Chapter 3: Alpha’s Lair

Amber’s POV:

I stepped into the house and instantly my eyes locked on him, the Alpha King. I hadn't expected him to be so young and beautiful, yet there he stood, his presence commanding the attention of everyone around him.

His strikingly hot features, chiseled jawline, and piercing, cold calculating dark eyes held a depth I couldn't fathom, they were raven black it was as if I was consumed in an abyss.

Towering at about 6’3, he exuded power and authority effortlessly, his mysterious aura drawing me in despite my attempts to resist. He walked around me in circles, like a predator waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce on his prey.

His dark piercing orbs seemed to hold a world of depths and i was scared of how dark and far his soul was. Like he was an empty vessel and when my gaze finally settled on his luscious full lips, he licked them sensually.

Gulping, I averted my gaze to a scar that ran from his left eye stopping at his chin, showing how rugged and dangerous he is.

I shifted my eyes towards John and his eyes held a murderous glare, I knew that look so well and I needed not to be told twice to go packing. I should thank my lucky stars the circumstances were different if not I would be skinned alive today for my foolishness.

I never imagined in my life that the alpha king would step in on my behalf or shield me from John's anger, but perhaps I was reading too much into it.

Maybe he simply didn't want a broken doll and wanted me to be perfect and scarless for him. Well, newsflash honey I'm everything on the list above.

I sprinted towards my room to grab a few of my belongings, shoving them into my worn-out duffel bag, not like I had anything of much importance that I possessed except for the few books that I read to find an escape from reality whenever Emily tortured me.

I went on to pack my few worn out clothes and basic necessities, when a sense of worry crept over me knowing my life was going to change forever. I knew what awaited me was a journey into the heart of darkness, to the Lair of the ruthless Alpha king.

His reputation preceded him, and whispers of his iron-fisted rule and cruelty echoed through the land.

Yet, I had no choice but to follow him, bound by the chains of obligation. not like I had a choice either, and for some unknown reason, my mind is at ease going with the unknown man than facing the consequences of what John might do to me.

They say the devil you know is better than the angel you don't know but right now, reverse is the case for me.

……….................

We embarked on the journey, the tension in the air was detectable. Every moment spent in the confines of the car felt like an eternity, the weight of his presence suffocating me.

The smell of leather and his sandalwood and oudy cologne filled my lungs. The mouthwatering scent emanating from him affected me so much that I had no choice but to clench my legs hard for me to stop myself from squirming on the seat.

The forests blurred past, the ominous trees seeming to whisper warnings of the fate that awaited me and suddenly, goosebumps appeared on my body when he placed his palm on my thighs.

His palm was so warm in contrast to his demeanor. I was fidgeting and was starting to panic, I'd never sat in this close proximity with anyone ever, in my twenty five years of life.

I felt thirsty and as the miles stretched on, panic began to claw its way into my chest. The walls of the car felt like they were closing in on me more harshly, suffocating me with a dangerous embrace.

My head was hazy. and all I knew was, feeling desperate to stay far away from this monster and hide where no one could reach me, my mind went into overdrive and I couldn't think straight knowing I was so close to a dangerous murderer who could snap my neck for any slightest inconvenience.

I knew I just had to escape him. Call me foolish or delusional but that happens when you are in desperation for something. “Desperation” on its own is a destructive element that pushes us to act on impulse.

Maybe the outside world wouldn't be as scary as everyone portrays it to be.

All my life I had planned on how I would escape from home but I was too much of a sacredly cat, knowing I had no place to run to. But, this is the push I needed to try and I know for a fact that John loathes me but I didn’t think he despised me to the extent of selling me off to someone like a piece of furniture and that too, to an unhinged, deranged Alpha king who is cursed with little to no explanation. I have never felt more violated in my life as I imagined myself to be an additional collection to the harem of the Alpha King.

I shuddered and hugged myself even tighter as I saw the flickering of lighting painting the sky like a canvas, mirroring the emotions that I felt in the depths of my soul.

