Chained To The Ruthless Alpha

Laurel's heart fluttered with anticipation as she stepped through the front door, her school bag slung over her shoulder.

It had been a long day of exams and farewells, for she was about to graduate from high school!

Her parents' house, usually filled with warmth and familiarity, felt unusually tense as she entered.

Wanda was seated by the dining table, her hands shielded her face...

Laurel walked in cautiously, worried and frightened to see her mother like that.

Had she been crying?;

"Mum?" She called carefully

Wanda glanced up and greeted her with a forced smile.

"Are you okay mum?" She asked, a bit worried

"Yes dear. I got tired and I was trying to catch some shut eye"

"You should go upstairs and sleep. Is Dad home?" Laurel took off her bag, placing it on the couch.

"He....went out to settle something" Wanda smiled " Tell me, you look like you have some exciting news. What is it?"

Laurel noticed that her eyes held a mix of excitement and apprehension.

Something was amiss.

Maybe Wanda was really exhausted and needed to take a long nap...

"Mom, guess what?" Laurel began, her voice filled with youthful enthusiasm. "I just found out that I'm going to graduate at the top of my class!"

Wanda's smile wavered, and she paused for a moment before responding.

"That's wonderful, Laurel," she said, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness. "When is your graduation happening?" Her mother asked, trying to seem excited.

"Next Friday!!! The girls and I planned so much for grad. We're going to do our nails, pick a grad dress, figure out who's doing our make up" Laurel shrieks in excitement, I'm looking forward to it! I can't wait!"

Laurel caught her mother's gaze, she was zoning out again.

"Sometging is wrong mum" Laurel settled in front of her mother.

"Tell me mum. What's wrong? Are you okay?" Laurel asked in concern.

"I do have something important to tell you...."

Wanda hesitated.

"Mum!" Laurel called

She watched as her mother clasped her hands together, her eyes searching for the right words.

"Laurel," Wanda began gently, "you need to understand something about yourself. It doesn't make sense but I promise it will in the end."

Laurel's brow furrowed, her mind struggling to grasp her mother's words.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "What do I need to understand about myself, mum? What's going on?"

Wanda took a deep breath, preparing to reveal a truth that had been hidden from Laurel all her life.

"You have ties to a powerful Alpha," she explained. "You're part of a world that you never knew existed...."

"I'm tied to a what?" Laurel asked, completely puzzled

"You are mate to an Alpha Laurel. You're the Luna of Moonrise pack."

Laurel stared at her mother for a while before moving her head as though understanding the joke.

"You're pulling my legs. You're joking mum. What's an Alpha anyway?"

"Rel.."

"I need to take a shower and grab lunch before scrolling through my friends' group chat." Laurel placed a kiss on her mother's chin before running up the stairs.

None of Wanda's words made sense and she didn't bother to rethink it at all...

Laurel took a shower and grabbed a snack from her private pantry in her room....

Under her bed actually..

She settled on her bed and chats with friends like she said she would.

Laurel was delighted with her final exam scores and knew she would be going to her dream university.

Kentbark...

She sent in her application and was hoping she would gain an admission, fingers crossed.

As the evening wore on, Laurel switched on to Netflix, bing watching her favourite series.

She could hear her father's car park in the garage and the front door swing open and shut.

In excitement, Laure hurried down the stairs to inform her father about her graduation and all the countless sleepovers she had in mind....

Ad she walked down the stairs, she could see her mother in tears and her father holding onto her.

"Mum? Dad? What's going on? Why is mum crying?" Laurel asked.

"Rel, how...how are you?" Her father smiled ad her as her mother turned her face from her.

"I...I'm fine..mum...are you okay,?" Laurel asked once more.

"Rel, we have to tell you...."

The front door swung open, revealing a strikingly handsome yet cruel-looking man.

He strolls in with two other hefty looking men.

The one who seems in charge, exuded an air of dominance that sent shivers down Laurel's spine.

Her parents seemed to welcome his presence, their eyes filled with an unsettling mix of fear and submission.

The man strode into the house, his eyes instantly locking onto Laurel.

In that moment, her confusion turned into sheer terror.

He approached her with an intensity that was impossible to ignore.

