The Alpha's Damnation

Seraphina is running.

Sprinting. Hiding with all her might from the big bad wolf.

The predator himself, the attacker. He no longer has the patience to wait for his prey to be lured by his charms; his facade has finally shattered, and her survival instincts are now sky-high, prompting her to run far and away from him.

He is coming with full force, prowling and growling, ready to pounce.

"I have to run faster," Seraphina mused breathlessly.

She cannot let him capture her-not today, not ever-not after how he had ended, annihilated, and buried her family. Her backbone.

She used to be spontaneous and carefree, smiling and helping the needy, dreaming of a world where hunters could be free and welcoming to everyone.

But that can never happen anymore. Peace was once a possibility, but now it's an abomination.

That was before he came before he arrived and rocked her world, leaving in his wake the ashes of her home, with her all alone for him to hunt as he pleased.

She heard bones cracking and knew he was transforming from his wolf form to his human form.

She hid quickly, her breath laboured, trying to hold it. It is hard holding her breath because her heart is beating so fast, and she had been running with all her might just seconds ago.

"Seraphina, come on out," he taunted. "You can run, but you cannot hide Butterfly."

Butterfly. She used to love that name, but no. She is not and would never be a butterfly-a weak, spineless creature that can so easily be hurt, one that he could catch in a net or a fancy glass, showing her the world outside but not letting her reach it.

She would never be his butterfly because that way she would always be reminded how easily crushable she is, how easily she could be blown away as dust.

She would run for however long she could, and nothing he would say would bring her out. She had to be free of him.

She didn't want to end up like her family, and even if she didn't have to, she didn't intend to forgive him.

He didn't only cross a line; he destroyed the opposing empire when they least expected and didn't even attack. She hid better and held her breath.

"Seraphina? You are my mate. You cannot hide from me. Come out with both your wings or-"

Anger coursed through Seraphina at that, and she rose to her full height from behind the rusty counters. "Or what? You'd burn them to ashes?" she dared furiously.

Adolphus stood enthralled again by her beautiful self, her hopeful green eyes, before she raised her glare again.

"Yes, I'd burn them and chain your body to mine, Seraphina, because you're mine," he growled.

She quickly attempted to flee again, but he easily grabbed her and pressed her to the wall.

"Got you, Butterfly," he whispered, his smirk freezing her.

She hates him!

#

#

Dedication.

Dedicated to you, yes you sweetheart. Thank you for adding this book.

Night.

Damdow Woods.

Dam's Keep, Damoria.

#############

The night was heavy with the scent of impending rain, the kind of oppressive atmosphere that wraps itself around your chest and refuses to let go. The moon fought to shine through a veil of ominous clouds, casting fragmented beams of light across the dense forest. It painted an eerie scene, one where every shadow held a threat, and every sound was amplified by dread.

Seraphina ran as if her life depended on it-because it did. Her heart thundered against her ribcage, each beat an insistent reminder of her fear. Her curly black hair whipped around her face in wild, damp strands, catching on the branches that reached out like skeletal fingers to claw at her.

The once vibrant blue dress she wore clung to her mud-streaked body, torn and faded-a ghost of her old self.

Her breaths came in ragged, uneven gasps, each one tinged with desperation. The forest, which had once been her haven, now felt alien and hostile, a cruel reflection of the world she used to know. Every rustle of leaves, every crack of a twig set her heart racing, conjuring images of the beast that hunted her.

Tree branches clawed at her arms and face, leaving stinging pain in their wake, but she pressed on, driven by a terror so profound that it left no room for pain.

"How did it come to this?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of her own labored breathing. "How could I have trusted him?"

She had once known this forest as a place of refuge and beauty, but now it was a labyrinth of shadows and threats.

Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig was amplified in the oppressive silence, and her mind conjured images of the beast she had fled from. The beast that chased her still.

He was close. She could feel it. Adolphus's presence was a palpable force, a dark and confident hunter toying with its prey, and she was the prey.

'What a monster,' she cried mentally. She couldn't believe that she had once desired him, trusted him with all her heart and life. Only for him to destroy her.

Now everything she'd felt was in the past. Before he had turned into the monster that annihilated her entire family, leaving nothing but a trail of blood and horror in his wake.

