Bound to the Pack- Breeder for the Triplets Alpha's

The Binding Night

Belinda

The silk robe felt like a second skin, cold and unforgiving. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at my phone. It was 8:00 PM. In any other world, this would be the time I’d be settling in to watch a movie with Marcus. Or maybe I’d be laughing at a meme Xiana sent me.

But my screen was black. Not a single notification. No "are you okay?" No "I’m sorry."

My own father hadn't even texted to see if I made it to the King pack alive. I was twenty-one years old, a grown woman, and yet I was being handled like a piece of livestock. For years, I stayed in that pack, working as a glorified maid because I thought family meant something. I stayed an Omega, never shifting, hoping that my loyalty would eventually earn me a place at their table.

Instead, it earned me a price tag.

A sharp knock at the door made me jump. A woman with grey hair pulled into a tight, severe bun walked in. She was carrying a tray of oils and a small, silver bowl.

"I am Sarah, the Head Healer," she said. Her voice had no warmth. She didn't look me in the eye. "Stand up. We need to prepare you for the Binding Ceremony."

"I don't want a ceremony," I said, my voice cracking. "I just want to go home."

Sarah finally looked at me, and for a second, I saw a flash of pity in her eyes before it was replaced by stone.

"You are in the King manor now, girl. There is no home to go back to. The Alpha has already paid the tribute. The Binding happens tonight. We must ensure the vessel is ready for breeding."

The word "vessel" made my stomach turn. I felt sick.

She began to rub a thick, floral oil onto my wrists and neck. When she reached the bruise Quinton had left, she stopped. Her fingers lingered on the purple mark.

"Who did this?" she whispered, her brow furrowed.

"He did," I said, thinking of the man who had just been in here. "Derek."

Sarah looked confused. "The Alpha is in the grand hall. He hasn't left his guests for hours."

Before I could ask what she meant, Derek walked in.

He was dressed in a black suit that looked like it cost more than my father’s entire house. His tattoos were hidden now, but the aura of violence he carried was louder than ever. He looked at Sarah, then at me.

"Leave us," Derek commanded.

Sarah bowed her head and hurried out, leaving the tray behind. The silence that followed was heavy. Derek walked over to me, his steps slow and measured. He didn't look like the man who had pinned me to the bed twenty minutes ago. That man was teasing, dark, and playful. This man looked like he wanted to erase me from existence.

"Why aren't you ready?" he asked. His voice was a whip.

"I don't want to do this, Derek," I said, standing my ground even though my knees were shaking.

"Please. Just let me go. I won't tell anyone. I’ll just disappear."

Derek laughed, but there was no joy in it. He stepped into my personal space, towering over me. "Disappear? You think you’re that important? You’re a debt settlement, Belinda. You’re a way for me to shut the elders up. You really think I’d let a territory go just because you have a little heartache?"

"I’m a person," I whispered.

"In this house, you’re an asset," he snapped. He reached out and grabbed my chin, tilting my head back. He saw the mark. His eyes narrowed, and a low growl vibrated in his chest. "What the hell is this?"

"You did it," I said, confused by his reaction. "You were just here."

Derek’s grip tightened until I winced. "I haven't been in this room since I told you to get dressed an hour ago. Who was in here, Belinda?"

"It was you!" I yelled, trying to push him away.

"You were wearing a t-shirt and you were laughing at me. You called me an Omega."

Derek’s face went pale for a split second before a mask of pure rage settled over his features. He let go of my chin as if it burned him. He paced the room, his hands fisted at his sides.

"You’re lying," he hissed. "You’re trying to create a scandal to get out of the Binding. Who did you sneak into this house? Was it that pathetic Beta boyfriend of yours?"

"No! I would never..."

"Shut up," he roared. He turned on me, his eyes glowing a dangerous, predatory silver. "I don't care who you slept with to get that mark. But understand this. Tonight, when the moon reaches its peak, you will be bound to me. I will mark you so deeply that no other wolf will ever dare to touch you. And if I find out you’re carrying another man’s scent, I’ll kill you both."

"You’re a monster," I whispered, the tears finally falling.

"Sarah! Get in here and finish. I want her in the hall in five minutes. If she resists, leash her."

He walked away immediately.

Sarah rushed back in, her hands trembling as she tried to fix my hair. I sat there, a hollow shell of a woman. My family didn't want me. My boyfriend didn't want me. And the man I was about to be bound to hated the very sight of me.

Sarah’s fingers were cold as she pinned a heavy, silver heirloom into my hair. She was working fast, her breath coming in short, nervous hitches. I caught my reflection in the vanity mirror. At twenty-one, I should have been looking at a bride who was glowing. Instead, I saw a ghost. My skin was too pale, and the dark circles under my eyes told the story of a woman who had been discarded by everyone she ever loved.

"There," Sarah whispered, stepping back.

"You look... like a King bride."

"I look like a sacrifice," I corrected her. My voice felt like it belonged to someone else. "Does my father know I’m here? Did he even ask if I was okay after Xiana drugged me?"

Sarah looked down at the floor, refusing to meet my gaze.

"The Alpha of the Crescent Pack was satisfied with the border agreement, Belinda. He said your service to the pack would be remembered."

Service. That was a funny word for being sold. I was twenty-one years old, an Omega who had spent her entire life cleaning up after her step-sister and trying to earn a crumb of affection from a father who only saw me as a burden. Marcus was supposed to be my escape. We had plans. We had talked about leaving the pack and starting over in the city. But he didn't want a life with me. He wanted the power that came with Xiana.

