The Ruthless Female Alpha Regin

Lucia's POV

Listen-and listen well.

We will continue as we have before, striking them at the heart-fierce and fast-in the deepest hour of the night.

I stood before my council of elders.

"But, Alpha," one of them said, "how do you intend to capture their Alpha? He is known for his strength and tight borders."

Like I said earlier. In case you are deaf.

We will follow the same system and strategy we have used for the past six months-hit them when they least expect it, capture their Alpha, and claim their territory.

I scanned their faces and saw the unease ripple through the ancient wolves. Their restlessness almost amused me. I wanted to kill them all and be done with it, but for now, I endured their foolishness.

Being the first female Alpha in nearly three decades was a war of its own. At every turn, someone tried to undermine or overlook my authority. I learned the hard way what it took to survive.

There was no going back.

The only way for a woman to hold power and respect was to become as cold as ice.

And that was exactly what I had become.

I stood before the traitors, blade in hand. I had beheaded so many men that death felt like routine now. I grabbed the first by his hair, yanked his head back, and gutted him like an animal.

In less than a minute, they were all dead.

I walked back slowly, hands drenched in blood, my eyes fixed on the elders-daring them to speak, daring them to give me a reason to carve through every single one of them.

They stood in silence.

"We march at dawn to the Red Sky Pack."

I didn't need their approval. Their opinions meant nothing.

We hid along the outer edges of the border, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Some might have wondered why I claimed every territory within my reach.

That answer was mine alone.

Midnight came.

And so did my victory.

My blade rested against Alpha Liam's throat. He would either surrender himself, withdraw his claim over his pack and land-or die.

His Beta and Gamma lay gutted at my feet. Only his Luna and son remained.

Just before I reached them, he broke.

"I, Alpha Liam of the Red Sky Pack, relinquish my rights, my territory, and my pack to Alpha Lucia of the Crimson Eagle Pack."

Triumph surged through me.

Six powerful territories now bowed to my command, each pack drinking my blood and swearing allegiance.

Finally, no one could oppose me.

We took everything-their gold, their strongest warriors, their resources. We searched every corner of the territory and found nothing of interest.

Then I heard voices.

From the kitchen oven.

"Open it."

The moment my eyes met his, I knew he would be a problem.

A hindrance.

My wolf chanted inside me.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

How could I be bound to a nobody?

His eyes were wide-soft, doe-like, and terrified. He stared at me like prey measuring its chances of escape.

I grabbed his shirt and dragged him out. The contact made my skin burn, and the sensation only fueled my irritation.

He was tall but thin.

He had wet himself in fear.

I wanted to reject him.

And at the same time, to keep him.

Before I could decide, pain exploded through my chest.

I looked down.

A knife.

I looked up and saw my mate's hands buried deep in my heart.

"I will do the world a favor and rid it of you," he said, "even if it means killing my own mate."

Sorrow and joy collided inside me.

He was a challenge.

And utterly unpredictable.

He drove the blade deeper.

I fell to my knees, my eyes never leaving his as I drew my final breath.

Jacob's POV

"Young man!"

I had completely zoned out, lost in my own mind as usual-doing things I could never try in real life.

How could it be possible? Why would the Goddess bind me to her-a tyrant, a criminal?

She kept her eyes everywhere but on me. Sweat beaded on my forehead as fear washed over me like ice, along with the endless thoughts of what she might do to me.

My hands were bound, my mouth gagged as I was dragged away. I was thrown into a prison-no words, no accusations-just discarded.

Two weeks passed.

Still nothing.

No word from her. No message from my pack.

I sat with my back against the dark, blood-stained wall, my eyes fixed on the full moon above the narrow opening in the cell.

I still hadn't been able to shift after that incident two years ago.

Just before sleep claimed me, I heard footsteps-slow and steady-the rustle of keys. Finally, I had been remembered.

I stepped back as the cell door opened.

I froze.

It was her, dressed in a flowing red gown.

"So," she said casually, "what have you been up to?"

As if she hadn't left me to rot in a cell for over two weeks.

"Listen, madam. You can't hold me here for nothing. You either kill me, or you let me go."

A smile curved her lips, like I had just told a joke.

How was it possible that I was mated to this she-demon?

"You are my mate, so killing you isn't an option. But I'm still deciding what to do with you."

"Meaning?" I asked.

"You will remain here until I figure out what I want from you."

And just like that, she vanished-without sparing me a second glance.

My back slid down the wall.

From that moment on, my life felt like it had plunged into the depths of the sea, never to see the sun again.

From one master to another. Passed around like a commodity sold to the highest bidder.

And now I was bound-by soul-to one of the world's cruelest rulers.

Weeks turned into months.

No visits. No voices. No mercy.

I guessed she had decided my fate.

To let a nobody rot beneath her feet.

Another full moon stared down at me.

Still nothing.

It was as if my wolf had vanished, never to return.

What use was it anyway? I was weak with or without it. Or as the others would say-a lowly, abandoned maggot. One without cause or purpose.

I carved the sixth mark into the wall.

A guard entered, his eyes cutting straight through me before he said casually, "It seems the Goddess has finally smiled on you."

Chains snapped around my wrists, and I was dragged out.

The sun hit my face like knives.

I kept asking where he was taking me, but he said nothing.

"We're here."

We stood before massive doors guarded by two giants. Before I could even think of moving, the doors swung open.

She stood there.

Hair cascading down her shoulders, eyes bluer than the sea, her skin glowing beneath the sunlight.

