Hey monster! Catch!

I opened my hand instinctively to try to catch the scraps of food Kyra was throwing at me from the hole in my basement prison.

It was half-bitten stale bread, covered in mold, with crumbs that fell onto the cold, damp stone floor. My stomach twisted painfully, growling like a caged animal. I hadn’t eaten properly for days—half a glass of water yesterday had been the only relief I’d known in twenty-four hours. My body was a battlefield of hunger and weakness, and still, my mouth watered as I devoured the bread like the desperate, starving beast I had become.

"Yuck! She really ate it!" Kyra’s high-pitched laugh echoed down into the basement, followed by the giggles of her friends as they pressed their faces to the hole in the wall.

Kyra… my stepsister. A cruel shadow in my life, born from my father’s second marriage after my mother died giving birth to me. She, along with her friends, had made it their daily mission to remind me of my worthlessness.

"Didn’t she know she’s nothing but dog food?" Kylie sneered, the daughter of the pack’s beta, a cruel smile curling her lips. "Hey Davynna monster! You’re just like a mutt!"

I ignored them, shoving the last bits of moldy bread into my mouth. My survival was all that mattered. Each swallow, a tiny victory against the cruelty above. The sound of their laughter, however, grated against my nerves like shattered glass.

They didn’t know the half of it. They didn’t know what it felt like to be paraded through the streets, blamed for my mother’s death, branded a curse. I had spent eighteen years being treated like nothing, and now their ridicule barely cut through the fog of hunger and exhaustion.

"Hey Davynna, do you know the alpha prince is coming to the mansion for dinner? All the girls are invited so he can pick a future wife." Kylie’s voice was sharp, teasing. "And you? You won’t be there, of course."

I didn’t respond. The moldy bread was all I could focus on. My body ached for real food, for meat, vegetables, water that didn’t taste like rust. My stomach twisted painfully, reminding me of what I hadn’t had in months.

Kyra’s voice sharpened, full of venom. "Of course you can’t be there! The alpha prince won’t even look at you! You’re horrendous!"

I curled up tighter on the cold stone floor, trembling. My head swam from hunger and despair, but I kept my eyes fixed on the crumbs I had set aside. The basement smelled of mold, sweat, and the faint, lingering stench of fear. Every sound—Kyra’s laughter, the creaking of the wooden floor above—was amplified, pressing into my skull like a hammer.

One of Kyra’s friends vomited, the wet splatter hitting my leg, and then laughed as she filmed me on her phone. "Eat it! Eat it!" she chanted with a cruel glee.

I didn’t move. I stared at them, silent. Alone in my own prison, I was invisible to the world, rotting while they mocked me. My mind wandered briefly to memories of my mother, her warmth, her voice, a fragment of light in the darkness that had been my life.

Then came a sound that made my blood run cold.

A soft, deliberate creak echoed from the far end of the basement. The girls froze above me, their laughter faltering. I lifted my head slightly, ears straining. My heart thudded painfully in my chest. It wasn’t the house settling.

Kyra hissed, trying to mask her fear. "It’s nothing. Stop being paranoid."

But my instincts screamed. Something moved in the shadows, deliberate, strong, a presence that made the air shift. My body tensed, every nerve alive, and a shiver ran down my spine.

Then I heard it—a low, commanding voice that seemed to make the walls vibrate.

"Enough."

The girls screamed. I froze. The basement air grew heavier, thicker, charged with an energy I had never felt before. Every instinct in me told me this presence was powerful, dangerous, and… inevitable.

A shadow emerged slowly from the darkness at the far end of the basement. And then I saw them—silver eyes piercing the gloom, eyes that seemed to look straight into my soul, measuring every ounce of my pain, my fear, my defiance.

I wanted to shrink away, to disappear. But something else stirred—a strange, undeniable pull, as if my very being recognized something in him.

"Mutt… you’re mine."

