The Cursed Alpha’s Demon Mate.

Chapter 7

Chase’s POV

Loud voices emanated from the council room as I drew closer. My elders, Kelvin and Sullivan, were at it again. Their opinions were constantly clashing, and arguing amongst themselves was something they never ceased doing, regardless of where they found themselves.

From the flow of the conversation, it seemed Kelvin had suggested an increase in the number of fighters, insisting our borders needed tighter security. Sullivan, on the other hand, objected—he believed Kelvin was clamoring for more fighters only because he had sons who were of age and idle, and the pack’s military was their only way out.

“If you badly want to make your sons useful, enroll them in an academy!” Sullivan fired without mincing words. “Stop proffering solutions to problems we don’t have.”

“And who said I was doing it because of my sons?!” Kelvin retorted, his voice deep, dragged all the way from his chest. “My boys don’t need to be part of the military to be helpful. They have functioning brains!”

I shut my eyes tight to dismiss the surge of anger building up. Sometimes I couldn’t help but wonder why those two had to be so talkative. If not for their loyalty and brainpower, I would have had them removed from the board long ago.

“These two never know when to shut up,” I grumbled under my breath.

“Must be their love language,” Camden stated beside me.

The guards at the entrance bowed in sync the moment I arrived. They pushed the double doors of the council room open, causing everyone inside to whip their heads toward me.

“Long live the Alpha!” they chorused, standing to their feet at once.

I scanned their faces for a second before taking my place at the head of the table. “Good to have you here, Elders.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Camden took the first seat on my right. The door opened, and as my eyes drifted in that direction, there she was. She walked in with another maid, but for some odd reason, my eyes fixated on her alone. Her wounds had been stitched, yet they still looked gruesome. It left me wondering if she was trying to heal at all. Even the most bottom-ranked, wolfless omega could foster their healing with the aid of their wolf lineage.

She came to my side, her hands trembling slightly as she brought a cup of coffee before me. I quickly shifted my hand when hers came closer; she paused, peeking at my face for a "go ahead." I gestured for her to put it down with my eyes. She did, bowing carefully and then stepping back.

By the time she had served Camden and three elders, the other servant had successfully served the remaining seven. The two servants bowed and were about to leave when I bellowed, “You!”

The servants halted in their tracks, turning to face me.

“Her,” I said, referring to the wolfless girl. The other servant turned and walked out. I gestured for the girl to come closer, and she did, kneeling beside me without a word.

“Yes, Alpha,” she said calmly, her gaze fixed on the hardwood floor.

“Get yourself groomed,” I instructed. “You will be serving me starting tomorrow.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty,” she answered, her eyes still fixed on the ground.

“Leave.”

She stood and left the council room. My gaze trailed her until she was out of sight.

An elder cleared his throat. “Has His Majesty finally decided to get a Luna?” he asked.

I turned to him with a dead glare. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“You just seem to be unusually interested in this servant girl,” he explained, turning to the rest of the elders, who nodded in agreement. “As long as you’re happy, we are willing to accept whoever you choose, even if she is of an ordinary background.”

“About choosing a mate, who will eventually be your Luna,” I began. They all leaned forward, sitting on the edge of their seats. “I have given it thought, and I think it’s about time I told you the truth.”

The hall fell into a heavy silence.

“I can’t have a mate,” I blurted out, watching their faces sink into despair.

“You can’t?” Sullivan asked. “Why?”

“Because…” I paused, taking in their inquisitive faces one after the other. After twelve years of being in denial, I finally admitted it out loud. “Because I’m cursed.”

The words left a deafening silence that rang like the aftermath of a gunshot.

“What does that mean?” an elder asked.

I turned to Camden, signaling for him to unravel everything to them, as the thought of it was already driving me insane.

“After the Werewitch Purge twelve years ago,” Camden started, giving them a second to process the information. When they nodded, he proceeded. “The last witch laid a curse on His Highness. He is never to be able to make body contact or... or have an erection.”

Their eyes nearly dropped to the floor upon hearing the last part.

“That’s why he’s been like this ever since,” Camden paused to point at the gloves and black long-sleeved shirt I was wearing. “It’s not because he has OCD.”

“Why didn’t you tell us any of this, Your Highness?” Kelvin inquired. “I personally would have found a solution.”

“There is no solution,” my voice boomed impatiently. “The healers suffered a g******e at that time, too. To this date, not one of them has been located. They seem to have been wiped off the face of the earth completely.”

“Was this why you lost to Vasper at the duel two years ago?” Sullivan asked.

I clenched my fingers around the armrests, my eyes darkening as the images from the last duel with Vasper came flooding back. Camden nodded, and Sullivan’s mouth fell open.

“What do we do now?” Sullivan asked. “The unclaimed lands in the Southeast have been decided on. The last Alpha standing wins all.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” My brows shot up.

“Your Beta didn’t tell you?”

“What is Sullivan talking about, Camden?”

“Vasper has managed to convince the other Alphas. There will be a duel to determine who gets the land.”