THE ALPHA'S OBSESSIONs

"Where the hell is she?"

Beta Kieran's voice cuts through the house like a shotgun blast, and my stomach drops because, of course, he's talking about me the lone miserable servant still breathing under this roof of insanity.

I groan quietly and drag myself up from the floor, grabbing the cleaning basket like it's some kind of lifeline. Technically, it is. If my hands aren't busy, someone always finds another way to remind me how useless I am.

Kieran spots me immediately. His lips curl like a predator that's just found wounded prey. He storms toward me, grabbing my arm so hard his nails scrape across my cheek.

I don't scream.

Years of surviving this circus have trained me well.

Keep your mouth shut. Keep your eyes on the floor.

Breathe quietly. Speak only when spoken to. Move only when commanded. Pain is routine. Humiliation is standard. Survival is optional if you screw up.

"Alpha Kael and I are expecting a guest, and somehow, magically, you've still managed to screw up the office!" Beta Kieran snarls, each word dripping with venom.

I tighten my grip on the cleaning basket.

For a brief moment, I imagine swinging it at his face, hard enough to break his nose. The fantasy lasts less than a second. Kieran is faster, stronger, and far more cruel than I could ever afford to challenge. One wrong move and I'd spend another week without food... or chained in the cellar again.

"Do you even understand how crucial this is?" he continues. "Alpha Kael. The alliance. His pack"

The rest of his rant fades into noise.

I stare at the floor instead. Answering him would only give him another reason to hurt me.

Still, one name echoes in my mind.

Alpha Kael.

Rumors about him spread through every pack territory like wildfire. Crimson eyes. Ruthless.

Powerful. The kind of Alpha whose presence alone could make lesser wolves bow their heads.

Leader of the largest pack in existence. Feared by wolves smart enough to stay out of his way.

And here I am... staring at a cleaning basket while my life continues to rot around me.

Kieran shoves me forward roughly, his nails digging into my shoulder like shards of ice as he pushes me down the hallway toward the office.

"Useless wolf," he mutters before disappearing.

I bite the inside of my cheek, swallowing the anger burning in my chest. Screaming would only make things worse.

The office door slams shut behind me.

I sink slowly to the floor, staring around the room. It's spotless. Perfect. Every surface gleams like it belongs in a palace instead of this cursed pack house.

Perfect enough for a powerful Alpha to judge.

Perfect enough for someone to decide my fate without a second thought.

I exhale shakily.

Eighteen years old.

Technically an adult. Technically free.

Freedom.

What a joke.

Four years later, I'm still here. A ghost. A servant. A mistake with a pulse.

A quiet throat clears behind me.

My body freezes.

I'm not alone.

Slowly, I turn my head.

And there he is.

Alpha Kael.

He's sitting comfortably in one of the chairs like he owns the room-and maybe the entire pack house along with it. His dark hair is slicked back neatly, and a glass of whiskey rests lazily in his hand. But it's his eyes that steal the air from my lungs.

Crimson.

Not dark brown. Not amber.

Red.

They glow faintly under the dim light, studying me with lazy amusement, like he already knows every secret I've tried to bury.

"Is this how you greet visiting Alphas?" he asks.

His voice is calm. Smooth.

Dangerous.

My heart begins to pound violently in my chest.

"I...I'm sorry," I whisper quickly, scrambling to my feet. "I thought I was alone."

Of course he doesn't introduce himself. Someone like him wouldn't need to.

"Step forward," he says.

The simple command makes my throat tighten.

If Kieran sees me standing this close to him... I'll be punished later. I know it.

Still, disobeying an Alpha would be worse.

My legs tremble as I obey.

I expect pain.

Humiliation.

Maybe even death.

Instead, Kael tilts his head slightly, studying me like I'm something strange he's just discovered.

"You smell... off," he says slowly. "And yet... you're a wolf."

I nod weakly.

Most wolves laugh when they realize what I am.

Most of them hate me even more once they learn the truth.

