The Rebel Prisoner of the Cruel Alpha

I looked at my stepmother as she arrived at the courthouse where my sentence would be handed down. I had been arrested by the police for drunk driving and, as if that wasn’t bad enough, I had punched one of the officers. What I did was pretty bad, but to be honest, I didn’t regret it.

“You could’ve died, are you crazy?” she scolded me.

I averted my eyes, fully aware of the gravity of what I had done, but I didn’t care. I had no one left. My father had died a month ago, and my mother on the day I was born. So, nothing mattered to me anymore.

“Tiana, please. I know you can have a good life; you just have to let me help you,” she said softly.

“Leave me alone. It’s my life, and you’re just in the way,” I replied coldly.

But the truth was, I did care for her. She had been like a mother to me, or at least she had tried for years. She held a special place in my heart.

The judge pronounced my sentence. Since I had no prior record, I was sentenced to eighty hours of community service. Ana, my stepmother, grabbed my hand, and I looked at her.

“Let me help you, Tiana. I know we can get through this,” she said tenderly.

I took a deep breath and started crying. I felt terrible about everything that had happened and knew I’d been awful to her. She didn’t deserve my cruelty.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. We’ll get through this together,” she comforted me.

We left the courthouse, and the driver was waiting for us. We both got into the car. Flora comforted me the entire way home. I avoided looking at her because I knew that if I did, I’d end up crying again.

“Tomorrow, as soon as you get back from university, change and head to the shelter. You’ll be working under the sisters and doing everything they ask of you. If they speak well of you, they might even reduce the hours you have to serve,” she said calmly.

I looked at her, and she smiled at me.

“Don’t you miss him?” I asked.

She nodded, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

“With all my soul, but I know he wouldn’t want to see us like this. Please, sweetheart, let me help you. I promised your father I’d always be there for you,” she pleaded, her voice breaking.

I quickly looked away. I missed him too. Every time I thought of him, a massive lump formed in my throat, but crying wouldn’t bring him back. He was never coming back.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

I nodded.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry, I won’t drink and drive again,” I replied.

Flora brushed a strand of my hair.

“Tiana, you’re so beautiful and so much like your father. Stubborn, but with a huge heart,” she said.

I looked at her and smiled faintly.

“Thanks for putting up with me,” I said with a small smile.

She hugged me tightly, and I hugged her back. Maybe the only solution for me was to change my life. I hoped I could manage it.

...

The next day, I arrived at the shelter around two in the afternoon. One of the nuns explained a bit about what I had to do—or more accurately, told me where I needed to clean. My job was literally to be the nuns’ slave. It was miserable.

I got to work, eager to finish quickly so I could go home. It was extremely hot, and my hands hurt from sweeping the courtyard.

“Need some help?” a guy asked as he approached me.

I looked at him and immediately shook my head. If someone saw him helping me, I could get into big trouble.

“No. I can manage on my own, thanks,” I replied with a smile.

“It’s hot out; let me help,” he insisted.

He tried to take the broom from my hand, but I didn’t let him.

“I said no,” I told him, slightly annoyed.

“Girls like you think you’re all that just because you have money, but here you are cleaning up my mess,” he said with a grin.

I turned and walked away. If I stayed near him, I’d end up saying a few choice words, and I really didn’t want to risk going to jail over someone like him.

I kept walking until I reached the second floor of the building. There was no one here, and the best part was that it was cooler. I leaned on the balcony railing and took a deep breath.

“What a pretty little girl,” said a sinister voice behind me.

My heart stopped for a moment, and I quickly turned around. An elderly woman with a disheveled appearance and damaged teeth was smiling at me.

“Your hair is so beautiful,” she said, stepping closer.

I took a few steps back, and the woman stopped.

“Are you afraid of me?” she asked as she touched a strange amulet hanging around her neck.

“No, but if I’m being honest, you’re a bit strange. And showing up like this makes you even stranger,” I said.

She kept advancing toward me, and I kept stepping back until my back hit the balcony railing.

"It's bad to judge people by their appearance," she said.  

I shrugged. Whatever she said meant absolutely nothing to me.  

