The chains weren't made of iron, but of something far stronger—fear
I woke up to the heavy silence of the Wolf Fang Packhouse, the scent of unfamiliar wolves seeping through the walls, smothering me like a reminder that I didn't belong here. The sheets beneath me smelled faintly of smoke and cedarwood—his scent. No matter how much I scrubbed, it clung to me. It was in my skin, in my blood, in my very bones.
Jacob Hades.
The Alpha who ruined me.
The Alpha who owned me.
I pressed a trembling hand to my stomach. It was still flat, still betraying no signs of the secret growing inside me, but I knew. I felt it. My child. His child.
I should have been happy. Some she-wolves prayed every night for the chance to carry an Alpha's heir. But me? I prayed every night for this nightmare to end. Because to Jacob, this baby wasn't a blessing. It was proof. A bond he didn't want but refused to release.
The knock on the door snapped me from my thoughts. It wasn't polite—it was loud, sharp, a warning.
"Get up," a female voice sneered.
I flinched. It was Lyanna, the Beta female of Wolf Fang. Everyone whispered about her—about how she had been certain she'd become Jacob's chosen mate before I ruined everything. Her hatred for me burned hotter than fire, and she never missed a chance to remind me of my place.
The door opened without my permission. She stood there, tall and elegant, her raven hair spilling over her shoulders, her lips twisted in disgust as her eyes landed on me.
"The Alpha is waiting," she said coldly. "Try not to look so pathetic. You're an embarrassment enough as it is."
I swallowed hard, lowering my gaze. I didn't argue. Arguing only made things worse. Slowly, I slipped from the bed and followed her down the long corridor. The stares of passing wolves burned into my skin. Their whispers weren't subtle.
"That's her? The Bluemoon slut?"
"She trapped our Alpha."
"Pathetic omega. She doesn't deserve to live here."
Each word cut me, but I kept my head down. I couldn't let them see me break.
When we reached the dining hall, the air shifted instantly. His aura wrapped around me like an invisible chain, pulling me toward him. Jacob sat at the head of the long table, exuding dominance without effort. His dark eyes lifted to mine, and I froze.
For a second, my chest tightened. He was beautiful in the way storms were—terrifying, destructive, impossible to ignore. But that beauty was a curse. Because I knew what lay beneath it: cruelty. Hatred. A heart colder than stone.
"You're late," he said flatly, his deep voice echoing in the room.
"I—I'm sorry, Alpha," I whispered, bowing my head.
Lyanna smirked as if savoring my humiliation. Jacob didn't even spare her a glance. His focus was entirely on me.
"Sit."
I obeyed instantly, sliding into the chair nearest him. My hands trembled as I reached for the untouched plate of food in front of me, but my stomach churned too violently to eat. Morning sickness gnawed at me, twisting my insides until all I could do was press a hand over my mouth.
His voice cut through me again, low and dangerous. "You'll eat."
I lifted my eyes, startled. "Alpha, I—I can't—"
The next moment his hand shot out, gripping my chin hard enough to bruise. He tilted my face up, forcing me to meet his gaze. His eyes were cold flames, burning me alive.
"You carry my heir," he said, each word laced with dominance. "You will eat. You will take care of yourself. Not because I care for you—" his lip curled, and my heart cracked—"but because that child inside you belongs to me."
The room went silent. The Betas and warriors around the table kept their eyes down, but I felt their smirks, their judgment. To them, I was nothing but the Alpha's shameful possession, kept alive only because of the life in my womb.
Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them back. Slowly, I forced myself to pick up the fork, my hand shaking as I took a bite. The food was tasteless, stuck in my throat like ash, but I swallowed. For the baby. For the only innocent thing in this nightmare.
Jacob finally released my chin, leaning back in his chair. But his eyes never left me. Not once. It was as though he was reminding me with every glance that I was trapped. That I belong to him now.
After breakfast, when the others had left, I tried to rise, desperate to escape his presence. But his voice stopped me in my tracks.
"Stay."
I froze, heart pounding as he stood and circled me like a predator stalking prey. His scent invaded me, making my wolf whimper in submission.
"Do you think you can run again, Elira?" he asked, his tone almost mocking.
My throat went dry. This is the first time I heard my name in his mouth. "N-no, Alpha."
He moved closer until his breath brushed against my ear. "Good. Because next time, I won't drag you back." He paused, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper. "I'll break you until you crawl back on your own."
A shiver ran down my spine. My chest tightened with both fear and something I refused to name.
When he finally left the hall, I collapsed into the chair, my hands clutching my stomach. Silent tears fell down my cheeks.
I was trapped.
I was hated.
I was nothing more than his prisoner.
And yet, deep inside me, a fragile heartbeat pulsed—innocent, undeserving of this cruel world.
For that tiny life, I promised myself one thing.
I would survive.
Even if it meant enduring Alpha Jacob's wrath.
Even if it meant becoming the mistake they all said I was destined to be.