The Alphas Cursed Mate

The Alphas Return

Alpha Desmond

We were on the road before dawn and managed to return to the compound within a few hours. The guard waved us in as he opened the gate and soon the rooftops came into view. Brent stopped the car outside the front entrance and the four of us climbed out onto the shoveled drive. My two guards, Shaun and Victor, followed behind Brent and I as we made our way into the castle, up the grand staircase and to my office. Cam was leaning against the door frame, patiently waiting for our arrival.

“Alright, so what do you know?” I asked Cam as we entered the room. I walked over to the bar and poured myself a whiskey before taking my seat behind the desk.

Cam ran his hand through his shaggy blonde hair and let out a breath. Frustration painted his face and sparked my curiosity.

“Well, Des, I’m not really sure. Last night there was an incident and it’s not making much sense to me. It’s not making much sense to Travis and Dustin either.” Cam proceeded to tell me about the girl and what they had witnessed.

“Okay, Cam, so she had a f*****g nightmare. Am I missing something?”

Cam began looking irritated. “It seemed to be more than just that, though. I can’t explain it, not yet anyway. The other confusing thing is,” Cam stopped before looking at me intensely with dark blue eyes, “We can’t pick up her scent.”

My mind went blank as I tried to decipher what he meant. “Is she a hunter?”

“I don’t know, Des. The hunters in the past still had a scent. They smelled as if they were one of us. She doesn’t smell like that at all. She doesn’t smell like that of a wolf either so she can’t be a rouge. I have racked my brain all morning trying to figure out why there is no distinctive scent, but I can’t come up with anything.”

I leaned back in my chair and turned to look out the window. My thoughts were racing with questions. Never have we encountered anyone without a scent to tie them back to their kind. I looked back at the four men across from me.

“Is she human?”

Cam, Brent, Victor and Shaun all looked at me with utter confusion.

“That’s impossible. The veil is still up and the last known human that remained on our land was killed over twenty years ago. Plus, she would smell like a human.” Cam retorted.

He wasn’t wrong, humans had their own significant scent just as the rest of us did. We all had subtle differences that were sprinkled in, but regardless, each race had their own aroma that told who they belonged to.

I could feel my skin heat as anger and irritation began sinking in.

“She has to be a hunter. Dark magic could have been used to mask her scent. It’s the only explanation.” I was out of my seat before I could finish my sentence. I paced along the length of the windows trying to wrap my head around this theory. My wolf was clawing to escape at the idea of a hunter being on the grounds.

“How did she get in?”

Cam returned the same confused look. “We can’t find a breach anywhere. There’s no damage to the fence and no low points for her to gain access. She’s too small to climb over alone.”

“Do you think she had help?” I asked as the idea of others made me even more angry.

“Des,” Cam exasperated, “I don’t know what I think. She could have had help getting over during the storm, but I don’t know. I understand that’s a shitty response and not one you want to hear but it’s all I’ve got.”

I met my Gamma’s frustrated look with my own. My glass in hand was now empty, making me walk to the bar to retrieve another. I tipped the second round back before slamming the glass on the counter.

“I want the whole castle on lockdown until further notice. Nobody leaves or enters those gates until I say so. Continue watching her and report any activity. We move in tonight. I want to know who she is and why she is here. Also, find out how the f**k she got onto my land other than ‘I don’t know’.”

**********

Nothing of interest was reported back for the remainder of the day. The girl only came out of the cabin twice, once to go the outhouse and the other to wash dishes around the back of the building. We waited until the sun had set and started our way into the woods. Cam, Victor and myself stayed in our human form while Brent and two of my guards followed on all fours.

The trek took over an hour and when we were close, we split up in pairs. Snow had begun falling heavily and the wind had picked up. Another storm was rolling in fast. The cabin sat against the dark night silently, a small light from the fireplace shown through the window. The trees around it swayed and creaked with the breeze.

Brent and I found a spot facing the entrance, Cam and Dustin took the east side, Victor and Travis took the west. After a few moments, a silhouette could be seen crossing the room and then back again. An hour passed with no other movement. The snow was beating down harder now and we needed to act before it got any worse.

“Cam. Victor.” Both nodded in return.

We each made our way silently towards the entrance. As we got closer to the door, I could feel the heat escaping from inside. The stairs groaned under my weight as I slowly took each step. Cam and Victor stayed on the ground below. I reached for the door knob, turned, and gently pushed on the door. Nothing. I pushed a little harder. Something was in front of the door, not allowing it to open.

I heard a quiet but frantic shuffle on the other side. I looked down at my companions and shrugged. In a quick movement, I took a step back, raised my leg and slammed it into the door. The door flew open, destroying the chair that had been placed against it. Cam and Victor were behind me in an instant as we stormed into the tiny space.

The room smelled of a sweet aroma that invaded my senses. Something inside me stirred as I breathed in the scent. I paused, trying to pinpoint what it was. Strawberries. That was indeed strawberries that filled the air.

Flames of the fire lit the area in bright oranges and yellows, the only light within the cabin. There was no immediate sign of a person within the four walls, but she was here. Her ragged breathing echoed against my eardrums, confirming her presence.

My eyes fell to the couch. I could see three sides of it, the front, back and the end closest to me. Beyond the sound of the crackling fire, I focused on the furthest end and listened. There it was. A rapid beating heart, full of fear and anxious to escape. I smiled. This would be fun.

In a single stride, I gripped the couch and shoved it out of my way, its legs scratching the floorboards as it moved across the room. A startled yelp filled my ears and a tiny figure hopped into view. As her wild green eyes darted between the three of us, my eyes took her in. She was incredible. I could smell the delicious scent radiating off her and see the heaving of her chest as she tried to catch her breath.

Something was off. I wanted to reach out, feel her soft skin. I wanted to caress her long hair that fell over her small shoulders and stare into those big, beautiful eyes as if nothing else existed around me. The desire to be closer to her took over and had me forgetting why we were here. My wolf was howling and I could feel my muscles tense as I stood in front of her. Suddenly, she leaped towards us. Pain and rage quickly replaced my curiosity.