Chapter 1: The Wedding Night

“You’re mine now, Cassia.” His voice is like ice sliding across bare skin, cold and unforgiving.

I’m standing there, my hands trembling, my heart hammering in my chest. The weight of the wedding gown feels like a thousand stones pressing against me, every part of me begging for escape. But there is no way out.

I turn to face him, and my stomach churns. Lucien. Alpha Lucien. The man I’m supposed to call my husband. But there’s nothing in his eyes that says husband—only conqueror. He’s tall and imposing, and his eyes? Black as midnight, with a glint of something I can't place. Power? Cruelty? Something darker than that, maybe. His hand reaches out, a long finger tracing the curve of my jaw, and my skin burns at his touch.

“You look so beautiful,” he says, his voice a mockery of kindness. But there’s no warmth in it. Only cold amusement.

I swallow hard, biting my lip to stop the tremor in my voice. “I didn’t choose this.”

He smiles that predatory smile that makes my breath catch. “It doesn’t matter whether you chose it or not, Cassia. You’re mine now. And tonight, I’m going to remind you of that.”

I want to scream. I want to claw at him and tear his face off with my bare hands, but I don’t. I can’t. Not yet.

Instead, I step back, and my pulse spikes as I catch a glimpse of the door behind him. Maybe I could escape. Maybe there's still a chance.

“Where are you going, little bride?” His voice is low, dangerously quiet. “Think you can run from me?”

I don't answer. I can’t. My legs feel like lead, but I force myself to move, pushing past him, my breath coming faster now. I make it halfway to the door before his hand shoots out like a snake, gripping my wrist with an iron-clad hold.

“You can’t escape me, Cassia. Not now, not ever.”

I try to pull away, to jerk free, but his grip tightens, and it’s like I’m caught in a vice, unable to move, unable to breathe. His other hand comes to rest on my waist, pressing me against him with a force that steals the air from my lungs.

I struggle, twisting, kicking, anything to get free. “Let me go!” I shout, my voice cracking with desperation.

But Lucien just chuckles, the sound sending a shiver down my spine. “You think I’ll let you run? Think again.”

I twist harder, fighting against his strength, but it’s futile. He’s too strong, too powerful. I can’t fight him like this.

Then I do the only thing I can think of: I knee him in the groin.

His breath hisses out through clenched teeth, and for a moment, he loosens his grip, just enough for me to break free. But before I can take another step, his hand shoots out again, catching me by the arm and spinning me around so that I crash into his chest.

Damn it.

I brace myself, my heart thundering, and I try to push him off, but he’s relentless. His grip is like iron, his body like stone.

He smirks down at me, his lips curling in amusement. “I warned you.”

My breath comes in sharp gasps as I stare up at him, defiance burning in my chest. “I’ll never give in to you. I’d rather die than be with you.”

His expression hardens, and something dark flickers in his eyes. For a moment, I think I’ve pushed him too far. But then, he leans in, his lips brushing my ear as he whispers, “I’m not asking for your love, Cassia. I’m asking for your obedience. And that... will come in time.”

I shudder at his words, repulsed, but there’s something else, too. A strange knot in my stomach. A flutter of something I can’t explain. The way he’s looking at me, like a puzzle he’s trying to solve, makes my insides twist.

I can’t let him see it. I can’t let him see any weakness. Not now. Not ever.

I yank my arm free from his grasp, and this time, I don’t hesitate. I run.

Run, Cassia, run.

I reach the door, the cold air rushing in as I fling it open, but just as my foot crosses the threshold, his voice stops me.

“You think you can run away from me, little bride? You really think I’ll let you leave without paying the price?”

I freeze.

And then I feel it—his presence behind me, looming, suffocating. I spin around, my eyes wide with fear, and before I can even react, he’s there, his hand on my throat, lifting me off the ground with terrifying ease.

“You belong to me,” he growls, his grip tightening around my neck, cutting off my air. “And if you think you can get away... think again.”

I gasp, clawing at his hand, trying to break free, but it’s no use. I’m trapped. His dark eyes pierce through me like he can see everything I’m hiding. The truth. The fear. The desperation.

“You’re not strong enough to escape,” he sneers. “You never were.”

The world spins around me, and my vision starts to blur. But I won’t give up. Not yet. I kick out again, hitting him in the chest with all the force I can muster.

For a moment, he stumbles back, his grip loosening just enough for me to take in a desperate breath. I suck in air, desperate to stay conscious, desperate to hold on to some shred of hope.

But then he’s on me again, shoving me into the wall with such force that my head spins.

“Stop fighting, Cassia,” he mutters, his voice rough, almost irritated. “You can’t win. You never will.”

I open my mouth to protest, to scream at him that I won’t let him break me, but no sound comes out. My throat is too tight, my chest too constricted.

He leans in, his breath warm against my skin as his lips brush against my ear once again. “Your spirit will break, my bride. But for now, I’ll enjoy watching it crack.”

Crack. The word rings in my ears, and my heart lurches with fear. But even as I tremble in his grasp, something else stirs deep inside me—something fierce, something born of my mother’s blood.

I push back against him with everything I have, my hands trembling as I try to break free. “I won’t be your prisoner,” I hiss through clenched teeth. “I’ll never be your prisoner.”

But Lucien only laughs a dark, cruel sound. “You already are.”

His grip tightens again, and I feel my strength waning, my mind beginning to unravel.

This is it. This is how it ends.

The door slams open.

“Lucien!” a voice calls from the doorway, sharp and commanding.

And for a moment, just a moment, Lucien hesitates, his grip loosening, his eyes flicking toward the new arrival.

“Let her go, Alpha,” the voice commands again, and I feel a surge of hope—until I see the figure standing there.

It's another Alpha. Younger. Stronger. And more than that, there’s something else in his eyes. Something familiar.

Before I can even comprehend what’s happening, Lucien growls low in his throat and steps back, releasing me just as my legs buckle beneath me. I collapse to the floor, gasping for air, my body trembling with a mixture of fear and relief.

The new Alpha steps closer, his eyes never leaving mine.

“What is this?” Lucien demands, his voice cold and dangerous. “Who are you to interfere?”

But the man doesn’t answer right away. He only watches me, his gaze intense, unreadable.

I try to push myself to my feet, my body shaking, my heart racing, but all I can do is stare at him—this new Alpha who’s come to save me. And for some reason, I can’t bring myself to trust him.

Not yet.

"Who are you?" I whisper, my voice barely audible.

His lips curl into a small, enigmatic smile.

And then, before I can process anything else, Lucien growls again, stepping forward with fury in his eyes.

"Leave now, before I make you regret it."

But the stranger stands his ground, unwavering.

"You’re not the only Alpha in this room, Lucien," he says coldly. "And I’m not leaving without her."

I don’t know whether to feel relieved or terrified, but as the tension between the two men rises, the weight of the moment crashes down on me.

This is just the beginning.

And as my body trembles from the chaos of it all, I wonder… what’s going to happen next?