Bound By The Moon's Curse

Chapter 4

Kael

Kael's anger boiled over as he walked through the woods. His men had found Loria hiding near the edge of a river, unable to cross the boundary of SilverFang.

How stupid was the girl that she didn't even know there was a river around the territory she had lived her entire life?

He found her curled against a tree, her long hair covering her face. She was shaking, dirt smudging her pale face.

When she looked up at him, her wide, frightened eyes only made his rage worse. Was she scared of him? Wait until he punished her for what she had done. Who did she think she was to try to escape him?

“Running?” he growled. “You thought you could escape me?”

She tried to crawl back, her hands shaking. She folded them around her petite body. “Please, I didn’t mean to run,” she whispered, her voice so soft he almost didn’t hear it.

Kael grimaced and gave a bitter laugh. “Didn’t mean to? You’re pathetic. Get up!”

When she didn’t move fast enough, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. She shook, her thin body barely able to stand under his grip.

“You’ll regret this,” he growled, dragging her back toward the pack house.

Once inside his room, Kael threw her onto a chair and tied her wrists tightly behind her back. “Stay here,” he barked. “If you run again, I’ll make sure you wish you hadn’t.”

Without waiting for a reply, he slammed the door, locked it, and headed for the edge of the town. The thick woods led him to a small house surrounded by lit torches that led to the door.

The sorceress Selene’s home.

The place always gave him a sense of worry in his guts, but tonight, he didn’t care.

The door creaked open before he could knock, and Selene’s sharp, beady eyes met his. She stood in the doorway, her red cape longer than her.

“Well, well,” she said with a small smile that showed her sharp teeth. “What brings the great Alpha Kael to my humble home?”

Kael stepped inside, his jaw tight when she waves him in. “You know why I’m here.”

Selene laughed, making him angrier. She seemed to be mocking him. “Ah, the curse. How’s that working out for you? Your lands are drying up, your wolves are restless, and now—” She leaned closer so that all he could see were her large eyes, her grin widening. “Your mate is a weak, frightened girl. You must feel so proud.”

Kael’s fists clenched at his sides. “She ran from me,” he said. “What kind of woman runs from her Alpha? Doesn’t every woman dream of marrying one?”

Even his father had dreamed of marrying his father. And even though his father had been weak in his love for her, at least, she had never run away from his mate.

He had vowed never to be like his father. SilverFang was his first priority. Maybe when he had cubs, an heir, he would shift back to teach his son the rules of the pack.

Selene tilted her head. “How embarrassing for you. A mate who’s not only useless but disobedient. What will the pack think?”

Kael glared at her, his anger boiling just under his stony eyes. “I didn’t come here for your mockery. Do you have a solution or not?”

Selene smiled, her eyes wide and mischievous. “Of course, I do. I can heal your land, bring life back to your rivers, and restore prosperity to your pack. But it won’t come free.”

Kael narrowed his eyes. “What do you want?”

Her grin grew darker. “Your mate.”

Kael froze. Did she say his mate? Was that all? “What?”

“Give her to me,” Selene said, smooth as silk. “She’s useless to you, isn’t she? Weak, frightened, unworthy of an Alpha like you. But to me? She’s worth everything.”

Kael hesitated, his mind racing. Loria’s tearful face flashed in his mind, but he quickly pushed it away. She was nothing to him. A mate was supposed to bring strength to an Alpha, not be a burden.

“She ran from you,” Selene said, her tone almost mocking. “She’s not fit to stand by your side. Why hesitate? The Silverfang Pack is your priority, not some girl who can’t even look you in the eye.”

Kael’s jaw tightened. “Fine,” he said. “Take her.”

Selene’s smile widened. “Good choice, Alpha. Bring her to me tonight.”

Kael turned on his heel and left the hut.

Silverfang came first.

Always.

When he returned to his room, Loria was still tied to the chair, her head bowed. She didn’t look up when he entered. He thought she had fallen asleep.

“Get up,” he said sharply.

She flinched but obeyed, her legs shaky as she stood. He untied her wrists, but before she could move, he grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the woods.

“Where are we going?” she asked, shaking as she followed like a lamb to her death. The foolish girl didn't even try to fight him. What was he to do with a Luna who didn't even know how to fight?

“You’ll see soon enough,” he said, his tone cold.

The moonlight poured through the trees as they reached the clearing where Selene waited.

An old stone altar stood in the center, its surface covered in strange carvings. Selene must have brought it out after he left.

Selene greeted them with a smile. She looked at Liora who he had shoved to the floor. She was curled up like a child. “Perfect timing.”

Loria’s eyes widened in fear as she was pushed toward the altar. “What’s happening? Please, I don’t understand!”

Kael’s face was tight as he stepped back. “It’s for the good of the pack.”

Selene called for her helpers to tie Loria to the altar. Her cries filled the night, but Kael didn’t look back. He told himself it was for Silverfang, for the wolves who depended on him.

He didn't care at all that his heart twisted a little bit. He didn't care that he could feel a little bit of guilt growing in his guts. Kael didn't care that she was his mate.

Selene raised her hands, chanting words that sent a cold into the air. The moon seemed to become brighter, lighting Loria's scared face with tears pouring out of her eyes.

Loria’s screams filled his ears as the ritual began. Kael stood at the edge of the clearing, his heart pounding.

He told himself it didn’t matter.

But a small, nagging voice in the back of his mind whispered otherwise.

As Selene’s chanting became even louder, the ground under the altar started shaking. Black smoke came out of the stone, moving around Loria.

Her screams became a loud cry that made Karl's blood turn cold.

Something was happening, something he hadn't expected.