"Dad? Who is he? " Laurel asked, taking cautious steps up the stairs where she stood.

The room fell silent as he moved even closer, his voice was laced with an unmistakable authority.

"Laurel," he said, his words resonating through the air, "I am your Alpha. You are mine, and I have come to claim you."

"W...what?" Laurel looked puzzled.

What is he talking about? And why does he made her feel so afraid and yet drawn to him?

"Dad? I don't like this man, tell him to leave our house" Laurel said, her gaze moving to her parents whose heads hung low.

Her parents, against all expectation, seemed to consent, their expressions betraying a heartbreaking mix of sorrow and resignation.

"Come here" the man ordered

"No! Get the hell out of our house! Who the fuck are you?"

"Mum! Dad! Say SOMETHING!!" Laurel yelled, fear in her eyes as her body shook in fright of the unknown..

He grabs her hand, tired of all this nonsense.

"I said don't touch me!"

Laurel slaps him in the face but he stood like a human statue.

Laurel's heart doubled over when his Amber eyes turned Gold.

Her body shook in shock as her mouth hung open...

"How...."

A deafening slap brushed her fine olive skin, a metallic liquid filled her mouth.

Laurel stared at him in horror.

"There won't be a warning next time" He warned in a dangerously low groan...

"Dad he....he just hit me..." Laurel said, staring at the stranger man with more fear than before...

"Go with him Laurel. He's your Alpha" her father said.

What is he talking about?

"What is going on Dad?! Mum?"

The man pulls her by the arm and flings her over his inhumanly broad shoulders.

"Let go of me!" She yelled "Mum, dad..." she cried but neither of her parents met her gaze.

He tossed her into the black jeep, slamming the doors shut while he joined her at the other side.

Laurel swallowed as he came close, silent tears running down her chin.

"What do you want from me? Let me go!" She pleaded

One deadly glare from him and she fell silent,

"Alpha Aiden?" The driver called

"Drive"

Had she been kidnapped? Why did her parents stay quiet even after he slapped her? Did her parents sell her off to some rich guy?

What will become of her in the hands of this cruel man?

Laurel's world had been turned upside down in an instant.

Nothing made sense at that point and she was starting to lose her mind.

She glanced at the ruthless man beside her, mustering the courage to ask questions.

She couldn't just sit her and allow herself to be whisked away like some doll from a shopping mall.

"Where are you taking me? What is going on?"she pleaded

This man seemed more invested in his world, staring out the window.

"I'll set simple rules, don't talk unless spoken to. I'll break off all your fingers and if you raise your hands to me again. You will accord me the appropriate respect and don't expect I treat you different because you're the Luna"

Laurel was more confused than she was before.

"I....I don't understand.... Please. Please take me back home to my parents sir! I....I think you got the wrong person, I don't understand any of this. Please...." Laurel cried

He didn't seem bothered, rather he looked like he'd been forced to do this.

"I'm not delighted to have a weakling like you in the same space. Do yourself a favour, swallow that haunting noise from your lips or you'll get more than a slap" he warned

Laurel shuts her mouth as instructed, knowing there was no way she could jump out of a racing car since the driver locked the doors....

And the thought of his eyes switching colours...

Laurel felt the hairs on her body shoot up as fear overwhelmed every cell in her body....

What is he?

The journey to the Alpha's domain was shrouded in an eerie silence, broken only by the sound of tires on the pavement.

Laurel's heart pounded in her chest, each beat a reminder of the unknown fate that awaited her.

She cast furtive glances at the Alpha, his presence commanding and intimidating, amplifying her trepidation.

Arriving at a secluded mansion nestled deep within the woods, Aiden got out of the car, walking towards the front porch guarded by men in very casual clothes.

This was her chance to make a run for it!

Laurel got out of the car and took to her heels without warning, her heart racing wildly in her chest.

'Don't look back, don't look back'!

She muttered to herself,her bare feet on the cold floors but she didn't care.

She knew she couldn't stay with a man that didn't hesitate to hit her earlier.

Everything in her body had warned her to run away from this man.

He was nothing but danger.

Laurel almost screamed when she saw Aiden right in front of her, arms folded and eyes that golden colour.

