Bound to the Cursed Alpha

Aria’s POV The firelight burned bright against the night sky. The entire courtyard shimmered with silver dust as if the moon itself had scattered its breath upon the stones. I stood at the edge of it all, hidden behind the pillars, clutching the tray in my shaking hands. The Moon Rite. The most sacred night of the wolves. The night when every unmated wolf gathered to meet their destined one. And I, a human slave with ash still under my nails, had no place among them. Still, the head maid pushed me forward. “Go serve the wine, girl. Quickly, before they notice you breathing.” My feet moved even when my heart told me to run. I kept my eyes down, weaving through the crowd of powerful wolves in dark robes. Their laughter sounded too sharp, their eyes too bright. The air itself carried the scent of fur, smoke, and dominance. I placed the last goblet on the table and turned to leave. But someone stepped in my path. “Watch where you walk, slave.” Lara. Her golden hair shone like a cruel halo. She used to work beside me in the servant quarters before she was chosen as an attendant for one of the Alphas. Now her voice dripped with mockery. “You don’t belong here. Crawl back to your corner.” I bowed my head, whispering, “Yes, ma’am.” She laughed softly. “And wipe that dust off your face. You’re ruining the view.” I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood. Then I stepped aside, heart hammering, and tried to find the nearest exit. But the hall was full. The seats arranged in a circle glowed with faint runes, each reserved for an Alpha warrior or noble. I only wanted to slip away unnoticed. My gaze swept the rows for an empty path. Then I saw it, an open seat near the center. I didn’t think. I just moved toward it, hoping to hide until the ceremony ended. The moment I sat, the air shifted. A silence fell across the hall. Even the fire stopped crackling. My skin prickled as every eye turned toward me. Then I felt it. A pulse. Warm. Electric. Alive. My hand trembled on my lap. A strange scent filled the air. Wild forest after rain, smoke, and iron. My heart started to race. Slowly, I turned to my left. He was there. Lucien. The Cursed Alpha. His presence was like a shadow given form. Tall, broad-shouldered, black hair brushing against the collar of his dark cloak. A faint scar crossed his cheek, stopping just short of his mouth. His eyes were the color of storm clouds. He sat still, but power rippled off him, quiet and deadly. Everyone feared him. Even the King kept him on a leash of silence. And I had just sat beside him. Whispers rushed through the hall. “Why is she there?” “She’s human.” “She will die for this.” I tried to rise, to flee, but my knees locked. The pulse in my chest grew stronger, throbbing in time with something inside me I did not understand. Lucien turned his head slowly, his eyes finding mine. The world fell away. For a heartbeat, I forgot to breathe. Something ancient stirred in me, answering the wild in his gaze. My vision blurred at the edges. The runes on the floor glowed brighter, weaving light around us both. A deep growl echoed through the chamber—not of anger, but of recognition. His hand lifted slightly as if drawn by instinct. Then his voice, low and rough, broke the silence. “She is mine.” Gasps filled the air. The head priest shouted, “Impossible! She’s human!” Lucien’s gaze never left me. His tone was calm, cold as the night wind. “Do you wish to test fate?” The priest faltered. The other Alphas looked away. Even the King, seated on his throne, said nothing. My heart pounded. I wanted to speak, to deny it, but my voice was lost. The mark of the moon appeared faintly on my wrist, glowing silver. It burned, but it didn’t hurt. It felt like a call answered after years of silence. Lara stepped forward from the crowd, her face pale. “She’s lying! She’s nothing but a servant!” Lucien’s eyes flicked toward her. “One more word,” he said quietly, “and I’ll tear that lie from your throat.” The hall went still again. No one challenged him. I sat frozen, staring at the glowing mark on my skin. Every breath felt heavy, charged with something wild. My body trembled. He turned back to me, his eyes softer now, though still dark and unreadable. “Do you feel it?” he asked. I didn’t know what to say. My lips parted, and a whisper escaped. “Yes.” The faintest smirk touched his mouth, more like the shadow of emotion than a smile. “Then you understand.” The head priest cleared his throat nervously. “This… this is against all laws. A human cannot bond with a wolf.” Lucien rose slowly from his seat. The movement alone made several guards step back. “Then change your laws,” he said. The tension in the air thickened. I could sense the outrage, the fear, the disbelief. My hands clutched my skirt. I had no idea what any of this meant, only that something sacred had been broken, and I was standing in the center of it. The priest tried again. “She must be tested. The bond...” Lucien’s growl silenced him. “No one touches her.” He looked down at me once more. “Stay close.” The words rolled through me like command and promise both. I nodded, though my legs barely obeyed. Guards stepped forward, but none dared cross the glowing runes. The light around us pulsed, as if protecting us. Then, from the shadows near the throne, the King rose. His crown gleamed under the firelight, his expression unreadable. “Bring them to me,” he said. Lucien’s jaw tightened. For the first time, I saw the flicker of real anger behind his calm. He looked down at me. “Do not be afraid.” Before I could answer, the guards moved. The crowd parted. I was still trembling when Lucien reached out and caught my wrist. The moment his skin touched mine, a surge of warmth spread through me. The runes flared. Gasps rang out again. The King’s voice thundered. “Enough!” The runes shattered in a burst of light. The force threw me back into Lucien’s arms. He caught me easily, steady and strong. The scent of him filled my senses. Wild, cold, alive. When the light faded, every eye in the hall was fixed on us. The mark on my wrist still glowed, mirrored faintly on his. The King stepped forward, his tone hard. “So the curse chooses again.” Lucien’s voice was low. “Or perhaps it ends tonight.” I looked up at him, lost between fear and wonder, and in that moment I knew nothing would ever be the same again. The King lifts his hand toward us, the guards draw their blades, and the air trembles with the scent of blood and moonlight.