4

My heartbeat thuds twice as fast. I’m afraid it will burst, and I will die on the spot.

But it doesn’t matter, as a torturous death is about to be my fate.

I had run into the devil’s arm, begging him to help me escape the fate of becoming HIS bride.

I had held his clothing with my filthy hands, and now my doom is a step away.

The world seems to stop. Seconds tick by, slow and heavy.

The more he stares, the more realization hits me. The male rumored to have a beastly look, said to have ended more lives than the number of breaths I had in my lifetime, is standing before me. Shoulders tensed, confusion flashing in those green eyes as they rake over me.

“How is this possible?” He mumbles under his breath, chest heaving as if trying to contain a storm of emotion in his chest.

Then comes the look I fear the most.

Hatred, deeper than any I've ever known. Not the kind my father, Miranda, my half-sister, or any member of the pack had cast my way. This is pure rage, etched into every line of his weathered face.

Fury. Disgust. Pain and another kind that seeps dread into bones.

He is going to kill me. Cut me limb by limb and burn the pieces before the entire pack.

Survival instinct takes over.

One moment I’m frozen on the dirty floor, every muscle tensed at the storm in his eyes, and the next, I’m sprinting into the woods.

It is stupid.

I feel stupid.

Tears blur my vision as I stagger, pant, bump into trees, and earn scratches. My hands reach the air as if something in the space can help me.

This is the most terrifying moment of my life. Having the rogue Alpha on my heels.

Less than a minute later, the frigid wind hit me. His presence slams against my ribs like a thunderbolt, and the next thing I know, my feet leave the ground.

My back slams against a tree bark. The rough impact knocks all the air out of my lungs. His thick, veiny, muscular hand collars my neck, tight, firm, and deadly.

I meet his eyes. They’ve turned the deepest shade of red. Red eyes Alphas are rare, the kind anyone should run from because they are more than dangerous.

I thrash, my smàll hands crawl at his arms. He didn’t budge. Instead, he growls sending chills to my core. His hold around my neck tightens.

“Why did you run? Did you remember everything you’ve done to me?”

Is he talking about how I begged for his help to escape?

No. This sounds deeper.

“I… am sorry.” I struggle at each word, my lungs desperately begging for air.

“Same hair. Same eyes. Same voice,” he leans close, presses his nose against my neck, and inhales sharply. “Same fucking scent. Only leaner, paler. And no wolf."

The panic in my chest escalates.

What is he saying?

“How dare you come back?” He said, baring his fangs as if itching to rip me apart. “To finish off what you started?”

“I… don’t… know what… you’re… talking about.”

My words seem to anger him even more. I feel his cold presence slam harder, almost taking my consciousness. His scent thickens, hot and sharper in my nose. The world blurs. Blàck dots begin to taint my vision.

I’ve imagined death countless times. In the dark cell, in court, or even in my chamber. Most times I yearn for it. It’s the fastest way to end my suffering.

But now, staring death in his eyes, every fantasy about it vanishes.

“Alpha Drogo,” A familiar voice broke through the impending doom.

At the corner sight, my father stands with his men, all frozen and alert.

By the moon, I have never been relieved to see my father until now.

His voice careful, “We apologize for the disturbance. Please. Let us handle her.”

Drogo releases me a breath after, and I crumple to the floor like a ragged doll, gasping hard. The air burns my throat.

For a moment, I thought he would crush my windpipe and end everything right here.

Drogo crouches and grabs my jaw, forcing my teary eyes to meet his. He didn’t speak for a long time. He just stares coldly.

“Lock her up,” he orders, restraint filling his voice like he is holding back. His eyes never leaving mine. “If she tries to escape again, I will destroy your entire pack, Aldric.”

Then he straightens and strides away while I struggle for air. My vision is hazy from his attack, and my mind is foggy and confused by his words.

“You bitch!”

Father strikes my face with bark, then he yanks my hair back, but the hate in his eyes is less compared to the one with Drogo’s. That of his consumed my soul.

“What were you thinking, infuriating him like that? Do you have any idea what that could cost me? He won’t just kill you. He’ll wipe out the entire pack, including your mother, you runt. I’ll lose every advantage I’ve worked for!”

So that was why he'd stepped in? Not to save his daughter from the brink of death but to save his alliance and scheme.

“Stop acting like a selfish prick and accept your fate. You are never meant to be happy. You are born under the red moon, cursed. It’s rare to see any child like you survive this long. But you did. Isn’t that enough for you to be appreciative for?”

He releases my hair with a push, and I slump to the dirty floor. I don’t move. I’m too exhausted. I just stare at the night sky, letting the darkness flood its way through.

Maybe Father is right. I can’t escape this fate that clings to me like a second skin. The cruelty I’ve always known is about to go to the next level, and there's nothing I can do to stop it.

My eyes slowly slip shut.

Dear moon goddess.

Why?

Why are you so cruel…

To me?