Owned By The Alpha's, Bound By Darkness.

Chapter 1 I never understood emotions. Not happiness. Not excitement. Not even sadness. I never understood how people laughed until tears spilled from their eyes… or how they cried so hard their chest caved in on itself. That kind of feeling— it was foreign to me. I don’t think I’ve ever felt any of it. Not even as a child. It was like something inside me was… missing. Like whatever made people human had been carved out before I was even born. Or maybe it had been there once— and burned to ash long before I could touch it. The only emotions that ever felt real… the only ones that stayed… were rage, fear, hatred— and hunger. The last one came later. When I turned sixteen. When the voice started. Ours, it would whisper. Not yours alone. And right now— what I felt was rage. Pure. Violent. Trembling rage. The kind that made my bones feel too tight for my skin. The kind that made something inside me… snarl. Break her, the voice murmured lazily. She deserves it. “What?” My voice came out low. Sharp. “You’re getting married?” My mother didn’t even look ashamed. She stood by the window, sunlight catching the diamond on her finger as she turned her hand, admiring it like it mattered more than anything else in the world. “Mm,” she hummed, smiling—no, preening. “Isn’t it stunning? He has excellent taste.” “It’s been a month.” My hands clenched so tightly my nails pierced skin. I welcomed the sting. “His body is barely in the ground and you’ve already replaced him.” She turned then. Slowly. Annoyed I’d dared to ruin her moment. My parents had never loved each other. There had never been warmth in that house. Only shouting. Only breaking things. Only pain. And me— always caught in the middle. Bruised. Bleeding. Silent. I used to be afraid. I used to cry. Until one day— I didn’t. Something snapped. Something cold and vicious took its place. And I decided— I would never be afraid again. Only angry. Always angry. “I don’t give a damn that you’re getting married,” I said flatly. “But you could at least pretend to mourn him. People are watching. Or is dignity beneath you now?” She laughed. Actually laughed. A sharp, ugly sound. “I thought you’d outgrow your stupidity once your body filled out,” she sneered, her gaze dragging over me like I was something she owned. “But clearly, you’re still as useless as ever.” Kill her, the voice purred. Say the word. I’ll do it for you. My jaw tightened. “When life offers you power,” she continued, lifting her chin, “you take it. You don’t hesitate. You don’t look back. You don’t waste time pretending to feel things that don’t benefit you.” Her lips curled. “Only weak people mourn.” She stepped closer, her voice dropping. “And I did not raise you to be weak.” No. She didn’t raise me at all. She just… survived me. “I’m selling the house,” she added, already turning away. “We’re moving into his estate after the wedding.” Estate. The word felt… wrong. Heavy. Like something ancient had just been whispered into the air. My skin prickled. Territory, the voice corrected softly. A den. --- I didn’t go to the wedding. She called. Again. And again. And again. I ignored every single one. I stayed at a friend’s place, working my shifts, pretending none of it existed. But nothing lasts forever. And kindness runs out faster than money. So a week later— I answered. “You worthless girl,” she snapped the second the call connected. No greeting. No pause. “Do you know the humiliation you caused me? The lies I had to spin to cover your absence?” “I’m sure lying comes naturally to you,” I said, unimpressed. “Send the address. I’ll come after work.” “You ungrateful little—” I hung up. Good, the voice hummed. You’re learning. --- I didn’t want to go. Didn’t want to give her the satisfaction. Didn’t want to step back into her control. But I had no choice. Not yet. Just until the end of the year. Just until I could leave. Forever. --- The moment I saw the address— I knew. This wasn’t normal. This wasn’t some rich businessman. No. This was something else. Something… bigger. Darker. When the taxi stopped in front of the gates, my breath slowed. The place looked like a fortress. Stone walls. Iron gates. Too large. Too quiet. Too… alive. Home, the voice whispered. “No,” I muttered under my breath. You feel it, it insisted. Don’t lie. As soon as I stepped out, a man in a suit approached, taking my bag without asking. “Welcome, Miss Virelle,” he said smoothly. “I am Alistair, the butler.” His eyes lingered a second too long. Like he was assessing me. Like he knew. He smells it, my wolf whispered. He knows what you are. I said nothing. Just followed. --- The house— no, the mansion— was suffocating. The air was thick. Heavy. Like something unseen was watching every step I took. Waiting. I was led into a room. And left alone with her. She didn’t waste a second. The moment she saw me, she stormed forward, fury twisting her face. “I will not have you ruin this for me,” she hissed. “You will behave. You will smile. You will act like the perfect daughter for once in your miserable life.” I smiled. Slowly. Mockingly. “And if I don’t?” Her eyes flashed. “What will you do?” I continued, stepping closer. “Hit me again? Starve me? Lock me in a room until I forget my own name?” Her breathing turned sharp. “You can’t do any of that anymore,” I whispered. “You don’t own me.” Not her, the voice corrected. But someone will. “I’ll act however I want,” I went on. “Smile if I feel like it. Or rip this entire illusion apart if I don’t. Because let’s be honest—” I leaned in. “You’re nothing but a parasite wearing a pretty face.” Her hand moved before she could stop herself. The slap echoed through the room. Sharp. Loud. Violent. But I didn’t flinch. Didn’t react. Didn’t feel a thing. Slowly— I turned my head back to her. Smiled. And pointed to my cheek. “Perfect family,” I said softly. “How convincing.” Her chest heaved. Her eyes wild. “You disgusting—” She stepped forward— then froze. Because a voice cut through the room. Low. Calm. Dangerous. “Is there a problem?”