The Cursed Alphas

CHAPTER 4

Talia

Carson Alderwood reached up and pulled off his glasses. Showing off his strong jaw and solid cheekbones

His black hair was swept back, only a few stands rebelled falling over his forehead. His light brown eyes locked onto mine gleaming with something far too unknown.

And just to twist the knife deeper, he took off his suit Jacket and tossed it over to one of his men without a glance. The waistcoat beneath hugged his frame, and when he moved—his muscles flexed under the crisp white sleeves.

Two words came to mind

Effortless dominance.

Holy hell.

My stomach dropped. Why on earth did the damn Alpha of Alderwood have to be this…. Obnoxiously handsome.

And of course, I had insulted him.

Right to his face.

I swallowed hard forcing my expression into something calm and humble.

"My apologies… I didn't realize you'd be the first person to welcome me." A tight, awkward smile played on my lips. "I assumed the alpha wouldn't be pretending to be an escort."

Carson chuckled. Even his laugh was beautiful.

His hand found my shoulders—a light Pat like I was some amusing little thing.

Carson bowed, bringing his face to my eyes level. His eyes glinted with something I couldn't pinpoint. But one thing I knew for sure, was that wasn't the eyes of a normal Alpha,

"Quite an impression you have about your husband-to-be," Carson said, "But it was amusing." A smirk pulled a corner of his lips.

Heat licked up my spine.

Amusing?

Carson tilted his head, "I was curious about how you'd react when you found out the "escort" was me." His grip on my shoulders tightened for a second before he let go. "But I wasn't expecting my wife to be to insult me in front of my beta, less even in the presence of a mere escort."

He smiled, shaking his head—shaking his head like he still found it funny. "Luckily, the escort happened to be me." His eyes gleamed, dangerous. "Otherwise, I might've had to kill one of my men for no reason today."

I froze.

Hearing an insult about him would've ended in someone's death?

Was he more psychopathic than I thought? More dangerous?

I forced my voice to stay steady. "I apologize." Then, because once wasn't enough, "I apologize again."

Carson hummed. Like the whole thing was nothing but entertainment. "No need to worry. Welcome to your new home, Talia Hayes. Welcome to the Alderwood Pack." He slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Thank you," I said as I tried to ignore the way the name made my throat twist.

Carson checked his watch before he began walking. "Come along, Since the welcoming Joke was a splash." He tilted his head a bit just to meet my gaze "We have a lot to talk about."

I tensed Immediately falling a few steps behind him.

Lisa moved to follow and the moment she did three men stepped in to block her path.

My stomach tucked

Carson barely glanced back. "She stays." His voice was smooth and final. "I don't like sharing my air with mere wolves."

"I'm sorry but she isn't a mere wolf, at least not to me," I said with a firm voice. "If she isn't allowed to come with me there is no point in me going." My voice came out sharper than I wanted.

Silence.

Seth smirked. His ice-blue eyes gleamed, something amused, something interested.

Carson's brows lifted. Then, slowly, he smirked too.

A silent battle.

Then, with a flick of his fingers, his men stepped aside.

Lisa shot me a look—one that said are you crazy?—before stepping up beside me.

Carson leaned in. Close.

"I hope you realize," he murmured, voice low, for my ears only, "that you already owe me a debt now."

A chill ran down my spine. I hadn't even spent up to an hour with him and I could already see he was a maniac. An utterly mad man.

Carson barely spared Seth a glance as he gave the Order, "Help her settle their things in the apartment."

Seth nodded

Carson grabbed my hand and locked it with his.

Resisting the urge to yank my hand away, I asked. "Where are we going?"

"Just play along." He smiled.

Something about this handsome smile of his was unsettling, I couldn't tell if he was amused, scheming—or both.

But I hated how I caught myself admiring that smile of his,

I exhaled, adjusting my posture while I followed his lead

The hall stretched long and quiet the dark walls swallowed our footsteps as he led me to a black huge door.

"Here we are," we stopped or the door, "remember play along." He said before nudging it open with his foot.

The door lurched wide, thrown into motion by a force it had no choice but to obey.

The air in the room recoiled from the impact rushing outward in a silent gasp.

I had no idea what to expect but it wasn't this.

A broad, dimly lit room. Ten people are seated at an expansive table, their faces stiff. And at the very head— an empty seat.

I didn't need anyone to me whose it was.

Carson seat.

My spine stiffened I wasn't unfamiliar with such settings I could tell just by looking around these were the core members of the Alderwood pack.

Carson strode in like he owned the air itself, effortless dominance rolling off him.

"Apologies for being late." But his tone was far from apologetic.

Displeasure rippled through the room.

One man older than the rest. Pushed himself up from his seat, his face carved with deep lines of anger and disapproval. "How long are you going to keep treating these meetings like a joke?"

The temperature dropped. Carson didn't answer, just a stare cold enough to burn one's insides.

The old man slowly lowered himself back into his seat.

Carson's expression relaxed back into a smile. "I had something to attend to."

A scoff.

This one came from a younger man, seated further down to the table. He resembled Carson almost too much with Sharper features. Same eyes and, the same dark hair, but longer. He leaned forward, unimpressed. "And who is this?" His gaze flicked to me. "Why'd you bring her?"

Every eye in the room followed. A weight pressing, dissecting, judging

Every gaze within the room shifted

To me.

My throat went tight.

Carson tilted his head savoring the moment

Relax with a room full of powerful wolves scrutinizing me like I was an anomaly.

Carson straightened, and his smile grew wider like he had won something.

"She is my mate, Sebastian."

Sebastian's smirk faltered, his hollow eyes widened for a split second before his jaws locked, fists curling against the table.

Carson smiled again savoring Sebastian's reaction before introducing me.

"Elders, I would like you to meet Talia Hayes. My wife-to-be."

A chair scraped against the floor as someone shifted, the air thickening as glances darted across the room. Something sharp and wary some calm and impressed.

A woman's voice "Daughter of Hayes?" She tilted her head. "That's strange. I heard the firstborn daughter of the Hayes pack cannot bear children."

Everything inside me froze.

Immediately the air turned razor sharp as all the gazes in the room dug into my skin.

Carson dug the deepest as he turned to me, darkness swallowing up the brown in his eyes. "Is that true?"

My heart, in sync with the thick mood, thudded like it was going to burst.

Lie. Talia lies. That was the only way out. The word echoed in my head.

Then Carson's voice came, slicing through my spiraling thoughts. "Speak only the truth. Because if you say the wrong words here." His voice thickened with deathly chill. "The woman outside, I will have her throat slit before you take your next breath."

Lisa. Instinctively, I swallowed the gasp before it could escape my throat. My heartbeat doubled, slamming against my ribcage.

I had just two options; one, say the truth—that I was nothing but a defective woman dumped on them—and be killed here and my family will suffer the consequences of trying to fool the Alderwood pack by giving them a defective wife-to-be.

Or lie? And sign Lisa's death if they have proof.

My breath tangled in my lungs, and my skin throbbed with terror as their intense stares bore into me, the entire room waiting for my answer.