His Claim, My Curse

Chapter Four – The Alpha’s Weakness

For three days, I didn’t see him.

The pack carried on as though the Moon Ceremony had never happened, pretending not to hear the whispers that slithered through the halls. But I heard them. Everyone did.

They said the Alpha had made a mistake.

They said the rejected omega carried a curse.

And when the training ground still bore the scorch marks from my outburst, the rumor changed—

they said I was the curse.

I tried to ignore them. I helped Ysandra gather herbs, tended to the sick, swept the floors of her hut, anything to keep my hands busy. But no task could quiet the pulse beneath my skin.

The power was restless now.

It hummed faintly beneath my ribs, as if waiting for a command I didn’t understand how to give.

Sometimes it burned hot, like fire trapped in a jar.

Other times, it whispered in my veins—use me.

I wanted to scream at it to stop. I wanted to be ordinary again.

But fate had other plans.

That afternoon, Ysandra sent me to deliver potions to the healer’s den near the central square. As I crossed the courtyard, the pack fell quiet. Conversations died. Eyes followed me.

It was always like this now—every step I took felt like walking through a field of knives.

And then, as if the Goddess herself wanted to remind me I had no place here, Selvine Drayke stepped into my path.

She looked every bit the perfect wolf—sleek dark hair, amber eyes sharp as glass, confidence dripping from every movement. She was Beta-born, admired, untouchable.

Her smile was sweet poison. “Careful, omega. Wouldn’t want you to trip and accidentally burn the whole pack again.”

A few wolves snickered behind her.

I clenched my jaw. “I said I was sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

Selvine’s tone turned venomous. “Didn’t mean to what? Flash your little tricks so Kaelion would finally look at you?”

The name struck like a lash. My wolf bristled. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, don’t I?” She stepped closer, her perfume sharp and floral. “Everyone saw how he looked at you before he rejected you. Pity mixed with disgust. Do you really think an Alpha like him would ever claim an omega like you?”

I felt the air stir, power crackling faintly around me. The mark on my chest pulsed—warning or threat, I couldn’t tell.

Selvine smirked. “Careful. Wouldn’t want your little curse to go off again.”

“Move,” I said quietly.

She didn’t.

The power surged in my chest like a breath drawn by something ancient. The air shimmered faintly between us. Her smirk faltered.

Then, suddenly, a voice cut through the tension.

“Enough.”

The sound froze the courtyard.

Every wolf bowed their head instantly.

Kaelion Duskbane.

He strode forward, every step measured, commanding. His eyes flicked briefly to me, then to Selvine, who lowered her gaze, feigning innocence.

“I told you,” he said to her, voice low, “harassing your packmates earns punishment, no matter their rank.”

Selvine’s lip trembled, though I could see the calculation in her eyes. “I meant no harm, Alpha. I was only—”

“Leave.”

The single word snapped like a whip. Selvine flinched, then turned and fled, her entourage scattering behind her.

When the courtyard emptied, silence settled between us. I could hear the faint rustle of leaves, the pounding of my own heart.

Kaelion turned to me, jaw tight.

“You should know better than to answer her with power,” he said quietly.

Anger flared. “You think I wanted that? I can’t control it!”

“Then learn to.”

I laughed bitterly. “You’re the one who cursed me, Kaelion. You think I asked for this?”

His eyes darkened. For a moment, I saw something raw flicker there—guilt, maybe—but he buried it beneath the armor of command.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said.

“Then tell me!” I shouted. “Tell me why you rejected me. Why this bond still burns even though you swore it was broken!”

His expression hardened, but his fists clenched at his sides.

“Because I had to,” he said finally. “Because if I didn’t, the council would have turned on us both. They would have called you unworthy, a stain on the bloodline. You think I wanted this?”

I froze, the words catching in my throat.

He stepped closer, his voice rougher now, lower.

“The bond isn’t gone, Elara. I feel it every time you breathe. Every time your power stirs, it claws at me like fire.”

His confession hit harder than his rejection ever had.

The air between us thickened. My mark burned again, and his collarbone glowed faintly in response. For a fleeting second, it felt as if the world had narrowed to just us—heartbeat to heartbeat, breath to breath.

Then he pulled back sharply, as if realizing what he’d said.

“Stay away from me,” he growled. “Whatever you are becoming—it’s dangerous.”

He turned and stalked away before I could reply, leaving only silence and the faint hum of the bond vibrating through the air.

That night, I couldn’t stop thinking about his words.

He felt it too.

Maybe that was why his control was slipping. Rumors whispered that he’d been snapping at his warriors, that his wolf grew restless during patrols.

By dawn, the truth found me in the worst way.

The alarm bell rang through the compound—three sharp clangs. Trouble at the northern border. I ran outside as wolves rushed past me, transforming mid-stride.

Kaelion stood near the gates, eyes glowing amber-gold, muscles tense as he shifted partially, claws extending, his wolf fighting to surface.

Dareth shouted, “Alpha! Stand down! You’re losing control!”

Kaelion snarled, his voice a guttural mix of man and beast. “They crossed into our land!”

But there was something else beneath his rage—something rawer, more chaotic. The bond between us pulsed violently, and I felt his pain crash into me like a wave. My knees buckled.

“Kaelion, stop!” I cried.

He froze, every muscle taut. His eyes snapped to me, golden and feral. For a heartbeat, the world held its breath.

Then the bond flared—silver from my mark, gold from his—twining together in the air like living fire.

The wolves around us staggered back in shock.

Kaelion roared, grabbing his head as the light seared through him. I tried to reach him, but a shockwave burst outward, sending me sprawling to the ground.

When the light faded, Kaelion was on his knees, panting, eyes flickering between man and wolf.

He looked at me with something close to fear.

“It’s not just your power,” he said hoarsely. “It’s mine too. The curse is feeding on both of us.”

Before I could answer, the northern alarm rang again—louder this time.

Rogue wolves.

And while Kaelion struggled to steady himself, I realized the truth:

the curse wasn’t just binding us.

It was calling something else.

Something dark.