Cursed But Wanted By My Alpha Teacher

First meeting

Chapter One:

Briella POV

The hunter’s compound looked abandoned.

I stood at the entrance, staring at the worn wooden gates hanging half open. Weeds had grown through the cracks in the path, and the place was too quiet.

No footsteps, no smoke, no sign of life.

I took a cautious step inside, my boots crunching over gravel. Training dummies stood in rows, slashed and broken, like ghosts of past fights.

“Hello?” I called out. My voice echoed back at me.

Maybe I had the wrong place. Maybe that old man in the village had pointed me to someone’s ruins.

I walked further in, scanning the compound. There were a few huts, some weapon racks, and a large shed at the far end. But the silence was heavy, even the birds had gone quiet.

I reached for the door handle of one of the huts.

“Who are you?”

I froze. The sound came from behind me.

Before I could answer, something cold pressed against my throat. Sharp enough that even a breath could slice skin.

My hands instinctively went up. My heart hammered in my chest.

“Easy,” I said quietly, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m not here to fight.”

The blade didn’t move.

I could feel his presence now. Whoever he was, he moved like someone who’d done this a hundred times before.

“You’re trespassing,” the voice said again, closer this time. “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t take your head off right here.”

I swallowed carefully. “Because I’m looking for Harold Grainger.”

A pause.

The pressure of the blade eased, but only slightly.

“You’re either very brave,” the voice said, “or very stupid.”

“I’ve been called both,” I muttered.

Silence. Then the blade withdrew.

I turned around slowly and there he was.

Harold Grainger.

He looked exactly how I’d imagined him — older, rugged, and dangerous. His clothes were worn, his hair streaked with grey, and his eyes... cold blue, sharp as the blade he still held in his hand.

For a moment, he just studied me. Like he was trying to decide whether I was a threat or something worse.

“You’ve got five minutes,” he said finally. “After that, if I don’t like what I hear, you walk away. Or you won’t walk at all.”

I lowered my hands, exhaled slowly, and met his gaze. “Fair enough.”

Harold didn’t lower the blade completely. He just stared, as if he could read everything about me in one glance.

“You’ve got five minutes,” he repeated.

I nodded. “I came here because I need help.”

“Plenty of people do,” he said flatly. “That doesn’t make them my problem.”

“This one’s different,” I said, forcing my voice not to shake. “I’m not here for mercy or protection. I need control over my power and my wolf. I want to be able to fight the thing that killed my sister.”

“The thing?” he raised a brow.

“Yes..” I paused…”The Silver Wolf.”

Something flickered in his eyes, but it was gone before I could read it. He turned and walked toward the nearest hut. “Inside.”

I followed quietly. The air inside smelled of metal and oil, and the walls were lined with weapons and traps I didn’t recognize.

A dim lantern flickered in the corner, throwing his shadow across the floor.

“You’re a long way from wherever you came from,” he said without turning.

“There’s nothing left for me there,” I answered.

He glanced back at me. “And you think training will fix that?”

“No,” I said. “But it’ll give me a chance to do something about it.”

Harold set his blade down on the table with a soft click. “You’re chasing a ghost, girl. The silver wolf doesn’t exist.”

“I saw it,” I said quickly. “It killed my sister. I remember the fur, the eyes and everything. I’m not mistaken.”

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he leaned back against the table, crossing his arms. “You’re serious.”

“Dead serious,” I said. “And if you don’t train me, I’ll find a way on my own. But I’d rather not die trying.”

That earned the faintest twitch of a smile. “You don’t give up easily, do you?”

“Not when it matters.”

He was silent for a long moment before finally pushing away from the table. “There’s a shed behind the training yard,” he said. “You can stay there tonight.”

Relief slipped out of me in one shaky breath. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he said, picking up the blade again. “If you’re still here by sunrise, we’ll see what you’ve got. If not…”

“I understand.”

He nodded once, dismissing me without another word. I stepped outside, letting the cool night air hit my face. The compound was quiet again, but now I felt better and a flicker of hope.

I looked toward the dark shape of the shed and started walking. I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but for the first time in a long time, I had somewhere to start.

The shed was small but dry. That was enough.

I dropped my bag near the door and sat on the edge of the cot. Somewhere outside, I could hear the faint creak of wood.

I lay down anyway. I was too tired to care.

Sleep came fast.

One minute I was staring at the ceiling, the next I was back in the woods.

The moon was out, full and bright, lighting everything in silver. The air was cold enough to sting. I knew this place. I’d been here before.

“Bree!”

I turned toward the voice. Yvonne was standing a few feet away, smiling like she always used to… red hair, bright green eyes, that look that said she already knew what I was thinking.

“You scared me,” I said, letting out a shaky laugh. “You shouldn’t sneak up like that.”

She didn’t answer right away. The smile stayed, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“You shouldn’t be here,” she said softly.

“What do you mean? I’m just…”

A low growl cut through my words. It came from somewhere behind her.

My chest tightened. I knew that sound

“Yvonne,” I said, stepping closer. “We have to go.”

Her eyes darted past me. “Bree, don’t….”

The ground shook. The growl turned into a snarl that made every hair on my body stand up.

I turned. Between the trees, something moved fast.

My heart pounded. “Yvonne, run!”

But she didn’t move. Her face went pale, her voice barely a whisper. “It’s already here.”

The trees split open, and I saw it… just for a second. Then everything went black.

I jerked awake, gasping.

The shed was dark again. My hands were shaking, my heartbeat loud in my ears.

I sat up and wiped sweat from my forehead.

“Just a dream,” I whispered.