Chapter 1 BLOOD OF THE DEVIL

STORM HAYES

“How long do you think she'll last before she's killed by the Alpha?” a voice whispered, making me freeze.

I inched closer to the maids’ quarters, straining my ears to catch every word.

“Her body will be brought back the next day.”

“No, she won’t last that long. She’ll be dead before the end of their wedding night. Storm has always been a weak, pathetic Omega. She won’t last a day.”

I was about to barge in and confront them when I heard a voice I recognized. Daisy, My best friend.

“You all underestimate Storm. She’ll last at least five days before she dies pathetically like the others.”

My heart cracked in half. Daisy too? The girl I had shielded when she was caught stealing from the Alpha’s room… the one I always covered for, even when it meant risking my life. She had never once stood up for me. And now, she thought I was just as pathetic as the rest of them did.

I walked into the room, silence slamming down like a hammer. The maids scattered, fumbling as though they hadn’t been caught gossiping.

I didn’t bother calling them out. What good would it do? I was at the very bottom of the pack. Even a newborn pup carried more worth than I did.

I went straight to what I came for, shoving my belongings into the small bag I’d been given. Today, I was leaving this place forever.

Daisy hurried over, forcing a smile. “Hey, Storm! Are you excited about your marriage? You must be happy you’re finally leaving this pack. At least no one will bully you anymore.”

I ignored her, thrusting my clothes into the bag with more force than necessary. She crouched beside me, pretending to help, but I knew what she wanted—words.

“I know you’ve heard the stories about Alpha Darius’ wives dying mysteriously after a few days,” she continued sweetly. “You must be so scared. But don’t worry, I’m here for you. I’m sure the moon goddess will protect—”

“Shut the fuck up!” I snapped, spinning toward her with all the fury boiling inside me. “Just shut it, you backstabbing bitch.”

Her fake concern dropped instantly, her lips curling into a frown. “Whatever. I was only trying to be nice.” She scoffed and walked away.

I watched her leave, and it hit me harder than anything else. After eighteen years in this pack, I had no one. Not a single person who cared if I lived or died. To them, I was just the orphan Omega the Alpha had raised long enough to sell off to a monster.

That was all I had ever been. And that was all I would ever be.

I walked out of the maids’ quarters numb, my chest heavy with a pain too sharp to put into words. For some, this marriage would be the greatest honor of their life. An Omega elevated to Luna of one of the most powerful packs in the world? It was unheard of. But to me, it was worse than death.

I was better off dead than mated to Alpha Darius. Every woman who had married him ended up dead within days. I would be his tenth wife. My pack wanted a merger with him, but he didn’t care for money or resources. He wanted a woman. A beautiful body he could own.

And I was the sacrifice.

I still remembered the way he had looked at me, like a starving lion eyeing its prey. The moment I was chosen, I protested. I begged. But the choice wasn’t mine. They took me to the dungeon, and my head forced onto a slaughter board. They gave me two options—marry Alpha Darius or die right there.

Either way, death was certain.

I chose the slower one.

And now, the day had come.

I walked to the new room they had assigned me, sinking into the chair before the vanity. The Alpha had brought in the best stylists to dress me like a queen, but it didn’t matter. I closed my eyes, wishing it was all just a nightmare.

When they were done, I stared at my reflection. The girl in the mirror wasn’t me. Her face was flawless, painted in colors of beauty. But her eyes…my eyes, were hollow, void of life. A walking corpse dressed in silk. A dead bride.

When I walked down the aisle, every gaze followed me. Some pitied me. Some mocked me. Others just wanted to witness the cursed girl’s fate.

And there he was, Alpha Darius. Smirking as though he already owned me. His eyes locked on mine, and my body trembled.

“Alpha Darius Knight, do you take Storm Hayes to be your lawfully wedded wife?” the officiant asked.

“Yes, I do.” His lips curled. “I vow not to love you, but to own you. To keep you chained, even if it means breaking every piece of you until you are mine in body, mind, and soul. I will guard you, not as a husband protects his wife, but as a predator cages his prey, so no one else touches what belongs to me. From this day forward, your freedom dies at this altar. You may run, you may resist, but you will never escape me. And if you try… your corpse will return here.”

Gasps rippled through the church. Some whispered, but no one challenged him. A few even clapped.

When silence fell again, the officiant turned to me. “Storm Hayes, do you take Alpha Darius Knight to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

I looked around at the eager faces. My packmates, my Alpha, everyone who had already written my death in their minds. They thought I had no choice. They thought I was already his.

But they were wrong.

Because long ago, I decided that I was the architect of my own destiny.

With trembling fingers, I gripped the dagger hidden in the folds of my gown. My heart thundered as I pulled it free and drove it straight into Alpha Darius’ chest.

Blood sprayed across my hands, hot and heavy, and the church erupted in chaos. My body shook, fear threatening to break me, but I didn’t stop.

Using the moment, I tore off the gown suffocating me and bolted down the aisle.

I ran.

Not as a bride, not as a Luna.

But as a hunted woman desperate for one last chance at freedom.