Bound to the Cursed Alpha

​The night started quiet. Too quiet. I was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, when the first howl cut through the silence. It wasn't a normal call. It was sharp and urgent, the kind of sound that made my heart hammer against my ribs. I sat up, clutching my blanket, my skin prickling with sudden heat. ​Then came a second howl and the sound of wood splintering. My door flew open. Orion stood there, his eyes wide and frantic, his chest heaving. ​"Elara! They’re attacking us!" ​The words hit me like a physical blow. I scrambled out of bed, my knees shaking so hard I could barely stand. "What? Who is it?" ​"I don't know," he said, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the door. "We have to go. Now!" ​I didn't even grab my boots. We ran into the hallway, where the smell of smoke was already thick enough to burn my nose. The house was a mess of screaming people and heavy, running footsteps. ​"Father!" I yelled, looking for him. He was the Beta; he was supposed to be leading the defense. But his bedroom door swung open to an empty room. The bed was unmade. He was gone. ​"Elara, move!" Orion pulled me toward the stairs. ​We burst out of the house and I stopped dead. Silverfang was burning. Fire climbed the walls of the pack houses, sending sparks into the black sky. In the center of the yard, it was a bloodbath. Wolves were snarling, fur flying, the ground stained dark. ​I couldn't tell who the enemy was at first. They were big, fast, and brutal. They moved with a cold efficiency that made our warriors look like amateurs. ​Orion shoved a knife into my hand. His face was pale, but his voice was steady. "Stay close. Don't leave my side." ​I nodded, gripping the handle until my knuckles turned white. ​A young boy from the pack, maybe twelve years old, stumbled toward us crying. A massive wolf was right on his heels. I didn't think—I just moved. I lunged and drove the knife into the wolf’s side. The boy didn't look back; he just kept running into the dark. ​My chest burned. This wasn't a drill. ​We fought through the chaos together. Orion took down one attacker, and I managed to pull another off his back. But for every one we hit, three more seemed to appear. They were bigger and better trained. ​"Elara, we can't win this!" Orion shouted, looking for an opening in the line. "We have to get out!" ​"And leave everyone?" I wiped blood from a gash on my arm. "I'm not going!" ​I didn't get a choice. A wolf slammed into my side, knocking the wind out of me. I hit the dirt hard, my knife clattering out of reach. Before I could move, teeth sank into my shoulder. I screamed, shoving my forearm against the wolf's throat to keep its jaws away from my neck. ​"Elara!" Orion roared. He tackled the wolf, driving his blade into its ribs. ​I scrambled up, clutching my bleeding arm. My lungs felt like they were filled with ash. Everywhere I looked, our people were falling. The fighting started to slow, but only because we were losing. ​Suddenly, the enemy warriors backed off. They formed a wide, silent circle around us. I stood by Orion, both of us panting, covered in blood that wasn't ours. ​A man walked into the center of the circle. He was broad-shouldered and tall, carrying himself with a terrifying calm. He looked at the bodies on the ground like they were nothing more than a chore he’d finished. ​"Bring her to me," he said. His voice was deep and completely leveled. ​Two men grabbed my arms before I could even twitch. I kicked and fought, but their grip was like iron. "Let go of me!" I screamed. ​Orion tried to reach me, but three wolves tackled him, forcing him into the dirt. ​The man stepped closer. His grey eyes were sharp and cold. I didn't know his face, but I knew the power he radiated. ​"Who are you?" I spat, my voice hoarse. "Why are you doing this?" ​He tilted his head, looking at me with zero emotion. Behind me, someone whispered a name. ​"Kael." ​My stomach dropped. Kael Duskbane. The cursed Alpha. The stories said he didn't just defeat packs; he erased them. ​Kael looked over at Orion. He raised a hand, and his men forced my brother onto his knees. Orion bared his teeth, struggling against the weight of the warriors holding him down. ​"Stop!" I yelled. "Don't hurt him!" ​Kael’s gaze snapped back to me. "Then you make a choice." ​I froze. "What choice?" ​"You," he said, stepping into my space, "come with me. You become mine. Or your brother dies right where he kneels." ​"Don't do it, Elara!" Orion thrashed, his voice raw. "Don't you dare!" ​Tears blurred my vision. My hands wouldn't stop shaking. "You can't do this," I whispered. ​"I can," Kael said. He leaned in closer. "And I will." ​I looked at Orion, then back at Kael. "Please. Take me. Do whatever you want, just keep him alive." ​Kael didn't look happy or triumphant. He just nodded to his men. "Then it’s settled." ​He reached out and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. I tried to pull away, my heart racing with pure terror. "No, wait—I won't be yours! I won't!" ​He didn't hesitate. He leaned down and his fangs sank into the side of my neck. ​Pain exploded through my body. It felt like liquid fire was being poured into my veins, rushing straight for my heart. I screamed, clawing at the arms of the men holding me, but the world was already spinning. The bond was taking hold, branding me, locking me to him. ​I felt something inside me break. My wolf, Liora, went silent, crushed under the weight of his power. ​"No!" Orion’s voice was full of horror. "Elara!" ​My knees hit the ground. I was shaking uncontrollably, the mark on my neck burning like a hot coal. Kael stepped back, a smear of my blood on his lip. ​"She’s mine," he said. ​I looked at Orion, seeing the grief and rage in his eyes. I had fought as hard as I could, but it wasn't enough.