CURSED TO BE HIS MATE

0010

Within a flip of a second, I was a different person with different tastes. I couldn't recognize my thoughts. I went to stand in front of the mirror, and even though I looked the same, it didn't feel the same.

My long gown suddenly irritated me—uncomfortable. I reached into the wardrobe and picked a short skirt and tank top, all black. My light makeup didn’t feel right.

After changing clothes, I rushed to the mirror and wiped my makeup off. The black makeup called out my name as I applied it on my lips—the black eyeliner. Suddenly, I wanted gold jewelry around my neck.

The burning revenge hit me in the chest. I got up wearing the heels I never wore since Kade bought them for me.

I held them up with a golden chain. My tattoo could now be fully revealed, and I felt the drawing of another petal on my thigh.

I checked it, and my fear of Luca was getting thinner by the day. Despite Kade's instructions to stay indoors, I went out—only to see him apologizing to Tasha.

Her fake crocodile tears made me want to slap her face so hard she’d reveal her true self in front of everyone. But even though she was a demon, I loved Kade and was willing to save him over this devil.

"How are you two alone? I thought we agreed it was a group thing," I spoke, getting closer to them.

Kade's jaw dropped as he looked at me. His look was priceless, but his eyes all over me exposed his dark desire. I wasn’t buying it—not today. I went to sit down next to him where Tasha had proclaimed herself.

"That's my seat!" I let out, while Tasha looked at me, shocked.

"Kade made his choice," she said, still smiling, hoping to break me. But I wasn’t the timid Azren anymore.

"Yeah, he did—when he chose me as his mate," I said, and Kade looked at me, shocked.

I couldn’t tell what was happening in his mind, but I could tell he was shocked—and scared—of my new self.

"Don’t be foolish. He only chose you because I wasn’t there," Tasha spoke again, but this time I let out a laugh.

Having not laughed for the past three weeks, I had a good laugh.

"Well, why don’t you try mating with him and see if you’ll live to see tomorrow," I said, leaning in front of her tilted head.

"Oops! I forgot—you’re death itself," I said, letting out another laugh. I could tell she was afraid, looking for a way to rush out. But I only watched and laughed.

"My seat," I said. When she refused, I gladly went and sat down on Kade’s lap—just like she did a few minutes ago.

"How do you feel when another woman is looking down on your woman?" I spoke, looking directly into his black eyes.

When I went to touch him, it was like a magnet was repelling us. I couldn’t touch him. And even if I did, it would only end up as a spark, burning my hands.

"Two curses cannot coexist, Azren," he finally spoke, after watching me like a spectator—but in a whisper that Tasha couldn’t hear.

"When one side is weak, the other becomes strong. And why do I need to coexist, when even as soft as I was, I couldn't feel safe with you?" I spoke out, letting my real side out for a second.

I was done being mistreated—especially by Tasha. And if this was the only way to get my Alpha back, I wouldn’t hesitate.

"We need to break the curse," she whispered again in my head.

"You know I can hear everything she tells you," Kade spoke and let out a smile. I returned a nervous smile, feeling ashamed.

"Tasha, leave us!" he commanded. And even though hesitant, she left, dragging her feet—her heels hitting every tile of the house.

"Come with me," he said, starting to walk, and I followed behind.

"How can you hear her?" I asked, prompting him to stop whatever he was doing.

"Because I have her on the other side. When our mating happens, the other side of him comes to you," he explained. But I was still angry at him.

I couldn’t believe I was the one figuring out how to end his curse—literally fighting to draw for him—while he sat somewhere having an affair with death itself.

"I want to go outside," I said.

"No, it’s not safe," he said, entering the throne room. He signaled for me to enter, but that’s the last thing I needed. I walked out—not sneaking, just leaving.

"Take care of yourself, Azren," he spoke to me, and I heard it like a whisper in my ear. He could communicate like her.

I rushed outside, and even Kade’s men could feel my aura. None of them tried to stop me. I walked towards my instincts. I could tell I had to be here, but I couldn’t explain it. The scent of a dead corpse hit me—I followed it.

I followed the scent to a place covered by mud that looked like a hill. But they couldn’t fool me. I quickly started digging—my fingers scratching against itching others, nearly injuring myself.

Then I saw the body of a woman covered in mud. My body trembled in fear, not knowing what to do. I took a step back. Then a nail pierced through my shoe, pricking my delicate heel. I cried out in pain, but that didn’t distract me from looking at the body.

"Reveal it!" she commanded.

"No, you do it," I said, still growling from pain.

"Fine. Looks like I have to do everything here myself," she spoke.

Then, unwillingly, I started moving, walking towards the dead body, wiping the mud. I seemed to recognize the body but closed my eyes out of fear.

"Look what we found," she said. I slowly opened my eyes, only for the corpse of Tasha to stare back at me.

"It can’t be—I left her in the house," I said, biting my hand nervously.

"Do you think I harmed her?" I spoke again.

"Don’t be dumb. The smell of the corpse has been here for a week. The one in the house is not her," she said.

"So she took her form," I spoke, piecing the puzzle together.

"Azren, death can only manifest to the one the heart yearns for," she spoke again, and pain filled my heart.

"So death manifested itself as Tasha because that is what he wanted the most," I said, my voice shaking with sadness.

"Yes, Azren," she said again, and my rage returned.

This time, not the kind I could fight with—but the kind where I just sat and looked around, not getting any strength.

"You’re causing me pain—stop it. I don’t like that feeling," she said. But it was too late. I broke down.

I cried to my lungs, and when crying wasn’t enough, I let out a howl—a sad one. It was prohibited to howl, especially in the morning, so I knew I had alerted the rest of the pack.

"Burn the body," she said, but I didn’t understand her.

"What are you going to tell Kade—that you found Tasha’s body out here? Don’t be ridiculous. He’s not going to believe you," she whispered again.

"I won’t help her cover up her mistake," I said, looking at Tasha’s body that had no injury, no struggle. She looked as if she’d died peacefully.

"Let’s go. I have to make a deal with the devil," I said.