The Wolfless Bride Of The Dying Alpha

KLOE POV:

The freezing stone slab dug into my cheek, its cold seeping into my bones like countless tiny needles, spreading through my blood to every corner of my body.

The thin dress clinging to me was useless against the damp chill of the cell. The only window had been boarded shut, leaving the room suffocatingly dark.

My father's words still echoed in my ears, every one of them branding itself into my heart like red-hot iron.

"You wolfless piece of trash, Kloe. You're the disgrace of the Howe Pack!"

The heavy door creaked open, and blinding light flooded the room so suddenly that I squeezed my eyes shut against the pain.

My stepsister, Candace Haley, stood in the doorway like a proud queen. She wore a sapphire silk gown, but the smile on her lips was as sharp and poisonous as a venom-coated blade. Two tall guards stood silently beside her. They yanked me to my feet, their hands clamping around my arms like iron vices. My legs were as weak as water, unable to support me.

"Leave us." Candace waved her hand lazily, dismissing them as though swatting away flies. The guards obediently stepped outside and slammed the door shut behind them with a loud bang.

She swayed her hips as she crossed the room and gracefully sat in the only chair, casually twirling a silver goblet in her hand.

"I have some news for you." Her voice was sickeningly sweet, though even a fool could hear the falseness beneath it. "Your loyal little watchdog, Blair Thorne, actually dared to storm the estate to save you. How laughably overconfident."

She deliberately paused, like a cat toying with a mouse, waiting to watch me break apart.

"He's dead. The guards disposed of him without breaking a sweat."

A strangled sound escaped my throat, half sob, half gasp, as darkness swept across my vision. Blair, my only friend, my protector, was gone.

A surge of fury erupted inside me, burning my eyes red. I threw myself toward her with the last scraps of strength I possessed, but my weakened body betrayed me, and I crashed hard onto the freezing floor.

Candace laughed. The sound was light and crisp, yet to me it was utterly revolting.

"Oh, and there's more good news." Her voice dripped with contempt as she reveled in the pleasure of crushing me beneath her heel. "Your sweet and innocent little brother-Rowan. The prince declared him your accomplice. This morning, he was executed."

The fire inside me vanished instantly, replaced by an icy chill that climbed from my feet and left my entire body trembling. Rowan, my little brother. The final thing holding me together collapsed with a deafening crash. Tears slid silently down my face as pain carved through my chest like a blade. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

Candace rose from her chair, walked over to me, and crouched down. Her fingers dug cruelly into my chin, forcing me to look at her. Her face was so close to mine, and madness flickered inside those blue eyes.

"Did you really think Prince Colby loved you?" she hissed, her voice slithering like a serpent's tongue. "He's always been with me. What he wanted was your mother's secret-the same secret that got her killed."

Her face twisted with excitement. "Very soon, I'll become his Luna. I'll become Queen."

She pressed the silver goblet to my lips. The dark red liquid inside smelled sickeningly sweet, tinged with the metallic scent of blood and death.

"Drink it, little sister." Her voice wrapped around me like a venomous snake. "This is the prince's mercy. There's silver dust mixed into it. Once you've swallowed it, that sleeping wolf inside you will never awaken."

I closed my eyes. I no longer had the strength to resist. Was this really how my story would end?

Slowly, I parted my lips.

The cold, bitter liquid slid down my throat.

A burning agony erupted from my stomach, as if a thousand silver blades were twisting inside me. My body convulsed violently, every muscle screaming in torment. My vision blurred as darkness rose around me like a tide, swallowing me inch by inch.

The last thing I saw was Candace's beautiful face, but the jealousy etched across it made her look like a demon.

If I could live again, I swore to the Moon Goddess, I swore to every god willing to listen, that I would make them pay in blood!

I would make them suffer for everything they had done!

Then the darkness consumed me completely.

A wave of nausea and suffocation dragged me back from the endless void.

The stench of cheap perfume mixed with sweat filled my nose, making me want to vomit. Something heavy was pressing down on me-a man! A rough hand was tearing at the bodice of my dress.

My eyes flew open.

That leering face hovering above me was one I would never forget, even in death!

Delano Castro!

He was the youngest and most unruly prince of the Castro family. The Castros had always been the most ruthless and overbearing family among the packs, and the only reason their influence now rivaled that of my own family was because of the brutal and merciless methods they employed.

In my previous life, Candace knew he coveted me, so she deliberately arranged for him to violate me, ensuring that I would never dare to resist.

My eyes darted frantically around the room. It was one of the manor's guest rooms, unfamiliar and yet painfully familiar. Floral wallpaper. Heavy velvet curtains...

