FATED TO THE ALPHA I HATE

Elara Pov

"You look beautiful, sister," Celestia said from the doorway.

I did not turn around because I knew what I would see. My twin stood there with her golden hair cascading down her back and her honey brown eyes gleaming with something that looked like pity but felt like triumph. She wore a silver gown that matched mine but somehow on her it looked right while on me it felt like a costume.

"Thank you," I said.

My hands shook as I fastened the last pearl button on my sleeve. Three months of investigation and all the evidence I gathered against Father sat hidden beneath the floorboards under my bed. Lyanna's journal with her elegant handwriting detailing every dark magic transaction and every lie was wrapped in cloth and tucked between my mother's old letters. I memorized every word because I knew I could not bring the journal to the altar but once Adrian and I were bonded and I had his pack's protection I would speak and everyone would finally know what Darius Moonshadow really was.

"Are you nervous?" Celestia asked.

"A little," I said.

She laughed and it sounded like wind chimes but there was something sharp underneath. "Adrian is a good man. You are lucky he agreed to this match despite everything."

Despite everything meant to be wolfless and despite the shame I brought to our bloodline and even though our mother supposedly killed herself because she could not bear the disgrace of birthing a defective daughter. I swallowed the bitterness and smiled at my reflection in the mirror.

"I know I am lucky," I said.

"Father wanted me to check on you," Celestia said. "Make sure you understand how important today is."

"I understand," I said.

"Do you?" she asked. "Because this marriage is the only thing keeping our family's reputation intact. Adrian's pack is powerful and his bloodline is pure and when you bind yourself to him today you will finally be worth something."

I turned to look at her then and saw the way her mouth curved into a smile that did not reach her eyes.

"I said I understand," I repeated.

"Good," she said. "Father also wanted me to remind you that you represent the Moon Chosen bloodline today. Try not to embarrass us more than you already have just by existing."

She left before I could respond and I turned back to the mirror and took a deep breath. Today would change everything and not in the way Celestia or Father expected.

The temple was full of territorial Alphas and their mates and pack members from across the region. I walked down the aisle alone because Father refused to escort me and said it would be inappropriate given my status. Whispers followed me like ghosts and I kept my chin up and my eyes forward. Adrian stood at the altar in formal robes with his golden hair gleaming under the sacred moonlight streaming through the glass ceiling.

He looked at me and something flashed in his amber eyes but it was gone before I could name it.

The priestess began the ceremony and her voice echoed through the temple. "We gather under the moon's blessing to witness the union of two packs and two souls."

I barely heard her words because my heart pounded so loud it drowned everything out. This was it and once we completed the vows I would have the protection I needed and I would stand before all these Alphas and reveal what Father had done and justice would finally come for my mother.

"Alpha Adrian Silverclaw," the priestess said. "Do you accept this bond?"

Adrian opened his mouth and I waited for the words that would change everything.

"No," he said.

The temple went silent and I felt the ground tilt under my feet.

"What?" I whispered.

Adrian turned away from me and walked down the steps of the altar. He moved toward where Celestia stood in the front row and she looked just as shocked as everyone else but when he reached for her hand she gave it to him without hesitation.

"I claim Celestia Moonshadow as my chosen mate," Adrian announced.

The whispers exploded into chaos and I stood frozen at the altar while my mind tried to make sense of what just happened. This was not real and it could not be real because Adrian and I had been promised since childhood and he knew about the evidence and he knew I needed this bond to protect myself and he was supposed to choose me.

Father rose from his seat and the entire temple fell silent again. His face was cold and his eyes when they landed on me held nothing but contempt.

"I, Alpha Darius Moonshadow, disown Elara Moonshadow from this pack and this bloodline," he said.

My legs nearly gave out and I grabbed the altar to steady myself.

"Father," I said but my voice came out broken.

"You are a stain on the Moon Chosen name," he continued. "I name Celestia my heir and true daughter. You are no longer welcome in this house."

"But I did nothing wrong," I said.

"You exist," Father said. "That is wrong enough."

An Alpha in the third row stood up and I recognized him as Alpha Marcus from the eastern territories.

"This is highly irregular, Darius," Marcus said. "The girl was promised to Adrian since childhood."