He tightened his touch on me. My silver hair glistened under the moonlight and I couldn’t help but wonder if I was also cursed, maybe that would explain my ill fate and how it never gets any better. Or better still, that might explain why I am bound by fate to the Alpha. Two cursed souls, finding a means to prevail in this wicked world.

It was about to rain and I kept plotting where, how, and when would be the perfect time to escape from these shackles of life weighing me down, for I do not know if I would be able to continue holding on to life so dearly when life itself does not want me.

My heart pounded even faster in my chest as we were fast approaching the Alpha’s house, a place shrouded in darkness and mystery.

The path leading to it was overgrown with twisted vines and gnarled trees, creating an eerie atmosphere that sent a chill down my spine.

That did it for me, and without a second thought, I flung myself out of the car, my heart pounding in my chest as I hit the ground running. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I ran into the forest, every instinct screaming at me to flee, to escape the clutches of the Alpha king. No longer caring about the consequences. Fuck them all.

I dashed into the woods, desperation encouraging my every step. The rain began to fall, each droplet a chilling reminder of the danger I was in. But my pounding heart drowned out the sound of the rain, it kept urging me to move, to escape the impending danger.

I threw away my shoes not caring about the branches that pierced my feet. I looked over my shoulder and there he was, with a smirk on his face. His dark eyes gleamed under the moonlight. But what baffled me is that he was surprisingly calm.

With his hands shoved in his pockets, he took slow strides, and the more I ran, the closer he got.

I let out a piercing scream when he caught up to me. With the speed and strength of a predator, his grip was like iron, fueled by a rage that seemed to consume him whole.

I could feel his fury seeping out from every pore in his body, a hurricane ready to unleash its full force.

His voice, cold and commanding, cut through the night air like a blade, his dark orbs turned even darker just like a raging storm and I could visibly see the storm of emotions like a beautiful yet chaotic dance of different feelings colliding and intertwining.

"I won't leave you," he said, his words sending shivers down my spine. "Not until you understand the consequences of crossing me.

“Let me go you monster” “Let me go please, I beg you”. I kept hitting his broad chest in hysteria. As I cried and begged him to let me go, my fists pounded urgently against him, but he stayed still, unmoved.

The rain poured down, mingling with my tears, as I pleaded, "Please, don't do this. Just let me go. I can't take it anymore."

With a strength I couldn't comprehend he possessed, he shoved me into the car, his hands trembling with the effort to contain the beast within him.

As we drove, the tension in the air was suffocating, my body shaking from a combination of fear and cold.

His knuckles whitened as he clenched my thighs, making me wince in pain and a bruise was starting to appear.

He was lost in his head and was oblivious to his surroundings. His eyes were a turbulent storm of conflicting emotions.

I could see the struggle within him, the battle between man and beast, reason and instinct.

we continued our journey but the weight of his reprimand hung heavy in the air, a reminder of the power he wielded over me.

And then when I thought this night couldn't get any worse, we reached our final destination, that is where his control slipped.

With a violent shove, he pushed me out of the car and dragged me with him, I didn't have the time to brace myself, making me stumble on my feet in the process. But that didn't stop him from dragging me like a rag doll. He was livid.

When we finally reached his lair or so I would prefer to call it, I knew what awaited me. He shoved and pushed me into the cold stone walls of a room that I believe was like a mini prison, it was a cell that loomed before me, it looked more like a cage, a silent testament to the price of my disobedience. And he threw me into the darkness.

He slammed the door shut behind me, I was left alone in the oppressive silence, the darkness swallowing me fully.

The only thing I could hear was the pitter-patter of heavy rain and the thunder rumbling loudly. It felt like Mother Nature herself, was visualizing our intense emotions, with me being the rain and him being the thunder.

“Please” I don't know what made me say it or to whom it was directed.

I just hoped someone or something could save me. I just hoped the universe would hear me. I cried and couldn't help but wonder if there would ever be a way to escape my fate or if it would just be easier for me to accept it with open arms, for me to accept that I am cursed and unlovable, even by the moon goddess herself.

….. But little do I know, that the true horrors awaited me in the depths of the Alpha’s lair.