THE ALPHA'S CURSED MATE: SHE'S MINE TO CLAIM

Ravenna The rain lashed against me, plastering my hair onto my face and soaking my clothes, until the cold seeped into my bones. But despite the coldness, it still couldn’t compare to the ache in my chest, as I watched my father kneeling in the mud, his hands bound with silver chains behind him. His body shook lightly, whether from the cold or the pain, I couldn’t be sure. They had flogged him until his back was raw before binding him in chains. The welts stood out even in the dark, proof he wasn’t healing. A sob threatened to tear through me, as another whip was brought forcefully to his back. Dad fell forward, his face colliding with the mud, but he forced himself back up. I took a step forward before a hand clamped around my wrist, yanking me back into the shadows. “Don’t.” Luis’s whisper was harsh, almost breaking. His grip shook slightly, but he didn’t let go. His pleading eyes locked with mine. Stay still… please, his eyes begged. But how could I stay still? That was my father out there. The man who loved me more than his own life, the man who sacrificed everything to raise me. The man who had taught me courage, but there he was kneeling in the dirt, accused of murdering the king he had served all his life. “How do you plead?” The voice rang out in the darkness, sharp and cold, its owner hidden beneath the black shield of an umbrella. Dad slowly lifted his head, rain and blood mingling as they streaked down his jaw. “Not guilty.” His voice was hoarse and broken. He was in so much pain, I could tell from the tightness in his voice. I couldn’t breathe. My tears mixed with the rain as they slid down my face. He had an alibi. He had me. I was the reason he’d left the pack that night... I froze, biting the inside of my cheek so hard until I tasted blood. I couldn’t think about that. Not here, not now. Luis’s grip on my wrist tightened, as if he could read my thoughts. His eyes flashed with warning, but his lips barely moved. “Don’t. If they even suspect...” My stomach twisted. The memory burned fresh in me— the moment it happened. I can still remember the terror, the shadows rising, clinging to my skin like living fire. The look on Dad’s face when he saw it. I can still remember the terror in his eyes, but not of me, but of what it all meant. The Shadow Bride. Not just a curse— a death sentence. That was why he ran. Why did he drag me away from the pack that day, in the middle of the night? It was to hide me before anyone else could see. Before anyone else could decide, I didn’t deserve to live. And now, he is paying for it. The sound of the whip connecting with his back again echoed through the darkness. My knees suddenly felt too weak to carry my weight. “No… stop.” My own voice sounded distant now, like it was someone else crying out from a distance. I turned to Luis, who was still holding me in place. I could barely see him through the tears. “Please… we need to help him.” Luis’s eyes flickered with emotion. But just when I expected him to agree, he shook his head. “No Rave… Dad instructed us—” Knowing what he wanted to say, I quickly pulled against his hold with all my strength, dragging us slowly out of the darkness. I don’t care if I die, but I can’t watch him get punished for my sake. “Ravenna. "Stop,” Luis called out, but I ignored him. Luis spun me around, his palm slamming over my mouth as soon as I opened it to scream, and dragged me deeper into the darkness. My cry was smothered, my body shaking with rage and grief. “Are you crazy?” He hissed, his voice cracking with anger and despair. His hand shook against my lips, and I could feel his heart pounding through his chest. “Do you think I want to see him suffer?" "I want to help him… but he asked me to protect him.” His voice shook as he said this. I noticed his eyes turning red with sadness. I clawed at his wrist, desperate to break free. I didn’t need protection. “Of what use is my life if I can’t save my father? They are killing him. Luis' grip on my arm only tightened. “If they see you— if they see your eyes— they won’t just kill him, Ravenna. They’ll burn us all. His words struck like a dagger, leaving me gasping, trembling, caught between terror and the desperate need to run to my father. My lips trembled as his words sank in. “They will kill me nonetheless." It’s just a matter of time before they begin hunting me…” That’s why we must leave now. It’s just a matter of time before they begin looking for us. I turned to look at dad again, and for the first time he looked in our direction. He knew we were here, watching him. His lips quivered as he smiled softly and gave a short nod. My throat tightened as I understood what he was saying. He was telling us to leave… to leave him alone to die. These people are not going to spare him. “On the order of the New King, Alpha King Kaelion, I sentence you to death. Cut off his head. The man’s voice rang out in the cold rain. A man stepped forward, his sharpened sword in hand. In an instant, he swung his sword. I watched in horror as my father’s head separated from his body, rolling before coming to rest in a rain-filled puddle. A scream tore from my lips as I lunged forward, but Luis covered my mouth with his palm. But his body was shaking too, from silently shed tears. Someone whispered something to the man in the umbrella, and then he nodded and then called out. “Search for everyone and find his family. They are to be killed also.” They were going to kill us too. But Luis was already dragging me away before I could get a chance to process this. We ran into the forest, rain heavy on our skin, our bare feet striking mud and stones as we stumbled onward. The forest echoed with our footsteps and the pounding rain. I couldn’t shift. That gift was one of the curse had stolen from me. Just as we rounded the mountain, a howl shattered the night. “Goddess above, they are hunting us.” Luis shifted instantly, and I quickly got on his back. Even as we made it through the forest, I could still feel them hot on our tails. They were fast, faster than I had imagined they would be. At this rate, they will catch us in no time. Just as we neared the next pack, I could already hear their paws hitting the cold earth. Luis shifted back to skin, covering himself with the jacket I gave him. “Go,” he whispered. “In the next pack, meet with dad’s old friend." He already knows we are coming. I frowned at his words. “What about you?” Luis shook his head. “If we go together, they will catch us in no time." Go ahead, I will buy you some time. We will meet there. Something in his tone hollowed me out, as if this was goodbye. “Luis, please no… let's go together.” But Luis shook his head, his trembling hand caressing my skin softly. “I will be fine. I promised dad I would protect you. Please save yourself for dad’s sake, or… all this will be in vain. He hugged me briefly, shifted back to fur and ran back towards the direction we had come. That was the last time I saw his black-and-silver fur vanish into the night.