Bound by the Alpha's Fate

Aria's POV

The moon was red tonight, a cruel omen hanging over the Crescent Moon Pack like a blade waiting to fall. My heart hammered against my ribs as I stood in the training grounds, staring up at that eerie glow. My father always told me never to trust the Blood Moon Eclipse. It was rare, dangerous, and always brought blood with it.

And he was right.

The ground trembled beneath me as a series of howls erupted from the treeline—low, guttural, and far too many to count. A chill snaked down my spine, but I steeled my nerves.

“Beta Aria!” one of our warriors cried, his voice sharp with panic. “They’re here. Blood Fang!”

I clenched my fists, my claws extending instinctively as the name echoed in my ears. The BloodFang Pack. Killian Thorn. The monster Alpha who tore through packs like paper, leaving ruins in his wake. My father told me Killian was ruthless, a beast with no soul. Tonight, it seemed he came for us.

“Hold your positions!” I barked, stepping forward. I wouldn’t let fear swallow us. I wouldn’t let them see me shake. “Defend the Crescent Moon with your lives!”

A roar split the night as dozens of wolves erupted from the darkness, their fur as black as the void. Blood Fang’s warriors. They tore through our border, a wave of snarling teeth and claws. I shifted into my wolf mid-run—silver, fast, and deadly. The air filled with growls, screams, and the sickening crack of bones snapping.

Chaos. Blood. Death.

I fought through the madness, slashing and biting my way toward the treeline where they poured in. My wolf burned with rage, but a voice whispered in my mind—We’re losing.

“No,” I growled aloud, my wolf’s deep snarl escaping my throat.

A wolf lunged at me, its fangs aiming for my throat, but I sidestepped, sinking my teeth into its neck and twisting until the life drained out of it. My breaths came fast, and blood dripped from my fur.

Then, I saw him.

He stepped through the haze of the battlefield like a shadow. Tall. Powerful. Even as a man, his presence struck fear. Alpha Killian Thorn.

The Blood Moon’s crimson light bathed him, and for the briefest moment, I couldn’t look away. His black hair fell to his shoulders, wild and unkempt, and his sharp jaw clenched as his dark eyes found mine. I’d heard stories of him, but seeing him now, I understood why even Alphas feared him.

He smirked, slow and predatory.

“You must be the Beta’s daughter,” Killian said, his voice like gravel—low, dangerous, and calm in a way that made my wolf bristle.

I shifted back into my human form, glaring at him. I refused to cower. “I am Aria. And I’ll be the last thing you see before you fall.”

His smirk grew, and the madness in his eyes sent my heart racing. “Brave. I’ll give you that.”

I lunged at him, my claws ready to strike, but he moved faster. Before I could blink, he caught my wrist in an iron grip. Pain shot through my arm, and I grunted, kicking at him, but he barely flinched.

“Let go!” I spat.

He yanked me closer, our faces inches apart, and that’s when it happened. A searing heat exploded through my chest, sharp and all-consuming. I gasped, my eyes widening as my wolf froze inside me.

Mate.

I saw it in his eyes too—the same shock, the same burn. But where my heart pounded with disbelief, his gaze turned cold, hard as steel.

“No,” Killian muttered, his voice bitter as if fate itself had betrayed him.

The mate bond pulled at me like chains, a cruel mockery as his grip tightened around my wrist. I hated the way my body reacted to him, hated the warmth that surged despite myself.

He leaned closer, his voice dripping with venom. “You’re my mate.”

I swallowed hard, my wolf screaming in denial. “No. You’re lying.”

He let go of my wrist, but only to grab my jaw, forcing me to look into his eyes—eyes that glowed with fury. “You’re my mate… and my enemy.”

His words sliced through me.

Killian pushed me back, and before I could recover, his fist collided with my side. Pain exploded in my ribs, and I crumpled to my knees, gasping. Around us, the battle continued, but all I could hear was the roar in my ears.

“Take her,” Killian ordered, turning away from me like I was nothing. “Put her with the prisoners.”

I tried to fight the warriors who grabbed me, but my body was weak, my spirit breaking. I watched Killian disappear into the battlefield, his presence as chilling as the moon above.

“Alpha!” one of his warriors called out, dragging me across the dirt. “What about the others?”

Killian’s voice rang out, cold and final. “Burn it all.”

My vision blurred with tears as smoke filled the night. The Crescent Moon was burning. My home, my people, my father—they were all being swallowed by flames.

I screamed, the sound tearing through my throat like shattered glass. I fought against the hands holding me, but I was dragged away into the darkness.

The last thing I saw was the Blood Moon watching, unfeeling and red as death itself.

My captors chained me in the darkness of their fortress, but all I could hear was Killian’s voice. You’re my mate… and my enemy.