Alpha's Deception

Chapter 2: Wolves Don’t Wait

Aurora

Three days under house arrest, and the mate bond still throbbed under my skin like a bruise that refused to fade. If anything, it burned hotter, as though being apart from Marcus only strengthened its grip. My body ached with the absence of him, like he had become air and I was suffocating without him.

I paced the length of my suite—once a sanctuary, now a gilded prison. The walls were too white. The chandelier too bright. Everything felt sterile, like my family had stripped even the warmth from the furniture.

The clock read 11:47 PM.

Thirteen minutes until the guard change.

My fingers tightened around the window sash as I peered into the darkness beyond the glass. The northern border was nearly three miles through dense forest, but I knew the route like a second heartbeat. Even now, I could sense Marcus waiting across the river that split our territory from his.

The bond was a live wire in my chest, humming with promise and desperation.

A knock shattered my thoughts.

"Aurora?" My mother’s voice, deceptively sweet. “The Hamilton heir is waiting in the garden. He’s eager to speak with you.”

Of course he was. Another suitor paraded before me like I was a relic to be auctioned off. Just like the one yesterday. And the day before. Wolves with polished shoes and empty eyes who spoke of treaties and mergers like marriage was a business transaction.

“I’m not feeling well,” I called out, hating the lie even as I used it again. My throat tightened. “Maybe tomorrow.”

The door opened anyway.

My mother entered like a queen, every inch of her sculpted to intimidate—platinum hair pinned perfectly, lips painted in frostbitten rose, her aura cold enough to bite.

“This childishness ends tonight,” she said without preamble.

“Is that what this is to you? Childish?” I folded my arms. “You’re the ones locking me in my room.”

“You are not a prisoner.” Her tone was clipped. “You’re the heir to a legacy that spans centuries. That comes with responsibility.”

I turned away from her, jaw clenched. “Responsibility doesn’t mean I should live like a pawn.”

Her voice lost its carefully tempered patience. “You’ve known since you were thirteen that you would marry for the good of the pack. You were trained for it. Groomed for it.”

Trained. Like a soldier. Or livestock.

I turned slowly. “And what about the mate bond? The one you used to tell me was sacred? Was that part of the plan too?”

She flinched—just slightly—but recovered quickly. “The Moon Goddess gave us mates, yes. But She also gave us minds. Free will. We are not animals to be ruled by instinct.”

“No,” I said quietly. “We’re just political tools to be traded for power.”

The silence between us was brittle.

Then, softer, she said, “Marcus Stone is nothing. No allies. No standing. His pack is barely holding together. You think he wants you because of love?”

“Yes,” I snapped. “Because he sees me as more than a name. More than a bloodline.”

She stepped forward, her face finally showing a c***k in its perfect mask. “I gave up my mate bond for this pack. I have lived with that pain every day, Aurora. But I did it for all of us. And you—my daughter—are about to throw everything away for a man you just met.”

My voice broke. “I love him.”

She reached for me. “No. You need him. There’s a difference.”

I pulled away. “He’s waiting for me.”

Her hand froze in mid-air.

My voice was a whisper now. “We’ve planned it. I know the guard schedule. You can’t stop me.”

She said nothing for a long moment. Then she turned and walked out.

The moment she was gone, I moved.

From the back of my closet, I pulled out the black duffel I had hidden days ago. Jeans. Hoodie. Boots. Cash and forged IDs, courtesy of my late-night escapades as a rebellious teenager. Everything fit perfectly, like this escape had always been part of my story.

I stood for a moment, staring at a photo of the three of us—Mom, Dad, and me—from last year’s Winter Solstice celebration. Our smiles looked genuine. Were they? Or had I just wanted them to be?

A howl echoed from the north.

Marcus.

My pulse surged.

By 12:01 AM, the guards had rotated.

I slipped out onto the balcony, took a breath, and dropped silently into the garden. My wolf itched under my skin, muscles eager to shift, to run, to leap toward freedom.

Halfway across the grounds, a shout rang out. “She’s escaping!”

Damn.

I didn’t look back.

Branches lashed my skin as I ran, feet pounding against the earth. The shift ripped through me halfway to the river—fur exploding from my skin, bones realigning with a familiar c***k. My wolf took over, silver and swift, faster than the guards howling behind me.

“AURORA!” My father’s roar split the night. “STOP!”

His Alpha command clawed at my will, threatening to freeze me mid-stride. But I had something stronger.

The bond.

Marcus’s presence flared in my mind, warm and waiting.

Jump. His voice in my head was urgent. I’ll catch you.

I didn’t hesitate.

The river roared beneath me as I leapt, paws pushing off the edge with all the power I had. For a moment, I flew.

And then I landed—safely—against Marcus’s chest. He caught me easily, shifting mid-air, his arms wrapping around me as we stumbled back into human form.

“She’s chosen!” he called, holding me tight as we faced the wolves on the opposite bank. “You can’t force her to return.”

I turned, still gasping, and saw my father in his wolf form—massive, furious, motionless at the border. Behind him, guards slowed and stopped. The law was clear. Once a mate bond was acknowledged and chosen, no one—not even the Alpha of North America—could break it.

My body trembled as I shifted back, naked in the cold night air. Marcus wrapped a jacket around me without a word.

“I love you both,” I whispered, speaking to the trees where I knew my parents still watched. “But I choose him. I choose my mate.”

My father’s eyes locked on mine. There was pain there—deep and raw—but he said nothing. My mother stepped forward beside him, her gown catching moonlight. Even from here, I saw the tears on her face.

She turned away.

Just like that, I was no longer Aurora Matel, daughter of the North American Alpha.

I was just Aurora. Mate to Marcus Stone.

And I was free.

As Marcus led me toward the waiting car, I leaned into him, heart pounding with adrenaline and something dangerously close to joy.

“This is it,” he murmured. “Our new life.”

I nodded. “Yes.”

We drove away from the only life I’d ever known, and I told myself I was ready.

But just before we reached the bend in the road, I caught a glimpse of something in the rearview mirror.

A silver car.

Trailing us.

And behind the wheel… Elena Winters.

My breath caught.

I turned to Marcus. “Why is she following us?”

He didn’t answer right away. His grip tightened on the steering wheel, just slightly.

“She’s just keeping an eye out,” he said smoothly. “She’s here to help with the transition.”

His tone was calm. Reassuring.

But his smile?

That smile didn’t feel like love.

It felt like victory.

And somewhere deep in my chest, my wolf whimpered.