☠️𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑨𝑳𝑷𝑯𝑨’𝑺
𝑭𝑰𝑬𝑹𝒀 𝑭𝑨𝑻𝑬🔥
{𝑩𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝑩𝒚 𝑭𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔}
Written By, 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧_𝐀𝐩𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞
𖣘𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟐𖣘
{𝑼𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉}
─━━━━━━⊱✿⊰━━━━━━─
𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐄𝐇
The bed is too soft. Too warm. My sheets tangle around me like they’re trying to trap me in this restless sleep I can’t escape. I roll onto my side again, toss the pillow beneath my head, and stare at the ceiling, unable to corral my thoughts. Every time I close my eyes, the same nightmares return—whispers in the woods, shadows chasing me, a voice pulling at something deep inside me.
With a frustrated sigh, I swing my legs off the bed. The cool floor brings brief relief. I stand, pace the room for a moment, then head for the door. The hallway is dim, lit by a soft orange glow flickering from distant sconces. As I step out, I freeze.
He’s there.
Just a few feet away, Kane stands against the shadows, his presence as dark and untouchable as the night itself. He doesn’t notice me right away, his focus fixed on the hallway ahead. My throat tightens. My mind blanks. That look on his face—the coldness in his eyes—it never fades. Not even when he’s near.
I clear my throat, the sound slicing through the silence. “Eldric… he’s gone, right?”
Kane’s gaze shifts to me. He nods, his expression unreadable. The fierceness in his stare sends chills down my spine.
“Where are you headed?” His voice is low, gravel dragged across stone. That harsh edge makes my heart pound harder.
“Just… water” I answer quickly, stepping past him. “I couldn’t sleep.”
Kane doesn’t move, but I feel his gaze tracking me. He follows silently, his boots making no sound on the polished floor.
“Why haven’t you slept?” His question catches me off guard. It’s so direct. So unexpected.
I glance over my shoulder, raising a brow. “Like you care.”
His jaw tightens. The lines of his face sharpen. He steps forward, closing the distance between us in one smooth move. His breath brushes my ear as he speaks, rougher, more commanding.
“Answer the damn question without pissing me off for once.”
I swallow hard, trying to steady my voice. “It’s because of you.” The words tumble out before I can stop them. “Ever since you chased me in the woods, I can’t stop having nightmares. Every time I close my eyes, they’re there. The shadows. The voices.”
Silence stretches between us—just our breathing, slow and heavy, in the dim light. Kane stands still, his face unreadable, his gaze locked with mine.
“Follow me” he orders after a beat.
I hesitate, but something in his tone compels me. I don’t want to—but I do. I follow him through the hall, the cold stone walls pressing in as we head toward the suite at the end of the corridor.
Kane opens the door with ease. Darkness swallows me the moment I step inside. His suite mirrors him—mysterious, imposing. No soft colors. No warmth. Just shadows and sleek edges. A dim lamp casts a sickly yellow glow across dark wood furniture.
Kane moves straight to a drawer beside his king-sized bed, every movement deliberate. The soft click of the drawer echoes in the quiet. He pulls out a small white pill container. Without a word, he hands it to me.
“Take one. It’ll help with the dreams.”
I eye the bottle warily. I’ve never liked medicine—especially not the kind that feels like it’s meant to numb me.
“I hate medicine” I mutter, harsher than I intend.
Kane’s gaze sharpens. His lips twitch—almost a smirk.
“Do you think I care?” His voice drops to a near growl. “Take it or don’t. Your choice. I’m not here to babysit your excuses.”
I cross my arms, the heat of his words wrapping around me. He doesn’t waver. Something about the way he stands—unmoved, unaffected—makes my heart race.
He pops the cap, fingers steady, eyes never leaving mine. He holds one pill between two fingers.
“You’ve been up long enough. Take it.”
My mind screams to refuse. But his voice—that dark, irresistible edge—pushes me to obey. I take the pill from his hand. Our fingers brush. A jolt of heat shoots through me despite the coldness of his skin.
“Water?” he asks, nodding toward a nearby glass.
I stare at it—untouched, still, daring me. My fingers tremble as I wrap them around the plastic bottle. I force down the lump in my throat, lift the pill to my lips, and swallow.
