After My Alpha Took My Body, I Fought Back

The scent of blood hit me first—metallic and sharp, mixed with the damp, moldy smell of the dungeons. My heart pounded against my ribs as I rushed down the stone steps, my hands trembling. Something was terribly wrong. I could feel Trevor's distress through our bond, a pulsing pain that echoed my own deafness with terrible clarity.

"Please," I signed frantically to the guard blocking my path. "My brother—"

The guard's eyes flickered with something like pity before he stepped aside. That look sent ice through my veins.

The dungeon cell was dimly lit by a single torch, casting long shadows across the stone walls. What I saw made my knees buckle.

Trevor was slumped against the wall, his face barely recognizable beneath bruises and dried blood. His shirt was torn, revealing angry welts across his chest. But it was his eyes that broke me—they were clouded with pain yet still held that fierce protective love he'd always reserved for me.

"Norah." His lips formed my name, though no sound emerged. He tried to stand but winced, falling back against the wall.

I rushed to him, but a hand caught my arm, yanking me back with bruising force. Kingsley stood there, his golden Alpha eyes cold and unreadable. Beside him, Stella's lips curved into a smile that never reached her eyes.

"Your brother has been found guilty of selling pack secrets to Rogues," Kingsley signed, his movements slow and deliberate—the same patient hand language he'd once used to court me. The same hands that now signed my brother's death sentence.

"That's impossible!" I signed back, my fingers flying. "He was with me during the alleged crime! I can testify—"

"Your testimony is meaningless," Kingsley interrupted, his fingers gripping mine so tightly I gasped. "You're too biased to be objective."

"He's innocent!" I insisted, trying to pull free. "You know he would never—"

Kingsley's face hardened. He grabbed both my wrists in one powerful hand, effectively silencing me. "Your hysteria is becoming a liability, Luna."

The casual cruelty in his eyes made my blood run cold. This wasn't the man who'd promised to be my voice in a silent world. This was a stranger wearing my mate's face.

Desperation clawed at my throat. I did the only thing I could think of—I shifted.

The transformation was quick, my small silver-white wolf emerging where the woman had stood. I lunged toward Trevor, a protective growl rumbling from my throat.

"Norah, no!" Trevor choked out.

Kingsley's response was immediate and devastating.

"Submit." His Alpha Voice crashed over me like a physical wave.

Pain exploded through every cell in my body as my wolf was forced to the ground. My legs splayed outward, my belly pressed against the cold stone floor. My wolf whimpered, unable to resist the command of an Alpha.

"Take her to the Healer's isolation ward," Kingsley ordered the guards, his voice echoing in the chamber. "My Luna is suffering from Mate Madness. She's become delusional and aggressive."

"Kingsley, please—" Trevor's voice was barely audible.

"Take him to the deeper cells," Kingsley commanded, ignoring my brother's plea. "The traitor will await sentencing."

I couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't even close my eyes as they dragged Trevor away. His blood left a dark trail on the stone floor.

---

Days blurred together in the isolation ward. White walls, white ceiling, white sheets—everything designed to drain me of hope. Healer Marcus visited regularly, administering sedatives under Kingsley's orders.

"It's for your own good, Luna," he'd say, his eyes not quite meeting mine. "The Alpha wants you well."

But I knew better. Kingsley didn't want me well—he wanted me silenced.

On the fourth night, a thunderstorm raged outside. Rain lashed against the windows, and lightning illuminated the sterile room in harsh flashes. Perfect cover for what I needed to do.

I waited until Marcus left, then counted the minutes until I was certain he wouldn't return. The sedative would wear off soon—I'd learned to fight it, to pretend to be more affected than I actually was.

A soft knock at the door made me tense. Gamma Ryan slipped inside, his face guarded.

"You shouldn't be here," I signed.

"I need to check on you," he replied, his eyes darting nervously to the door. "The pack is talking."

I reached under my pillow and pulled out my mother's diamond locket—the last precious thing I owned.

"I need you to deliver a message to Elena Blackwood," I signed, pressing the locket into his palm. "And bring me the potion."

Ryan's eyes widened. "That's forbidden magic, Luna. If the Alpha finds out—"

"He'll do what?" I challenged, a bitter smile twisting my lips. "Lock me away? Beat me? He's already taken everything from me."

The Gamma hesitated, then pocketed the locket. "The rogue witch lives beyond the eastern border. I'll go tonight."

"Thank you," I signed, relief washing through me.

As he turned to leave, thunder crashed overhead, shaking the building. In that moment, I made a silent vow: whatever it took, I would break free from Kingsley's control—even if it meant breaking the mate bond itself.