The Alpha Prince's cursed bride

Grace’s pov I looked around to make sure that no one saw me. When I was certain that I was alone, I walked into the room. I found her lying there, but she slowly opened my eyes when she saw me. She took in what I was wearing, and I watched how she rolled her eyes. “Another mission?” she asked me, and I nodded. “We are going to see some Alpha King. I have been selected as a bodyguard.” I couldn’t hide the smile that was on my face, even if I tried. This is the perfect chance, and we both know it. “Once I do everything, I promise you that I will get you out of here.” However, even that promise proved to be hollow because even I didn’t believe it. I didn’t think that my plan would work. Actually, the possibility of it not working at all was high. But I didn’t let that get to me, I didn’t let it show on my face. “Give me your hand,” she said. I took off the gloves to reveal hands that were now filled with black veins. The dark magic had started at my hands and was now almost covering my entire body. Only my face remained untouched, but the rest of me was filled with it. But in her hands, in the hands with veins darker than my own, they looked almost cute. I looked at her, at the fate that awaited me if nothing is done. At the fate I will one day suffer if I don’t at least make a move to end it. I could run, that thought came to me more times than I could count. But if I did, my father, with his connections and money, would find me in no time. I didn’t need to run. I needed protection from someone whose connections and money ran deeper than my father's. Someone even he wouldn’t dare to mess with. But a chance like this doesn’t come by very often. At the same time, I can’t allow myself to hope because I know that no one would want me. One look at me and he would run in the other direction, but he is my only choice. I was snapped out of my thoughts when I felt something pull at me. No, I felt heat and pain in my body that I had never felt before. I looked at the woman on the bed. I watched as the darkness that had filled my body flowed into hers. I tried to move away, but she had an iron grip on me. Not only that, but it felt like all the dark magic in my body was drawn to her. It resonated with her more than it did me. After all, unlike me, who had spent about 10 years channeling that dark magic. She has been doing it for more than 30 years. So it makes sense that it would resonate with her more than me. She looked at me with a smile. “It is too late for me, I held on long enough to pass on all the knowledge I have. Right now, you need to fight for your freedom. Don’t be like us, don’t die in the room without a name or a purpose.” I couldn’t stop the tears as they started falling. “Please, Aunt Grace,” I begged her to stop, but she didn’t. When she finally let go, I couldn’t believe my hands. They were back to normal, like they had been when I was 12 years old, and my mother was still alive. I didn’t need to look at the rest of my body to know the truth. It was gone, she took all of it, and the pain that comes with it as well. My body, it felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. Her breathing was now shallow, she had only a few hours left to live. But she was already losing consciousness, losing the little light that was left in her body because she took away my darkness. “Thank you, thank you for letting me borrow your name. For all the stories you told me. Now go and be free, Grace.” I looked at her, at her eyes that were now completely closed. Anger. I have never felt so much anger and pain in my entire life. They didn’t give her a name. They denied her basic human rights and locked her away while they enjoyed the benefits of her hard work. They sacrificed her, and while she was locked in this stinking place, they enjoyed their luxurious life. They enjoyed the power that came at the cost of her life. The power that was now at the cost of my life. I thought running away and being free would be enough for me. Yes, with the money my mother gave me, I could run off. Maybe live a couple of years of freedom before my father found me. But now that isn’t enough anymore. I want to destroy them. I want to wreck the very foundation they stand on. When I am done with them, this coven they built on the foundation of other people’s sacrifices will come crumbling down. I looked at her, I hoped that borrowing her name was enough. She made one last sacrifice to ensure that my plans had a better chance of succeeding no matter what. But she was still breathing, if she died while I was still here, he would find me here. I got up; I won’t let her sacrifice be in vain. I kissed her forehead one last time before walking out of the room. I used the secret tunnels that led me straight to the back of the garden. My room was just next to the servant’s room, so I got in there and made myself comfortable. Then I started hearing it, my father’s voice was urgent as he passed through the servants' room. She is gone, and he was the first one to feel it. They were tethered to one another, it makes sense that he would sense her first. Which is why she held on until she was sure that I was safe. I put on the fox mask and walked out. I saw people running around, the coven doctor had joined my father, running to that old building. The building that had no hot running water, that didn’t have any electricity or heating. The same building that my father told the entire coven that it was cursed and that we were not to step there no matter what. A few minutes later, he ran out with the doctor in tow, looking around until his eyes landed on me. He ran to me, shook my shoulder, not in a loving way a father should. “You, go there and revive her,” he screamed at the top of his lungs. But he paid a steep price for it. I watched how he groaned in pain afterward. “I am sorry, sir, but what do you mean?” I asked. My voice was as meek as always. “That woman, go and revive her.” He was now dragging me to follow him, but I didn’t object even for a second. I followed him to the room he was leading me into without asking any questions. We got to the room I knew very well, the one I had just left a few minutes ago. When he opened the door, his eyes landed on the empty bed. He seemed like he was this close to losing his mind as he looked at the doctor. The doctor who was here a few minutes ago also looked the same way. “She was dead, I was sure of it. There is no way that she could have walked off on her own.” My father walked into the room, his eyes on the now empty bed. What remained there was now only puffs of darkness. The same darkness started whispering around the room, the voice echoing. ‘Your doom will come, your days will end.’ The voice repeated this over and over again. I watched how my father fell on the floor, his eyes so wide I couldn’t help but smile behind the fox mask. Aunt Grace, good for her, although her entire family silenced her all her life. I am glad she got the last laugh. But does the old man know? That the doom she speaks of is right behind him?