Bound To The Lycan King

Octavia POV

The howling winds cut through the night air, colder than usual, sending shivers down my spine. I gripped the edge of the wooden table, my knuckles white, as my father paced the small living room. His face was grim, his usually kind eyes now hard as steel. The village had been in fear for days, there have been rumors of strange wolves lurking in the woods, watching. But nothing prepared us for the nightmare that descended upon us. We all had no idea why there were wolves watching us or why they were so interested in our territory.

A loud crash echoed from outside, followed by the screams of our pack members. My father froze, his ears twitching as he listened.

"Octavia," he called out gently, his voice low but firm, "go to the cellar. Hide, and don't come out. No matter what you hear. No matter what happens." He instructed me with so much worry laced on his voice.

"But-" I began, the words stuck in my throat, fear clawing at my chest.

"Now!" His voice thundered, more urgent than ever. He grabbed my shoulders, his grip firm, but the look in his eyes was full of something worse than anger-it was despair. "I won't lose you. Not tonight." He let out.

I stumbled backward, my legs feeling as heavy as lead. I didn't want to leave him. Didn't want to leave them. But his expression left no room for argument. My feet moved before my mind could process it, and I sprinted for the trapdoor beneath the kitchen table. The cellar was cold and damp, but it was supposed to be safe.

The door shut behind me with a soft thud, plunging me into darkness. I crouched low, my hands shaking as I pressed them against my mouth to stifle the sound of my ragged breathing. Above me, the sounds of battle grew louder. Howls of pain. Snarls of wolves in combat. And then, I heard my mother's scream-a piercing sound that sliced through the whole chaos.

I clamped my hands tighter against my mouth, tears spilling down my cheeks. I couldn't move. My legs felt frozen, as if anchored to the ground by the weight of my fear. "Please, please, let them be okay." I prayed to the moon goddess.

But the sounds only grew worse. The door above creaked open, and I saw the flash of bloody paws. I wanted to scream, to fight, to do something. But I stayed silent, just as my father had told me.

Then, silence. A deadly, total silence.

I held my breath, praying it was over, that somehow our pack had won. But the footsteps that followed weren't familiar. They were slow. Then came the voices.

"Search the house," a cold voice commanded. "Make sure no one's hiding." I recognized the voice but I couldn't place the owner of the voice.

I pressed myself further into the shadows, my heart racing so fast I thought it might give me away. The sounds of boots crunching on broken wood and glass grew closer. A chair scraped above me, and I heard the sickening thud of something-someone-being dragged across the floor. I had to fight the urge to scream when I realized it was my father.

"Please, don't let them find me. Please," I whispered under my breath, my eyes squeezed shut.

But luck was not on my side. The trap door creaked open, and a pair of cruel, amber eyes peered down at me. I tried to scramble back, but strong hands grabbed me, dragging me out into the dim light of the ruined house.

My body felt weightless, like I wasn't even there. All I could focus on was the scene around me-my father's lifeless body, my mother's crumpled body not far away. My heart shattered into a million pieces.

"Kill her," one of the men said, his voice indifferent, as if he were ordering a meal. His claws gleamed in the faint light.

But another voice, deep and authoritative, echoed through the room. "No."

The man who spoke stepped forward. He was tall, towering over the others, his presence suffocating. His hair was dark as night, and his eyes were an icy blue that sent a shiver through me. The others immediately stepped back, lowering their heads in deference. This was the leader. I instantly realized why I recognized the voice from earlier. He is the supposed Alpha of the Darwood Pack, known to be ruthless and nothing like his late father.