The Ruthless Alpha King's Captive Mate

Monsters

Iris POV

A thin beam of morning sunlight sliced through the narrow gap in the window frame. It cut straight across the dusty floor, landing over my knees where I crouched on the bed.

I stayed curled into a tight ball, my knees pressed flat against my chest. The morning air was freezing, making my bare skin shiver, but I couldn't move.

My head pounded with a dull headache, Tears had dried into stiff, itchy tracks across my cheeks, tightening my skin every time my face twitched. My lower lip quivered, dry and cracked, as raspy breaths escaped my throat.

“Your father is dead!”

Ryker’s voice didn't just stay in the room—it lived inside my head now. It spun around in a violent, unending loop, slamming against my brain like a heavy fist.

*He’s dead. He’s dead. He’s dead.* Every single repetition felt like a fresh physical blow, knocking whatever little air I had left out of my chest.

“No!”

I screamed, kicking my legs out wildly, my bare feet slamming hard against the mattress. The sheets tangled around my ankles, dragging me down, but I shoved them away in a frenzy.

I dug my fingers deep into my messy hair, grabbing tight fistfuls near the roots and yanking hard. I pulled until my scalp burned, until the pain made my eyes water fresh tears. I just wanted something—anything—to hurt worse than the hollow, black hole opening up inside my chest.

It must be a dream! It’s surely a dream.

I sealed my eyes shut and opened it again but reality waited for me.

I pulled my knees back up to my chin and wrapped my arms around them so tight my joints popped.

I began to rock myself back and forth on the creaking mattress, staring blankly at the rough wood of the floorboards.

Why?

Why would the Moon Goddess do this to me? What did I ever do to deserve a fate like this?

I had swallowed every insult they threw at me. I had kept my head down when they shoved me into the dirt.

I had starved. I had bled. I had survived the cold looks, the harsh words, and even the poison burning through my veins just hours ago. I had endured every single second of torture in this pack because I kept whispering one lie to myself in the dark: Just hold on. You have to make it back to your father.

He was my anchor. He was the only person in the entire world who loved me, the only one who cared if I lived or died. When the rest of the world treated me like trash under their boots.

And now he was gone.

Slaughtered by the very man the Goddess had assigned to be my protector. My mate. The man who was supposed to shield me from the world had ripped my entire life apart with his bare hands, and then stood over my bed and laughed in my face about it.

I wish I could tear the smugness off his face. I wish to torture him and give him a horrible death but he is stronger than me.

My fingers slowly loosened their grip on my hair. My hands fell limply on my lap.

A terrible silence settled over the room.

The anger drained out of me, leaving behind a cold, empty void. My eyes felt wide, dry, and hollow.

I looked down at my trembling hands. There was no point anymore. The one reason I had to keep breathing, the one thread holding me together, had been cut. I was completely, utterly alone and trapped in my enemy territory,

What was the point of surviving today just to suffer tomorrow?

A cold, heavy stillness settled over the room. My breath hitched in my chest as the handle of the door rattled.

*Knock. Knock.*

I didn't answer or move, I tightened my arms around my legs, curling myself into a ball on the mattress.

The heavy latch clicked, and the door swung open. Three pack maids stepped into the room in a single file. One carried a tray of hot food, the steam rising into the chilly morning air. The second carried a folded, clean dress over her arm, while the third walked behind them, her expression indifferent and bored.

They didn't look at me with pity. To them, I was just a task on their morning list.

"Get up," the maid with the dress said dryly. "Alpha's orders you to eat and change."

My jaw clenched, hearing them mention Alpha made hatred flow through me.

How dare he?!

My red, swollen eyes dragged across them, landing directly on the wooden tray. Resting beside a bowl of steaming broth was a long, sharp metal knife meant for cutting meat.

A sudden, sharp surge of adrenaline flooded my veins, burning away the numbness. If my life was already destroyed, I wasn't going to let them control me anymore.

In a fraction of a second, instinct took over.

I launched myself off the bed. My feet slammed onto the cold floorboards as I lunged forward with unbelievable speed. Before the maids could even register my movement, my hand shot out and snatched the heavy knife from the edge of the tray.

The maid carrying the food gasped, dropping the tray. The ceramic bowl shattered against the floor, splashing hot broth everywhere.

"Back off!" I screamed, my voice raw and savage.

I raised the blade, pointing the sharp tip directly at the lead maid's chest. My body shook with wild, uncontainable fury. Tears streamed down my cheeks, but my grip on the wooden handle was rock solid, even as fresh pain flared in my bandaged wrist.

The three maids froze, their eyes widening in sheer horror as they stumbled backward against the doorframe.

"Stop! Put that down!" the maid yelled, her hands flying up defensively. "Are you crazy?!"

"I would rather tear every single one of you to pieces than let you touch me!" I snarled, taking a heavy step toward them, the knife glinting in the morning light. "You are all monsters! Every single one of you!"

I clasped my teeth and bit my lip until I tasted copper, tears blurring my vision as my father's smiling face flashed across my mind one last time.

Father, I will make them pay for what they did to you.