The Cursed Alpha's Bride

Chapter1

It was summer, so the sun was high in the sky, beating down on us. The heat from it caused endless sweat to run down my face. I wasn’t sure if it was the sweat or the tears that tasted like salt in my mouth.

With the number of people gathered to watch his demise, you would think there would be a disorder of some sort. But amid the multitude, some of whom had been under the direct command of my father, who was currently facing death —it was only my wailing that echoed through the air.

“No, Alpha King! I beg you, spare my father’s life!” I cried as I held onto the Alpha King’s legs. “He would never betray you!”

Why wasn’t anyone else defending him? I wondered. They all knew that no one was as loyal to the Alpha King as my father. He had been handpicked as pack leader several moons ago, and he had never been accused of committing a crime until now. I was too sure he was being falsely accused, but why was I the only one? What about all the wolves and children he’d taken care of like his own? How could no one stand up for him?!

The bitterness of the situation filled my throat and fueled the tears streaming down my face. I looked at my father through my blurred gaze. He was pinned to the ground by two warriors from the Alpha King’s army. Filled with so much sadness and regret, his eyes stared back at me. I knew what he was thinking then. My 18th birthday was around the corner, and he’d spent the last few nights preparing for the ceremony.

“It’s going to be your best one yet,” he’d promised me just yesterday with a kiss on my forehead. The last kiss I’d ever get from him.

Even in a situation like this, he was still thinking about me. That was the kind of person my father was: selfless, thoughtful, and kind.

After all the effort he’d put into making plans, he was going to miss the ceremony. He was going to die here! In front of the very people he’d sworn to protect! Where was justice in all of this? I looked back at the Alpha King with tear-soaked eyes, but it was quite obvious he wasn’t moved.

King Nathan’s eyes were blank as they barely glanced at me. I’d heard tales of the ruthless Alpha King since I was old enough to walk. My father had warned me never to get into trouble with him. The Alpha King had no tolerance for rebellion or even worse —treason. He’d never been known to forgive anyone who crossed his path. Their deaths were always retold as legends. I’d been able to stay out of his sight until today. And today, he’d lived up to his name.

King Nathan laughed in my face and kicked my hands off him. My tears were no hindrance. He walked past me to my father, whose eyes hadn’t seemed to have faltered from me in all this unfortunate ordeal.

“You don’t have to-”

A sound that stilled whatever wanted to come out of my mouth filled the air. For some reason, I knew what it was but I still wanted to deny it.

That was until I heard a thud.

My heart thumped loudly in my head and my blood raced. There seemed to be something in the air that made my blood curl. With little to no courage, I lifted my eyes up to the thing I feared the most.

The Alpha King, standing over my father’s body with his neck twisted to a very abnormal angle.

My breathing seized, and I froze, no thoughts going through my brain as I watched my father’s eyes stare off into a far distance, and his lifeless body drop to the floor. I lost the strength to cry, the strength to scream, so I just stared at him under the scorching sun as everything going on around me seemed to fade away.

King Nathan’s loud and deep voice brought me back to reality.

“Anyone who thinks they can betray me will die! Just like Nicholas,” his voice boomed.

I wanted to say something, to tell him that my father would never betray him, but no words could gather in my head. All I could do was to look at him, hoping he would move just even a bit to let me know that there was still life in him.

I wanted to cry but I couldn’t.

I wanted to shout but I couldn’t.

The only man I’ve ever known who kept me safe, who gave me assurance, who protected me from the world was lying lifeless in the dirt, and I couldn’t do anything about it.

My eyes drifted back to my father as one of the guards kicked his body out of the way for the King to pass through. The King made eye contact with me, smiled in a way I knew he was enjoying this way more than he was supposed to, and then stepped on my father’s stomach.

With each stomp, my father’s body shook, his eyes still looking off into the distance.

Suddenly, I started screaming and crawled from my position to my father’s body, lying waste on the ground. But I never made it to him because a sharp pain jolted through my calf, and I whipped my head around to see what it was.