This was my fifteenth birthday party!

This was the night everything had been destroyed. I had been drugged, violated by Delano, and then Candace had burst into the room with half the Pack's elite warriors and caught us "red-handed."

My reputation had been utterly ruined.

This was the beginning of my tragedy.

I was back!

I had returned carrying a lifetime of pain and memories, and a heart filled with hatred!

Delano lowered his head, his foul breath washing over my face.

The icy fury inside me instantly drowned out the shock. Given a second chance at life, I forced down the storm of emotions threatening to consume me. The terror on my face slowly hardened into cold mockery, and I nearly laughed out loud.

I stared at that greasy, filthy face with open contempt, then drove my knee upward with all my strength!

KLOE POV:

A high-pitched, inhuman scream tore from Delano Castro's throat.

He scrambled off me, clutching his groin as his body curled onto the floor, folding into a tight ball. Beads of sweat clung to his forehead, plastering his dark hair against his skin. He gasped for breath, his face twisted into a mask of agony.

I rolled off the bed and put distance between us. My limbs trembled uncontrollably, the drugs still lingering in my system, while memories from my previous life flashed through my mind like shards of broken glass-cold, sharp, and painfully clear.

I curled my fingers, feeling the strength of a fifteen-year-old girl's body. A body that had never been starved, beaten, or broken. A body capable of fighting back.

"You bitch!" Delano choked out between ragged breaths. "How dare a worthless piece of trash like you do this to me? My family will never let you get away with it!"

A smile without warmth touched my lips. I walked to the bedside table and picked up the heavy crystal ashtray. It felt solid and satisfying in my palm.

I moved toward him, my heels sinking into the soft carpet. Every quiet step seemed to echo through the silent room, like the ticking countdown to the end of his arrogance.

The ashtray rose high into the air, and as it came down, his threats turned into whimpers. His eyes, wide with pain and fear, finally realized that the girl standing before him was not the timid, fragile Kloe Howe from the rumors.

I knelt beside him, the cold crystal ashtray pressed against his sweat-soaked cheek. I gently tapped his face with it.

"Who sent you?" I asked, my voice low and steady.

His eyes darted frantically around the room, looking anywhere but at me. He feared Candace more than he feared me, so he would never willingly expose her.

Unfortunately, he had made the wrong choice.

I didn't waste another word. I slammed the ashtray onto the floor beside his head. The crystal exploded apart with a sound like a gunshot. A transparent shard grazed his ear, leaving behind a thin line of blood.

He convulsed violently, and a pathetic scream escaped his mouth.

"Candace!" he sobbed. "It was Candace's plan! She wanted to humiliate you!"

I already knew that, just like last time. But this time, the rules of the game had changed completely.

I glanced at the clock running on the mantelpiece. I didn't have much time left. Candace and her audience could arrive at any moment.

I stood and walked to the full-length mirror. My reflection stared back at me-young, vibrant, with green eyes burning with a vitality I had not possessed for years. I quickly smoothed down my dress and pulled the torn corset together as best I could. I ran my fingers through my hair, messing it up until it looked like I had been frightened.

I turned to look at the groveling worm on the floor and let out a contemptuous snort.

"Your jacket," I ordered. "Take it off."

He fumbled clumsily with the buttons, his hands shaking so badly that he couldn't undo them. Impatiently, I tore the jacket off him myself. Using one of the decorative cords from the curtains, I tightly bound his hands behind his back. Then I ripped a strip from the linen bedsheets and stuffed it into his mouth, silencing his whimpering.

I had just finished when I heard hurried footsteps echoing down the hallway. Arriving before Candace herself was her shrill voice filled with fake concern.

"My sister! Are you in there? I heard you weren't feeling well!"

A cold smile of triumph appeared on my face. I let it linger for a single second before wiping every trace of emotion away.

I walked toward the door and listened carefully.

The doorknob rattled violently, and it was locked. Good.

The knocking grew more frantic, and the voice more urgent.

"Kloe! Open the door! Are you okay?" It was Jesse Ellis, Candace's loyal lapdog.

I took a deep breath and controlled my expression. I summoned every fear I had ever felt, every moment of helplessness I had endured. I let it wash over me completely, filling my eyes with unshed tears and making my body tremble.

I disguised myself as a frightened prey animal.

The door shuddered as a shoulder slammed into it from the other side.

I stepped backward and pressed myself against the far wall. I drew my knees to my chest, making myself look small and vulnerable.

The door burst open with the sound of splintering wood.

Candace charged inside, her crowd of sycophantic followers close behind her. Their faces were a mixture of fake concern and greedy anticipation, eager to witness the humiliation of the most prestigious princess of the Howe family.

