All Chapters of The Alpha's Contract Bride : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The first thing Seraphina Ashlyn noticed was the smell of blood.Not fresh—old, metallic, soaked deep into the stone walls of the underground hall. It clung to the air like a warning, thick enough to taste. She curled her fingers into her thin coat, forcing herself not to gag as two armed guards shoved her forward.“Move.”She stumbled but didn’t fall. Falling would mean weakness, and weakness was a luxury she could no longer afford.Chains rattled somewhere ahead. Torches flickered, casting monstrous shadows across the cavernous chamber. Seraphina lifted her chin, even as her heart hammered violently against her ribs.This was not a courthouse.This was not justice.This was a sale.At the center of the hall stood a long obsidian table etched with glowing runes. Behind it sat men and women whose eyes gleamed gold, silver, and red in the firelight. Werewolves. Alphas. Power incarnate.And at the head of them—He stood.Darius Nightfang did not sit like the others.He leaned against th

The North Spire had never felt so awake.From the narrow balcony outside Seraphina’s chamber, she could see torches being lit one by one along the cliffside walls, their flames trembling in the wind like watchful eyes. Wolves moved below—some in human form, others half-shifted—silent, disciplined, dangerous.They were preparing.For her.She smoothed her palms over the dark gown laid out on the bed. It was not a wedding dress, not really—no white lace or soft illusions. This was black silk, heavy and severe, cut to move rather than decorate. Power clothing. Alpha territory.A message.You belong to him now.Seraphina exhaled slowly and dressed without help. If she was going to stand before the council, she would do it on her own feet.When she stepped into the corridor, the guards stiffened instantly.They looked at her differently now, with caution.The great council hall was carved into the heart of the mountain, its ceiling lost in shadow. Massive stone pillars lined the room, each

The doors of the North Spire sealed behind them with a deep, resonant thud.Stone met stone. Law met blood.Seraphina stood just inside the entry hall, the echoes of the courtyard still ringing in her ears—the challenge, the pressure, the moment she had stood unshielded beneath the weight of the packs and not broken.Her hands were still trembling.Darius noticed.He didn’t comment on it.“Come,” he said, already moving deeper into the stronghold.She followed, her steps quieter now, the corridors lit only by faintly glowing runes embedded in the walls. The air here was warmer, heavier, saturated with Alpha presence. With his presence.“Was that necessary?” he asked suddenly, without looking at her.“Yes,” she replied.He stopped so abruptly she nearly ran into his back.“Necessary,” he repeated slowly, turning to face her. “You nearly triggered a dominance surge.”“I survived,” she said. “And so did you.”His eyes darkened. “You don’t understand what that cost.”“Then explain it to m

The silence the Watcher left behind was worse than its presence. Seraphina could still feel the echo of it—like frost pressed into stone, like eyes that never truly turned away. The stronghold breathed again, but uneasily, as if bracing for a second strike that might come at any moment. Darius did not move. He stood where the Watcher had vanished, shoulders rigid, fists clenched at his sides. The firelight caught the sharp planes of his face, carving shadows that made him look older, harder—like a man who had just been handed a truth he’d spent years outrunning. “Containment,” he said quietly. The word was not spoken to Seraphina, nor to Maera. It was dragged from somewhere deep, like a splinter being torn free. Maera broke the silence first. “I warned the council years ago,” she said grimly. “They didn’t listen. They never do.” Darius finally turned. His eyes found Seraphina immediately, as if the rest of the world had faded into irrelevance. “They knew,” he said. “All this ti

The howl rose from beneath the stronghold like a living thing.It wasn’t a single voice.It was a chorus.Stone groaned. Dust rained from the ceiling as ancient doors—sealed long before Darius’s reign, before even the council’s oldest records—answered the sound with a deep, resonant thrum.Seraphina screamed.Not in pain, but in recognition.Her body arched in Darius’s arms as silver light spilled from her eyes, down her veins, threading beneath her skin like molten moonlight. Her heartbeat thundered so loudly she could hear it—feel it—syncing with something vast and ancient far below.“Hold her,” Maera shouted. “Do not let her touch the ground!”Darius tightened his grip instantly, planting his feet as the floor vibrated beneath them. His wolf surged forward, furious, protective, no longer fractured but straining against a boundary that was thinning by the second.“She’s shifting,” Kael whispered in horror.“No,” the Moon Sentinel corrected calmly. “She is awakening.”Seraphina gaspe