Chapter 7 Chains of the Heart

The moon hung low and heavy over the city, casting a silver glow that made everything seem unreal. Every shadow stretched like fingers, and every sound was sharper than it should have been.

I shouldn't have been here. My instincts screamed at me to run but my feet had a mind of their own. I was drawn to him. Always. No matter the danger, no matter the fear.

And there he was, waiting. The Alpha. Every bit as dangerous as I remembered and yet somehow... more. His amber eyes glowed in the darkness, hunting, protective, possessive. Every fiber of my body screamed at me to stay away. And every fiber screamed the opposite.

"You shouldn't be here," he said, voice low, sharp, and almost growling. "They're close."

I followed his gaze and froze. Two figures emerged from the shadows watching, silent, calculating. My heart jumped. The pack. Or something worse. Whoever they were, they weren't friendly.

He stepped closer to me, claws brushing against my hand not a threat, but a promise. "Stay behind me," he murmured. His voice carried something raw, something primal. My chest tightened. I wasn't just afraid for myself anymore. I was afraid of losing him.

I... I started, but he silenced me with a sharp glance, his hand lifting to cup my face. The heat from his touch burned, grounding me, anchoring me, even as danger circled us.

"You're mine," he said, low, possessive. "No matter what happens tonight... or tomorrow... or ever. They may try to take you, to scare you, but you are mine. Do you understand?"

I nodded, unable to speak. The pull between us was too strong, too urgent, too impossible to deny. I could feel his heartbeat, wild and powerful, syncing with mine.

And then the first figure stepped forward. A low growl rumbled in the alley, deep and threatening. My body tensed. The Alpha moved like liquid, a blur, positioning himself between me and the threat. I had never seen him like this half man, half predator, completely terrifying.

One moment, he was human. The next, the monster inside him surged. Claws gleamed, teeth flashed, and the shadows around him twisted and writhed as though alive. The danger was real. Terrifying. And yet... I didn't look away.

He turned to me, eyes softer now, though still ablaze with power. "Do not move," he whispered. "Not a single step. Trust me."

I did. I had no choice. Even if I wanted to run, even if I wanted to scream, I couldn't. I trusted him. Completely.

And in that moment, something shifted. Not just between us but inside me. Fear intertwined with desire. Danger intertwined with devotion. And I knew, with a certainty that made my chest ache:

I belonged to him. Fully. Completely. Heart, mind, and soul.

A shadow lunged from the darkness, and the Alpha roared a sound that shook the very air. I held my breath as the monster surged forward to protect me, claws and teeth flashing.

And even as my pulse raced, I couldn't shake the truth: I was falling. Falling for the Alpha. Falling into the darkness. Falling into a bond I couldn't escape.

Chains of the curse, chains of fate... chains of the heart. All of them bound me to him.

And there was no turning back.

The growl was closer now, the shadows around us moving like living things. He pressed me against him, amber eyes blazing, and whispered, "If they take you... I'll become the monster they've always feared. And nothing will stop me."