Marked By The Alpha

Chapter Three – Bound by Fire

Arthur’s voice tore through the forest like a storm, deep and commanding, leaving no room for disobedience.

“Ivy,” he growled again, each syllable edged with power that made the ground seem to tremble beneath her feet. “Come. Now.”

The bond pulsed inside her like molten fire. Ivy’s knees almost buckled as the mark on her neck seared, dragging her body toward him even as her heart screamed in protest.

Selra snarled within her mind, resisting the pull. No. Do not bow. Do not yield.

But her wolf’s growl was drowned out by the primal magic of the Alpha’s command. Arthur’s power wasn’t just authority—it was instinct, woven into the marrow of her bones.

Michael stepped forward, placing himself between her and the darkness where Arthur’s silhouette now appeared. His chest rose and fell with a steady defiance Ivy had never seen in him before.

“She’s not a possession, Arthur,” Michael said, his voice shaking only slightly. “You can’t just force her to obey.”

Arthur emerged fully into the clearing, his presence suffocating. Tall, broad-shouldered, his dark eyes burned with a fury that made the air itself heavy. Even the shadows seemed to retreat from him.

He stopped only a few feet away, his gaze locking on Michael like a predator sizing up prey. “Step aside,” Arthur ordered, his tone flat and deadly.

Michael didn’t move.

The silence stretched, thick as smoke. Ivy’s heart pounded, torn between fear and an unfamiliar surge of pride at Michael’s bravery.

Arthur’s lips curved into something between a snarl and a smile. “You’re either bold… or stupid. Do you truly think you can stand between me and what’s mine?”

Michael’s fists clenched. “She’s not yours. Not if she doesn’t choose you.”

The words hit Ivy like lightning. Not if she doesn’t choose you.

Her chest ached. Could she really have a choice? Or had Arthur’s mark already stolen that from her forever?

Arthur’s gaze flicked to her, the bond between them thrumming with heat and command. “Ivy,” he said, softer this time, yet more dangerous. “Tell him. Tell him you belong to me.”

The fire of the bond seared through her veins, urging her lips to form the words. Her throat burned with the need to say yes, to surrender. But deep inside, Selra’s voice rose in a furious snarl.

Fight it, Ivy. Do not give him your submission. You are more than his mark.

“I—” Her voice cracked. She staggered back, clutching her neck. “I don’t… I don’t know what I feel.”

Arthur’s expression darkened. The ground beneath his boots seemed to shudder with the force of his contained rage.

Michael’s hand reached for hers, steadying her trembling form. His warmth cut through the fire in her veins like water over flame. “You don’t have to decide right now,” he said softly. “Don’t let him corner you.”

Arthur’s growl ripped through the night, primal and furious. “You dare touch her?” His voice dropped lower, colder. “Remove your hand. Or lose it.”

Michael didn’t let go. His jaw was tight, his voice steady even as danger closed around him. “If you want her, Arthur, then fight for her the way a true Alpha should. Not by branding her against her will.”

The forest stilled. Even the wind seemed to vanish, as though nature itself waited for the explosion to come.

Arthur’s eyes burned, his aura of dominance expanding like wildfire. The bond yanked at Ivy again, harder this time, making her stumble forward. She bit her lip until she tasted blood, forcing her legs to resist.

Selra howled inside her, furious. He will crush the boy. He will break him. You must stop this, Ivy!

Her mind screamed, but her body was caught between two worlds—the chain of Arthur’s bond and the fragile sanctuary of Michael’s defiance.

Arthur’s hand lifted, his power rolling off him in waves. “Last warning,” he said. “Step aside, or I’ll tear you apart.”

Michael swallowed hard, but his grip on Ivy’s hand only tightened. “Then do it. But I won’t move.”

Time fractured. The night collapsed into silence. And then—

Arthur lunged.

Ivy cried out, instinct shoving her body forward, Selra exploding inside her with a savage roar. Heat and silver light flared under her skin, her wolf clawing for freedom, demanding to be unleashed.

For the first time, Ivy felt her bones shift, her blood burn with the ancient call of transformation. Her scream merged with Selra’s howl as power surged through her body.

Arthur stopped mid-strike, his eyes snapping to her with shock and something darker—satisfaction.

“She’s awakening,” he breathed, his lips curling into a fierce smile.

Michael’s eyes widened in awe and terror as Ivy’s form flickered with the half-bloom of her wolf. Her nails lengthened, her irises blazing with Selra’s silver fire.

“Ivy…” Michael whispered, his voice breaking.

But Ivy couldn’t hear him anymore. Selra was in control now.

At last, Selra growled through her lips, her voice layered over Ivy’s own. You will not hurt her, Alpha. Not while I breathe.

Arthur’s expression hardened, but his eyes gleamed with hunger. “Yes,” he said softly. “That’s it. That’s the wolf I knew was hidden inside you.”

He stepped closer, his dominance pressing harder against her. “You are mine, Ivy. Body and wolf. Selra will learn that, just as you will.”

Selra snarled, lowering their body into a defensive crouch. Over my dead body.

Michael’s voice rang out desperately, breaking the deadly standoff. “Ivy! Fight him! Don’t let him win!”

The sound cut through the fog of rage, pulling Ivy back for the briefest moment. Her human side clawed upward, struggling against Selra’s wild fury and Arthur’s suffocating bond.

Her heart hammered. Her body trembled. And then, as if the night itself split open, she collapsed to her knees, torn between three impossible forces: the wolf who demanded freedom, the Alpha who demanded obedience, and the man who demanded she choose herself.

The forest roared with silence.

And Ivy realized that whatever path she chose, there would be no turning back.