"Speak when addressed," he growls softly.

"Yes," I whisper immediately, panic clawing its way up my throat.

Mistakes pile up in my chest like bricks.

"Why do you smell strange?" he continues. "And why didn't you sense me?"

I hesitate.

The truth is messy. Dangerous.

"My... abilities were sealed," I mutter quietly.

That answer is simple enough to avoid further questions.

For a moment, Kael says nothing. Then he leans forward slowly, placing his glass down with a soft clink.

"Who would do that?"

"Punishment," I whisper.

The word tastes bitter on my tongue.

Memories of my twin sister Liora flicker painfully in my mind. Her smile. Her laughter. The moment everything went wrong.

Before Kael can question me further, the office door suddenly swings open.

Beta Kieran storms inside.

"Liora! What the hell are you doing in my office?" he snaps immediately.

Kael doesn't even flinch.

"She was showing me in," he says smoothly.

Kieran freezes.

I know that look on his face. I'll pay for this later.

"Go fetch Alpha Jarek," he orders me harshly. "Our guest is here."

I nod quickly and rush out before anyone can change their mind.

The dining hall is quiet when I arrive.

"Alpha Jarek wants you," I say softly. "The guest has arrived."

The newspaper slams down on the table.

Dark eyes glare up at me.

My brother.

"Lucky the Alpha sent you," he mutters coldly. "Otherwise you'd be skipping meals again."

His hand suddenly grabs my hair, yanking my head back painfully.

The message is clear.

Remember your place.

Minutes later, I'm back in the office holding a tray of champagne.

My hands tremble as I begin pouring drinks.

Kael suddenly takes the bottle from me.

"I can manage," he says calmly.

Heat rushes to my cheeks not embarrassment, not pride. Just fear.

I should've been faster. More invisible.

But I've never been perfect. My scars prove that.

Kael's gaze shifts toward my brother.

"She's your sister?"

Jarek's jaw tightens. "She is."

Kael raises a brow. "Then why do you treat her like shit?"

The room goes silent.

No one dares answer.

Finally Kieran scoffs.

"She killed Liora."

My eyes shut instantly.

The accusation still hurts even after all these years.

"Responsible... how?" Kael asks quietly.

"She poisoned her," Kieran mutters.

Don't breathe. Don't react.

Kael steps closer and grabs my chin, forcing me to look up. His fingers slide from my jaw to my throat, gripping it just enough to remind me how fragile I am.

"You killed her?"

"I was ten," I whisper weakly. "I just wanted to make lemonade."

Memories flash painfully in my mind Liora's laughter, her sudden scream, the chaos that followed.

Kael glances toward Kieran.

"Hardly seems fair to blame a child."

"A ten-year-old should know better," Kieran snaps.

Kael ignores him. His crimson eyes return to me.

"A wolf should sense another wolf," he says slowly. "So why didn't you sense me?"

My stomach twists.

"My abilities were sealed," I whisper again.

"By whom?"

"My brother."

The words hang heavily in the air.

Kael studies me for a long moment. Then he leans closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous murmur.

"Interesting."

Kieran suddenly explodes. "You"

"Enough," Kael interrupts sharply. "She's alive. That's more than your pack deserves."

Kieran's face turns red with rage, but he stays silent.

Kael's attention drifts back to me.

His eyes narrow slightly.

He inhales slowly. Once. Then again.

Something in his expression changes.

The amusement disappears.

Replaced by something darker.

"What..." he murmurs quietly, "...is that scent?"

My blood runs cold.

Kieran frowns. "What scent?"

But Kael isn't looking at him anymore.

He's staring directly at me like I'm the answer to a mystery he just discovered.

His grip tightens slightly as he pulls me closer.

"You're not just a wolf," he says slowly.

The entire room falls silent.

My heart stops.

Because if Alpha Kael realizes what I truly am...

Then the secret I've spent ten years hiding will finally destroy me.

"Looks like she was set up," Alpha Kael muttered, letting go of my throat like it had been nothing more than a toy tossed around for amusement.

