The Alpha’s Cursed Bride

"Destiny?" Alison scoffed, her voice rising as she paced the small chamber. "What are you, a fortune-teller now? You expect me to believe my entire life has been leading up to this? To you locking me in a dungeon?"

Kane sighed, his patience clearly wearing thin. "You think this is about control? About keeping you as a prisoner? You're wrong."

"Oh, really?" Alison shot back, spinning to face him. "Then what is this about? Because all I see is some overbearing guy who thinks he can decide what's best for me."

"It's about survival," Kane said, his voice cutting through her words. "Yours. And theirs."

"Theirs?" Alison repeated, her brows furrowing. "Who's 'they'? What danger am I even supposed to be in?"

Kane stepped closer, his gaze unwavering. "There are forces out there—wolves, hunters, and worse—that would kill you the moment they learned who you are. Keeping you here is the only way to protect you."

Alison shook her head, backing up until her spine hit the cold stone wall. "This is insane. I'm just a regular person! I don't have anything these… these people could possibly want."

"You're wrong," Kane said, his tone softer now but no less certain. "Your bloodline, your very existence, carries power that most can only dream of. And that power makes you a threat."

"A threat?" Alison's voice cracked. "To who?"

"To everyone," Kane said simply. "Including yourself."

Alison's chest tightened, the weight of his words threatening to crush her. She turned her head away, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "No. This can't be real. I'm just… me."

"And that's what makes you dangerous," Kane said, his voice low. "You don't even know what you're capable of. But others do. And they won't stop until you're either dead or controlled."

Alison's mind raced, flashes of memories—her childhood illness, the strange looks people gave her growing up—flooding her vision. Could it be true? Was there something about her that she didn't understand?

"Why me?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "What makes me so special?"

Kane hesitated, his gaze softening for the first time. "Because you're the last of your kind. A white tiger."

Alison's breath caught, her heart pounding in her chest. "A white tiger? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It's a symbol of power," Kane explained, his tone careful, as if testing her reaction. "A lineage thought to be extinct. You're the only one left, Alison. And that makes you both a weapon… and a target."

She stared at him, her pulse racing as his words sank in. "So that's it, then? I'm just some pawn in your little war?"

"No," Kane said firmly, his expression hardening. "You're not a pawn. You're the key."

"To what?" Alison demanded, her voice rising again. "What is this all supposed to lead to?"

Kane's jaw tightened, and he took a step back. "You'll understand soon enough."

"I'm sick of that answer!" Alison shouted, slamming her fist against the wall. "If you want me to trust you, then give me the truth!"

Kane's eyes narrowed, his calm demeanor finally cracking. "The truth is that your very existence could tip the balance of power between wolves and hunters. If you fall into the wrong hands, everything we've fought to protect will be destroyed."

"And what if I don't want to be a part of this?" Alison challenged. "What if I just want to go back to my normal life?"

"There's no going back," Kane said, his voice heavy with finality. "The moment we found you, your old life ended."

Alison stared at him, her chest heaving as anger and fear warred within her. "You can't just decide that for me."

"I didn't decide it," Kane said, his tone softening again. "The world did."

Before Alison could respond, a distant howl pierced the air, low and mournful. The sound sent a shiver down her spine, and she instinctively moved closer to Kane.

"What was that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Hunters," Kane said grimly, his eyes darting to the door. "They're closing in."

Alison's stomach twisted. "Hunters? You mean humans? They're after me too?"

"They're after anyone who poses a threat," Kane said, his voice low but urgent. "And right now, that's you."

Another howl echoed through the chamber, this one closer than the last. Kane's expression hardened, and he turned toward the door.

"Stay here," he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Like hell I will!" Alison shouted, grabbing his arm. "If I'm such a threat, then let me fight!"

"You're not ready," Kane said, his gaze locking onto hers. "If you leave this room, you'll die. And I won't be able to stop it."

Alison opened her mouth to argue, but the look in his eyes stopped her. For the first time, she saw something beneath his cold exterior—something almost like fear.

"Stay here," he repeated, softer this time. "I'll handle it."

With that, he turned and left the room, the heavy door closing behind him with a resounding thud. Alison stood frozen, her mind racing as the howls grew louder, the shadows on the walls seeming to stretch and writhe with each passing second.

She sank onto the chair, her hands trembling as she tried to process everything. A white tiger. A key. A threat. None of it made sense, but one thing was clear: whatever was coming, it wouldn't stop until it found her.