The night air was thick with the mingled scents of smoke, pine, and blood. Elara sat rigidly on the back of Kael Draven's black stallion, her hands clutching the rough fabric of his cloak as the world blurred past her. Every gallop of the horse hammered into her bones, reminding her of the life she had just been torn away from—and the uncertain future that awaited her.
Behind them, the glow of her former pack's settlement dimmed, swallowed by the darkness of the forest. She had not been given time to say goodbye to anyone. Not her mother, not her brother, not even to breathe a final prayer to the Moon Goddess. Kael had swept in like a storm and ripped her away, leaving chaos and fear in his wake.
"Stop fidgeting," his voice rumbled from in front of her, deep and commanding, carrying that cold bite she was already beginning to dread.
"I'm not fidgeting," she muttered, though her voice betrayed her fear.
"You're trembling."
Elara bit her lip, furious that he noticed. Furious that he thought it was about him. "I'm cold," she lied.
A low chuckle rumbled from his chest, but there was no warmth in it. "You should be trembling, little wolf. Do you have any idea whose arms you're in?"
Her stomach knotted. Of course she knew. Kael Draven. The Savage Alpha. The name parents whispered to their pups to keep them obedient. A man who ruled not through respect, but through fear. She had grown up hearing tales of his blood-soaked rise to power, the countless Alphas he had crushed beneath his boots, the curses that clung to his name. And now, she was bound to him—claimed as his bride in a cruel bargain she had no say in.
But if he expected her to cower, he would be disappointed. Elara lifted her chin, though her hands trembled against his cloak. "You think I'm afraid of you?" she asked, her voice sharper than she intended.
Kael's horse slowed abruptly, and Elara's heart leapt into her throat as his massive frame turned slightly toward her. In the moonlight, his eyes burned—a feral, dangerous glow that made her skin prickle.
"You should be," he said softly, dangerously. "Fear keeps you alive in my world."
For a moment, she thought he might throw her from the horse. But instead, he turned back around, spurring the stallion forward again. The silence between them stretched, heavy and suffocating, until Elara could no longer bear it.
"Why me?" she demanded suddenly. "Out of all the daughters of the packs, why did you take me?"
His jaw tightened, though he didn't immediately answer. Finally, he said, "Because you were given. Your Alpha father offered you as payment, and I do not refuse what is mine."
Elara's throat tightened. "I am not yours."
He twisted in the saddle so quickly she flinched. His hand shot back, gripping her wrist with a force that sent pain shooting through her arm. His eyes bored into hers, wild and unrelenting.
"Do not ever say that again," he growled. "You are mine now. Body, soul, and fate. Fight it, and you'll suffer. Accept it, and maybe… maybe you'll survive."
Tears pricked her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She glared back at him with every ounce of defiance left in her. "Then I'll suffer," she whispered.
For a moment, Kael froze, staring at her as if she had spoken a language he had forgotten. Something flickered across his face—confusion, anger, perhaps even admiration—before his mask of cold indifference slammed back into place. He released her wrist abruptly, and she nearly toppled from the horse.
"Stupid little wolf," he muttered, but his grip tightened on the reins, as though holding her in place with more care than he intended.
They rode until dawn. By the time the first streaks of light touched the horizon, Elara's body ached and her eyes burned with exhaustion. When Kael finally drew the horse to a halt, she blinked in astonishment.
Before her loomed the Savage Alpha's stronghold—a fortress of black stone built into the jagged cliffs. Towers rose high into the sky, their spires like claws raking against the heavens. Smoke curled from braziers that lit the gates, guarded by wolves with eyes as cold as their master's. The air was heavy with dominance, the kind that made Elara's wolf inside her whimper and retreat.
"This is your new home," Kael said flatly.
"It looks more like a prison," Elara muttered.
"Then learn to live as a prisoner who wears a crown."
Her stomach sank as the gates creaked open, and they entered. The courtyard was lined with warriors, their heads bowed as Kael passed. But Elara felt their eyes on her—judging, curious, hostile. She clung to Kael's cloak, not out of trust, but out of necessity.
Inside the fortress, the air was colder, thicker. Servants bowed and scurried away at the sight of Kael, leaving the hallways eerily silent. Finally, he stopped before a pair of heavy wooden doors and swung them open.
The chamber was vast, with high ceilings and a massive bed draped in furs. A fire crackled in the hearth, casting shadows that danced like demons across the walls.
"This will be your room," Kael said.
Elara's heart pounded. Your room. Not ours.
He seemed to sense her thoughts, his lips twitching in something between a smirk and a snarl. "Do not flatter yourself, little wolf. I have no interest in warming my bed with a child bride who thinks she can bite."
Relief washed through her, quickly followed by anger. "Then why drag me here at all? To parade me like a trophy? To prove to your rivals that even the Moon Goddess's chosen can be broken by the Savage Alpha?"
His eyes darkened dangerously. In two strides, he was in front of her, his hand gripping her chin with bruising force.
"You will not speak of the Moon Goddess in this house," he hissed. "She abandoned me long ago. And if you value your tongue, you will not remind me of her curse."
Elara's breath hitched. Curse?
But before she could question him, he released her with a shove and turned away, his broad shoulders tense as he strode toward the door.
"Rest, Elara," he ordered coldly. "Tomorrow, your new life begins."
The doors slammed shut behind him, leaving Elara alone in the vast, shadowed chamber. She sank onto the edge of the bed, her hands trembling as the reality of her fate pressed down on her.
The Savage Alpha had claimed her. And though she swore she would never bend, she could feel the walls of his dark world closing in around her.
But if Kael Draven thought she would be another broken soul in his collection, he was wrong. Elara Hayes might be his bride by force, but her spirit was her own.
And she would fight—for her freedom, for her heart, and perhaps… even for the man who terrified her most.