"Adrian has chosen," Father said. "As is his right. My daughter failed to produce a wolf and therefore failed to uphold her end of the arrangement. The contract is void."

"She is still your blood," another Alpha said.

"She stopped being my blood the moment her mother's weakness manifested in her," Father said. "I have been patient long enough. Elara Moonshadow is no longer part of this pack."

The Alphas in the crowd murmured and some nodded in agreement while others looked uncomfortable but no one spoke against him. I looked at Adrian and he would not meet my eyes and I looked at Celestia and she was crying but she did not let go of his hand.

I ran.

My silver gown tangled around my legs as I fled the temple and tears blurred my vision as I stumbled through the pack house halls. I made it to my room and slammed the door behind me and pressed my back against it while my whole world crumbled into pieces around me.

Someone knocked and I almost did not answer but then Adrian's voice came through the door.

"Elara, please. Let me in."

I opened the door because I was stupid and desperate and I needed answers.

Adrian slipped inside and closed the door behind him. His face was pale and his hands were shaking and he looked at me with so much pain that for a second I thought maybe this was not his choice.

"Why?" I asked. "Why would you do this to me?"

"You have to run," he said. "Run far away if you want to survive."

"What are you talking about?"

"I cannot explain," he said. "Just trust me. Leave tonight and do not look back."

"No," I said. "You do not get to destroy my life and then tell me to run. Tell me why you rejected me."

"Elara, please," he said.

"Tell me," I demanded.

He turned to go and I grabbed his arm.

"Adrian, please. I do not understand. We were supposed to be bonded today. You knew how important this was. You knew I needed your protection."

He pulled away and looked at me one last time.

"I am sorry, Elara. For everything," he said. "But staying here will get you killed. Run while you still can."

"Killed by who?" I asked. "What is happening?"

"Just go," he said.

Then he was gone and I was alone again.

I sank to the floor and let the tears come because everything I planned was destroyed and everyone I trusted had turned on me and I did not know what to do. But then I remembered the journal under the floorboards and the evidence I spent three months gathering and the promise I made to my mother's memory.

Something was terribly wrong and my father was at the center of it.

Elara Pov

I stayed on the floor for what felt like hours but was probably only minutes because I could still hear the crowd in the temple talking and their voices drifted through the walls like poison. My silver gown was wrinkled and tear-stained and I knew I looked pathetic but I could not bring myself to care.

The door burst open without warning.

Father stood in the doorway with two of his enforcers behind him. His face was carved from ice and his eyes held no trace of the man who used to read me bedtime stories when I was small.

"Get up," he said.

I stood because my body obeyed even when my mind screamed at me to stay down and make him drag me out.

"You humiliated this family," Father said.

"I did not do anything," I said. "Adrian rejected me."

"Because you are worthless," he said. "A wolfless disgrace who shamed your mother into the grave."

The words hit like fists and I flinched but I forced myself to meet his eyes.

"Mother did not kill herself," I said.

Something flickered across his face but it was gone so fast I almost missed it.

"Do not speak of things you do not understand," he said.

"I understand more than you think," I said.

He stepped closer and his power pressed against me like a physical weight. I was wolfless and weak and he could crush me without even trying but I held my ground.

"You will leave this pack," he said. "Tonight."

"Fine," I said. "I will go."

I expected him to just throw me out but instead, he smiled and it was the kind of smile that made my stomach turn.

"I am not completely without mercy," he said. "You will attend the northern academy. Prove yourself worthy there and perhaps one day you can return."

I stared at him because this made no sense. Father never showed mercy and he definitely never gave second chances.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because despite everything, you are still my blood," he said. "I will not have it said that I abandoned my daughter without giving her a chance to redeem herself."

He pulled a sealed letter from his jacket and held it out to me.

"Give this to the headmaster when you arrive," he said. "It explains your situation and asks for their discretion."

I took the letter because I did not know what else to do. The paper was heavy and expensive and sealed with our family crest in red wax.

"You leave in an hour," Father said. "Pack only what you need. I am assigning an escort to ensure you arrive safely."

He left before I could ask any more questions and the enforcers followed him out. I stood there holding the letter and trying to figure out what game he was playing because Darius Moonshadow did not do kindness without a reason.