I hated to admit it.

She was beautiful-despite her brutality, despite her evil.

"Well," she said softly, "it seems I've finally found a use for you, my dearest mate."

My stomach twisted.

I stood alone as she sat on the edge of her bed, watching me like prey waiting to be claimed.

Her eyes burned with purpose and control-the very things I lacked.

"From now on," she said, "you will stay in my room. No arguments. Our wedding will take place in three full moons."

Shock didn't even begin to describe what I felt.

I was beyond it.

I was furious.

"If you think you can marry me without my consent, you're more foolish than I thought."

"If you try anything stupid-rejecting the bond, killing yourself, or running-it won't end well for you."

"You can't marry me without my consent. It doesn't work that way."

"I, Jacob Adams, reject-"

Pain exploded through my leg.

An arrow pierced my knee.

I screamed.

"My darling," she said calmly, stepping closer, "it seems you take me for a fool. I don't like repeating myself."

She crouched in front of me, her eyes dark and unyielding.

"You and I are bound by soul, in this life and the next. Don't bother trying to escape it."

Blood pooled beneath my knee as she drew a knife.

She cut her palm, forced my mouth open, and poured her blood down my throat-then bit into my skin and took mine in return.

The bond deepened.

Twisted.

Sealed into something far beyond what the Goddess had intended.

"From now on," she whispered, "you will share my bed. No questions. No resistance. I suggest you grow very comfortable with your new life."

She slipped beneath the sheets as if she hadn't just shattered my existence.

"Stare all you want," she added. "It won't change your fate."

"Which is me."

I lay down beside her, half my face smeared with blood, the other half burning with pain and hatred.

Bond or not-

She would pay for what she had done to me.

"Alpha! Alpha! Help-we need help!"

The shouting came from outside.

I looked up.

She was gone.

I rushed out.

The sight before me rooted me to the ground.

I had never seen anything like it.

What exactly had I been dragged into?

Lucia's POV

I had never been one to sleep with all my senses down. You learn the hard way when you live in my world.

The screams were the first thing that got me out of bed. Looking around for him and hoping he was safe, I saw him lying face down, buried in his blood. I knew he hated me, but I didn't hate him.

The loud explosion brought me back to reality. Pulling my robe on, I rushed out only to see my people being killed and raped.

An ambush. Who dares to enter my territory and do this?

With a blade in my hands, I rushed over to the young lady who was bent over by some brute. I drove my blade straight into his heart.

We fought for hours until sunrise, when we finally managed to vanquish the enemy.

I had accumulated enemies-plenty of them-from the moment I was born. People were always gunning for my head or after what they could take from me.

Over the years, I had learned to rule with an iron fist and an iced heart-one that nothing could hurt or kill so easily.

Standing in front of the leader of the ambush, I recognized the face and the symbol. This attack was from an old acquaintance from the north.

And this was only a sign.

I had never been one to fear anyone or anything-but I feared him. He had always been a hard rock in my path, with his obsessive love for me.

I felt my heart rate increase so much that I grew dizzy. The thoughts ran through my mind-the what ifs.

Where are you, my darling?

Jacob's POV

I kept running, going as fast as my legs would let me. The farther I got away from her, the better my chances of survival.

Walking for what felt like an eternity, exhausted and hungry, I knew I needed to find shelter before sunset.

I sat under a tree, hoping to catch my breath and maybe get a little sleep.

The first sound was a twig snapping. The next was my head slamming against the tree.

"How desperate are you to get your wolf back? And what will you do to get it?"

That was the first voice I heard when my eyes opened. I tried to understand my surroundings, wondering why everything was almost pitch black.

"I don't like being kept waiting."

My attention immediately shifted toward the direction of the voice.

"I would do anything, sir."

"Anything, you say? Does that include conspiring against your own mate?"

At the mention of mate, my heart raced and my nerves tightened.

"Yes, sir. Like I said, anything-as long as I can get my wolf back."

"Very well, then. My special healers will come to you later and take a look at your soul to see how badly it is damaged.

"Until then, go and wash up and eat."

I was led into a large, beautiful room, with servants at my beck and call. I could really get used to this life, I thought.

That night, I stood by the window, my mind filled with thoughts of her and how she was doing.

As much as I told myself I hated her, I couldn't stop my heart from wanting her.

A light knock came at the door. Before I could reach it, they were already inside-palms out, eyes not visible.

Lucia's POV

I had searched for over two days and found nothing. It was like he had disappeared from the surface of the earth.

I couldn't eat, sleep, or think properly. I was worried and scared that someone might have taken him-or worse, hurt him.

Patrol guards were scattered everywhere and ordered not to return until he was found. But I knew they wouldn't find him. Something in my gut told me he had been taken, and my instincts never lie.

"Guards! Send word to the south. I need an audience with one of their Alphas."

I will find you, my dear.

Jacob's POV

"Your wolf was deeply asleep due to the shock from the incident. Since it is weak by nature, it couldn't survive such trauma."

So that meant I was weak by nature-so fragile that even a little trauma could either kill me or send my wolf into a coma.

An empty laugh, filled with pain and disgrace, escaped my lips. What an unfortunate being I was.

"Sir. My lord seeks an audience."

I stood in that same dark room, and then came that voice.

"I hope you can tell I am a man of my word. Your wolf will be restored. But before that-how well do you keep your word?"

"Whatever it is you want from me, I will deliver."

"Very well, then. How deep can you drive a knife into someone's heart?