Mated to the cruel Alpha Kael

Elira's POV

The moment I saw him, the world narrowed into a tunnel of terror.

Alpha Kael. He stood like a storm wrapped in skin...ruthless, carved in power, and utterly untouchable. His eyes locked on mine, twin infernos of gold and crimson, as if dipped in fury itself. I forgot how to breathe.

I didn't belong here. Not in this room. Not in his presence. I was nothing-an omega, discarded and silenced for most of my life. But somehow, I was here... and he was staring at me like I'd spat in the face of a god.

"What are you supposed to be?" His voice was razor-sharp, low and scraping with danger.

The sound of it crushed the air from my lungs. "I... I don't know..." I stammered, trembling like a leaf in a storm.

His figure darkened the space between us as he stepped closer, shadows swallowing his features. Then suddenly, his hand lunged out and wrapped around my throat.

I choked...literally...my fingernails digging into his iron grip as I struggled to breathe. The pressure was unbearable. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks as fire lit up in my chest. I gasped, wheezing, legs dangling uselessly.

"You dare enter my room and not know what you are?" His tone was full of disgust. His stare pierced through me like I was filth beneath his boots.

I tried to speak, to explain, but my voice cracked into silence. All I could do was tremble beneath his hate.

Bruises already bloomed on my neck. My skin bore older ones-courtesy of the woman who raised me. I was used to pain, but this was something else. Raw. Violent. Almost... personal.

"Answer me!" he barked and slammed me onto the bed.

My body hit the mattress like a ragdoll. The force knocked the breath from me. His towering form hovered, blocking the light. I cowered, my heart racing in my chest like it might break through my ribs.

But then, something changed.

His expression faltered. He paused, sniffed the air...and his frown deepened. "That scent..."

He drew back slightly, looking almost... unsure. But confusion quickly twisted into rage again.

"You...how dare you try to trick me with that scent?!" he hissed. "I'm not...I swear-I don't even know what's happening-please..." My voice broke into sobs.

His fists folded at his sides. His breathing turned erratic. Gold glimmered in his eyes, then black. Then gold again.

"You smell like a curse I can't escape," he growled, pacing as if trying to outrun something inside himself. "You smell like..." He stopped. "Mine." The word shattered through me. I froze.

"No," he whispered sharply. "No, no, this is wrong."

I backed away on the bed. "What's happening to me?" I asked through breathing. "Why does it burn?"

He looked at me with horror... and something else. A flicker of hunger. Of instinct.

His shirt came off in one hard motion, his breaths jagged. "You've awakened something you shouldn't have," he muttered.

"No...stop-don't do this!" I cried out, trying to flee. But I never made it.

The heat in my body turned blinding, everything going white, then black, as the world slipped from my grasp. The last thing I saw was his glowing gaze, locked on mine like a hunter cornering prey.

..........................................

The Next Morning.

Soft light kissed my skin, and for one second, I thought maybe it was all a dream. But the ache in my limbs said otherwise. I sat up slowly. My body screamed in protest.

Beside me, Alpha Kael lay still-shirtless, silent, eyes closed. My heart rattled like thunder in my chest.

"Elira," a voice whispered inside me. Leira. My wolf. "He's our mate."

The words hit me like a boulder. My throat went dry. "Mate?" I breathed, staring at the man who had nearly ended me.

This couldn't be real. I was a castaway omega, unclaimed, unloved. Why would the Moon Goddess choose him for me?

I leaned forward, barely whispering, "But I'm nothing. Why me?" His eyes snapped open. I froze.

We stared at each other. The air thickened. I saw something flicker in his gaze-recognition, confusion... maybe even guilt.

I offered the tiniest smile. "We're fated," I said, voice soft. "Maybe we don't have to fight this."

His expression twisted. A laugh tore out of him...cold, cruel, echoing off the walls.

"Fated?" he repeated, sitting up. "You think last night meant something? That I'd want you?"

The words felt like acid.

"You're pathetic," he spat. "Cheap. You're not a mate-you're a mistake." My lips parted in shock. "No..."

"You think because I didn't kill you, you're special?" He rose, towering once again.

I clutched the bedsheet, covering myself. "You felt the bond-I know you did..."

"I reject it," he snarled. "The Moon Goddess must have erred. There's no universe where I would want someone as weak and low as you."

I shrank away. Tears blurred my vision. "But I didn't ask for this-I don't even know how I got here..." and then it came back.

The tea. My foster mother's gentle smile. The way my eyes had grown heavy..."She drugged me," I whispered in horror. "She planned this..."

Kael's eyes narrowed. I stared down at my hands. "Why me? Why do I always have to suffer?"

For a split second, his anger wavered.

But then it returned with venom. "You expect me to believe that?" he snapped. "You think tears will earn you sympathy?"

He grabbed me again, dragging me off the bed. "Tell me why you're really here, or I swear...I'll end you right now."

"I don't know!" I sobbed, pushing against his chest. "Please... if we're mates, the Goddess chose this for a reason!"

He froze. His grip faltered. I looked up into his face. For a moment... I saw doubt. But before either of us could speak, the door slammed open.

"Alpha Kael!" someone barked. Kael turned swiftly. A warrior stood at the door; his eyes wide as he stared at me.

Then he paled. "I... I know her," the man whispered. Kael's voice dropped, dangerous. "Say it."

But the warrior didn't answer. He looked between us with something close to fear.

I felt it, too. Something darker had just stepped into our lives... and nothing would ever be the same.