The words sent a shock through my body. My stomach twisted—not from hunger this time, but from fear, awe, and a spark of something I couldn’t name.

The basement door rattled. Kyra and her friends screamed, trying to flee. But the shadow moved with terrifying speed and grace, a predator in its own right. I couldn’t see the full figure yet, just the aura of strength, command, and danger that filled the room.

And then… silence.

I clutched the stone floor, my heart pounding, my mind racing. I didn’t know who this being was. But I knew one thing with absolute certainty: my life had changed forever, and I might never be alone in the darkness again.

As the shadow lingered in the corner, I whispered to myself, trembling:

"Who are you… and why do I feel like I belong to you?"

---

For readers:

Will the alpha prince really choose Kyra, or is there someone else watching, waiting, and protecting the girl they think is worthless?

---

THANK YOU

---

...Chapter 2...

...The shadow lingered in the corner, silence pressing against my eardrums like a vice. My stomach no longer growled; my entire body was frozen, caught between terror and an inexplicable pull. Those silver eyes… they weren’t just staring at me. They were seeing me....

...Kyra’s screams had subsided, replaced by the frantic scrambling of her friends. They pushed and shoved each other, trying to escape, their fear sharp and uncontained. But the shadow moved with a predator’s precision. One swift motion, a hand reaching out, and suddenly the basement was quiet except for my own ragged breathing....

...“Stay down,” the voice commanded. Low, lethal, and impossibly calm. Every syllable vibrated through my chest....

...I obeyed, my mind spinning. My heart hammered so hard I thought it might shatter my ribs. Was this… was this the one the pack feared? The one they whispered about in hushed, terrified tones?...

...Before I could even process my thoughts, I felt the chains around my wrists shatter with a sharp, metallic snap. They clattered to the floor, useless and broken. I blinked, stunned. The shadow didn’t flinch at the sight of my bloodied, bruised arms. Instead, he stepped closer, towering over me, his silver eyes softening—not with pity, but with something else. Something fierce and protective....

...“Who… who are you?” I whispered, my voice trembling. My body wanted to run, but my legs refused to obey....

...He crouched slightly, just enough to meet my gaze. “You’ll know soon,” he said, voice dropping to a low growl. “But first, you need to get out of here.”...

...The air changed, charged with energy I could feel crawling under my skin. I followed his lead, staggering as my weak legs barely held me upright. His presence was magnetic, overwhelming. Every step he took toward the basement exit made my chest tighten....

...Kyra had regained some courage, shrieking from above, “Who dares touch her?! You’ll—!”...

...But the shadow’s next movement was swift, terrifying, and absolute. With a single, fluid motion, he sent the girls tumbling backward with a force that made them scream. I barely had time to register the scene before he swept me up in his arms....

...“You weigh nothing,” he murmured, almost gently. And somehow, I believed him. Despite my exhaustion, my pain, my fear, I felt safe. For the first time in my life, I was cradled not with cruelty, but with an unwavering strength that promised protection....

...We moved through the darkness, the air heavy and cold. I dared to peek at him only once. The silver eyes, sharp as blades, scanned every shadow. Every movement he made was precise, calculated. Whoever—or whatever—he was, he was powerful beyond anything I had ever imagined....

...“Where… where are we going?” My voice was barely a whisper, drowned by the sound of our footsteps and the echo of my own rapid heartbeat....

...“Somewhere safe,” he replied simply. No explanation, no hesitation, just certainty. His words wrapped around me, a fragile shield in the chaos....

...We emerged into the night air. The moonlight cut through the darkness, silver and pale, illuminating the bruises and grime on my skin. I wanted to collapse, but he held me firmly, every motion deliberate. The cold night wind made me shiver, but against his chest, I felt warmth—a strange, consuming heat that made the world outside seem both terrifying and infinitely smaller....

...“You… saved me,” I murmured, awe-struck. My voice trembled, disbelief tasting like ash on my tongue....

