Bloodbound

I lay in bed, staring at the cracked ceiling, trying to delay the inevitable. The room I slept in used to be a utility closet. Now, it was my cell. A cot with springs that creaked when I breathed, two cardboard boxes stuffed with secondhand clothes and basic toiletries—everything I owned fit into a corner. The stench of grease and boiled meat from the nearby kitchen clung to everything, including me. Darius’s Beta, Kevin, had smirked when they placed me here. “This is where you belong,” he’d said. I used to live in the Crescent Hollow Pack. But that was a lifetime ago. When I was sixteen, rogues launched a brutal ambush on our territory. They didn’t just attack—they destroyed. My Alpha, my father, the Beta—both murdered in cold blood. The rest of us didn’t stand a chance. Darius led them. A rogue who called himself “Alpha,” but there’s nothing noble about him. He’s a tyrant, addicted to power and control. Now, we’re prisoners. Those they didn’t kill were sold off like livestock. The rest of us became slaves in our own home. Heath, the Alpha’s younger son—and my best friend—is still here. Still alive. Barely. They use him as a public example of what happens when you defy Darius. He used to stand tall, fearless. Now he’s beaten and broken, humiliated daily. And Elijah... Elijah was the Alpha’s firstborn. My first love. He vanished the night of the takeover. No body. No trail. Nothing but the hollow silence where his laughter used to be. He’s presumed dead, along with my brother, Jackson. But I’m not giving up. In just a few days, I’ll turn eighteen. The moon will awaken my wolf. And when that happens, I’ll stop being prey. I’ll escape. I’ll free Heath. And I’ll burn Darius’s empire to the ground. “Chloe! Get your ass out here!” My stomach clenched. That voice—shrill and venom-laced—belonged to Alexa. Darius’s so-called “mate.” She wasn’t chosen by the Moon Goddess. She clawed her way to the top with lies, seduction, and betrayal. I snatched my apron—an old rag that still smelled faintly of soap and oil—and tied it around my waist before stepping into the hallway. I quickly pulled my hair—thick and the color of sun-warmed peanut butter—into a ponytail. Then I started prepping the stoves, lighting burners, checking pots, pretending I didn’t want to scream. “You called?” I asked, keeping my voice even. I locked eyes with her. Dangerous, yes—but I’d never look down. Not to her. Not to anyone. “You,” she sneered, arms crossed over her tailored blouse. “You’re to prep food for the pack and clean the guest quarters. We have visitors arriving. Important ones. We need things to look fair. Get it?” I almost laughed. “You know,” I said with a half-smile, “you could just treat us actually fair.” Her hand flew up, trembling inches from my face. But she stopped herself. Barely. “Watch your mouth,” she hissed. “Get it done. And stay out of my sight.” I turned without another word. But inside, I smiled. Guests were coming. Visiting Alphas. Maybe—just maybe—this was my chance to be seen. To send word. Heath, I thought, I’m going to save you. — By midmorning, breakfast had been cleared, lunch prepped, and dinner was simmering in massive pots. My arms ached; my apron was stained and sweat clung to the back of my neck. I grabbed a crate of cleaning supplies and made my way toward the guest wing, heart racing with every step. This used to be the most beautiful part of the house. Back then, these halls echoed with footsteps, laughter, the rustle of formal robes. Visiting packs would gather for treaty talks, for holidays. I used to beg for Ayla—my best friend from Red Willow Pack—to come stay with us. Her father, Alpha Marcus, always treated me like I was his own. Ayla and I used to braid each other’s hair and sneak sweets from the kitchen. My mother would laugh and pretend not to notice. I stepped into one of the larger guest rooms and dropped to my knees by the fireplace, scrubbing soot from the baseboards. The stone scraped my knuckles, but I didn’t care. Please, I whispered to the Moon Goddess, please let Alpha Marcus be among them. Let someone—anyone—see us. Help us. I paused as I heard voices in the distance. Footsteps. Doors opening. They were here. Hope fluttered in my chest, sharp and unexpected. And something else stirred too. Vengeance. I wiped my hands on my apron and hurried to finish cleaning. I had a note hidden in my waistband—written on an old receipt and folded small. I planned to slip it into one of the Alpha’s coat pockets during meal service. All it said was: “We are still here. Help us. Please.” I didn’t sign it. Couldn’t risk it. Just as I tucked the last pillow into place, Alexa burst in. “Goddess, Chloe, you are so slow.” She tossed a bundle of clean clothes at me. “Take a tray to that Alpha’s mutt you’re so fond of. Then wash up and be back here before four. Guests will be arriving in the main hall. You’ll serve them. And if you’re late, you know what happens.” Her voice slithered into me like oil. But my heart skipped—because I’d get to see Heath. I nodded and rushed out. In the kitchen, I assembled a tray piled with food: roasted chicken, sweet potatoes, steamed rice. I managed to sneak a few painkillers into my pocket from a kind Omega named Ashley. “Are you going to him again, miss?” she asked gently. “It’s Chloe,” I whispered, glancing around to make sure no one overheard. I couldn’t let them know who I truly was. If they thought I was just an Omega, they’d underestimate me. That was my only advantage. “Aye. Sorry, Chloe,” Ashley said. She gave me a soft smile and hugged me briefly. “I tucked some Phantom in with the bread. I’ve been baking extra for the warriors.” Phantom was a dense, sweet square of herbs and protein—designed to accelerate a wolf’s healing. It was practically gold in this place. “Ashley,” I murmured, touched, “you are Moon-blessed. Truly.” She blushed. “It’s not right, how they treat him. Or you. Or any of us, really. But Heath...” Her voice caught. “It’s going to break him.” “Just have faith,” I said softly. “Faith... and fire.” I picked up the tray and turned down the hallway, toward the dungeon where Heath waited. I wasn’t just delivering food today.