Bound to the Alpha King

Chapter 2

Aurora's POV

I paced the small room, my mind racing as I desperately sought a way out of this nightmare. The door was locked tight, the only window shut tightly. I was trapped.

"This isn't fair." I had trained hard, served my pack dutifully, and this was to be my reward?

"Get it together, Aurora," Silver muttered firmly. "You're a warrior. There must be some way out of this."

I rose and began examining every inch of the small room, looking for any possible escape route. But the walls were solid stone, the windows impossibly narrow even without the bars. The door didn't even rattle when I threw my full weight against it.

I was well and truly trapped.

Exhausted, I sank down with my back against the locked door. My mind raced with ideas on how I could escape the guards when they finally come to get me.

But the thoughts of what might happen when I failed clouded my mind. Images of the cursed Alpha King's hands on me, his sickening touch against my skin. He would ruin me, destroy any hope I had of one day finding a true mate who could accept me as I was.

"No. This can never happen." Silver growled.

She was right - I had to fight.

I leapt to my feet, adrenaline coursing through me. When I heard footsteps approaching, I pounded on the door insistently.

"I need the restroom!" I called loudly. "Please, it's an emergency!"

But the footsteps continued past without pause. Of course - they planned to retrieve me like a package, with no need for petty concerns like bodily functions. Still, the lack of response told me something useful - no one was waiting right outside my door.

I scanned the room again desperately, and my eyes fell on the window. It was small, but so was I...

In seconds I had crossed the room and gripped the iron bars, bracing my feet against the wall. With a burst of frantic effort, I pulled with all my strength. The ancient metal creaked alarmingly, but it didn't budge. I pulled harder, my muscles screaming in protest.

"Come on!" I grunted through gritted teeth.

With a sudden snap, two of the bars bent just enough for me to angle my body through. I sucked in my breath, wriggling desperately as the jagged ends scraped my skin. And then I was through, falling to the ground outside in a heap.

I paused only a moment to catch my breath and take stock of my injuries - just some minor scrapes and bruises. A small price for freedom. The sky was still darker, I needed to move fast before the pack awoke.

Staying low, I crept silently from shadow to cover. I made my way slowly but steadily to the tree line bordering the pack grounds. So close...just a little farther...

A twig snapped behind me and my blood turned to ice. Spinning around, I saw my step-sister Rose step out from the trees. Her face was cold with determination.

"Tsk tsk. Did you really think it would be so easy to escape your duty, Aurora?"

"Rose, please," I said desperately. "You know this isn't right..."

She cut me off with a harsh laugh. "Don't pretend we're sisters with any bond between us. I'm loyal to my father and this pack. And you will fulfill your duty for them."

I shook my head helplessly. Rose had always been jealous that I, a half-breed, had been trained as a warrior, stronger than she'll ever be. She didn't understand that it was the only thing that I had.

"What about your mate?" I tried desperately. "Doesn't it bother you that you rejected him?"

Something dark flashed in Rose's eyes. "That useless omega? He was no proper mate for one destined to be an Alpha's bride. I have bigger plans."

I stared at her in dismay. She had casually tossed aside the moon goddess's gift over worldly ambitions.

"The patrol approaches," Rose said coldly, raising a tranquilizer gun. "Don't resist any more than you already have. The pack has been generous; don't abuse their goodwill further."

Before I could react, she pulled the trigger. I felt the dart pierce my shoulder an instant before my legs gave out. I was paralyzed.

“Guards! Come collect my dear sister. She seems to have had a mishap on her evening stroll.”

Rough hands grabbed me, careless of my injuries as they dragged me back through the forest. The drug kept me immobilized, helpless to resist as they took me straight to Kayden.

The Alpha regarded me coldly as I lay at his feet, paralyzed but aware.

"Still defiant, I see. No matter. Ambrose will discipline that stubbornness out of you soon enough." Taking my chin in an iron grip, he forced me to meet his pitiless gaze.

"You've chosen a difficult path by resisting. But you will serve the pack, one way or another."

With that, he released me and spun on his heel, barking at the guards to take me to the transport. I was slumped in the back of a car, my wrists and ankles bound. Every bump in the road jostled my limp body helplessly.

The tranquilizer had worn off, but it didn't matter anymore. We had already passed beyond the pack borders. It was too late; my fate was sealed.

I stared numbly out the window as unfamiliar scenery raced by. The looming pine forest gave way first to rolling meadows, then to scattered farmsteads, and finally a gravel road carrying us into a large town.

Spring Falls - I had heard of it from traders passing through. It was the largest city on this side of the Grey Mountains. Part of me wondered if I could lose myself in the crowds, slip away unnoticed when the car stopped. But the bindings on my wrists quickly crushed that flicker of hope.

We drove toward the outer edges of the city, the buildings becoming progressively larger and more posh. At last, we turned down a tree-lined drive ending in a grand estate surrounded by elaborate gardens.

The van rolled to a stop outside a sprawling estate on the outskirts of the city. One of the beta escorts led me out onto the drive, gesturing to an imposing mansion that loomed atop a hill.

"The Alpha King resides there. You've been expected, so go on."

With that, he turned back to the van, leaving me alone. I gazed up at the gloomy old house, tendrils of mist curling around it despite the morning sun. Everything about this place felt cold, dead.

"What fresh nightmare dwelled within those walls?"

Drawing on the last shreds of my courage, I climbed the crumbling stone steps. My hand trembled as I reached for the weathered wooden door. Just as I was about to knock, it swung slowly inward with an eerie creak. The dark foyer beyond was silent. Taking a deep breath, I stepped over the threshold. The door slammed shut behind me, making me jump.

'Is it too late to run?'