Chapter 5

Aira’s POV

My voice trembled as I demanded an answer, the words spilling out before I could stop them.

“Is it true? Are you just using me as a breeding machine? That you’ll marry your true Luna and throw me away when you’re done?!”

Alexander’s expression didn’t waver. His piercing eyes locked onto mine, icy and unrelenting. The silence between us was suffocating, the weight of it pressing down on my chest until I could barely breathe. When he finally spoke, his voice was as cold and detached as his gaze.

“My marriage to Cassandra is a necessity. It ensures the survival of the pack.”

His words weren’t just a slap—they were a blade, cutting through every fragile hope I had dared to hold. My lips quivered as I repeated his words, my voice barely audible.

“A necessity?”

“Yes.” He didn’t hesitate, “Any more questions?”

The air left my lungs in a rush, and my knees buckled slightly under the crushing weight of his coldness. A searing anger surged through me, pushing aside my hurt, demanding that I not let him reduce me to this.

“You’re telling me,” I spat, my voice rising, “that I’m supposed to stand here, watch you marry another woman, and pretend it’s all for the greater good? That I should just accept being nothing more than a tool to you?”

I searched his face, desperate for something—anything—that would betray a crack in his resolve. But his expression was unreadable, carved from stone. He didn’t flinch, didn’t blink.

Tears welled in my eyes, hot and relentless, and I hated myself for letting him see them. For letting him see just how much his words destroyed me.

“W-Why won’t you let me go?” I pleaded, my voice breaking. “If you can’t choose me, then release me. I deserve at least that much.”

His jaw tightened, and for a fleeting moment, I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it came.

“No.” His voice was firm, unyielding. He stepped forward, closing the distance between us in a heartbeat. “You don’t get to leave, Aira. You belong to me.”

The possessiveness in his tone sent a chill racing down my spine. I stumbled back, shaking my head.

“I’m not yours, Alexander! You can’t treat me like I’m some object you own!”

I turned on my heel, my heart pounding with a frantic rhythm. I didn’t know where I was going—I just needed to run, to escape the suffocating walls of his control.

But Alexander was faster. Before I could take another step, he moved with terrifying precision, blocking my path like an unyielding force of nature. His eyes burned with an intensity that made me shudder.

“Move,” I demanded, my voice trembling with a mix of fury and fear.

He didn’t budge. Instead, he reached for me, his hand gripping my wrist in a vice-like hold. With one sharp tug, he pulled me against him, his strength overwhelming me.

“You don’t get to walk away from me,” he growled, his voice low and laced with danger.

“Let me go!” I screamed, my fists hammering against his chest. But it was like striking a wall—he didn’t even flinch.

Ignoring my protests, he dragged me down the hall, his grip stern. My panic grew with every step until he threw open a door and pulled me inside. The door slammed shut behind us, and the menacing click of the lock echoed in the small room.

“Alexander, let me go!” I shrieked, beating away in his hold.

“No,” he said sharply, his voice slicing through my cries. “You don’t get to make that choice.”

His arms tightened around me, his strength leaving no room for escape. His eyes bore into mine, dark and unyielding.

“Why are you doing this?” I sobbed, my body trembling. “Why can’t you just let me go? Why do you have to make this so cruel?!”

“Because you’re mine,” he said, his voice steady and final. “And I don’t let go of what’s mine.”

The final decision in his tone stunned me into silence. My tears fell freely now, my anger and heartbreak knotted in despair.

“I’ll never be yours,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Not like this.”

“Yes, you will,” he countered, his grip tightening as if to tie me to his words.

Before I could respond, he silenced me in a way I didn’t expect—his lips crashed against mine.

The kiss was fierce, demanding, and utterly overpowering. It wasn’t meant to comfort or soothe—it was a declaration, a claim. I froze, my mind spinning from the sheer force of it. But the shock was short-lived. Anger roared back to life, and I shoved against him with all my strength.

But Alexander didn’t release me. If anything, his grip grew stronger, as if to remind me that no matter how much I fought, there was no escape.

I bit his lip hard, tasting blood. The sharp metallic tang filled my mouth, but I didn’t care. I needed him to let me go, to back off, to leave me alone. He flinched, his eyes narrowing, but instead of releasing me, his arms tightened.

“Aira,” he muttered against my lips, his voice low but mocking. “Stop fighting me. You’re wasting your energy.”

“Let me go!” I spat, twisting in his grasp. I wanted to hit, scream—anything to make him release me. But his hold was hard, his strength so resistless it made my struggles feel pointless.

“You can fight all you want,” he said, his tone colder now, “but it won’t change anything.”

I hated him. Hated the way his touch made my body betray me. My anger fought to stay alive, but the heat of his hands on me, the possessiveness in his voice, chipped away at it bit by bit. My resistance faltered, no matter how much I wanted to hold onto it.

He noticed immediately. His grip loosened, but not much. His kiss calculated, like he was testing just how far he could push me before I snapped.

Then, without warning, he lifted me into his arms. I gasped, my legs instinctively wrapping around his waist to steady myself. His hold was firm, his body immovable as he stared me down with a look that sent chills racing down my spine.

“You can cry, scream, or hate me, but you’re too weak to ran away from me,” he said, his voice deadly calm.

Tears blurred my vision as I tried to push him away again, but it was useless. My fists beat against his chest, but he didn’t so much as flinch. His expression was hard, unreadable, and completely unwavering.

“Why are you doing this to me?” I whispered hoarsely, the fight draining from my voice.

“Because I can.” His reply was blunt, unapologetic. His eyes burned into mine.

The tears spilled over, and I buried my face against his neck, trying to block him out. But even that felt like surrender, and it only made me hate myself more.

He carried me effortlessly, his grip steady as he moved toward the bed. My heart pounded in panic, but my body betrayed me again, clinging to him for stability even as my mind screamed at me to get away.

When he laid me down, his hands didn’t leave me for a second. His gaze pinned me in place, his dominance filling every inch of the room.

“Look at me,” he commanded, his voice sharp.

I hesitated, but the warning in his tone made me obey. My eyes met his, and the raw hunger in them made my breath catch.

“I don’t care how much you fight me, Aira.”

He leaned in, claiming my lips again. The kiss was hard, possessive, and unapologetically demanding. I tried to resist, to push him back, but my strength failed me. His control over me was absolute, and it terrified me as much as it ignited something I didn’t want to admit.

His hands gripped my waist, pulling me closer, and I let out a gasp against his lips. His touch was firm, insistent, and left no room for refusal.

“Alexander…” I tried to protest, but he cut me off with another kiss, his body pressing me into the bed. His voice was a low growl when he spoke again.

“You’re mine. Always.”