The Cursed Mate at Wolfbridge University

The bus jolted to a stop in front of the wrought-iron gates of Wolfbridge University. My stomach pitched with it, though maybe that had less to do with the ride and more to do with the dread clawing at my insides. The curse had followed me here, just as it had everywhere else. Wolfbridge loomed above the cliffside like a beast waiting to swallow me whole. Towers scraped the bruised September sky, stone walls slick with sea spray from the storming waves below. Ravens circled high, their cries carried on the wind like omens. Everything about this place screamed power and danger. Which meant it was perfect for hiding. Perfect for pretending I was normal—if only for a little while. I stepped off the bus, tightening my grip on the strap of my duffel. Students streamed through the gates in packs, laughter and chatter echoing off the stones. Wolves already sizing one another up. Dominance in every glance, every lifted chin. My pulse thundered as I walked, willing myself invisible. If no one looked too closely, maybe they wouldn’t see the curse etched into my blood. “Liora?” I turned at the sound of my name. Tessa barreled toward me, curls bouncing, a grin wide enough to break through even the thickest clouds. Relief loosened my shoulders. My best friend was here. One person in this whole cursed academy who knew me—not all of me, but enough. “You look like you’re walking to your own funeral,” Tessa teased, hooking her arm through mine. “Maybe I am,” I muttered, eyes flicking to the carved wolf sigils on the gates. “Moon Goddess help me.” Inside, the campus was even more intimidating. Gothic arches stretched overhead, shadows clinging to every corner. Students shifted into wolves for fun, sprinting across the lawn. A Beta barked orders at his pack near the training fields. I forced myself to breathe. “Relax,” Tessa whispered, squeezing my arm. “We’re just here to learn, remember? Not everything is about mates.” Easy for her to say. She didn’t carry a curse that killed every man foolish enough to claim her. We followed the crowd into the Great Hall. Candles floated in the air, casting golden light over rows of long tables. Banners from every pack hung overhead, swaying gently though there was no wind. At the front, Headmaster Callen stood like a carved statue, his silver beard glinting in the light. “Welcome to Wolfbridge University,” his voice boomed, carrying easily to every corner of the hall. “Here, the strongest are forged, and the bonds of fate are honored.” A ripple of anticipation moved through the students. I fought the urge to bolt. Bonds of fate. The very words curdled in my stomach. “Tonight,” the Headmaster continued, “many of you will feel the stirrings of destiny. Some of you will find your fated mates before the moon wanes.” Gasps, giggles, whispers. My nails dug into my palms. Not me. Please, not me. We were dismissed to mingle, eat, and “open ourselves to the will of the Moon Goddess.” I wanted to crawl under the table. Instead, I let Tessa drag me toward the food. That’s when it happened. The air shifted, charged like lightning before a storm. My lungs seized. Across the hall, a pair of golden eyes locked onto mine. My heart stopped, then roared to life, thundering in my ears. The bond snapped tight, undeniable, pulling me toward him like chains. Elias Gray. The future Alpha of my pack. Tall, broad-shouldered, with hair like spun sunlight and a smile that had made girls swoon since childhood. My mate. No. No, no, no. I staggered back, nearly knocking into Tessa. She caught my arm. “Liora? What is it?” I couldn’t answer. My mouth had gone dry, my throat choking on panic. The curse was laughing at me, cruel and triumphant. Elias’s expression shifted as recognition dawned. Shock, then something colder. His steps carried him forward, commanding, every inch the Alpha he was destined to be. The crowd parted for him, whispers rising. I wanted to run. But the bond rooted me to the spot. He stopped in front of me, so close I could see the flecks of amber in his eyes. The hall hushed, every ear straining. “Liora Vale,” he said, voice ringing clear. “The Moon Goddess has made a mistake.” The words sliced deeper than any blade. My chest burned, breath wheezing. “I reject you.” Gasps exploded around us. My vision blurred. The bond ripped, tearing through my soul, leaving me raw and hollow. Pain crashed over me, sharp and suffocating. I fell to my knees. Tessa was there instantly, shouting my name, but her voice sounded distant, muffled under the roar of agony. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Rejection should free me, free him. But the curse twisted, digging deeper, poisoning my veins. My skin burned. My heart faltered. I couldn’t breathe. Through the haze, I saw Elias’s face pale. Maybe he thought I was faking. Maybe he realized too late that rejecting me was just as deadly. And then another figure moved from the crowd. Dark hair, eyes like smoke, danger clinging to him like a second skin. Kael Draven. Rival Alpha. The one every wolf feared, the one whispered to carry shadows in his blood. He crouched beside me, ignoring the gasps, ignoring Elias’s furious glare. His hand brushed mine, steady, grounding. His voice was low, only for me. “Don’t you dare die here.” Something in his tone—command, promise, defiance, tethered me to the world as darkness closed in. The last thing I saw before blackness swallowed me was the full moon gleaming through the stained glass windows, as if the Moon Goddess herself was watching. And laughing.