Chapter 5.

Anora’s POV

Alpha Dane’s deep voice rumbled like thunder in a distant thunderstorm, sucking the very air from my lungs. His imposing image, dwarfing Alpha Liam who was well over six feet, burned into my mind from that brief, terrifying encounter. His hazel eyes blazed like a furnace banked but never extinguished, and his curly, very dark hair covered his temples, concealing even his ears. Like a sculpture fashioned by mythical gods, his body build is carved with hard muscles, his rigid cheekbones sat high with pride, a mask of formidable power.

Alpha Dane carries his charms; a darkness follows his aura. His eyes are dead of emotions. Sheer horror coils inside me as I watch Alpha Liam tremble in his presence, making my breath shallow and my heart hammer against my ribs like a talking drum. Alpha Dane is inhumanely handsome, reeking of raw masculinity. There is no hint of weakness, no flicker of soft emotion in him. He carries himself with terrifying pride, an aura of absolute command that makes my blood run cold whenever his gaze flicks my way. In his eyes, I see no lust, no desire, no affection. Just coldness.

He doesn’t look like the type to talk much, yet he easily commands an insane amount of power.

Should I just break down and spew out everything? Tears sting my eyes. If I do that, Alpha Dane leaves, and Alpha Liam makes my life much more miserable, even losing his shallow morals and turning me into a sex slave. What about my mother who is in his mercy?

Alpha Liam heaves a dramatic sigh, then, with a sickeningly false brotherly concern, places his hand on my arm. “Natalie, be a good mate to Alpha Dane. Loyal and obedient.”

“Princess Natalie,” Alpha Dane’s beta, Elijah, beckons to me. His voice is surprisingly gentle compared to his fearsome appearance. “Have you bade goodbye to all your friends?”

I look at him. The only one I’ve always held to my heart was Natalie, the woman whose identity I am forced to wear. I have no friends.

“Yes, sir,” I sniffle.

“Follow me, then,” Beta Elijah says, and I move my legs, forcing each step behind him.

Outside, sleek black SUVs line the drive. An unnerving silence blankets the Pack grounds. Not a single soul is visible, as if even the rustling of leaves dares not stir Alpha Dane’s displeasure. I am ushered into the back of one of the SUVs with Elijah, while Alpha Dane disappears into another.

I have never left Moon-door Pack before, not even during my year at the military gamma academy. As we drive in enveloping silence, each passing valley, each dense forest, each stretch of highway seems to amplify the frantic thumping in my chest. My mind is a whirlwind of a million festering thoughts, each one a fresh wave of anxiety. My fingers twitch uncontrollably on my lap.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Beta Elijah announces we have arrived at Blackburn Pack.

Through the tinted windows, the buildings outside are a stark contrast to the familiar, nature-integrated structures of Moon-door. Sophisticated, advanced architecture dominates, with only the smallest, most deliberate remnants of nature visible.

After another hour of tense silence, the car finally stops. A long line of maids and stewards stand waiting, their faces impassive.

At the forefront is an older woman, her face etched with authority, her silver hair pulled back in a severe bun. “Welcome, Princess Natalie. I am Elder Maeve.”

My eyes dart to Alpha Dane, who has just stepped out of his own vehicle. His cold gaze sweeps over me for a fleeting second, as if I am no more than a piece of luggage. With beta Elijah at his side, he walks straight towards the imposing entrance of the main building, every worker we pass bowing their heads in silent deference. Once he disappears inside, Elder Maeve clears her throat, “Come, Princess.”

Inside, the grandeur is overwhelming, a testament to Blackburn’s power and wealth. The ceilings are high, designed with sculpted tales—maybe history. The place is like an empire, different arts and artifacts from various Packs line the hallway like trophies from conquests.

Without a break, I am taken straight into their Elder hall – a confined room, with gleaming eyes stationed around a large table, resembling a conference room.

Elder Maeve introduces me to other chief Elders – Deron, a stern-faced man whom she shares a striking resemblance with, and Gaius, one with suspicious eyes. They take my forged documents, their expressions unreadable as they begin to verify the lies that define my current existence.

“It says here you are a gamma, Princess Natalie,” Elder Deron states, his gaze piercing. “A strong one for that matter, trained in the academy?”

A tremor runs through me. My guilty conscience gnaws, and my breath shudders. Alpha Liam’s threats echo in my mind, a constant reminder of the impossible position he has forced me into. Lies are my only shield, at least until I can miraculously find another way to escape this.