...His gaze softened ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly. “I told you… you’re mine.”...

...The words weren’t a threat. They were a promise. And somewhere deep inside me, something stirred—fear mingled with longing, terror with trust, despair with hope....

...Then… a rustle from the shadows behind us. My stomach tightened. I had barely realized how vulnerable we still were. The night wasn’t empty. Something—or someone—was watching....

...The silver-eyed man tensed, his body a coiled force of lethal energy. “Stay behind me,” he warned, every muscle ready to strike....

...I nodded, too stunned to speak. My mind raced. Who was he? Why did he care for me? And more importantly… what would happen next?...

...As he moved silently into the darkness, I couldn’t help but wonder, my heart whispering the question I couldn’t speak aloud:...

...Could this… protector, this predator, truly change my life forever? Or is he just the beginning of a darkness I am yet to understand?...

...---...

...Question for readers :...

...Will the alpha prince truly choose Kyra at the ceremony, or is someone else—someone unseen—already rewriting fate?...

...---...

---

The night was heavy with silence, broken only by the distant howl of wolves echoing through the valley. I clung to him, my body trembling—not from the cold, though it nipped at my skin—but from the sheer intensity of everything that had happened in the past hour.

He moved with a fluid, predatory grace, stepping over rocks and fallen branches as if he belonged to the night itself. Every movement was deliberate, precise, and my eyes couldn’t stop tracing the outline of his form. Silver eyes glinted in the darkness, scanning every shadow, alert to dangers I couldn’t even sense.

Finally, we arrived at a hidden entrance carved into the mountainside, masked by ivy and darkness. He pressed a hand to a stone, whispered something inaudible, and the door slid open silently. The scent of wood, fire, and faint herbs welcomed us—a stark contrast to the damp, putrid basement I had left behind.

“Where… are we?” I asked, my voice small, uncertain. Every part of me still ached—bruised, filthy, trembling. Yet I felt a strange, inexplicable sense of relief. For the first time, I wasn’t staring up at a hole in a wall, subject to the whims of people who despised me.

“This is…” He paused, eyes scanning the room before landing back on me. “…a place you can be safe. For now.”

Safe. The word rang in my ears like a promise, fragile and fragile, yet grounding. I wanted to believe it. I wanted to let go of the fear that had haunted me for eighteen years. But deep down, a small part of me whispered: nothing comes without a price.

He set me down gently, and I instinctively backed away, wary of him despite the warmth radiating from his presence. My eyes roamed the room, taking in the flickering candlelight, the warmth of a small fire, and the strange feeling that for once, I was not invisible.

“You… why?” I asked, voice barely audible. “Why do you care? Why save me?”

His gaze softened just slightly, the first crack in the wall of power and dominance that surrounded him. “Because someone has to. Because it was time.”

I wanted to ask more, to understand, to peel back the layers of this man who had appeared like a shadow and carried me from death itself. But fear, exhaustion, and hunger swallowed my words. My body was weak, my limbs sore from chains and starvation, and I collapsed onto a blanket he had laid out.

He watched me silently, alert, as though he could feel every twitch, every heartbeat. His presence filled the room, a weight both terrifying and comforting.

For hours, I sat there, too scared to sleep, too overwhelmed to speak. And yet… I noticed him stealing glances, subtle, almost invisible. There was a care in his eyes, a promise unspoken, a bond I didn’t yet understand.

And then, as the fire crackled softly, he spoke again, low, almost a whisper:

“You’re not like them. You never were. And no one—no one—will hurt you again.”

I wanted to believe him, desperately. Yet the shadows behind his silver eyes hinted at something more. Something I couldn’t yet name.

A question lingered in my mind as I drifted between fear and awe:

Who is he… truly? And why does it feel like I’ve been waiting for him my whole life?

---

Question for readers :

Will the alpha prince arrive at the ceremony and choose Kyra, or is someone—someone strong and unseen—already changing the fate that the pack thinks is set?

---