TAKEN BY THE CURSED ALPHA

CHAPTER 1 Bullied and weak ELARA “You missed a spot, bastard.” My father’s voice echoed from the top of the basement stairs, but I wouldn't dare to look up. I kept my head down and continued to scrub the cold stone floor. My knuckles were raw and bleeding, and the soapy water stung the open cuts, but I didn't stop. I knew better than to stop when Alpha Marcus was watching. I heard the loud sound of his boots as he walked down the steps. He stopped right in front of me, and I could smell the stale whiskey on his breath even from several feet away. He looked at the floor I had just spent an hour cleaning, and then he looked at me with pure disgust. “You’re pathetic, Elara,” he said, and then he deliberately kicked the bucket of dirty water. The gray, murky water splashed across the floor and soaked through my thin, ragged dress. The basement was already freezing, and the wet fabric made me shiver uncontrollably. He laughed at the sight of me, and I gripped the scrub brush so hard my knuckles turned white. I wanted to scream at him, and I wanted to tell him that I was his daughter, not his slave, but I forced myself to stay silent. I folded my hand into a fist under the water and glared at the floor. “Why can’t you even shift yet?” he asked, leaning down so his face was close to mine. “You’re eighteen years old. You’re a disgrace to the Silver-Claw name, and you’re a waste of space in this pack.” He knew exactly why I couldn't shift, but he liked to taunt me anyway. Every single morning for as long as I could remember, he forced me to drink a bitter tea. He told me it was for my health, but I knew it was the reason my body felt weak and my wolf stayed silent. “Answer me when I speak to you,” he snapped, and he grabbed a handful of my hair to jerk my head back. “I don’t know, Father,” I whispered, my voice cracking from the cold. He shoved me away, and I tumbled onto the wet stone. He didn't say another word as he turned around and walked back up the stairs, locking the wooden door behind him. I sat there in the puddle for a long time, and I tried to stop the tears from falling. A few hours later, the small slot at the bottom of the door slid open, and then I heard a soft knock. “Elara? Are you in there?” It was Julian. He was the son of the Beta and the only person who didn't treat me like trash. I crawled over to the door as he pushed a piece of dry bread through the gap. I took it with trembling hands and started to eat. “I’m here, Julian,” I said. “I saw what he did with the water,” Julian whispered through the door, and his voice sounded full of pity. “I’m so sorry, Elara. I wish I could stop him, but he’s the Alpha. I brought you this bread because I know you’re hungry.” “Thank you,” I said, and I actually meant it. He was the only friend I had in this hellhole. “You know, it doesn't have to be like this,” Julian said, and I could hear him sound differently. “If you just agreed to be with me, I could talk to your father. I could get you out of that basement and into a real room. I’d take care of you, and you wouldn't have to work like a servant anymore.” I froze with the bread halfway to my mouth. This was the tenth time he had asked me this month. “No, Julian,” I said firmly. “I’ve told you before. I don’t want to be anyone’s property.” I heard him huff a breath of annoyance, and I could almost see the scowl on his face. “You’re stubborn, Elara,” he muttered. “You’re rotting away in a basement and you still think you have a choice. Fine. Stay here and freeze for all I care.” I heard him whisper something else under his breath that I couldn't catch, and then his footsteps faded away. I sighed and leaned my head against the cool wood of the door. I was alone again. I finished the bread and walked over to my small, thin cot in the corner of the room. I lay down and pulled the thin blanket over my shoulders, and I closed my eyes. I prayed that one day I would find the strength to run away. I dreamed of a place where nobody knew my name, and I dreamed of a life where I didn't have to look at my father’s face ever again. I eventually fell into a restless sleep, but it didn't last long. Morning came far too quickly. I was jolted awake when my door flung open with a violent bang. I sat up and squinted against the bright light from the hallway, and I saw my father standing there and he held a wooden cup in his hand. “Drink it,” he commanded, stepping into the room. “Please,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “Just one day. I just want one day without feeling sick. I want to feel like myself.” I was tired of the dizzy spells, and I just wanted to know what it felt like to be a normal eighteen-year-old girl for once. “You’ll drink what I give you, or I’ll have the guards hold you down,” Marcus said, and his eyes were cold. He stepped forward and grabbed my jaw in a painful grip, forcing my mouth open. He tilted the cup back and poured the boiling liquid down my throat. I gagged and tried to pull away, but he was too strong. He held me until every last drop was gone, and then he threw the empty cup across the room. He walked out and locked the door, leaving me gasping for air on the floor. This time, the reaction was almost instant. Usually, it took a few minutes for the weakness to set in, but this batch felt stronger. It felt like my blood was turning cold. I slipped off the cot and landed on the cold floor, and my body was wracked with a sudden, sharp pain. I curled into a ball and squeezed my eyes shut, and I thought for a second that my heart was going to stop. I felt like I was dying, and I wondered if he had finally decided to finish me off. But then, through the haze of pain, I heard something.