I moved fast after that because an hour was not much time. I changed out of the ruined wedding gown into travel clothes and packed a small bag with essentials. I pulled up the floorboard and grabbed my mother's journal and wrapped it carefully before tucking it into the bottom of my bag under my clothes. The evidence was all I had left and I would not leave it behind.

Someone knocked on my door and I tensed.

"Come in," I said.

Two wolves I did not recognize entered and they wore the uniform of Father's personal guards. Both were male and both looked at me like I was something they scraped off their boots.

"We are your escort," the taller one said. "Alpha's orders."

"I am ready," I said.

I followed them through the pack house and we took the back exits so I would not have to walk past the celebration that was probably still happening in the main hall. Celestia was getting everything she ever wanted and Adrian was getting a mate with a wolf and Father was getting rid of the daughter who knew too much.

We walked in silence through the forest and the moon was bright overhead but it felt cold instead of comforting. The guards stayed ahead of me and they did not speak and I did not try to make conversation because what would I even say?

Hours passed and my feet hurt and my bag felt heavier with each step. We crossed into neutral territory and the trees grew thicker and the path grew harder to see.

"How much farther?" I asked.

"Not long now," the shorter guard said.

Something about his tone made my skin crawl but I kept walking because what choice did I have?

We walked for another hour and then the guards stopped. We were deep in the forest now and I could not hear any pack borders or smell any markers and the moonlight barely reached through the canopy.

"Why are we stopping?" I asked.

The taller guard turned to face me and his expression was cold.

"You are declared rogue, Elara Moonshadow," he said.

My heart stopped.

"What?" I said.

"You attacked Celestia in a jealous rage," the shorter one said. "You stole sacred items from the pack vault. Alpha Darius has declared you a criminal and a danger to the pack."

"That is not true," I said. "None of that is true."

"The evidence says otherwise," the taller guard said.

"What evidence?" I demanded.

He did not answer and instead they both turned and started walking back the way we came.

"Wait," I said. "You cannot just leave me here."

"We have our orders," the shorter guard called back.

"Please," I said but they were already disappearing into the trees.

I stood there alone in hostile territory with a bag and a lie and no protection. My hands shook as I pulled out the sealed letter and broke the wax seal. I unfolded the paper and stared at it.

It was blank.

Completely blank.

No message and no explanation and no recommendation to any academy. Just expensive paper with a broken seal. I laughed but it came out choked and bitter because of course it was blank and of course Father never meant for me to reach any academy.

The truth hit me like ice water.

My father never meant for me to survive.

Elara Pov

I ran.

The blank letter fell from my hands and I did not stop to pick it up because what was the point? Father wanted me dead and he sent me out here with guards who were probably told to kill me but instead they just abandoned me in neutral territory where anyone could finish the job and no one would ask questions.

My breath came in short gasps and my bag slammed against my back with every step and tree branches scratched my face and arms but I did not slow down. I needed distance and I needed shelter and I needed to think but panic made thinking impossible.

A howl echoed through the trees behind me.

I froze and my blood turned to ice because that was a hunting call and someone was tracking me. More howls answered the first and they were getting closer and I was wolfless and alone and completely defenseless.

The sound echoed through the dark forest, sending a chill crawling down my spine. My heart pounded violently against my ribs as panic clawed at my chest. Every rustle of leaves felt like a predator's step, every breath too loud in the heavy silence. I tried to move, but fear rooted me to the spot. Whoever-or whatever-was hunting me knew exactly where I was, and the distance between us was shrinking with every haunting howl. The night suddenly felt endless.

I ran faster.

My lungs burned and my legs screamed but I pushed through the pain because dying was not an option. I had evidence and I had my mother's journal and someone needed to know the truth about what Darius did and I could not let it die with me.

The forest floor sloped downward and I almost fell twice but caught myself on tree trunks and kept moving. A river appeared ahead and I could hear the water rushing over rocks and for a second I considered jumping in but I did not know how deep it was and drowning seemed like a stupid way to die.

I turned left and followed the river downstream and hoped the water would hide my scent. The howls were so close now I could hear paws hitting the ground and branches breaking and my heart hammered so hard I thought it might burst.

A wolf appeared in front of me.