Her foot caught on a root, and she stumbled, barely catching herself before she fell face-first into the damp earth.

She let out a soft uncontrollable cry before pressing her lips together.

"How could you, Adolphus?" she sobbed, a mix of anger and despair in her voice. "How could you do this to us?"

Suddenly, lightning struck and the rain began to fall. It was light at first, then became more insistent, soaking through her dress and plastering her hair to her face.

She had begun to cry and didn't even know it until her vision blurred, the raindrops mingling with her tears, though she could hardly tell the difference anymore as she wiped her face carelessly.

'No,' she darted and hid behind a large oak tree, pressing her back against its rough bark, her chest heaving. Her eyes were wide with fear, darting back and forth, searching for any sign of him.

The sound of his approach was almost unnoticeable, a whisper of movement that sent chills down her spine.

He was toying with her, and she knew it. He was enjoying the hunt, enjoying her suffering.

A low, mocking growl echoed through the trees, and she bit back a scream, her hand flying to her mouth. "You can run, but you can't hide, Butterfly," his voice came, dark and taunting, dripping with a cruel amusement that sent waves of nausea rolling through her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the sound of him, trying to think. There had to be a way out, some path she could take to escape him.

But his realm was vast and unfamiliar, a twisted reflection of the world she once knew.

The rain was falling harder now, a relentless torrent that blurred her vision and masked the sounds of the forest.

'Seraphina, how could you have been so blind?' she chided herself as her mind raced back to the nights they had spent together, the way he had held her, whispered sweet nothings into her ear. It was a cruel irony that those same lips now spoke only of death and despair.

She had wanted him, once. But her soft spot had turned to betrayal, and now, she was left with nothing but the desperate need to survive.

"Think, Seraphina, think!" she muttered under her breath, her eyes darting around. "There has to be a way out of this."

She peered around the tree, her eyes straining to pierce the darkness. There, a flicker of movement, a shadow within a shadow. He was closer than she had feared.

She could see the gleam of his eyes, red and feral, his reflection under the moonlight looking more dangerous now.

'He was in his element,' she mused. A predator relishing the chase, his body moving with a deadly grace that belied his size.

With a final, deep breath, she pushed off from the tree and ran again, her feet slipping in the mud, her legs burning with exhaustion.

She could hear him behind her, his footsteps a steady, menacing rhythm that matched the frantic beating of her heart. He was gaining on her, his laughter a chilling promise of what was to come.

As she burst into a small clearing, the rain now a relentless downpour, she knew she had only moments left. 'How can I fight back?' she mused, hopeless in her thoughts.

Her eyes darted around, searching for anything that could offer salvation and luckily she found something, a fallen tree, its massive trunk covered in moss and slick with rain, lay ahead.

Without thinking, she dove beneath it, her body pressing against the cold, wet earth.

She squeezed herself into the narrow space between the trunk and the ground, her body trembling with both fear and the chill of the rain-soaked night.

The mud smeared across her face and arms, blending her with the forest floor, her breaths shallow and rapid as she tried to stay silent. The mud helped conceal her scent from the wolf.

The minutes stretched on, each one feeling like an eternity. The rain hammered down, creating a symphony of chaotic drumming on the leaves above.

She could hear her heartbeat, a loud, relentless thudding in her ears, and she feared he could hear it too, but the rain overpowered her heartbeat, almost drowning out the sounds of the night. Almost.

Then, she heard him. Adolphus's footsteps, deliberate, each one a calculated move, a predator's stride as he entered the clearing.

She dared not peek, yet she could sense him, feel the oppressive weight of his presence.

He was so close now, so unbearably close. His scent, a mix of wet fur and something metallic, like blood, filled her nostrils.

"You can run, but you can't hide forever, Seraphina," his voice was low, a growl of dark amusement that sent shivers down her spine. "I can smell your fear," he let out.

Her fingers dug into the mud, her nails breaking as she tried to ground herself, to stay silent, to not give in to the terror that threatened to engulf her.

The rain intensified thankfully, the downpour a curtain of water that further obscured her from his view, but she knew it wouldn't be enough. Not against him.