To my relief, it doesn’t taste awful. If it had, I might’ve gagged and embarrassed myself.
“Thank you” I whisper, setting the bottle back in place.
“Go back to bed” he orders.
“I want to go home” I say quietly.
“You’re not leaving this place until I figure out what you are” he snaps.
His words twist something in my chest. My brows knit in frustration, but I hold my tongue. Arguing won’t help. Not now. I breathe and let it go.
Truth is, I don’t really want to go back—not to the house, not to that life. I just want to see my brother. My big brother. And my little sister. Mostly him. I miss him so much it aches like a hollow echo in my chest.
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆
The scent of breakfast does nothing for me. Bacon sizzles on the plate in front of me, golden eggs sit perfectly fluffed beside it, and there’s even a slice of toast buttered to the edge like someone’s trying too hard.
Too bad I’m not in the mood to be pleased.
I sit at the long dining table, fork in hand, stabbing the same piece of egg over and over. Maybe five times. Maybe six. I’ve lost count. The yolk smears across the plate like an abstract painting of my mood—confused, messy, vaguely pissed off.
Kane sits across from me, stone-faced, unreadable, sipping coffee like it’s the only thing keeping him alive. He hasn’t said a word. No good morning. No grunt. Nothing.
I poke the toast, dragging it through the yolk like it might bleed.
“Are you going to eat, or just keep torturing the damn food?” Kane snaps.
I blink, caught. Then narrow my eyes.
“I’m not hungry.”
He leans forward slightly, cup clinking as he sets it down.
“Then stop pretending. Don’t sit here playing with your plate like a sulking child.”
“Better than pretending to care about anything at all” I mutter—not quite loud enough, not quite soft either.
His jaw ticks. A muscle jumps in his cheek. Before he can retort, the door opens and Lyall steps in—crisp, composed, and annoyingly unbothered.
“Alpha” he says, dipping his head, “your ride is ready. The convoy is waiting at the gate.”
Kane stands immediately, pushing back his chair with that smooth authority no one can ignore.
And I see my chance.
“I want to come with you” I say suddenly.
His back stiffens. He doesn’t turn.
“No.”
“But I’ve been locked in this place for days. I’m losing my mind. I won’t be a problem—”
“You’re safer here.”
I push up from my seat, the chair scraping harshly. “I don’t want to be safe! I want to feel something again! You said you were trying to figure out what I am, right? Maybe you’ll find out faster if I’m with you instead of rotting in this fancy cage.”
He turns, eyes dark, dangerous. “You are not—”
“I’ll behave” I cut in, fists clenched at my sides. “No running. No escaping. I’ll help, if I can. Just… don’t make me sit here another day staring at walls and books I don’t care about.”
Kane exhales sharply through his nose, gaze narrowing.
“You could use the library” he offers dryly.
I roll my eyes. “I’m not a book girl.”
The silence stretches. Tense. Heavy.
Then, finally, he mutters, “Fine. But you stay within sight. You do anything stupid, and I’ll have Lyall drag you back here by the throat.”
“Sounds charming” I say with a smile I don’t mean.
Lyall, still by the door, arches a brow like this is all entertainment. Kane storms past him without another word.
And I bolt after him, heart racing—not from fear, but from the rush of not being left behind.
Not today.
••••••
The black car glides to a smooth halt in front of a towering glass building. It looms above like a modern-day temple—cold, elegant, untouchable. I stare up at it, swallowing the knot in my throat. The reflective surface shimmers under the sunlight, almost daring me to turn around.
But I don’t.
The moment Kane steps out, the atmosphere shifts—like the wind’s been sucked out of the sky. People outside, dressed in sleek suits and pencil skirts, snap to attention. Some lower their gazes. Others simply freeze. A woman drops her phone. A man fumbles with his briefcase. I even catch one intern whispering a hurried prayer under her breath.
Kane walks like he rules the world—and maybe he does. Every step echoes with power. Authority. Fear.
I trail behind him, struggling to keep up as his long strides carry him through the marble-floored lobby. His presence is suffocating in the best and worst ways. Everyone moves aside like the Red Sea parting. Eyes dart away. No one dares speak. It’s almost holy.
Or terrifying.
