I Hate You, Alpha... Yet I Crave You

Vera

"The Alpha wants you."

The guard's voice snaps me from the light sleep I barely managed all day. My eyes snap open, and my heart drops instantly.

I know what that means.

Before I can even sit up, three maids rush in. They always come the moment they hear those words. No one wastes time when it comes to me.

I don't belong to myself here.

I'm the most hated girl in the pack... the traitor's daughter. And they never let me forget it.

My parents were once respected-the Beta and his mate. People bowed their heads when they walked past. But everything changed the day they were accused of treason against Alpha Draven... accused of killing his first son.

But technically, it was me. But they couldn't kill me, so they had to kill my parents. I was ten when I watched them die.

No mercy. No hesitation. Just blood on the ground and the cold eyes of the pack watching it all unfold.

They wanted me dead too. I remember the the shouting and hunger for more blood.

But Alpha Draven spared me. Not out of kindness-just because I was a child.

And that mercy became my curse. Because they kept me alive... but they never let me live.

I was treated worse than an outsider. I sleep in the servant quarters, work until my hands split open, and take the blame whenever someone needs to release their anger. Some days, I'm beaten just because someone else had a bad day.

And no one ever stops it.

Even now, I can feel their hatred as the maids strip me and push me into the bathtub.

"Stay still, you cursed girl," one of them snaps, scrubbing my skin like she's trying to erase it.

Cursed.

That's what they call me.

Because I never got my wolf.

They say it's punishment... that my life is meant to pay for my sins.

I stopped arguing a long time ago.

The water is too hot, but I dare not complain.

When they're done, they pull me out and dress me in something that makes my stomach twist. The fabric is thin, barely covering anything. It would've been better if they had left me naked.

But kindness doesn't exist here.

They spray perfume on me, it's heavy and suffocating, then throw a robe over my shoulders.

I don't need to ask where I'm going.

I already know.

Alpha Aiden's room.

When Alpha Draven died, his son Alpha Aiden returned.

He came back from abroad to take his place, and from the moment he stepped into power, everything changed. He was everything a powerful Alpha should be, he is cold, ruthless, and feared. No one dared to challenge him.

Outside the pack, he was known as a billionaire who controlled powerful corporations.

Inside the pack... he was worse.

"Go now," the head maid orders.

My legs move before my mind can catch up. I walk on autopilot because keeping Alpha Aiden waiting is not something I can afford. I already carry enough of his hatred.

I stop in front of his door.

And suddenly, my heart stutters.

I press my hand against my chest, trying to steady myself, but something feels... wrong. It's like a sharp invisible thread has wrapped itself around my ribs and is pulling me toward him. Hard. Desperate.

My breathing turns uneven. My pulse races so fast I can hear it pounding in my ears.

"Come in." His deep voice cuts through the door.

And my heart slams wildly against my chest violently... like it recognizes him.

In a way, it does. Because he is my mate.

Yes... you heard that right, my mate.

The night of the Blood Moon ceremony... that was when everything was revealed. It was the night fate was meant to show the Alpha's true mate.

I remember it clearly.

Alpha Aiden stepped into the circle, powerful and untouchable. The moment the bond awakened, it pulled him straight to me.

But the way he looked at me. Like I was nothing, but filth.

His hatred burned hotter than the Blood Moon glowing above us, sharp and wild, like fire with no end.

Then I realize that he didn't feel the bond. Not the way I did.

He felt that strange force drawing us together, but it was twisted by something darker. I saw it in his eyes. There was no spark of recognition. Only bitterness so deep it looked like it had lived inside him for years, waiting for a face to blame.

I searched his face, hoping I was wrong, to see even the smallest crack in that cold expression.

There was none.

Then his lips parted, and the words that came out made my whole body go still down to my bones.

"Take her to my mansion," he ordered. "She will live there... as my slave."

And just like that. My fate was sealed.

I walk in quietly and find him sitting on a chair, a pen in his hand as he scribbles something on paper.

For a moment... I forget how to breathe.

He is unfairly handsome.

Not just handsome, he is striking, in a way that feels deliberate, like the Moon Goddess took her time shaping every detail just to make sure no one could look away. His sleeves are rolled up just enough to reveal strong forearms. A few strands of dark hair fall across his forehead, softening the sharpness of his face, but not enough to hide the authority he carries so effortlessly.

My heart betrays me instantly.

And I hate him.

But I don't dare show it.

His father, Alpha Draven, spared my life. But if things were reversed... Alpha Aiden wouldn't hesitate. He wouldn't even look twice before killing me.

Even now, I doubt he knows I'm his mate... his hatred for me burns just as deep.

He lifts his head and looks at me.

The bond tightens painfully in my chest, it wraps around my ribs like it owns me. His scent reaches me, it's deep, rich, intoxicating and my lungs pull it in before I can stop myself.

It only makes everything worse.

Slowly, he pushes his chair back, without breaking eye contact. His gaze darkens as it drifts over me-slow, deliberate... like he knows exactly what he's doing.

"Why are you staring, slave?" His voice is low, controlled.

I say nothing. I just lift my chin slightly, holding on to what little pride I have left.

For a second, his lips twitch like he's almost amused. Maybe he's tired of my quiet defiance.

His eyes move over me again, and it feels like something crawls under my skin. There is no warmth there... only pure contempt.

"Let's make one thing clear," he says. "Next time I call for you, and you waste even one minute..."

He pauses, his voice turning sharper.

"I will take out my whip and mark your back myself."

A chill runs through me, but I don't react.

"Yes, Alpha."

"Strip." His eyes lock on mine, without blinking.