His crimson eyes locked on me, sharp, calculating, terrifying. "Standard wolfsbane doesn't affect us anymore. We evolved past that centuries ago."

I blinked twice. My brain short-circuited. Wait. What? Wolfsbane? Not lethal? Not fatal? Everything I'd been taught, every trembling warning and fearful glance I'd carried since I could walk, suddenly felt like lies.

"Which only leaves... Blood of Wolfsbane," he added casually, as if naming a dessert and not a substance that could kill.

"You weren't there, Kael," Alpha Jarek spat, teeth clenched, eyes narrowing dangerously. "It was standard wolfsbane, nothing more." His gaze flicked to me with that judgmental, alpha-brother glare that reminded me why I hated being born into this family.

Kael tilted his head, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Correct. You weren't there. But tell me this where would a six-year-old even get something like Blood of Wolfsbane?" My stomach dropped. My wolf, sealed for years, twitched in panic. Guilt clung to me, raw and impossible to hide.

Before Jarek could answer, Kael's gaze shifted to me. The air thickened. Every ounce of confidence I'd pretended to hold vanished. My throat went dry.

My hands itched to curl into fists, but I froze. He wasn't just an alpha; he was a storm contained in human skin, and I was about to be swept away.

"I didn't call you here to talk about your slave," Jarek snarled. "Or about... our parents ' "

Kael lifted a hand, stopping him mid rant. "I see. Then I'll leave you to your chaos," he said, calm as a lake, though there was a glint in his eyes danger, amusement, curiosity all at once. And that's when I realized the terrifying part: he didn't even blink when looking at me. Not once.

As soon as Kael stepped out, Jarek and Beta Kieran lunged at me. "What did you say to him?" Jarek demanded, slamming a hand into my stomach like he had a personal vendetta against my insides.

"N-nothing! I swear!" I gasped, curling into myself.

"He just... asked why I smelled... different."

"Did you tell him?" Kieran's voice dripped venom. I hated him so much, I fantasized for a fleeting second about ripping his throat out, but I didn't. Not yet.

"WELL?" Jarek snapped when I didn't respond fast enough, smacking my head. I forced my body upright, teeth gritting. "I didn't say it was you," I whispered, fragile.

Jarek yanked my hair back. Pain shot through my skull in sharp bursts, a reminder of every second I'd spent being "nothing" in this house. He dragged me down the hallway toward the basement. "If you've ruined this, you won't see daylight again," he hissed.

"Please..." I begged, voice trembling. "He's... he's an alpha! I had to answer him!"

And then he appeared. Alpha Kael, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, crimson eyes like fire licking through ice. My brother's grip vanished instantly, and I nearly screamed at the relief.

"I thought you had left," Jarek muttered, frustration threading his words.

"I said I would. Then I found a basement filled with your sister's... scent. Is this how you treat family?" Kael's voice was low, calm, but it pressed against my chest like a hand.

"She deserves it," Jarek snapped. "She killed our parents."

Kael's laugh was quiet, cold, merciless. "If I agree to your deal, everything becomes my business. Tell me, what punishment do you plan for her? Starvation? Beatings? Lockdown?"

"Really?" Jarek hissed. "You expect her to survive?"

Kael's eyes swept over me slowly, measuring, assessing. Underfed. Bags under tired blue eyes.

"A sister of an alpha," he murmured, voice heavy, "treated like a ghost. Regardless of what she did as a pup."

"She did it!" Jarek seethed. "But it has nothing to do with this deal!"

"That's for me to decide," Kael said, crimson gaze flicking from my brother to me. "Where is her mate? I'd like to know her thoughts."

I closed my eyes, silently praying my Luna wasn't around. Kael sneered, dismissing the question with a flick of his wrist. "On second thought... leave her out. She's likely as vile as you."

I peeked through slits. No defense. No rescue. Just me, marked, a traitor in my own home. And instead of death, my brother had sentenced me to endless suffering.