Since I was on the ground, the figure in front of me stood tall, so I had to use my hands as a shield so that I could make out who it was. The bright sun shone directly into my eyes, causing me to squint.

“Are you deaf?” The figure in front of me crunched and now, I could see my worst nightmare standing in front of me.

Riana, the Alpha’s daughter, who was also my number one fan, had joined in on the party. I called her my number one fan because whenever I was involved in something, she always made sure to include herself. I knew she would never pass up an opportunity like this.

She had her signature smile plastered on her evil lips, one that let me know that I was doomed because now that my father was dead, and there was no one to stand up for me anymore, I was now at her mercy.

I glared at her with all of the anger and hatred I felt. I had yet to understand why the packs let such cruel and uncouth people like the King and his daughter rule us. However, I could understand the fear they felt. We all felt it.

I felt like I had failed my father. In the one moment when I was supposed to prove that I was his daughter and that he had truly taught me well, I failed him. Since I was a kid, he had always told me that one day I would grow up to stand against the tyrannical rule of King Nathan.

I had asked my father often that if he hated the King that much, then why didn't he just take him out himself? Besides, he was in charge of the army.

He replied to me with a sad smile and placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Sometimes, for the future to be pleasant, the present has to be unpleasant.”

Riana must have seen the hatred in my eyes because her frown deepened before she brought down the whip on my arms this time. I fought back the tears as pain seized my muscles and flesh. I was sure she’d torn my skin with the tool, but I couldn’t check it.

“You damn lazy rat” she hissed. “Get up and go serve our guests immediately!”

No! I wanted to scream, but I knew that would just result in more beatings, and I didn’t know if I could take anymore. My body was weak, and I wasn't in the right frame of mind to stand up for myself, so I just let things be and did as I was told.

She raised the whip to come down hard on me again, but I raised my arms up in an attempt to block her. Weakly, they fell back to the ground. I was tired from the lack of proper sleep as well as nutrition. Last night, after serving my duties and getting nothing for it but a slice of bread that was thrown at me by the matron, I’d returned to my chambers, where I had passed out from starvation.

Even then, I was still so hungry and tired from all the suffering; I still had tears to cry for my father, who had just been unjustly killed. Even Alex, my wolf, had started feeling the brunt of my struggles. I could sense her emaciating with each passing moment. She lay huddled in a corner, crying out weakly for food. I have tried calling out to her for several nights now but I got no response. The only sounds she made were whimperings asking to be fed.

I was worried this development might affect my shift. If Alex was no longer responding to my call, how could I trust that she would come out when I needed her?

“You either get up now or I will make sure to leave you with a mark you will never forget.” Riana threatened when I still didn’t stand up.

I wanted to tell her how weak I was, but while that confession would only put me in a worse position, I couldn’t even speak. So, I bit my lips as I fought off the fatigue and rolled up to my feet.

The chains around my legs rattled as I stood shakily on them. My head spun from how dizzy I was and ached from the lack of food and how much I had cried in the last few days.

The King walked back into the palace as the villagers started to disperse. I could feel the heaviness in the air as my father was left to lay there, in the scorching sun. Seeing his eyes open like that opened a hole in my soul. We were in front of the palace. The King had made the execution public so it would be more embarrassing and humiliating. I began walking toward the kitchen to serve the guests in the banquet hall. The King had prepared a feast to probably celebrate the killing of my father. To him, he had killed a traitor, someone who didn’t deserve to live so that was an accomplishment.

As I passed Riana who had waited at the door just to make sure I still wasn’t outside, the wicked princess thrust out her leg. I tripped over her ankle and fell on my arms back onto the same floor I had just got up from. My entire body hurt and I could feel my muscles begin to give up.

Riana cackled like the witch she was and I groaned in pain. Everywhere hurt as I struggled back to my feet. I didn’t want to risk getting whipped again, so I ran for the kitchens.

I could feel my body shaking with rage at the injustice I was being served.

They would pay. They would all pay for what they did to my family and me.

The King and everyone who was in this would beg me to spare their lives and I would kick them away the same way they kicked me away when I asked for mercy.