Cursed To Be His - The Alpha's Rejected Mate

Chapter 4 - His Castle, His Rules

Aria's POV

I shifted back. I was naked, shivering, covered in mud and leaves.

Ryker didn't look away in shame like Kaden would have. He looked at me like I was art. His red eyes slowly traveled from my face, down my body, and back up. It should have made me feel dirty, but it made me feel... powerful. Seen.

He took off his huge cloak and wrapped it around me. It smelled like him - pine, darkness, and power. It was so big it was like a dress on me.

"Can you walk?" he asked, his voice much softer now.

I nodded, but my legs gave way. The first shift took all my energy.

Without asking, he picked me up. Bridal style. One arm under my knees, one under my back. As if I weighed nothing.

Kaden was still on the ground, groaning. Ryker looked down at him with disgust.

"Listen to me, little Alpha," Ryker said coldly. "You rejected a White Wolf. That is punishable by death in the old laws. But I will let you live, so you can tell your pathetic pack what you lost. Tell them the White Wolf lives. And she belongs to the Lycan King now."

He turned and walked into the dark forest, carrying me.

I should have been scared. Every story says Lycan King Ryker kills without mercy. That he eats disobedient wolves. That his castle is made of bones.

But in his arms, I felt... safe. For the first time in 18 years.

'Because he is mate,' Lyra whispered sleepily. 'True mate.'

---

We walked for what felt like hours, until the trees opened up and I saw it.

A castle. Not made of bones. Made of black stone, tall and beautiful, with silver lights glowing from the windows. It was on top of a mountain, touching the moon.

"This is... where you live?" I whispered.

"This is where WE live now," he corrected.

Inside, it was warm. And there were servants - not wolves, but human-looking people who bowed when they saw him.

He carried me up giant stairs into a huge bedroom. The bed was bigger than my whole old house. Furs everywhere.

He placed me on the bed gently.

"You are safe here," he said. "No one will ever call you Omega again. No one will ever hurt you. In this castle, you are Queen."

He turned to leave, but I grabbed his sleeve without thinking.

"Don't leave," I whispered. I was shocked I said it.

He froze. His red eyes looked at my small hand on his arm. Then at me.

Slowly, he sat on the edge of the bed. So close I could feel his heat.

"Do you know what you are, Aria White?" he asked, tucking a wet strand of hair behind my ear. His finger lingered.

I shook my head.

"You are the last White Wolf. My mother was a White Wolf. She told me before she died that the Moon Goddess promised her - when I find a White Wolf, she will be my Queen. The only one strong enough to stand beside a Lycan King. I have waited 10 years searching every pack. And you... you were hidden as an Omega in Shadow Fang."

He leaned closer. His nose almost touched mine.

"And you are my second chance mate, Aria. My wolf, Khaos, has been howling 'MATE' since the second I smelled you in that forest. So tell me, little queen... do you accept me as your mate? Or do you want me to take you back to the boy who rejected you?"

His lips were an inch from mine.

My heart was beating so loud. Kaden never looked at me like this. Kaden never asked.

Lyra was screaming 'YES YES YES' inside me.

But my mouth... my mouth had to say it.