Hated By The Alpha, Forced To Be His Mate

HAZEL BLACKVALE I don’t have much time. I need to go now. I’m kneeling on the bedroom floor, throwing all my clothes into my suitcase. I already have a plan, and I hope it works. I’ll wait for nightfall, leave through the back door, and hit the road until I cross the pack’s lands. From there, I can get a ride with any trucker — it doesn’t matter where, as long as it’s far from him. Far from Luke. But fate seems to be laughing at me. A loud sound nearly makes my heart stop. My door is completely destroyed, and seconds later two huge men enter. Their scent gives them away before any transformation even happens: werewolves. And not just any werewolves — the Alpha’s guards. “We have orders from Alpha Luke to take you.” I slam the suitcase shut, my face twisting in fury. “D*mn it…” I murmur. I smile sarcastically. “I swear, if anyone tries to touch me, they’ll get an eye poked out with this heel!” I grab one of the high heels lying on the floor, holding it like an improvised dagger. “Don’t make it easy, she’s just a woman…” says the other guard, approaching. “A woman who will make you regret coming any closer!” I shout, backing away. I try to run down the hallway, but I don’t stand a chance. One of them is faster, blocking my path, while the other grabs my arm tightly. I struggle, kick, scratch, but it’s like fighting a stone wall. “Let me go!” I scream, kicking at the air. “You d*mn dogs!” I look back at the suitcase on the floor. So close… so d*mn close. But deep down, I know no one really escapes a man like Luke. One of the werewolves simply lifts me as if I were a sack of flour and throws me over his shoulder. I thrash, punching his back. “Put me down, you animal!” He doesn’t respond. He passes through the broken door and walks down the small street of the pack village. Everyone stops to watch. Curious looks, some with pity, others with fear. But no one does anything. No one would dare interfere. Everyone knows about Luke’s curse and mine. They know the moon goddess herself bound our destinies: we are mates, and if we don’t unite, we will die. But what no one says out loud is that we hate each other. I am placed inside a black car. My hands are tied, and a cloth sack is placed over my head. “Seriously?” I say, laughing mockingly. “So original… Congrats, ten out of ten for creativity.” The car starts moving, and I lose track of time. When the vehicle finally stops, I see nothing. I’m pulled out, hands bound, dragged by two pairs of strong hands. The sack is removed from my head. I blink several times until my eyes adjust to the light. A huge room, with golden chandeliers and expensive furniture. Luke’s mansion. A sound echoes behind me: slow, steady footsteps. And then, a low laugh, dripping with sarcasm. “Trying to run from me and our marriage, sweetie?” I turn around and see him. Luke is standing at the entrance, tall, broad-shouldered, relaxed as if none of this matters. His gaze burns with mockery. I take a deep breath, hate rising like a flame. “I’m surprised you’re still alive, Luke… but maybe not for long.” He smiles as if I just told a delicious joke. “Leave us alone,” he gestures to the men. “Planning to kill your husband on our honeymoon, Hazel? How wicked.” “Take these ropes off before I punch your face, Luke.” He raises an eyebrow, clearly amused, and obeys, calmly untying the knots. I sigh in relief, massaging my reddened wrists. “Why the hell all this? You didn’t need to invade my pack and kidnap me, you i***t!” “I did need to. I know you. I know you’d run to the ends of the earth if you could.” “And why do you think that’s any of your business?” He steps closer until he’s just a few centimeters from me, his scent surrounding me. “Because our ritual is tomorrow, Hazel. We don’t have much time left.” I roll my eyes. “Oh, great. Can’t wait.” Luke raises one hand and touches my face with his thumb, but before he can do anything, I pull away from him. “Tomorrow you’ll officially be my mate. And there’s no escaping after that.” “Luke…” I whisper, with a half-poisonous smile. “I always find a way to run.” “Try running again, and you’ll meet my other side, sweetie…” He smiles more, his silver eyes shining. He likes that. “From now on, you’ll stay here. The ritual will be tomorrow, along with our wedding.” I give a dry, incredulous laugh. “A simple wedding, I imagine.” He shrugs, but the mocking tone in his voice irritates me even more. “Simple, but