Bound by Fate, Freed by Choice

Chapter 1

Lyla's POV

"Didn't expect to see you here, omega."

I froze at the sound of his voice—a low, chilling timbre that wrapped around me like a vice.

The words dripped with disdain, halting me mid-step. Slowly, I turned to find Alpha Kaiden leaning against the shadowed wall of the packhouse, his tall frame cloaked in a dark, commanding presence that felt almost suffocating. He looked every bit the ruthless Alpha he was rumored to be.

Kaiden's sharp gray eyes narrowed at me, their intensity like sharp blades, cutting through any pretense I had of composure. His eyes were a startling difference against his raven-black hair, which was slicked back with a casual perfection that seemed almost taunting.

Each strand caught the dim light, adding an eerie glint to his features. His face was angular and severe, with high cheekbones and a jawline that seemed carved from granite, lending him a look of dark authority. Dressed in a black shirt that hugged his muscular frame and leather jacket that clung to his broad shoulders, he was the embodiment of a man who commanded power—and demanded obedience.

The room behind him was spacious but cold, with walls of polished stone that gave it an imposing, almost dungeon-like feel. The sparse furnishings—a solitary, dark wooden table with intricately carved legs and a set of high-backed chairs—seemed to mirror the harshness of Kaiden's aura. Dim lighting from a chandelier overhead cast long shadows, amplifying the tension in the air.

My pulse quickened, my throat tight. I forced myself to respond, swallowing hard as I met his unyielding gaze. "I... didn't realize you'd be here," I stammered, barely able to keep my voice steady as he took a step forward, his eyes gleaming with something that was both mocking and dangerous.

Kaiden's lips curved into a smirk, but there was no warmth in it. "I'm always where I need to be," he replied, folding his arms over his chest. The leather of his jacket creaked softly with the movement, a subtle reminder of the raw strength lurking beneath his calm exterior. "But you, Lyla? Showing up, hoping to impress the pack with your little shift tonight? Are you that desperate for attention?"

The sting of his words sliced through me, sharper than I'd anticipated. I lifted my chin, persistent to mask the hurt that prickled beneath the surface. "I'm not trying to impress anyone," I replied, my voice trembling but defiant. I couldn't let him know how deeply he affected me—not tonight, when my resolve was hanging by a thread.

His expression darkened, a flicker of cruel amusement dancing in his eyes as he tilted his head slightly. "Funny," he sneered, voice laced with venom, "you seem nervous for someone who has no one left to disappoint."

The reminder of my sister's absence—a taunt that he threw with such brutal precision—felt like a knife twisting in my chest. The sister who had been my only family, my protector, and who'd vanished two days after her marriage to Kaiden. My jaw clenched as I held his gaze, anger simmering beneath my skin. "If Maya was here—"

"Don't speak of her," he snapped, his eyes darkening to a stormy shade of silver. His voice was low and deadly, a warning that hung heavy in the air. "She made her choice. Or did you think I'd welcome you with open arms, after what she did?"

A chill ran down my spine, and for a brief moment, I faltered. What did he mean? My sister's disappearance had haunted me for years, but no one would tell me what truly happened. I struggled to keep my voice from shaking. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kaiden let out a mocking laugh that echoed through the room, bouncing off the stone walls like a cruel melody. "Of course, you don't. You know nothing, Lyla. Just like her, weak and clueless. And tonight? It changes nothing. You'll never be more than a nuisance."

My heart twisted painfully, but before I could respond, Kaiden turned and strode off, his words lingering in the air like poison. His footsteps faded, leaving me alone, trembling, as I struggled to hold back tears.

**

The field was packed with wolves, their eyes alight with anticipation as they gathered beneath the brilliant moon. I had barely caught my breath from Kaiden's earlier taunts when I felt a sudden, sharp tug deep within me, like an invisible thread pulling tighter with every step I took.

And then, across the field, I saw him—Alpha Kaiden. He stood with his warriors, his gaze dark and piercing, locked onto mine. The realization hit like a punch to the gut, my wolf's instincts screaming the truth I couldn't deny: Kaiden was my mate. My sister's ex-husband. The man who had once been bound to her was now meant to be bound to me. I hadn't expected it; I hadn't wanted it. And yet, fate was cruel.

For one brief, impossible moment, hope stirred. Perhaps, somehow, he could see me as more than an omega. Maybe, in some miraculous way, he could look beyond the past. But that glimmer of hope shattered instantly as a flash of disgust crossed his face, his eyes narrowing with disdain.

"No." His voice, loud and merciless, rang across the field, cutting through the murmurs and sending a wave of silence over the crowd. I felt my heart drop, dread flooding through me as I realized what was coming.

Kaiden took a deliberate step forward, his gaze filled with pure, unfiltered revulsion. "I, Alpha Kaiden of the Darkmoon Pack," he announced, each word dripping with venom, "reject you, Lyla."

A murmur rippled through the crowd as Kaiden's rejection echoed in the night. I stood paralyzed, the rejection tearing through me, searing every nerve. But it wasn't just the rejection that cut so deep—it was his hatred, the way he looked at me like I was something filthy, something beneath him.

"Do you know what disgusts me most?" His sneer grew, his voice carrying for everyone to hear. "You. Weak, pathetic, and clinging to the delusion that you're anything more than a burden." He paused, his smirk widening as he glanced around, ensuring that every wolf caught his next words. "You're nothing, Lyla. A weak omega who doesn't even deserve a mate, much less an alpha."

The words burned, each insult twisting the knife deeper. My cheeks flamed under the stares of the pack, their eyes filled with pity, with disdain, with scorn. But Kaiden wasn't finished.

"I would rather be mateless," he spat, voice full of contempt, "than bound to someone as worthless as you."

A tear slipped down my cheek, but I refused to let it show. I'd faced rejection before, been treated like an outcast by my pack, but this public humiliation was on a scale I had never known. Kaiden's words lingered, tainting the air, filling it with shame and bitterness that wrapped around me like a shroud.

I watched him turn his back, walking away without a second thought, while the pack murmured and sneered. As the broken bond seared through me, I felt something shift inside—a resolve, a quiet defiance. If Kaiden thought this would break me, he was wrong.

I would survive. And one day, I would make them all see just how wrong they were.