The Alpha’s Forbidden Claim

CHAPTER 004

Trapped in the Alpha’s Grip

Still Two Years Earlier…

Garrett clenched his grip on me while his face contorted with annoyance. I worked hard to keep my reactions in check while hiding any sign of weakness until his wandering hands caused my body to involuntarily tense up. He handled me with roughness and carelessness demonstrating his sense of entitlement.

With my remaining strength I pushed back against him. My resistance was minimal but sufficient to hold him off for this moment.

Please, just let him get bored. Let him walk away.

I didn't know how to fight him off but I resolved to make him work hard for it.

His snarl sent hot breath across my face. You can allow me to take care of you so you feel good or face what comes after. Your choice.”

My mind raced. My stomach twisted. “B-But… you’re supposed to provide shelter. The town elders promised me protection in this place! You— you can’t do this. You’re not my mate. I don’t want you.”

My body released from his grip when his fingers immediately latched onto my hair. He yanked, hard. A sharp pain surged through my scalp as my head was pulled backward.

Garrett’s expression darkened. “And who’s going to stop me?”

I had no answer.

His laughter reverberated as he pulled me forward as though I was a ragdoll. I had to scramble with my feet to keep pace while he dragged me through the doorway and down the stairs.

We passed several men. Warriors. They saw me. I saw them. Not one of them stepped in. Not one of them met my eyes.

Cowards.

Garrett smirked. “Relax, sweetheart. I’d never take what you don’t offer.”

I didn’t believe him for a second.

His steady stride continued until we arrived at a door situated at the end of the extended hall with dim lighting. Without pausing he opened the door and managed to throw me inside. I landed on the mattress which hardly deserved such a name. The air held a musty odor that resembled wet timber mixed with perspiration.

I ran back from the door with my heart pounding but Garrett started to retreat before I reached it. The room provides you shelter until you decide to leave.

The door slammed shut. The lock clicked. A deadbolt slid into place.

I was trapped.

I massaged the tender area at the back of my neck in an effort to ease the painful sensation. The spot where he had yanked my hair continued to burn.

As I surveyed my surroundings, my eyes fell upon my new prison which consisted of a confined space with only a wooden shelf and an offensive mattress for furnishings.

Definitely a downgrade.

Present Day

The sounds of voices traveling down the hallway pulled me out of my daze. The sound of Garrett’s usual voice reached me as he welcomed back the alpha group and praised their successful recovery of the territories. The sound of their words diminished until their voices vanished into the dining room as they continued walking.

My muscles protested as I stretched my body across the mattress. Even now, rest felt like a luxury. As soon as I relaxed my defenses Garrett would immediately invent a new method to torment me.

The war persisted far beyond everyone's expectations. The bears began a total invasion on the Northern Province during the day my family suffered a brutal attack. I discovered the extent of the destruction much later. Entire villages wiped out. Packs shattered. So many lives lost.

I missed my home. My family. If only there was someone who cared enough to question if I existed or died.

But I never gave in. I never bowed to Garrett’s will.

Not that it stopped him from trying.

He locked me in this room yet visited every day to force-feed me while holding the food. At first, I refused. Garrett allowed me to suffer from starvation for several days until I would surrender. I didn’t.

After some time he dispatched guards to deliver only minimal food rations to sustain my life. How generous.

I begged those same guards for help. They ignored me. The entire group remained steadfast in their allegiance to their alpha. What destination could I possibly reach if I managed to escape? All other territories remained in conflict with no one available to help me.

Garrett shifted his methods after starvation and isolation proved unsuccessful. He pulled me outside to force me into endless chores before pushing me to clean the entire three-story pack house from top to bottom. He warned me that exiting even once would result in severe consequences.

Days blurred into weeks. I barely slept. Barely ate. I still hadn’t shifted.

The lifespan of werewolves without transformation should never extend this long. It wasn’t just unnatural—it was agony. My wolf scratched at my mental walls with restless energy while remaining trapped inside. The struggle surpassed the intensity of hunger and the weariness of exhaustion. The situation pushed me to the brink of losing my sanity.

There was only one course of action available to me. I ran.

It was reckless. Desperate. I had no destination but escaping this situation seemed preferable to whatever was happening now.

The front gates passed me before anyone stopped me. Garrett's warriors tackled me to the ground before dragging me back. I thought he’d be angry. I expected him to discipline me before moving on.

I was wrong.

Garrett wasn’t just angry. He was furious.

Despite possessing werewolf genetics my scars remained visible.

He allowed me to transform multiple times after that but insisted on supervising each instance. He denied me privacy by forcing me to remove my clothes before shifting and kept staring at me for too long. I stopped asking after that.

And food? He still rationed it, keeping me weak. I could only manage to steal scraps of food which were always insufficient.

The clattering sound of dishes brought me back to reality. The feast. I dedicated the entire day to preparation but the alphas consumed every piece of food. My stomach growled in protest.

I sensed a deep authoritative voice slice through the surrounding noise with the force of thunder.

“… returning warriors… mates… we need…”

I managed to hear only a few words before sleep overtook me and pulled me into unconsciousness. The voice in my head enveloped me with a warmth that mirrored the relief following a harsh winter.

I couldn’t explain it yet I sensed that there was something about it which was different. Important.

My thoughts about escaping had not crossed my mind for many years. For an extended period I had lost any sense of hope.

Perhaps something was on the verge of transformation at last.