"Alpha Jarek," Kael said finally, smirking, controlled, infuriating. "I have a proposition."

Jarek's jaw clenched. "We've agreed."

"Not entirely. If you refuse, you won't get my help. You'd rather have me as an enemy, I assume?"

"You want her?" Jarek muttered, teeth gritted.

Kael's gaze shifted to me. "Yes. She comes to my pack, and then we talk terms."

My stomach dropped. Why me? I was nothing. A ghost. A mistake.

"Deal," Jarek said, sticking out his hand. Kael ignored it, cupping my face instead, thumb brushing my bottom lip. Eyes piercing, measuring, calculating. My wolf twitched inside, sensing danger... and something else.

Then he strode to the door. "One hand laid on her, and your contract will be the least of your worries," he warned, slamming the door behind him.

I bolted to my tiny bedroom. My few belongings, clothes in a bag, mocked me. Less than a minute to pack, but my mind raced. Kael's questions, his stare, the Blood of Wolfsbane... Why did he care? Why me?

By morning, we were driving to Moonshine Packhouse. Kael's men followed silently. My bag felt like dead weight. My pulse slammed against my ribs. I hid behind corners, dragging my belongings, heart hammering.

"Are you ready?" a voice called.

"Don't speak unless spoken to," another hissed behind me.

I stepped forward. Kael's eyes caught mine immediately scarlet fire, dangerous, assessing.

My wolf growled low in my mind, sensing him. Curious. Protective. Hungry.

"This isn't like the others," Kael said low, commanding. "Don't touch her. Don't stare too long."

I shivered. I knew my life had just been ripped from everything I knew. Nothing would ever be simple.

Nothing safe. And I was going to have to survive the storm that was Alpha Kael.

Looking past Beta Kieran, I spot her clinging to a statue of herself at the bottom of the stairs.

Blonde hair falls in careless waves, green eyes sharp, calculating, measuring. She sways as she moves toward Trey, like a predator unaware she's being watched. I can't help but recall Liora's reaction yesterday. When I'd asked Trey about his mate, her whole body had stiffened, taut with fear.

She was scared of this woman. Something about her made Liora flinch, and I wanted answers.

"Take her, Alpha Kael. I'm sure she'll serve you as well as she serves us." Her shrill voice cuts through me like glass. "Look at the pathetic thing she's going to pass out." The blonde laughs, cruel and hollow.

"You don't get to speak about her like that," I snap, glaring. "She's not your toy, not your slave. Alpha Trey, I suggest you keep your mate in line. I won't tolerate any more disobedience."

"DISOBEDIENCE!" the woman screeches as Liora hits the floor. "How dare you! If anyone's disobedient, it's that rat in the corner!" Rat? I growl silently, teeth clenched. Who the hell is she calling a rat?

"You should familiarize yourself with our agreement," I snap. "Seems your mate didn't tell you everything." I wave Eric forward. From under his arm, he pulls a thick wad of paper the contract I'd drawn up.

"All of this for your help?" His mate's eyes widen.

"I don't do half-baked contracts." I shove the paper into Trey's chest. "Office. Now."

Trey leads, his mate clutching him, Beta following behind. My men trail, while I hang back, watching Liora. "You're more than welcome to join us you're part of this deal. Or... my car is outside. You can pack and wait."

She murmurs, eyes low. "Those are my only options?"

"For now. Honestly? Sit with us. Nothing will irritate your brother's mate more." Her blue eyes stay fixed downward, fingers clutching her bag like it's life itself. The closer I get, the clearer it is: she's fragile, heart slow, fighting to stay alive.

"So, what will it be?" I ask.

"I... I..." Her head tilts between the door and the office. "I... I guess the office."

"Good choice." I offer my hand. She ignores it.

Wobbly, but upright, following her. I catch the glares she earns from Trey and the others as she steps into the office.

"Take a seat," I whisper, brushing her lower back.

She freezes, rigid, eyes darting.