"It is time," Sarah said, gesturing toward the door. "The Alpha is waiting in the Great Hall. Please, do not make this difficult. For your own sake."

I stood up, the heavy silk of the black dress rustling against the floor. I didn't have a bouquet. I didn't have a father to walk me down the aisle. I walked out of that room alone, flanked by two massive guards who looked at me with more pity than respect.

The Great Hall was cold. The stone walls were lined with the high-ranking members of the King Pack, their eyes trailing over me like I was a prize horse being led to the auction block. At the end of the hall stood Derek.

He looked magnificent in a dark suit, his jaw set in a hard, unforgiving line. But the moment our eyes met, any hope I had for a flicker of kindness died. His silver eyes were like ice. He looked at me with a loathing so deep it made my lungs seize.

"You're late," he said when I finally reached him. He didn't take my hand. He didn't even lean in to acknowledge me.

"I had a lot to process," I whispered, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

Derek leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear. The scent of winter forest and expensive bourbon wrapped around me, making my head spin. For a second, I thought he might say something soft.

"Process this," he hissed, his voice a low, lethal vibration.

"You are here because your family thinks you are worthless, and I need a womb. Do not mistake this ceremony for a wedding. It is a closing of a deal. Try to act like you have some dignity left, even if we both know you don't."

I felt the tears sting my eyes, but I blinked them back. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

The ceremony was a blur of ancient wolf terms and blood oaths. We didn't exchange rings. Instead, the pack healer cut our palms with a ceremonial blade and pressed them together. The blood was warm and sticky, a physical reminder of the life I was now tethered to.

"The Binding is sealed," the healer announced.

A few people cheered, but the atmosphere remained heavy. Derek pulled his hand away immediately, wiping the blood onto a white silk handkerchief as if touching me had contaminated him.

"Take her to the master wing," Derek commanded the guards. He didn't even look at me as he turned to speak to one of his lieutenants. "I have business to finish in the study. I’ll be there when I’m ready."

I sat on the edge of the massive bed in the master suite for what felt like hours. The room was beautiful, filled with dark velvet and gold accents, but it felt like a cage. My heart was a frantic bird in my chest. I thought about Xiana and Marcus. I wondered if they were in her bed right now, laughing at me. The thought made me want to scream, but I was too tired for that.

The door clicked open.

Derek walked in, loosening his tie. He had shed his jacket, and his white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing the dark ink of his tattoos. He looked exhausted and angry.

"Still in that dress?" he asked, walking over to the decanter on the sideboard. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and downed it in one go. "Take it off. You’re making the room feel crowded."

"Derek, please," I said, standing up. My legs felt like jelly. "Can we just talk? I know you didn't want this, but I didn't either. We could find a way to make this work without... without the cruelty."

Derek set the glass down with a loud thud. He walked toward me, his movements fluid and dangerous. He didn't stop until he was inches away. He was so tall I had to crane my neck to look at him.

"You want to talk?" he mocked, his voice dripping with arrogance. "What should we talk about, Belinda? Your failed mating with a Beta? The fact that your own father traded you for a few miles of forest? Or should we talk about how you’re going to look when you’re carrying my heir?"

"I am a human being," I snapped, my anger finally bubbling over. "I have feelings. I have a soul. You can't just treat me like a piece of property."

Derek laughed, a dark, jagged sound. He reached out and grabbed a lock of my hair, winding it around his finger. He pulled just enough to make me gasp.

"I am the law," he whispered. "You are exactly what I say you are. And right now, you are the woman who is going to ensure the King bloodline continues. Don't act like you’re too good for this. You’ve been an Omega your whole life. You’re used to taking orders."

He leaned in, his face so close to mine that I could feel the heat radiating from his skin. My heart hammered. For a split second, the air between us changed. The anger was still there, but it was being pushed aside by a raw, overwhelming tension. His eyes dropped to my lips, and for one heartbeat, I thought he was going to kiss me. I wanted him to. I wanted something, anything, to dull the pain of the betrayal I felt.

But then, he pulled back. A smirk of pure malice crossed his face.

"Don't look at me like that," he said, his voice cold again. "I’m not Marcus. I don't want your love, Belinda. I don't even want your company. I just want what’s inside you."

He turned me around, his hands rough as they reached for the zipper of my dress. I felt the cool air hit my back as the silk fell away. I shivered, clutching the fabric to my chest.

"Get in the bed," he ordered.

I did as I was told, crawling under the heavy black duvet. I felt small and insignificant. Derek stripped off his shirt and climbed in beside me. The bed dipped under his weight. He didn't pull me close. He didn't touch me with any gentleness.

He rolled over, pinning me down with the sheer weight of his body. His eyes were dark, devoid of any warmth.

"This is the only reason you’re here," he whispered, his hand gripping my hip. "Once you give me what I need, I won't ever have to look at your pathetic face again. Do you understand?"

"I hate you," I whispered, the tears finally overflowing.

"Good," Derek said, his voice a low growl against my neck. "Hatred is much more honest than the lies you were living before."

The night was long and filled with a cold, clinical intensity that left me feeling more alone than I ever had in my life. Derek was rough, his movements driven by a sense of duty rather than desire. Every time I tried to meet his eyes, he looked away. It was as if he couldn't stand the sight of my pain.

When it was over, he didn't hold me. He didn't say a word. He simply got out of bed, walked to the bathroom, and shut the door.

I lay there in the dark, the scent of him still clinging to my skin. My heart was broken, and my spirit was fractured.