CHAPTER ONE:

Maddie shrugged into her jacket as she ran towards the towering building ahead. She could feel the excitement building up inside her, and her wolf yelped with joy in the back of her mind.

For years, she had wandered through different territories, begging for scraps of food, and trying to find a reason to live after her family had abandoned her. But now, Maddie was happy, convinced that she had finally found a home.

However, that was only part of the reason for her increased happiness. She was going to meet her mate, who was also the Alpha of the Lykai pack.

Maddie had met Alpha Kaden during one of her wondrous journeys. He was out hunting that day and she had stumbled upon him in the dense forests. She immediately felt her wolf’s joyful yelps and sensed the mate bond.

A few days later, Alpha Kaden had sent a letter to Maddie, inviting her to the castle, and Maddie was overjoyed.

She had put on her best preserved dress and had taken a shower for the first time in days. She put her hair into a bun and was currently running through the crowded streets of Lykai pack towards her mate.

When she reached the towering gate, she handed the letter to the guards, who examined it before allowing her to enter.

Maddie was led into a spacious room with high ceilings and luxurious furniture. It was beautiful and she had never been in one before.

She tapped her fingers impatiently as she waited, then got up and decided to take a walk to explore the space, as this was her mate's home.

With excitement, she walked through the halls of the huge castle, greeting the servants as she passed by. Maddie turned to her left and continued to look around, but she paused when she heard a loud thumping sound.

Curious, she gently opened the door and peeked inside to investigate.

Then she caught his scent.

Her mate.

But to her surprise, he was not alone. A woman was beneath him, her arm around his neck as he ran his hands over her body fondling her breasts and sucking on her neck.

“Yes, Alpha,” She moaned, pressing her body against his as they continued to kiss passionately.

Maddie gasped loudly in shock, drawing their attention to herself. The Alpha and the woman turned their heads in her direction, seemingly unfazed and uninterested that she had caught them.

“What are you doing here?” Alpha Kaden asked, his piercing gaze fixed on Maddie.

“You invited me here, Alpha,” She replied, her voice shaking as tears welled up in her eyes,“ I’m your mate.”

“Your mate?” The woman asked, turning to look at Kaden.

Kadens' eyes darkened as he looked at Maddie, “I have no mate.” He said.

Maddie felt tears stream down her cheeks. She turned and ran back down the hallway which led to the room where she had initially been waiting.

Confusion and anger swirled in her mind as her heart shattered into a million pieces.

Kaden was right behind her, following her into the waiting room where he watched her with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.

She turned to face him, her eyes blazing with anger, “Why are you doing this?” She demanded.

“What are you talking about?” He replied, his voice laced with annoyance.

“Look at you,” he sneered, “You're a rogue, a piece of dirt. Did you really think I would ever consider marking you as my mate?!” He said, letting out a cruel laugh, his eyes glinting with contempt.

“I am still you mate!” She exclaimed, her chest heaving with anger and sadness.

Kaden sneered at her, his voice dripping with disgust, “Well I, Alpha Kaden, Alpha of the Lykai Pack, reject you, Maddie Elyria as my mate.” He declared.

Maddie felt a searing pain in her chest as she let out a blood-curdling scream.

Without showing any remorse, Kaden strode over to her and grasped her wrist, his grip like a vice. He raised her wrist into his mouth and sank his teeth into her skin, drawing blood before spitting it out in disgust.

Maddie’s body continued to contort in agony as she screamed, her entire being consumed by a wave of intense pain. Tears streamed down her face as she writhed in torment, her body trembling with anguish.

Kaden stood up, his expression twisted in disgust. “I have no intention of claiming a rogue like you as my Luna,” he spat. “But you will bear my children, and I will take you as my mistress, whether you like it or not.”

Maddie’s body shook with sobs as she cried out in pain, “I will do no such thing,” she replied in defiance, her eyes blazing with determination.

Kaden leaned in and grabbed her hair, his grip on her hair like a vice, and pulled her face close to him.. “You weren’t given a choice.” He growled, his breath hot against her skin. “You will remain in my Pack as my mistress, and I willI find a suitable Luna to stand by my side as my true mate.”

“No! Let me go!” Maddie screamed, her voice hoarse from crying, as she struggled against his grip.

“Guards,” Kaden bellowed and two men appeared in the room as they waited for their Alpha orders.

“Take her away and lock her in the room south of my chambers,” he ordered. “I shall decide what to do with her later.” With that, he dropped her to the floor, his grip releasing her abruptly.

The men approached Maddie, and one of them scooped her up effortlessly, as if she weighed nothing. She kicked and screamed struggling to break free from their grasp, but it was no use.

She was carried to a small, dimly lit room at the top of the castle and unceremoniously dropped on the floor. The clicking sound of the door locking into place echoed through the room, a stark reminder of her confinement.

She ran to the door and pounded on it with her fists, screaming at the top of her lungs, “Let me out! Let me go!”

Maddie continued to pound on the door, desperate for someone to come and rescue her, until her hands were sore and bruised..

The pain coursing through her body still felt overwhelming, and exhaustion was starting to take its toll on her.

She collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

Maddie's mind wandered back to the moment she had met her mate, and how happy she had felt, thinking she had found her freedom and the chance to build a life and family of her own.

But now, she was consumed by disappointment and anger. He had been right, she wasn't worthy of being his Luna. She was a weak, rogue wolf, rejected by her own family and now by her mate. But Maddie knew she couldn’t just sit back and accept her fate as the Alphas breeding partner.

A wave of regret washed over her as she wished she had never laid eyes on him in the first place.

Maddie's mind wandered to when she was free, to roam and hunt. But those days were gone, and now she was trapped in this castle, forced to be the Alpha's mistress. Maddie felt a surge of determination and anger, she was not going to give up, she was going to fight for her freedom.