgot my place. “What?”

“You heard me,” he said, his voice steely, "you will marry Kane in Cassandra’s place." The world opened beneath my feet. Dread and fear enveloped me in a thick, suffocating blanket.

"You will take on her role and ensure he believes you are my daughter,” Darius said with a smirk. He looked at me, observing my reaction. Like his daughter, he was feeding on my misery.

The room erupted again. “You can’t be serious,” someone exclaimed. “You can’t send her instead of Cassandra - She’s—she’s nothing!” yelled another.

Darius’s gaze flicked over the crowd, and everyone fell silent immediately. “Enough,” he said sharply. “I will not send my daughter to a man like Kane. Aria is expendable.”

The words hit me like a physical blow, and for a moment, I struggled to breathe.

“But…” I began, my voice trembling. “Alpha, I—I’m not Cassandra. He’ll know. He’ll see through me.”

“That is your problem,” he said, his voice growing colder. His hand shot out, grabbing the fabric of my worn dress, “You will do as you are told. You will play the part of Cassandra, and no matter what happens, you will not reveal the truth. Do you understand?”

I opened my mouth to protest, but his next words made me freeze.

“This is an order, Aria,” he said, his voice laced with the power of the Alpha’s command. “You will take Cassandra’s place. You will not reveal your true identity. Not even if Kane takes you to his bed. Not even if he breaks your body or your mind. You will endure, and you will stay silent.”

The weight of his command pressed down on me, stealing the air from my lungs. The Alpha’s voice wasn’t something I could resist; it was a binding force, a compulsion that left no room for defiance.

I wanted to scream, to cry, to beg him to choose someone else, but the words wouldn’t come. My body was paralyzed, like a ragdoll. I was staring into the space behind Darius. The Alpha command was like a string tied to my heart, making me nod, as I uttered the words: “Yes, Alpha.”

“Good.” He stepped back, his expression impassive. “The arrangements will be made immediately. You leave for Bloodmoon in three days.”

Cassandra’s smug expression returned as she stepped closer to me. “Looks like you’re finally getting what you deserve, Aria,” she said, her voice dripping with malice. “Enjoy your new life with Kane. I hear he’s quite... hands-on.”

Her laughter followed me as I stumbled out of the hall, the weight of my fate pressing down on me like a stone.

Three days. Three days until I was handed over to a man who was known for his cruelty, a man who would break me without a second thought.

And no one would care.