memorable. In fact, I’ve prepared a dress for you.” I roll my eyes again. “How thoughtful of you.” He ignores my sarcasm and starts walking down the corridor, making me follow him. His hands are in his pockets, as if he’s strolling, not forcing someone against their will. When he stops in front of a double door, I already know what comes next. He opens it, revealing a huge room, walls in soft tones, heavy curtains, and a bed so large it seems to swallow half the space. “This will be your room,” he says, entering as if he owns it — and unfortunately, he does. I look around, absorbing every detail, feeling a weight on my chest. The wide window looks out onto the forest, and for a moment I imagine myself running through those trees, like before… before everything. “We can still try to find a way to change this, Luke.” He turns to me, his gaze firm, almost tired. “You know as well as I do that there’s no breaking the moon goddess’s curse, Hazel. We’ll die if we don’t fulfill it.” I ignore the pang of fear his words bring. My eyes return to the bed, then to the window, and then to the darkness of the forest around. Old memories start to creep into my mind, even if I don’t want them to. “We grew up together. We were always close in our packs. But everything changed when my father killed yours.” He stares at me, and the tension in the air seems to grow. “Yes. I came to hate you… and you hated me back. So the goddess decided we should live forever as mates. Perfect irony.” I give a humorless half-smile. “I still remember us running through that forest.” “Yes, but we’re not children anymore, Hazel. Grow up and focus on what we have to do.” “You knew you didn’t have to be such an i***t with me?” His gaze narrows, and I see the anger burning there. He takes a few steps, closing the distance between us until I can feel his body heat. “I’m just making it clear that we’re not friends or anything like that. We’ll fulfill the ritual, but nothing will change between us.” I lift my chin, holding his gaze. “And you think I wanted anything to change?” He steps even closer, almost pressing his body against mine. “You’ll never be anything to me. I’d rather be dead than fulfill this destiny and marry you. But when my father died because of yours, I promised I’d make your life a living hell… and I don’t break promises, Hazel.” Tears burn in my eyes, but I won’t let them fall. “I hate being connected to you. Look at us… None of this would have to be this way if you changed. I didn’t kill your father, but you blame me.” His expression grows darker. “Your father died before I could take revenge, so I’ll use you.” My control breaks, and I hit his chest hard, feeling the firmness of his muscles under the shirt. “I hate you, Luke. I will hate being your mate every single day of my life. I hate being near you, smelling you… I hate everything about you! I abhor you!” I scream so loud my voice echoes through the room. In a swift motion, he pushes me against the wall. His hand grips my neck, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to remind me he can. “If you hate me so much,” he murmurs, his face inches from mine, “then why do you always lose control when I’m so close to you?” My breathing becomes heavy. I feel his heat, the scent I hate so much, and that for some reason I won’t admit, disarms me. I close my eyes for a moment, trying to move away, but he keeps his hand there, firm, his thumb lightly brushing my skin as if teasing me on purpose. “Don’t confuse hate with anything else,” I say, my voice hoarse. “You’re the one confusing it, Hazel,” he replies, his voice low and dangerous. When he finally removes his hand, my knees feel weak. I take a deep breath, trying to regain my posture, but I know he noticed my reaction. Luke steps back, his gaze filled with something I can’t decipher — and maybe don’t want to. “Rest,” he says, in a tone that sounds almost like an order. “Tomorrow will be a… memorable day.” He turns and walks to the door, but before leaving, he casts one last glance over his shoulder, as if wanting to imprint me there, in that exact state: irritated, breathless, and vulnerable. The door closes, and I am alone in the room. My fingers lightly touch my neck, still feeling the phantom pressure of his hand. I look at the window again, at the dark forest, and for a moment I wonder if there’s still time to escape. But I know the answer. With Luke… there’s never time. He will hunt me down to hell if he has to.