Chapter 1: Abduction

Beta David dragged me across the rough, cold floor by my hair, each pull igniting a fire of pain across my scalp. The agony was unbearable, each tug making it feel like my skin might tear away.My eyes filled with tears, and no matter how hard I tried to blink them back, they spilled over, hot and unstoppable, streaming down my cheeks.Every inch of my bare skin felt raw, scraping against the gritty, jagged stones below, each scrape opening fresh cuts that stung and burned.I couldn’t even grieve my father’s death. I wasn’t given a moment to mourn, to reflect, or to breathe before they decided I was next to be discarded.My father—Alpha Nikolay Vladislav—had been taken down by silver poisoning after a brutal battle. He was the Alpha of the South, feared by many but loved by none.He was ruthless, a man with an iron heart and fists to match. His power was overwhelming, and he ruled with cruelty that was legendary.