"No...." Laurel staggered backwards before making a turn to the right, into the woods.

And there he was once again, right in front of her.

Laurel fell to the ground, crying mainly out of fear.

"Please..." she cried.

"Alpha Aiden"

Laurel heard another voice behind her.

"This is the boder of the rogues Alpha. We must leave" the man said

Nothing made sense to her ....

Nothing....

Aiden picks her up and notions her with coldness to walk right in front of him.

Laurel knew her fate was sealed, there was no going back...

Within a twinkle of an eye, she felt a arm around her waist and the next second, she was right in front of the mansion.

Laurel glanced at him in horror, her knees unsteady as she shook.

"What the hell are you?" She asked staring at him.

"It's no fault of mine your mother refused you the life you were born into " Aiden replied harshly.

The grandeur of the estate was juxtaposed by an unmistakable aura of darkness.

The numerous number of maids and men, bowed on Aiden approaching, confusing Laurel even further...

Aiden walks into the mansion, the other man right beside him and Laurel tailed behind with a maid right behind her.

They walked through a labyrinth of unfamiliar corridors, entering the long hallway with several lights.

"Alpha Aiden, one of the maids was found with a rouge. She is currently in the dungeon...."

"Kill her"

Laurel stared at the back of his head in shock, did he just say that?

So carelessly?

"Don't ask for my thoughts, don't imprison them, kill on sight am I clear Richard?"

"Yes Alpha!"

"Get her a room, away from my chambers. I don't want to see her until the ceremony" Aiden instructed as he made a turn to the right.

Richard glances over his shoulders, offering Laurel a smile but there was nothing reassuring about his smile.

Nothing was reassuring at all!

"Luna, your room is right this way" the maid offered, her head bowed.

She was led into a dimly lit room adorned with ancient tapestries and a crackling fireplace.

Laurel's eyes darted around, searching for a glimmer of familiarity or solace, but finding none.

She felt like a pawn in a game she didn't understand, trapped within a world that she wasn't familiar with.

Where was she? And what is he?

"Shall I set your bath Luna?" The young girl asked

Now that Laurel could see clearly, the maid is just a teen..

"Why do you call me Luna? Where am I? And what is going on?"

"You are the Alpha's bride. The long awaited Luna. And you're in Moonrise Kingdom." The maid offered

"His bride?"

Why would she be bride to a man she barely knew? Did her parents really sell her off to marry some rando?

"Yes Luna, and it is such a great honour" the maid said

Laurel shook her head, everyone here is clearly out of their minds.

"How do I get out of here ?" Laurel asked, glancing around the room for a windown.

"You can't leave Luna...."

"I am not your Luna and this, is a mistake I tell you" she noticed a window far up in the celing....

"Luna if you leave, I will lose my life. The Alpha will kill me"

Laurel froze, the thought of his harsh words from earlier hunted her.

"Is he really....going to kill you?" Laurel asked, scared of what the truth might be....

"Yes Luna. Please, you cannot leave" the maid pleaded earnestly

Laurel took a bath in an ancient looking bathroom and was clothed with a corsets and gowns like the mid victorian...

Laurel wondered what part of the world she was in....

No, she wasn't going to think about it, she did not belong here and will be leaving soon...

"Would you like to have a meal Luna?" The girl asked

"Yes"

The girl took a bow and headed out of the room, just enough time for Laurel to walk out of the room and make a run for it.

The window was way too high for her to climb, she would have to risk running out the front door or back door if she found one..

Laurel walked down the hallway, cautious of the guards and hid when she felt seen..

The front door was opened and the guards seem to be carried away.

Laurel slipped to the back of the house, searching for a back door.

She follows a maid discreetly until the woman lands at the back door, heading out to hang some clothes.

Laurel made a run for it...

She got caught because he had seen her run, but now he had the least idea where she was headed...

"I'm holding back because of you stupidity and I've had enough"

Laurel sprains her ankle at the booming voice.

Sweat covered her face and fear evident in her eyes as she glanced up at Aiden.

"Let me go! I don't want to be here! I have a life outside...."

"Throw her into the dungeon" he ordered Richard

"Your highness, she's......"

"Don't you dare! Richard!" Aiden barked, frightening the wit out of Laurel.

