Chapter 5 Bound Without Permission

As I sat with Max in his small cabin in the forest, cleaning his wounds, my feelings for him kept growing.

It felt like I had known him for years, not just a few hours.

I smiled without realizing it.

Max looked at me and asked, "What's funny?"

"I just met you," I said softly, "and this is already the second time I'm cleaning your wounds."

Max laughed quietly.

"Yeah," he said, "it seems like from the moment I saw you, getting beaten up is all I can do."

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

Then I added, "But I think what William said is true.

"Your wounds... I think they're healing. I've never seen anyone heal that fast before."

Max smiled, a playful look in his eyes.

"Well," he said, "I guess I'm getting really good at being beaten up."

Then he looked at me and asked,

"Why are your friends standing outside?"

I answered nervously, "William and Samar?

It's nothing... maybe they just want to talk alone."

Max smiled.

"Or maybe they want to give us some privacy."

My heart skipped.

I felt heat rush to my face, and I tried to hide it.

"Come on," I said quickly, trying to sound normal.

"Get dressed. Your wounds are taken care of."

Suddenly, Samar rushed inside, looking terrified.

She was whispering unclear words.

"Samar, slow down," I said. "I don't understand. What's wrong?"

She snapped in panic, "Your father.

He's outside... talking to William."

My heart dropped.

"My father?" I whispered.

"How did he know we are here?"

Before Samar could answer, my father walked in.

William followed behind him, calling his name, trying to calm him down.

Max stood behind me, confused, quickly putting on his clothes.

My father stopped for a moment.

His eyes scanned the scene in complete silence.

No one spoke.

No one dared to.

Then my father finally spoke, his eyes never leaving Max.

"William," he said calmly, "take Samar and Nora back to the village."

"Yes, sir," William answered quietly.

He grabbed my arm and started pulling me toward the door, taking Samar with us.

"Father, wait," I said, struggling.

"Let me explain-"

I tried to resist, but my father looked at me.

It was a look I had never seen before.

Cold. Final. Terrifying.

It froze me in place.

I stopped fighting as William pulled me outside,

Samar walked beside me in silence.

The moment we stepped outside the cabin, I pulled my arm away from William in defiance.

"William, I can't just leave Max and go," I said firmly.

"I need to know what my father is planning to do."

Samar turned to me, her voice sharp with panic.

"Nora, please. Don't make this more complicated than it already is.

Listen to them. Let's just go back."

Meanwhile inside the cabin, Max(POV)

So this is Alpha Steve...

I had heard a lot about him, but this was the first time I ever saw him.

The anger on his face was impossible to miss.

I tried to speak, keeping my voice respectful.

I said reaching out my hand,

"It's an honor to meet you, sir."

But Steve surprised me with a hard kick before I could say anything else.

The force sent me down to the ground.

Steve asked in a low but terrifying voice.

"Who are you?".

"And what do you want from my daughter?"

He leaned closer.

"I'm warning you. If you lie to me, today will be the last day of your life."

I answered calmly as I tried to stand up.

"i don't want anything from your daughter I was only trying to help -"

I didn't get to finish.

Steve's fist slammed into my face with brutal force.

Throwing me to the ground again.

"I told you not to lie to me," he growled.

I clenched my jaw.

A strange feeling burned inside me-anger, tension, something wild rising fast.

I forced it down and spoke through my teeth.

"Sir... I am... not... lying."

But just as I finished the sentence, Steve's hand wrapped around my neck.

With one hand, he lifted me off the ground and slammed my back against the wall.

My legs dangled in the air, unable to touch the floor.

I grabbed his arm with both hands, trying to free myself.

But his grip was impossibly strong.

I couldn't breathe.

My chest burned.

My vision started to blur.

I couldn't even speak.

Then suddenly-

I saw Nora.

She shoved her father away with all her strength and screamed,

"Let him go! Please!"

Steve stepped back from the force of the push.

He stared at his daughter in shock, unable to believe she was defying him... for me.

I collapsed to the ground, coughing hard, struggling to catch my breath.

"Nora's voice softened,

"He is my soulmate," she said.

"I can feel it.

My wolf has bonded with him.

In silence, Steve walked toward his daughter.

There was nothing in his eyes but anger.

He didn't say a single word.

The back of his hand came down hard across Nora's face.

The force of the slap sent her flying several steps back, until she crashed into the wall beside me.

At that moment, something inside me snapped.

The anger I had been holding back exploded out of control.

And I lunged at Steve.

In a fight I could never win-

me, just a normal human,

against Alpha Steve, an Alpha feared across all tribes.