"Sit!" I repeat, louder. "She doesn't have that privilege here!"

The blonde sneers, amused. "Sitting isn't a privilege."

I growl, scanning for bruises, evidence. None visible. Small relief. Aero paces in my head. He wants her out of this chaos as much as I do. The blonde recoils, shocked I spoke.

"And I suggest," I glare at Trey, "you tell your mate to keep her mouth shut or I'll do it for you."

Alpha Kael interrupts, calm, commanding: "You want my help, yes?" The room seethes. No one likes being told what to do. But here, they are. I point to the empty chair between Jenson and Eric.

She sits, hesitantly.

"Let's finish this," Trey snaps. "The sooner she's gone, the better."

"You should read the contract," I mutter.

'Agreed,' Eric murmurs. They sign without reading, throwing the papers back. "Done," Trey mutters.

"Good. Get her out." His mate screeches in protest.

If I had my way, I'd take Liora now and leave the idiots behind. But the contract is ironclad they can't reclaim her. I rise, hand extended.

"Come. We're leaving before I lose my temper."

Her fingers slip into mine. Her other hand clutches her bag to her chest. She doesn't glance back, confirming my suspicion: she hates them as much as they hate her. At the open door, she hesitates, staring at the limo. "Come." Eric and Jenson flank her, curious, alert. She looks like a deer in headlights tiny, frail. Skin and bone. My hands trace the outline of every rib. Sickening.

She should be strong, powerful, Alpha blood surging through her veins. Her face scrunches as I measure her. Not fear. Pain. She hides it beneath a baggy maid's dress.

"I know you want to say something. Just say it.

I'm not interested in Trey's garbage. Speak freely. Are you injured?"

"No." Lies. I can feel it. A lock of black hair slips from the band meant to hold it. She's protective, starved, hardened. He'll pay for what he did.

"You must speak, Liora. When I mark you, I'll know what you feel."

"Mark me?" Her eyes widen, disbelief written across her face.

"Yes. I will mark you." She's shocked. Pink lips parting, hesitant, cautious. I thought she knew

that was why she'd submitted so easily. My Beta questioned me, uncertain. Her scent is strange... intoxicating. My wolf Aero hungers for her too, frustrated I didn't bring her yesterday.

"You... brought this to mark me?" She steps back toward the kitchen island, wincing, then forcing composure. If Trey had read the contract, he'd know: she is my bride, not a slave. Any interference, she becomes ours mine. I never bought her. Liora was always destined to be mine.

"I'm a murderer," she whispers. "Why would someone like you want me as a bride?"

Aero growls, cutting through my thoughts. Blood.

Vulnerability. Power.

I glance down. Baggy dress, a new blood stain where I touched her. "Injured?" I demand. Barely touched her.

"Nothing. A cut. I knocked it. It opens. I forget it's there." Forget? Impossible. Aero panics. Less than two hours, already injured. No healing. Binding.

We must reverse it soon.

"Show me."

"Fine," she mutters.

"Not optional. If you refuse, I will see for myself."

Her heart skips. "Can we go somewhere private?"

"Private?" I scoff. Wolf logic. She keeps focus slightly averted, afraid of my gaze.

"Office," Aero mutters.

"Perfect," I snap, motioning toward the door. She follows. The scent of blood intensifies. Already worse than a simple cut. Inside, I drop the blinds.

Sunlight retreats. Hesitant, she begins unfastening her dress... only near the large bloodstain. Everything else remains hidden. Four inch wound, infected, painful.

"See? It's fine," she whispers.

"Stop saying that." I grab her hands, spotting more bruises. "Let's check the rest." No options. Fingers tear buttons. Sports bra, panties worn. Bruises everywhere. Whip scars. Hip bones, ribs protruding. Turning her, pulling the dress down her back... nothing above chest, nothing below thighs.

Arms bare. Only one reason: hide abuse, hide appearances. Guests cannot see. Planned for months. She fumbles, pulling dress tight, thin frame revealed.