I skidded to a stop and nearly fell. The wolf was massive with gray fur and yellow eyes and saliva dripped from its bared teeth. It was not from my pack and the scent was wrong so this was a border patrol from whatever territory I stumbled into.

"Please," I said. "I am just passing through. I do not want any trouble."

The wolf snarled and took a step closer. I backed up until my shoulders hit a tree trunk.

"I am not a threat," I said. "I am wolfless. See? No wolf. Just let me go and I will leave your territory."

Two more wolves emerged from the trees behind the first and they circled me slowly. I was trapped and there was nowhere left to go.

"Please," I said again. "I did not mean to intrude. I was running from my pack and I did not realize I crossed into your territory. Just let me go."

The gray wolf lunged.

I threw my bag at its face and dove to the side. The wolf's jaws snapped shut on empty air and I scrambled to my feet and ran again but I was not fast enough. Teeth sank into my calf and I screamed as the wolf dragged me down.

Pain exploded through my leg and I kicked at the wolf's face with my other foot. It let go for a second and I rolled away and my hand closed around a rock. I swung it as hard as I could and felt it connect with the wolf's skull and the wolf yelped and backed off.

I tried to stand but my leg would not hold my weight. Blood soaked through my pants and the metallic smell filled my nose and the other wolves were closing in and I was going to die here.

My hand went to my pocket and I felt the small knife I always carried. It was meant for cutting food and opening letters but the blade was sharp and it was all I had.

The brown wolf came at me low and fast. I waited until the last second and then drove the knife up into its throat. Hot blood sprayed across my face and hands and the wolf made a horrible gurgling sound before it collapsed.

For a moment I could only stand there, chest heaving, my fingers trembling around the knife's handle. The metallic scent of blood filled the cold night air as the wolf's body twitched weakly at my feet before going still. I wiped my face with the back of my hand, but the warmth of the blood clung stubbornly to my skin. My ears strained for another sound, another movement in the shadows. If one wolf had found me, the others could not be far behind, and I knew the hunt was far from over.

I killed it.

I killed a wolf.

The gray wolf and the third wolf stopped circling and stared at their dead packmate. I pulled the knife free and it dripped red and my whole body shook but I held it up in front of me.

"Stay back," I said. "I do not want to kill anyone else but I will if you make me."

The gray wolf looked at me and I saw the moment it decided I was more trouble than I was worth. It grabbed the dead wolf by the scruff and started dragging it away. The third wolf followed and within seconds they disappeared into the trees.

I sat there in the dirt with blood on my hands and a dead wolf's scent in my nose and the knife still clutched in my shaking fingers. My leg throbbed and when I looked down I could see the bite marks and the way blood kept pulsing out with each heartbeat.

I needed to move because those wolves might come back with reinforcements and I needed to find somewhere safe to treat the wound before I bled out. I ripped a strip of fabric from my shirt and tied it tight around my calf and the pressure made me want to scream but it slowed the bleeding.

My hands shook as I pulled the knot tighter, my teeth clenched against the wave of pain that shot up my leg. The forest spun slightly around me, shadows stretching and twisting between the trees. I forced myself to breathe slowly, fighting the dizziness creeping into my head. Staying still meant dying, and I refused to end like that. Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself up and began to limp forward, each step heavy and unsteady, leaving dark drops of blood on the cold ground behind me.

"Get up," I told myself. "Get up or die here."

I tried to stand and almost blacked out from the pain. My vision swam and black spots danced at the edges and I grabbed a tree branch to keep from falling.

"Please," I whispered to no one. "I just need to survive a little longer. Just long enough to tell someone the truth."

I took one step and then another and each one felt like knives in my leg but I kept going. My bag was somewhere back where the first wolf attacked and I did not have the strength to go find it so I left it behind. The journal was in there and all my evidence but staying alive mattered more than paper and ink.

The trees started to blur together and I could not tell if I was walking in circles or making progress. My leg gave out and I fell hard on my hands and knees and this time I could not get back up.

Blood loss made everything fuzzy and cold and I knew I was dying but I tried one more time to stand because I promised myself I would not give up.

My arms would not hold me and I collapsed face-first in the dirt.

My father never meant for me to survive.