"I'm not judging; I'm just calling it as I see it. But sorry if I offended you. It seems people around here are quite sensitive," I said, and instantly wanted to slap myself. Could I ever stop getting myself into trouble?  

She removed the amulet from her neck and offered it to me. I shook my head immediately.  

"You should take it. This amulet will bring you good luck, and I'm giving it to you. It'll grant you what you desire most," she said.  

I took it carefully and slipped it into my pocket. Because what I truly desired was not to be here anymore.  

"Thank you," I said.  

She smiled, revealing her rotten, decaying teeth. I stepped away from the balcony and went downstairs, wanting nothing more to do with that strange woman. On my way down, I bumped into the idiot guy.  

"Hiding now to get out of your chores?" he asked.  

I rolled my eyes. This guy was truly insufferable.  

"Leave me alone," I said.  

I pulled the hideous amulet out of my pocket and held it out to him.  

"Where did you get that?" he asked.  

"From the crazy old lady upstairs," I replied.  

He frowned before bursting out laughing.  

"There’s no crazy old lady here. You must've met the witch. They say she died here and comes back to take someone to the afterlife," he said.  

I glared at him. I was too old to believe in fairy tales like that.  

"Screw you," I snapped.  

He just laughed harder.  

"It’s true. They say several witches were burned here, and that old woman’s soul haunts this place, seeking revenge," he added.  

I swallowed hard and looked away—until I saw the old woman talking to one of the nuns. I shot him a glare and punched him.  

"You're an idiot!" I yelled.  

He roared with laughter. I stormed away and went over to where the old woman and the nun were standing.  

"I can’t keep this amulet, and honestly, I don’t think I’ll use it," I said.  

The old woman gave me a dark look.  

"Gifts are not returned. Especially one like the one I gave you," she said.  

I rolled my eyes and handed the amulet back to her. I turned and returned to the second floor, leaning against the balcony railing. I was tired and bored, and all I wanted was to go home.  

"You wish not to live in this life, and that, my child, is exactly what the amulet can grant you. Just wish for it harder," the sinister voice said.  

I spun around and saw her. She was there again, smiling, holding the amulet out to me.  

"Stay away from me. I don’t know what you’re talking about, so please don’t come any closer," I warned her.  

She began to laugh, and out of nowhere, she lunged at me. Her push was so forceful that I nearly flew off the balcony. I stared up at the blue sky, the sun's rays blinding my eyes. In that moment, I realized I was going to die.  

...  

Water flooded my lungs, and I gasped awake, struggling to find my bearings in the liquid darkness. With every ounce of strength I had, I swam upward, breaking through the surface with a desperate gasp. The icy ocean breeze stung my face as I reached the shore, the biting cold seeping into my bones, numbing my trembling fingers.  

"Is this hell?" I wondered, confused, as I collapsed onto the freezing sand. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to make sense of it all. If I’m dead, why am I not in heaven? And if this is heaven, why is it so awful?  

"Witch," someone growled nearby.  

A chill ran down my spine instantly. Opening my eyes, I saw an enormous, grotesque man. He looked like something out of a Viking series, but there was nothing appealing about him. His fierce gaze was as wild as a beast's. The tip of his sword hovered menacingly near my throat.  

"So, I’m in hell then?" I asked fearfully, my voice barely a whisper.  

He withdrew the sword, but his movements were swift and threatening. In one rough motion, he yanked something from my neck. The horrifying amulet dangled from his hand—a macabre sight that froze the blood in my veins.  

This was her fault.  

They threw me onto the rough stone floor as if I were a bag of trash. I got up immediately and looked at the men present; they were all so repulsive. Dressed in animal furs. Where the hell was I? I didn’t want to be here.

"The witch wants to bewitch me!" one of them shouted.

I rolled my eyes and turned away so I wouldn’t have to look at him, but someone pressed a sword against my neck again. Were they insane? If they were going to kill me, they should just get it over with.

"Move, and I’ll cut your throat," one of them said.

The door to the hall opened, and a massive white wolf walked in. The man holding me at swordpoint stepped back immediately.

"What the hell are you doing?! Do something about that thing, or it’s going to kill us!" I shouted at the stupid Viking.

The wolf, standing in front of me, began to move strangel