Adolphus's footsteps drew closer, each one a drumbeat of doom. She could see his feet now, powerful and clawed, moving methodically as he searched for her.

He stopped mere inches from her hiding place, and she held her breath, her body tensed and rigid.

He crouched down, and she could see his hands, now more claw than human hand, pressing into the mud. He lowered his head, and she could feel his breath, hot and heavy, as he sniffed the air trying to locate her, tracing her movement.

"You always did like playing games," he murmured, his tone almost conversational. "But this one is getting old."

Her mind raced, desperate thoughts flashing through her head. She had to move, had to do something, but what? If she bolted, he would catch her. If she stayed, he would find her.

Her fingers brushed against a sharp stone, half-buried in the mud, and she closed her hand around it, the edges cutting into her palm.

"Please, just go away," she begged silently, her body trembling. "Just leave me alone."

As he began to rise, a dark, triumphant smile on his lips, she knew she had to act. He had caught onto her!

With a cry that was equal parts fear and defiance, she lunged from beneath the trunk, driving the stone into his leg. He roared, a sound of pain and fury, and stumbled back, giving her precious seconds.

Seraphina scrambled to her feet, her body screaming in protest, and ran. She didn't look back, couldn't afford to.

The forest blurred around her, the rain a relentless torrent that masked her tears. She could hear his frustrated howls behind her, the sound of a beast wounded and vengeful.

The terrain became treacherous, the mud slick and treacherous, roots and rocks hidden beneath the waterlogged ground.

She slipped and slid, her feet barely finding purchase, but she kept going, driven by sheer will and the knowledge that stopping meant death.

Did he ever like her? she wondered. But even if he did, that likeness had turned to ashes this night, this night when Adolphus revealed his true nature, slaughtering her family in a savage, unthinkable rage.

Now, he was not just the man she once craved; he was the werewolf she feared more than death itself.

Seraphina darted between towering trunks, her bare feet barely making a sound on the forest floor. She was acutely aware of every rustle of leaves, every snap of twigs, fearing they would give away her position.

The wind began to pick up despite the rain, the wind howling through the branches like a chorus of anguished spirits. She feared it would carry her scent to him.

Behind her, Adolphus moved with the lethal grace of a predator. He was taunting her, his voice a low, mocking murmur that seemed to come from all directions at once.

"Butterfly," he called, his tone dripping with dark amusement. "Come out and let's go home, you'll catch a cold."

She pressed herself against a moss-covered boulder, trying to steady her breathing, her mind racing for an escape plan. Then she remembered.

A dagger! She had a dagger.

Night.

Rainy, Damdown Woods.

Dam's Keep, Damoria.

#############

Her hands trembled as she reached and clutched the small, ornate dagger strapped to her thigh. She had almost forgotten about it. It was a feeble defense against a creature as powerful as Adolphus, but it was all she had. Her eyes, wide with terror, scanned the gloom for any sign of movement.

"Why run, Seraphina?" Adolphus's voice was closer now, sending a shiver down her spine. "I am tired." He indeed sounded exhausted.

She could hear him moving closer. She pushed herself off from the boulder and dashed towards a dense thicket, hoping the tangled branches would provide some cover. Her vision blurred by the rain, she stumbled over roots and rocks, her legs burning with the effort. Behind her, Adolphus's sigh echoed, a chilling reminder of his relentless pursuit.

'I have to survive. I have to escape him.'

As Seraphina plunged deeper into the forest, the rain poured down in torrents, drenching her to the bone. Lightning illuminated her path in fleeting, blinding flashes, and the thunder roared like a vengeful beast. The storm seemed to mirror her own turmoil, a chaotic symphony of fear and desperation.

Adolphus was close, too close. She could hear his breathing now, a low, primal growl that sent waves of terror through her. Her foot caught on a hidden root, sending her sprawling to the ground. The dagger skittered from her grasp, disappearing into the muck. Scrambling to her feet, she felt a powerful hand grip her arm, pulling her back with a force that nearly dislocated her shoulder.

"Got you," he whispered, his voice a sinister caress in her ear. His eyes, glowing with an eerie light, locked onto her grey eyes.