"Yes your highness"

The men behind Richard held Laurel up, forcing her towards the dungeon.

"Where are you taking me? Let go!" Laurel screamed

"Your highness, she's your Luna! It doesn't speak well to have her in dungeon" Richard reasoned

"She think it's some playground where you pick what part to act in a child's play " Aiden replied

"She's not strong enough to withstand the extreme temperature Aiden, we are built for it but she isn't" Richard warned

Aiden smirks, "Makes it much more fun to watch, don't you think?"

"It's not! You're going to be married to that woman in less than five days!" Richard reminded

"Let me know how many times she passes out, would you?"

"You're impossible" Richard walks away, earning a chuckle from Aiden.

*****

The walls of the dungeon seemed to close in around Laurel as she paced back and forth, her heart pounding in her chest.

Fear and desperation fueled her desire to escape the clutches of the Alpha, for she couldn't bring herself to accept the bewildering fate that had been forced upon her.

She should have listened to the little girl...

Laurel's heart raced at the thought of what must have become of the little girl....

With each step, Laurel's mind raced, seeking a plan, a glimmer of hope.

The dimly lit corridor offered little solace, but determination flickered within her. She had to find a way out, to reclaim her freedom.....

"There's no way out of here. The walls of this place is heavily guarded by the King's men"

Laurel turned, there was no one in her cell with her.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Ava. My space is next to yours, on the right"

Laurel walks to her right, leaning her hands on the concrete wall.

"How do you know I'm trying to get out?" Laurel asked in suspicion.

Ava chuckled,"your every thought is audible. Far too loud" Ava said

"I didn't say it out loud."

"You don't have to. It's easier to read through the link" Ava replied

"The link? What are you talking about?"

Ava chuckled

"Are you new to this world? You don't know what a link is?"

Laurel sat on the ground, her back against the wall.

"I was dragged here by....Aiden"

"Alpha Aiden." Ava corrected in a haste.

"If you don't want the guards to accuse you of treason, you must pay your respects!"

Laurel watched as the guard walk round , passing them all plates of fruits and nothing else.

They walk out, slamming the gates shut firmly behind them...

"What did you do for the Alpha to have to get you himself?" Ava asked

"He said I'm his Luna" Laurel said

Ava chuckled "Tough luck" she muttered

"I..." she swallowed " got in here for hunting beyond the borders " Ava offered

"I was sentenced to a century. I'm halfway through with that " She adds

"A century? And...and you're not dead?"

No, everyone here is on a whole level of crazy....

"Werewolves live longer. Maybe not as long as those blood sucking imbeciles but we do fare well, aging for centuries"

Laurel's hand froze, werewolves?

"We...werewolves?"

Ava glanced at the wall behind her , a bit confused.

"Are you human?" Ava sniffs the air and frowned "The Alpha's scent is all over you, i can't tell"

"Are you saying...you're a werewolf?"Laurel asked, frightened by the reality of the fairytale turning out to be true...

What would become of her?

"You're different from the others Luna. If you're his mate, you're tied to him for life. Even if you escape, he'll always find you "

Laurel's hope shattered, she was really tied to this man with no hope of escape...

Tied to a cruel and heartless man....

"I...I just got out of high-school, I was going to KentBark college in the city Central. I had my life planned!" Laurel couldn't believe her fate changed less than five hours ago....

She was losing her mind and nothing made sense anymore.

The more she learnt , the more crazy she thought the idea was....

Ava chuckled, "You're one of those wolfs who went off living like humans" She took a bite of her fruit "Fate is as funny as always" she muttered.

"You got the good side though. The Luna. You rule over all and that's a good thing" Ava offered

Some men came running into the dungeon, covered in blood and armed with arrows and spears...

"About time" Ava replied as she got on her feet.

The men walked towards Ava's cell and released her immediately.

"We're sorry it took us so long Luna '' they said, on theor knees.

Ava walks past them casually, not a word to Laurel.

"Wait, Ava, help me out of here!" Laurel pleaded

"You don't know who you're siding with. You won't be there for long"

Ava and her men walk away, leaving Laurel to her helpless cries for help...

Who is Ava? Did they really call her Luna?

Does the Alpha have two brides?