Lust And Lessons; The Cursed Alpha's Submissive.

A desperate attention seeker.

~Oreva~

My breath hitches and my skin prickles. My nerves jolt to life and my fingers curl beside me. My instincts tell me to leave but I peek slightly. Always trust your instincts, Oreva. Run!

Just as I take a few steps towards the direction I came in, the figure appears before me like a ripple of darkness in a movement too swift to be real.

His firm hand grabs my wrist forcefully, yanking me towards a secluded corner and my heart leaves my chest for a minute. My mask makes a soft thud as it lands on the ground. I lift my gaze and a frown replaces the frightened look on my face the moment I notice the silver mask on his face.

So, he's a guest like me who wandered around and found himself here? Why the hell did he grab me like he's some royal guard maintaining protocol?

“Leaving so soon? You only just found me…”

Found him? What the hell?

“Hell no. I wasn’t looking for you. I just came here for fresh air.” I tug at my wrist, but his grip is unyielding, firm without hurting, yet impossible to shake off.

“Who are you, and what do you want from me?” I try to sound fierce, but my heart feels like heated wax, melting faster with every second. His mask doesn’t help at all.... Sleek, sharp-edged, unlike any I saw in the hall, it hides almost everything.

“What are you doing here?” His voice rolls low, steady with familiarity like it belongs inside my bones.

That voice..... It reminds me of someone but he can't possibly be here, can he? No. He doesn't seem like one who'll have interest in events like this. Then why is there a strange pull in the way his hand grips mine? Like my body remembers what my mind must have forgotten?

“I should be asking you that. This is the Alpha’s banquet. Everyone has the right to move around, don’t they?”

“You shouldn’t be here.”

“And who are you to decide that? Now let me go before I scream.”

“You can give it a shot,” he murmurs, almost amused. “No one’s going to hear you.” I can tell he's smiling because his crimson eyeballs suddenly appear smaller.

My chin lifts stubbornly, even though my stomach twists. “Don’t try anything stupid with me. You’ll regret it sooner than you expect.”

“Will I?” He leans just close enough that his breath fans my cheek and his closeness unsettles me.

The words tumble out before I can stop them. A desperate shield..... I need to get away from here before anyone, especially my step father sees us like this. “I’m the Alpha’s chosen mate. And I guess you’re not dumb enough to forget what he does to anyone who touches what’s his.”

An amused chuckle erupts behind the mask and I squint my gaze. Who the hell is this man? Did he just chuckle at the mention of the Alpha? Isn't he scared?

"Who are you?" I just have to ask because my heart is beginning to race uncontrollably. What if he does something to me in this dark courtyard? No one is gonna hear me scream from that noisy hall.

My question hangs in the air for some seconds till he lets go of my wrist and disappears into the dark like he was never here, leaving a faint trail of his cologne.

What just happened? I gulp a mouthful of saliva before retracting my steps after picking up my fallen mask. I squint my gaze in the direction he went but all I see is darkness. I pinch myself, too scared to remain here for another second and I quickly find my way to the hall, looking like a perturbed bunny amidst the crowd.

Everyone's gaze channels to me and I wonder why. I scan myself from head to toe and still don't get what they are gazing at till I realize I'm holding my mask.

Ohhh.... Everyone except me has their mask on. Is that even supposed to be a big deal? The elites and obsession with perfection. I pout my lips and lift a brow inquisitively. If they want to make this more awkward, I can as well give them a show.

"Such a desperate attention seeker!" That voice, sharp and malicious. I'll recognise it anytime anyday. She's all over Rick but still won't just let me be.

"You b***h! What do you think you are doing?" For the hundredth time in one night, Mr Lance shows up from nowhere and grabs my arm, pulling me away from the spotlight while faking a smile to reduce the awkwardness.

"You didn't have to pull me like that."

"Why are you hellbent on embarrassing me? Why did you leave the hall?" His veins are bulging like they'll explode anytime soon.

"I stepped out for fresh air, since you refused to give me my tank."

"Put on the f*****g mask! If you mess things up again, you won't get a dime from me." He's trying to talk in a hushed tone but his voice is still so firm and sharp.

He's saying it like it isn't his duty to cater for his sick wife and I'm disgusted to the core. He only cares about his damn self!

Why do I even care? It's not like she's gonna run far from him when she learns of all this after regaining consciousness. She'll still come running to him and he knows that. He has her wrapped around his fingers.

"Beta Calyx will be out soon. If you fail to catch his attention, kiss the money goodbye." He adds, gritting his teeth and I press my lips in a thin line before fixing the mask and settling on the seat beside his.

The music swells, chandeliers casting gold lights around the ballroom. I seem to have attracted much attention than I expected and my plan to stay invisible has failed. In no time, decorum is restored in the rowdy hall, more like a feared presence has arrived and the crowd parts like the tide making way for a storm.

Could it be the Alpha?

I peek through the created space and my gaze lands on him. Beta Calyx.

Just like he appears on front pages of magazines, tall and impossibly sleek. He's striding through the crowd with his sharp cheekbones catching the light as though he belongs on a runway and his suit fits perfectly like it is stitched on him.

