The Alpha's Unwanted Bride

02 I Ran

Elsa

My father's words hit me like a punch to the chest, knocking the breath out of me. I felt utterly hopeless, like the ground beneath me had given way. I wanted to believe it was all a cruel joke, that this wasn’t really happening. I needed it to be unreal, a nightmare I could wake up from.

"No, Daddy. My life can’t be used to buy peace," I protested, my voice trembling with desperation.

"What do you propose?" he countered, his voice laced with the heavy weight of reality. "That I say no, and he slaughters all of us? Because he can, Elsa. He can do that."

I shook my head again, refusing to accept it.

"That man has no feelings for me, and I have none for him. I’m only nineteen, Father. Alpha Adam is twenty-nine. He’s lived, he’s loved, he’s been mated. This is unfair to me," I cried, my words spilling out in a rush of anguish. But deep down, I knew my father wouldn’t change his mind. He couldn’t. The choice was out of his hands.

Feeling trapped and overwhelmed, I did the only thing I could think of—I ran.

I bolted out of the room, through the house, and into the open air. I didn’t stop to think, I just ran.

Shifting wasn’t an option; arriving my destination naked would leave me even more vulnerable. So I stayed in my human form, my legs pounding the ground as I sprinted toward the only place that made sense to me in that moment.

I needed to reach Alpha Adam’s residence. I needed to confront him, to irritate him, to make him see me as someone unworthy of his time and attention.

If he rejected the union, then maybe, just maybe, I could escape this fate. I had never seen Alpha Adam before, but I was certain I would recognise him.

His reputation preceded him—cold, intimidating, a man whose mere presence could silence a room.

I ran harder, pushing my body to its limits, until I reached what had once been our Alpha’s residence.

It was now just another piece of Alpha Adam’s vast collection. My chest was heaving, and I was out of breath, but I refused to stop.

My heart pounded in my chest, not just from the physical exertion, but from the fear and determination coursing through me.

I had come this far. There was no turning back now.

When I arrived at the house, I saw that the front of the building was heavily guarded by men who looked dangerous, their eyes sharp and unyielding.

None of them belonged to our pack; they were strangers, each one exuding a threatening aura.

This was it for me. I had come this far, and there was no turning back now. My heart pounded, but I forced myself to move forward, my resolve hardening with every step.

As soon as I got close, the guards became alert, their senses keen. They could smell me—sense my presence, my fear, my determination.

I stepped out of the cover of the woods and into the open, fully aware of the risk I was taking. In an instant, they pounced on me, arresting me without hesitation.

"I demand to see the Alpha!" I yelled, struggling as they pinned me to the ground and bound my wrists with silver chains.

The metal burned into my skin, searing pain shooting through me, but I clenched my jaw, refusing to let them see me break. I would not give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

"I want to see the Alpha!" I screamed again, my voice echoing with desperation and defiance.

I heard some of them laugh, mocking my futile demands, but I didn’t care. I needed to do this, no matter the cost.

They dragged me into the waiting room, where I was left bound and bruised, my body trembling with pain and fear.

After a few moments, a man approached me. He was large and imposing, with a muscular build that made him look even more menacing.

His brown hair was cropped short, and his piercing green eyes locked onto mine with a dangerous intensity.

Despite the fear gnawing at my insides, I refused to look away, meeting his gaze with all the courage I could muster.

"What do you want with Alpha Adam?" the man asked, his voice low and commanding, sending a shiver down my spine.

I stared back at him, my resolve unshaken. This was my only chance. I couldn’t afford to falter now.

"I need to speak to him," I insisted, trying to keep my voice steady, even though my wolf was beginning to doubt our decision. The unease was growing, whispering that we had made a grave mistake by coming here. But it was too late to turn back now. My wolf and I would have to face whatever came next, no matter the consequences.

"Do you have an appointment?" the man asked, his tone cold and indifferent. I shook my head, knowing full well how ridiculous my request must have sounded.

"Very well then, book an appointment," he said dismissively, already turning away as if I were nothing more than a nuisance.

"I’m sorry, but I can’t do that," I replied quickly, desperation creeping into my voice.

"My father plans to marry me off to him."

The words tasted bitter on my tongue, but I forced them out. The man stopped in his tracks, his brow raising as he turned to study me more closely. I could see the doubt in his eyes, trying to gauge if I was telling the truth. When he realised I wasn’t lying, he hesitated, the coldness in his demeanour softening just a fraction.

"You’re Davis's daughter?" he asked, his voice now tinged with curiosity.

"Delta Davis," I corrected him, clinging to the last shred of my father’s honour.

"Not anymore," he responded bluntly, and a fresh wave of anger surged through me. They had stripped everything from us—our land, our pride, even my father’s title. How dare they? And now, they wanted to take away my freedom, too. Why would Alpha Adam want to marry me after everything they had taken?

I was on the verge of asking something foolish, something reckless when a deep, commanding voice echoed from within the Alpha’s office. The sound of it was enough to make the room still.

Even in my foul mood, I couldn’t help but acknowledge how powerful and imposing that voice was. It was the voice of someone who was used to being obeyed, someone who held the lives of others in his hands.

For a moment, my anger faltered, replaced by a mixture of fear and awe. But I quickly steeled myself again. I had come here for a reason, and I couldn’t afford to be intimidated—not now.