Chapter 2 The shattering calm

Night time in Vine was never silent.

Tightly tucked beneath her duvet, the familiar harmony of forest life usually soothed Sera to sleep. the soft rustle of the wind against the leaves, the chirping of crickets in the distance , the rhythmic and soul full heartbeat of her home's wilderness.

But not tonight ,tonight something felt wrong.

Sera lay stiffly on her side, her eyes fixed on the stream of moonlight seeping in through her curtains. The ache hadn't left, she still felt it, and It wasn't just the pull she felt earlier in the day, it was stronger, it had bloomed into something deeper, an unsettling throb low in her chest, like a beast refusing to be tamed.

She rolled onto her back with a sigh, frustrated. pressing her palms against her rib, The warmth of her own skin did nothing to soothe the feeling. It wasn't pain, it wasn't hunger, exactly. It was more like an alert. A warning. Her body, her spirt? , it was something deeper inside her, it was trying to tell her something.

"That's Enough Already," she murmured frustrated, trying to push the feeling away.

She sat up on her bed and pulled the curtain aside. The trees loomed lazily, dark silhouettes against the pale moonlight. A familiar sight. She narrowed her eyes.

Something was off, and the feeling unsettled her.

Taking a deep breath , the air, usually tinged with wildflowers pine and soil, now carried a strange smell , Metallic and Sharp, like the acrid smell of burnt wood.

She froze, alert.

Her senses, honed from her life in the pack, screamed. Her ears caught a brief shift in the air , a sound where no wind blew , Then the sudden silence.

Not a natural silence that comes with the night but Dead silence.

No insects, No breeze, Just the pounding of her own heart in her ears.

Then the first howl sounded

It wasn't one of her pack.

It was deeper , hungry, guttural, and laced with malice.

A rogue's cry.

She jumped from bed. Her feet hitting the cold wooden floor as she darted towards her door, Before her fingers could hold onto the handle, the sharp sound of splintering wood echoed from downstairs.

The front door removed from its hinges.

Then the chaos.

Shouts. Growls. Screams.

She backed away slowly, her breath shallow. Her mind racing for options , should she escape? Fight?. She heard the stairs creak.

Frantic She turned and ran towards her window. The latch stuck. She tugged harder. Behind her, footsteps thundered up the hall getting closer.

The window flew open. and She had one leg over the sill when the door crashed open.

AN angry snarl ripped through the air, freezing her in place.

He stood there, huge, massive, his back lit by the lights in the hallway ., Broad shoulders blocked the light, His presence swallowed the room. His scent hit her next,ash, iron, and something else, something wild. Unfamiliar and yet....

Her body responded before her brain could process what was happening .

The pull slammed into her like a wave.

No. No, no, no.

He moved, a blur of strength and speed, and he was across the room in a heartbeat. His hand gripped her ankle, pulling her back inside. She landed hard on the floor, knocking the air from her lungs. She kicked at him, nails scratching at the floor, but it was like fighting a storm.

His hand caught her wrist, and then everything stopped.

She felt a sudden jolt.

Fire trickled own her spine.

Time slowed down.

Her breath hitched. Her vision blurred for a moment, focusing only on him. His dark eyes locked with hers, widening with something more than recognition.

It was a confirmation.

The mate bond.

No. She didn't want this.

A deep growl rumbled from his chest, and in a low, guttural tone, he spoke a single word

"Mine."

Her blood ran cold.

She screamed. Tears streaming down her face, Fear filled her.

The strength to fight surged back into her, but it was too late. He lifted her up like she weighed nothing. She pounded at his arms, screaming, kicking, writhing. A flash of silver , her bedroom lamp crashed into his shoulder.

He didn't flinch.

Outside , howls and snarls filled the night. Her pack was under attack. And she was the target.

The Alpha carried her down the stairs, and through the wreckage of her home, The air was thick with smoke , blood and fear. She saw two of her pack mates, slumped, unmoving. Her breath caught in a sob.

Her last glimpse of Vine was of her front door hanging loose on its hinges.

Then the forest swallowed her.

The journey was blurry.

The cold air stung her skin as trees moved past. The Alpha's grip on her never loosened, though his pace was relentless. Every sound, every breath, every movement , seemed too loud in her ears.

He didn't speak. Not once, Not even to his rogues who trailed like shadows behind him. She had caught glimpses of them. , feral eyes, dirty clothes, blood on their jaws. Some looked at her with hunger. Others with reverence. Like they knew.

They knew who she was.

What she was to him.

She clenched her teeth, fighting the pull, the whisper in her blood that said closer is safer. It was a lie. A trick of the bond.

Eventually, the pack slowed down. The forest was different here. The trees were thicker, The scent of rot clung to the earth. No stars shone above this part of the woods.

Then, she saw it, a clearing surrounded by jagged rocks and thorn covered trees. In the center, a crude structure half stone, half ruin , stood like a tomb.

The Alpha carried her inside.

He set her down roughly on a pile of old furs, then stood, breathing heavily. She scrambled back, pressing herself against the cold wall.

His gaze lingered for a while, not soft. not gentle either. But not indifferent.

It was a look of possession.

Then, without a word, he turned and left.

The heavy wooden door slammed shut.

She was alone.

The room was small and circular. A makeshift prison. No windows. One door. A pile of rags that passed for a bed. And silence.

Sera curled up, every limb trembling.

Her body throbbed with pain, bruises, aches, and worse. But none of it compared to the confusion that clawed inside her.

What was that feeling?

Why had she reacted that way?

Why him?

She wasn't supposed to have a mate. Not yet. Maybe not ever. And certainly not a monster.

But her body... it remembered him.

The jolt when he touched her. The heat beneath her skin. The way her heart had known. If felt like something she was used to, like something she had known.

Overwhelmed, she pressed her hands to her ears, trying to drown it all out. But it was inside her now.

A seed, growing.

Tears slipped down her cheeks.

She couldn't stop shaking.

Then she heard Footsteps. Just outside the door.

A pause.,

She held her breath.

A single click, the locks opening , the sound of something being placed down. A rustle. Then retreating steps.

She crept forward.

A wooden bowl. Water. A slice of bread.

She didn't touch it.

As the hours bled together. Maybe it was still night. Or maybe not. She couldn't tell. At some point, the door creaked open again and she braced herself.

He entered. Alone.

She pressed herself against the wall, baring her teeth. "Don't touch me."

He didn't come closer.

He studied her for a while, head tilted. A predator's gaze in his eyes, and then, with a quiet rumble, he said, "You feel it. Dont you"

She didn't reply.

"I knew it the moment I crossed the border. I knew you were mine."

"You're insane."

His eyes darkened, he smirked. "Say what you want. It changes nothing."

She stared at him, rage bubbling beneath her skin. "I'll never be yours."

His expression didn't change. But his voice dropped to something softer. "But you already are."

Then he turned and left.

This time, the door was locked.

When the silence returned, it pressed heavier than before.

Sera curled in on herself. Everything hurt.

But it wasn't just pain.

Something had shifted. Something had been broken. The girl who had laid in bed dreaming of silent whispers in the woods was gone.

Replaced by someone else.

Someone hunted.

Her hand pressed to her chest. That ache again, it was still there, alive, crawling under her skin. The bond wasn't done.

It had only begun.

Her final thought before exhaustion claimed her was a single, defiant vow,

You may have taken me, but you will never own me.

And in the dark, something stirred in response.