Alpha Before Birth

Lira's POV

The world was screaming.

Thunder cracked through the sky, splitting the heavens apart, while lightning danced in jagged streaks outside the palace walls. Wolves howled in eerie unison, their voices blending with the roars of beasts beyond the forest. The air inside the room was thick, hot, suffocating, alive with something I couldn't name.

And then there was me, lying on this damn bed, legs spread wide, drenched in sweat, screaming louder than any storm outside.

"Push, girl!" the midwife barked, her wrinkled face twisted in concentration. "Or do you want the pup stuck halfway out?"

I wanted to strangle her. My entire body was one big ball of agony, but sure, let me just push harder like I wasn't already doing that!

A sharp pain cut through me, white-hot, and I gasped, gripping the sheets. My nails dug so deep I was sure I'd tear through the fabric. The women around me worked like a well-trained battle unit..one holding my hand (bless her), one adjusting the water basin, another giving orders, and a fourth just staring at me like she was watching a particularly interesting fire burn down a house.

"One more push!"

I gritted my teeth, screaming through the pain as I gave one final, desperate shove.

And then... I breath in relief.

A sharp cry filled the air, cutting through the storm, the howls, the madness.

For one breath, two, the room held still as if the entire world had stopped to listen. Then a burst of wind shot through the windows, rattling the wooden frames, making the flames in the torches flicker wildly.

"A boy," the midwife whispered.

I was shaking, my body weak, but I forced my eyes open, straining to see him. My son. My heir.

Well, I guess I should introduce myself properly then. It's a bit late, but whatever."

****

HOW I GOT HERE

I was a slave.

Not born into it, no. Once upon a time, I had a home, a family. A father who was a warrior, a mother who sang to me at night. A little sister who was still learning how to walk.

Then war came.

The Blackfang Pack didn't just defeat my people, they annihilated them. Burned our homes, slaughtered our warriors, left nothing but ash in their wake. I was taken, along with a handful of others, dragged through the dirt and chains to serve the very wolves who murdered my family.

I spent years in this palace, scrubbing floors, washing clothes, avoiding the sharp bites of whips and the cruel laughter of warriors who thought it funny to toy with the weak.

And then, one day, the Alpha noticed me.

I don't know why. Maybe it was the way I refused to bow as low as the others. Maybe he was intrigued by me. Either way, I caught his attention, and that was both a blessing and a curse.

One night, he called for me... second night he did same thing.

He didn't ask for my body, he claimed it and not by wish but by force.

He turned me into his mistress in sight of people but behind close doors, I was still is slave, but not just an ordinary slave... HIS SATISFYING SLAVE.

He continue with the forceful intercourse and always force me to take herbs after s**.

But on a faithful day, a day I somehow cursed and blessed I forgot to take my herbs.

And nine months later, here I was.

The mother of the heir to the Blackfang Pack.

The irony wasn't lost on me.

*****

The midwife handed him to me, and the moment I saw his tiny face, I knew. He was different. His skin was warm beneath my fingertips, his eyes, when they flickered open piercing and shining even in the dim candlelight.

"By the gods," one of the women breathed. "The prophecy..."

Before I could ask what the hell she meant, the heavy oak doors burst open, slamming against the stone walls with a force that sent the entire room jolting.

Maelon.

The old Seer stormed inside, his dark robes billowing like he was floating instead of walking. His blind eyes locked onto my son like he could see straight into his soul.

"The child of thunder," he whispered.

Oh, great. Here we go.

The room was still. The women all fell silent, exchanging wary glances. Even the midwife, normally unfazed by the worst horrors of birth, stiffened.

Maelon stepped forward, reaching out a trembling hand. "The son of the moon. The storm-bearer. The destined Alpha who will bring ruin and salvation alike."

I frowned. "Uh... He's still covered in afterbirth. Maybe hold off on the grand prophecy for a minute?"

No one laughed.

"Lira," Maelon said, with a heavy voice. "Do you not know what you have done?"

I blinked. "Had a baby?"

Maelon exhaled sharply, his fingers twitching. "This is no ordinary child. He was born in a storm, the skies screamed for him, the beasts howled his name before it was even spoken. This is the beginning of something far greater than any of us can comprehend."

Alright, but could it wait until after I cleaned the blood off my legs?

I sighed, exhausted, still clutching my son as if he'd be taken from me the moment I let go. "What exactly does this prophecy say?"

Maelon turned to the other women. "Leave us."

They didn't hesitate, scurrying out like frightened rabbits.

When the door shut, Maelon turned back to me, face grim. "He will change the fate of the pack. He will either unite the wolves under one banner or destroy everything we have built. There is no in-between."

A cold chill slithered down my spine.

I looked down at my son, his small fingers curling into a tiny fist. He looked utterly unimpressed with the weight of fate Maelon had just dumped onto him.

But before I could talk again, the doors burst open, slamming against the stone walls with a force and for a minute I thought the house was going to collapse.

The alpha, he is here.

My body tensed on instinct.

He didn't spare me a glance. His gaze was locked on the tiny bundle in my arms.

"So, this is him," he said, voice deep and edged with something unreadable.

Maelon bowed slightly. "Yes, Alpha. The boy is marked by the storm."

Alpha Rhordan stood over me, towering, his expression unreadable. A mixture of curiosity and something else. Something wary.

"Give him to me," he ordered.

I stiffened, my grip tightening. "He's barely taken his first breath."

Golden eyes flickered to mine. "I said, give him to me."