Inside the elevator, one of his assistants—a young man with thin glasses and nerves stitched into his bones—rushes in, breathless, clutching an iPad with trembling hands.
“Sir, you have the investor call at nine, followed by the board meeting at ten-thirty. Then the marketing review and your lunch with the senator—”
Kane raises one hand without looking.
The assistant freezes mid-word, blinks rapidly, then nods.
“I understand, sir. I’ll have them cancelled.”
The rest of the elevator ride is silent.
By the time we step onto the top floor, I’m nearly dizzy from the weight of everything. The air is different up here—cleaner, colder, expensive. Kane’s office doors open, revealing a sleek black-and-silver interior with windows stretching from floor to ceiling. The city looks like a toy set below us.
Once inside, the doors shut with a soft but definitive click. We’re alone.
Kane sheds his jacket and tosses it over the back of his chair before settling behind the massive obsidian desk. He taps something on his monitor, then turns to me.
“There’s a list of tasks on the screen over there.” He gestures to a secondary desk off to the side—clearly not for decoration. “I want them sorted and organized before noon. That includes follow-up calls with suppliers and a brief summary of last month’s financial reports.”
I blink, staring at him. “Wait… hold on. That’s… that’s a lot. I’m not your assistant.”
He leans back in his chair, amber eyes gleaming with something dangerous—and amused. A slow smirk curls at the edge of his lips.
“You are today.”
“You’re serious?” I gape at him.
“Deadly.” He reaches for a glass of water and takes a slow sip, never breaking eye contact. “Better get started, sweetheart. My assistants usually don’t survive their first day. Let’s see if you do.”
Moon Goddess help me. I’d rather face the shadows in the woods again.
But I’m not about to back down. Not in front of him.
So I walk over to the screen and crack my knuckles.
“He better be paying me in gold for this” I mutter under my breath.
From behind me, I swear I hear him chuckle darkly. Just once. Quiet. But real.
That makes it worse. So much worse.
𝐈𝐀𝐍
The name echoes in my head like a curse.
Dark Howl.
That’s where she is.
I grip the steering wheel so tight, my knuckles turn bone white. My breath is shallow, uneven, and my heart pounds like war drums behind my ribs.
Nevaeh. My little sister.
At the mercy of him.
Kane Ironclaw. A monster dressed in skin and power.
The tires scream against the pavement as I press harder on the gas, weaving between lanes like a lunatic. I don’t care. I can’t care. My only thought is her.
Is she alive? Did he hurt her? Did he touch her?
I slam a palm against the steering wheel, growling through clenched teeth.
Damn it, Nevaeh. Why didn’t you tell me?
The road blurs as I speed past cars, headlights flashing, horns blaring behind me. A truck swerves to avoid me, its driver laying on the horn so loud it pierces through the chaos in my mind.
At a red light I barely see, I skid to a halt just in time, the tires shrieking like a banshee. A car screeches up beside me, and the window rolls down fast.
A middle-aged man sticks his head out and yells, “Are you trying to kill someone?! You’re not the only damn person on the road, asshole!”
I barely turn my head. My pulse thunders in my ears.
“Watch it before you kill a family!” the guy spits before peeling off.
I stare at the road ahead, fists trembling against the leather. My jaw clenches so tight it aches.
They don’t understand.
No one does.
She isn’t just my sister.
She’s my entire world.
After our father… after everything… I swore I’d protect her. That I’d never let her fall into the hands of monsters. And now, here she is—caged in the territory of a man with blood on his hands and a curse in his soul.
A man like Kane Ironclaw.
I know what he’s capable of. I’ve heard the stories. Hell, everyone has. Alphas fear him. Elders avoid him. He isn’t just a man—he’s a storm that devours whatever comes too close.
And my baby sister?
She’s standing in the eye of it.
I punch the dashboard, letting the pain ground me for a moment. A shallow breath. Then another.
Focus.
She’s still alive. She has to be. And if she isn’t…
My grip tightens again, rage bubbling just beneath the surface.
Then I’ll burn that füç?ing packhouse to the ground.
The light turns green.
And I don’t ease into the drive—I launch forward like a bullet, the engine growling beneath me like it shares my fury.
I’m coming for you, Nevaeh.
And if that bastard so much as laid a finger on you—
He’ll bleed.