But what awaited them was nothing like what they had expected.

They saw me, my clothes mostly intact, curled up in a corner and trembling with "fear."

And on the floor, they saw Delano Castro-bound, gagged, and writhing silently in pain.

KLOE POV:

The triumphant smile on Candace's face froze, melting into a mask of shock and disbelief. Her gaze darted from the bound Delano on the floor to me curled up in the corner. This was nothing like what she had planned.

Jesse Ellis came to an abrupt halt behind her, his jaw slack. The party guests craned their necks forward, whispering among themselves in confusion.

Now it was my turn to perform.

I let out a choked sob and scrambled to my feet, rushing toward the crowd until I found an older, elegant woman-Lady Annabelle-and clutched her arm as though it were a lifeline.

"That man..." I cried, my voice shaking so badly that anyone who heard it would have pitied me. Still trembling with shock, I pointed toward Delano. "He broke into my room! He wanted to... he wanted to hurt me!"

Every eye in the room turned toward Delano. He struggled against his restraints, his muffled grunts sounding more like a confession than a protest.

Candace recovered instantly. She was, after all, a performer. She rushed to my side, her expression perfectly painted with sisterly concern.

"Oh, Kloe, my poor sister, don't be afraid. We're here now," Candace said softly, reaching out as if to comfort me. "Please tell us what happened. I'll make sure Father understands everything."

Her voice was gentle enough to drip with sweetness, but the flash of malice and mockery in her eyes did not escape me.

I recoiled from her touch as though avoiding a branding iron.

Then, in the dead silence, I did something the old Kloe would never have dared to imagine. I drew back my hand and slapped my stepsister across the face.

The sharp crack of my palm against her cheek echoed through the silent room like thunder.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Candace stared at me, one hand flying to her reddening cheek. Her blue eyes widened with humiliation and shock, and for the first time, real tears welled within them.

"And you still have the nerve to ask me what happened?" My voice was hoarse and ragged, filled with anger that required no performance. "Candace, did you already know I was in danger? Otherwise, how do you explain the timing of this 'coincidence'? And this carefully staged rescue performance?"

I turned toward the guests, my voice growing louder. "I was resting in my room. Why did my stepsister bring an entire crowd to break down my door?"

The whispers grew louder, now laced with suspicion. They looked toward Candace with scrutinizing eyes, their doubts multiplying.

I pressed the advantage, fixing my gaze on her. "Candace, did you already know I was in danger? Otherwise, how do you explain the timing of this 'coincidence'? And this carefully staged rescue performance?"

She opened her mouth, but not a single word came out. Cornered, all of her disguises had been ripped away. "I... I was just worried about you," she finally stammered, slipping back into the role of the innocent victim. "I heard you'd disappeared from the party..."

"Worried?" I let out a sharp, incredulous laugh. "Worried enough to break down a locked door? Is this how the Howe Pack treats its guests? Or do you believe that, as the Alpha's daughter, I don't deserve even a moment of privacy?"

I was using the title Father had once used to suppress me as both my shield and my sword. I noticed several older pack members nodding in agreement. In a wolf pack, privacy and rules mattered deeply, and Candace had clearly violated both.

Jesse Ellis, as always playing the role of the white knight, stepped forward quickly. "Kloe! How can you be so cruel to Candace? She was only trying to help!" His voice was full of accusation, as though I were the unreasonable one.

My gaze snapped toward him, cold and contemptuous. "And you, Mr. Ellis. What role are you playing in this little performance? If I remember correctly, this is my private room. You shouldn't even be here."

Cold logic only made their behavior appear more suspicious.

Turning my back on them, I strode toward Delano. With one sharp yank, I tore the gag from his mouth.

"Speak," I commanded, my voice leaving no room for defiance. "Tell them who sent you."

Delano gasped for air, his eyes darting around wildly with fear. He looked first at my cold, resolute expression, then toward Candace, his voice trembling with tears. "I... I can't say..."

I saw the silent exchange and seized upon it instantly.

"What are the two of you looking at?" I demanded sharply, pointing between them. "Delano, what are you afraid of? Did Candace threaten you?"

The crowd erupted into murmurs. Candace's face turned pale.

The seed of suspicion had already been planted. I watched the guests whisper among themselves, their eyes filled with distrust toward Candace. Delano's reaction had already said everything. I didn't need him to confess it aloud.

All I needed was for that seed to take root within the pack.

That slap was not only revenge for the pain she had caused me, but also my formal declaration of war against her and everyone who had ever hurt me.

The flawless mask she believed to be perfect had finally developed its very first crack.