"That's him... Beta Calyx. Do well to get his attention." Mr Lance leans closer and whispers in my ear but I shrug and he snorts.

I return my gaze to the charming man striding into the hall, not for the purpose of impressing or getting his attention but just sheer admiration. If the Alpha is really the way people describe him then his beta is a very sharp contrast of him in terms of looks.

*****

"Ugh? Is he approaching her?"

"He seems to have turned in her direction. Why is he walking towards her?"

"She seems like a cheap attention seeker to me. Who knows whom she must have offended in the packhouse?"

*****

What the hell is going on? Wait..... Now I think about it, he's actually closing in on me. His eyes are fixed on mine like he can't wait to throw me in the dungeon or something? Or could it be Mr Lance he's coming towards?

"Eva, he's coming here. What are these people saying? Did you offend anyone?" Mr Lance's face is flushed and he breaks out in cold sweat.

"I didn't do anything, I'm as confused as you are...."

The prying eyes of the crowd pins me to the spot. Rick's concentration is surprisingly on me and he almost spills the content of his glass while Arielle has her jaw subconsciously lowered. The moment he stops before me, Mr Lance fakes a smile, stretching forth his hand for a handshake and I adjust in my seat.

Like he sees no one except me, he ignores Mr Lance's outstretched hand and I almost burst into laughter when the latter withdraws it. I get a hold of myself, slightly anxious and uncomfortable under his striking gaze till he parts his lips to speak.

His voice is smooth and commanding but loud enough for everyone to hear. "The Alpha requests your presence."

I almost choke on my saliva the moment I hear his statement. The Alpha? My presence?

"Beta Calyx, you must be mistaken. I'm—"

I pause my statement the moment he offers his hand in a gentlemanly gesture, leaving me no room to object. This singular act causes an uproar amongst the onlookers and Mr Lance is giving me a side nudge to accept it. I shrug, refusing to give in to the pressure.

What if this is a trap?

**********

"I knew she had a mission. She decided to put on that silly show just to catch the Alpha or Beta's attention."

"I don't think so. She has probably offended a big shot and incurred the Alpha's wrath."

**********

My ears are saturated with the crowd's gossip and at this point, I'm in awe of how much they think they've learnt about me just the few seconds I walked in without my mask.

"Oh, Beta Calyx. Oreva here is just a gold digging wench. If you choose her for the Alpha, you are making a big mistake...." Arielle stumbles through the crowd and takes off her mask, all smiles and flirty but the royal guards hold her in place, preventing her from coming too close to him.

Seeing the colour drain from her face, a wave of satisfaction washes through me and I flash her a sinister smirk before slowly placing my hand on his as I rise on my feet.

Rick seems slightly uneasy. He takes off his mask like the hall has suddenly become too hot. Hold on a minute..... Is that jealousy? It seems this night is going to be a long one.

Calyx's hand is warm and his hold is gentle as he leads me out of the chaotic hall. The hall is silent behind us but I can still feel the burn of their stares..... Rick’s shock, Arielle’s rage, my stepfather’s barely contained desperation. I can’t stop my mouth from moving as we step into the night air.

“Why me? Why does he want to see me?” I whisper, unable to keep pretending I'm comfortable.

Calyx doesn’t break his stride. His expression is unreadable.

“Is he here? At the event?” I press further, slowing down my pace.

“No,” Calyx answers simply.

“Then… where are we going?”

His gaze flicks toward me, sharp, warning. “You’ll see it soon.”

I swallow hard, my curiosity and dread tangling in my chest as we follow the stone path toward a darker wing of the estate. My questions are piled in my mind, but none escape my lips. The silence grows heavier with every step.

Finally, Calyx stops before massive double doors and pushes them open. “Inside,” he says, bowing slightly before retreating, leaving me alone.

The room is slightly dark, warm with the scent of leather, smoke, and something rawly masculine. I rub my sweaty palm against the hem of my dress as I proceed nervously and my eyes find him at the far end of the room which seems like a private chamber.....tall, broad-shouldered, standing in front of a tall window with his back to me.

My breath stumbles.

He turns and I shut my eyes quickly, too scared of what could happen if I meet his gaze.

My pulse rattles violently, a sharp reminder I've been away from my tank for too long. I hear the sound of slow but steady footsteps approaching and my body stiffens like a rock. With my heart hammering uncontrollably, I dare to crack an eye open only to have my stomach lurch in shock.

The mask....

It’s the same one.... the same masked man from the courtyard. The stranger who cornered me in the dark.

My knees nearly buckle. No. It can’t be…..

He takes a step forward, slow, controlled, like a predator who knows I have nowhere to run. His eyes are fixed on me, sharp even through the shadows in the almost dark hall.

Then he circles me, close enough that I feel the heat emanating from his body. At this point, I can literally hear my own heartbeat. His hand lifts, deliberate, and with one sharp tug, he removes the mask and my breath ceases.

Roshan.

I stagger back a step, breathless, the world spinning. The professor. The man who unsettles me with just a look. The one I swore wasn’t supposed to be him.

Two bolts of lightning in one night; first the Alpha, now Roshan. And they’re one and the same.

His lips curl, not quite a smile. His voice cuts through the silence, deep and commanding. “You said you were mine. Let’s talk about that.”