"Did you really think you could escape me, Butterfly?" he taunted, his heart finally steadying from the fear of losing her.

She struggled against his hold, her fear giving her strength, but he was too strong, too fast. His grip tightened, and he leaned in closer, his breath hot against her skin. "You belong to me," he growled, his tone possessive and dangerous. "You always have, and you always will."

Seraphina's heart pounded with a mixture of terror and defiance. She refused to give in, refused to let him win. With a surge of desperate courage, she lashed out with her free hand, her nails raking across his face. Adolphus snarled, momentarily loosening his grip. Seizing the opportunity, she wrenched herself free and ran, not knowing where she was going, only that she had to keep running.

The forest seemed to close in around her, the storm a relentless onslaught. She could hear Adolphus's enraged howl behind her, a promise that this chase was far from over. But Seraphina's spirit burned with a fierce determination. She would not let him break her. She would find a way to escape, no matter the cost.

As the rain fell in sheets and the night grew darker still, Seraphina ran, driven by a single, unyielding thought: survival. But Seraphina was only a sheltered human, and she wouldn't have been able to escape him so many times if he hadn't been taking it easy on her, being careful with her.

Soon, her world spun as she ran, her breath coming in desperate gasps, her vision blurring from exhaustion and fear. The dark forest seemed endless, a twisted maze of shadows and threats. She stumbled, her legs giving way beneath her, and before she could catch herself, she collapsed to the ground, her consciousness slipping away into the inky blackness of night.

Adolphus found her lying there, her body cold and motionless. A pang of guilt twisted in his chest as he gently scooped her up, cradling her unconscious form against him. Her skin was icy from the rain, her clothes soaked through. He moved swiftly through the dark woods, his powerful strides eating up the distance to his ancestral home. The grand, imposing structure loomed ahead, a stark contrast to the wild, untamed forest.

A maid ran towards them at the sight of their alpha prince. "Alpha Prin─" but he cut her off with an order, "Prepare a hot bath for her and get me more blankets."

"Yes, Alpha prince," the maid replied before she scurried away.

Inside, the house was warm and inviting, a haven of luxury and comfort. Adolphus carried Seraphina up the sweeping staircase, his footsteps echoing softly in the grand hallway. She was still unconscious and cold. He brought her to a spacious bedroom, its beauty almost overwhelming but she was asleep to see it herself. The bed was large, draped with plush furs and silken sheets that promised warmth and comfort.

The maids quickly appeared, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern but nobody said a word of question. They moved efficiently, slightly undressing Seraphina and drying her off, their hands gentle as they cleaned her wet, mud-smeared body. Adolphus stood back, watching with a tight jaw, his mind a storm of conflicting emotions but she needed to take a bath now, so he sighed.

"I will be outside, be careful with her," he warned before leaving the room to have his own warm bath.

The maids gently carried her and washed her body off in the warm, steamy bath. They scrubbed and let her aching body be soothed while she slept, exhausted. Once the maids had finished, they dressed her in a soft nightgown and tucked her into the massive bed. Adolphus had been back by then so he waited until they left before he approached her, his eyes fixed on her peaceful face. She looked so fragile, so vulnerable. His heart ached with a complex blend of desire, regret, and sorrow.

He didn't know how to explain to her that what he had done had been necessary. Her father had been evil, a threat to both their worlds. But that knowledge did nothing to ease the pain he saw in her eyes, the hatred she felt for him now.

'She is so beautiful,' his heart clenched.

With a deep sigh, Adolphus lay down beside her, pulling the furs over them both. He wrapped an arm around her, sharing his warmth with her chilled body, his upper part bare, transferring his werewolf heat to her. Her unconscious form instinctively nestled closer, her lips brushing against his chest. He stiffened at the contact, a sharp intake of breath betraying his inner turmoil.

'She hates me. I can't have dirty thoughts when she's in this state from trying to escape.'

As the night wore on, Adolphus lay awake, his thoughts a tumultuous sea of memories and regrets. He had loved her deeply, and that love still burned within him, but he had hurt her in ways he wasn't sure he could ever mend. He could only hope that, in time, she might come to understand the necessity of his actions.

'She is my mate, and I would do anything to keep her, including seducing her.'