“Yes,” I answer, my voice barely louder than my pounding heartbeat. “I am a gamma. I trained at the academy for one year.”

“You should be grateful...” Elder Gaius says, his eyes assessing my profile, “...that you are to be Alpha Dane's Luna.”

My throat tightens, the cold hands of anxiety gripping my insides. “I am… honored,” I choke out.

Then, Elder Maeve’s question rumbles out, heavy with unspoken expectations. “What is your purpose here, Princess Natalie?”

The question is a physical blow. Tears well in my eyes, and my fingers curl tightly. “To bridge our Packs... to provide an heir for Alpha Dane,” I whisper, the words a painful admission of my forced role.

“Good,” Elder Deron states, impressed. “Love is a... a useless sentiment. As a mature woman of royal lineage, we trust you understand this. I even understand you studied politics abroad, yes?”

Suddenly, a profound and heavy quiet descends on the hall, gripping my very bones. My breath catches in my throat as I hear his voice.

“That will be all, Elders.”

Instinctively, my body twirls around, and I freeze. Alpha Dane stands in the doorway, his presence a tangible darkness that seems to swallow the light. His eyes are devoid of emotion, a chilling void where only fire blazes. He dismisses the Elders with a curt nod, and lastly, even his ever-present beta, Elijah.

A storm of conflicting emotions rages within me – fear, insecurity, a suffocating tension, and an unwilling awe.

He clears his throat, his gaze finally settling on me, though it feels more like an assessment than a true look. “Our marriage is an arrangement orchestrated by the Elders and your late father, Alpha Marcus.” He says flatly. “However, my instincts… are not entirely settled by your face.”

I touch my face, but immediately, his pressed lips force my hands back down.

He pauses, silver bleeds into his fiery eyes, and his eyebrows arch. “What kind of relationship did you have with your brother, Alpha Liam, that makes him treat you the way I observed? And how long has that been going on?” He asks, but he doesn’t wait for an answer. “Don’t bother answering. I do not care about your personal life, and I want things to remain that way.” His deep voice settles with conviction. “You are beautiful, Princess Natalie. But beauty is not what I seek. You could be a goddess, for all I care. Do you understand what our marriage is? A bond woven by duty. Expect nothing more. You will get no affection from me. Am I clear?”

Hesitantly, I swallow. “Yes, Alpha.”

“I’m an Alpha of order, Princess.” Alpha Dane says, his thunderous voice still stroking my heart intensely with every sound. His possessive charms are a cruel irony. His cruelty has already begun to settle in. “I command something of you, and you do it. Do you understand?”

My breath stifles, my eyes actively avoiding his. Now I understand clearer—I’m his prisoner, his living object. I blink heavily, my eyes wet with tears as I give him the only answer I know he demands, “Yes, Alpha.”

His gaze intensifies, pinning me in place. “Every step from this moment forward hinges on the answer that comes from your lips. You will answer only in ‘yes’ or ‘no’.”

A chilling tension thickens the air, but he continues, “If your answer is no… I give you my word that I will ensure your safety.”

A stiffening silence drapes over the room, his eyes fixed on me like a predator observing prey it has no immediate interest in killing. Then he asks the heavy question I never expect, not in a thousand thoughts...

“Do you want to proceed with this marriage?”

What? My chest tightens at once, crushing my lungs. My hands grip my dress tight.

His sharp eyes burrow into mine. How do I trust him? Will he truly protect me from Alpha Liam’s wrath? What about my mother still in Moon-door Pack? What if, after I tell him the truth, he loses his temper... and kills me? Or takes me back to Moon-door and wrecks havoc there before dumping me to my fate in Liam’s hands?

How do two short words suddenly become heavy thunderstorms, gnashing with uncertainty, and the weight of no second chances?

If I say no, he’ll protect me? And if I say yes, the marriage and the lies stay? My heart begins pounding again, and my breath rasps heavily. More tension than I’ve ever felt in all my life grips my muscles down to my bones. A deal with the devil.

“Answer me!” Alpha Dane's voice cracks, sexily hoarse yet powerful and terrifying with conviction.

His thick eyebrows furrow with growing impatience, and I gulp. My heart pounds, my muscles tense, shaking, and my lips tremble as they part with an answer, one word, that will define my life forever—