MY CURSED ALPHA AND I

“ Jenny! Are you still buried in that book?” Brianna’s sharp voice snapped me back to reality. I looked up from the heavy textbook balanced on my knees, blinking at the sudden intrusion. My elder sister stood framed in the doorway, golden curls tumbling perfectly over her shoulders, her dress hugging every curve she loved to flaunt. Her lips curled into the kind of smirk that always made me feel smaller. “ You’ll go blind one day from all that reading,” she said with mock sweetness, though her eyes glimmered with mockery. “ Honestly, Jenny you are hopeless. An Alpha wants a Luna who can turn heads, not someone who smells like ink and parchment.” I pressed my lips together, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. Words between us always ended the same : me silenced, her triumphant. Instead, I closed the book gently, running my fingertips across the worn cover before setting it aside. I was not like Brianna, and I knew it. She basked in attention, adored for her beauty and boldness. I, on the other hand, preferred quiet corners and stories that carried me far from here. Even worse, I still hadn’t wolfed out, not once. It was a truth I carried like a chain around my neck, one that could drag me into ruin if exposed. Brianna sauntered closer, her perfume wrapping around me like suffocation. “ You know Alpha Zayne is visiting soon,” she whispered, eyes glittering. “ And we both know he’ll never choose you. You’ll embarrass yourself standing next to me. Maybe you should just stay hoe when the time comes.” Her words cut, sharp and cruel, but I forced myself to keep my face neutral. I wouldn’t let her see the sting she caused. Rising slowly, I moved past her, refusing to answer. Brianna’s laughter followed me like a shadow, mocking and confident. That evening, Father summoned us to the sitting room. His voice carried an unusual weight, and the air was thick with tension. Mother sat beside him, her hands folded tightly on her lap, knuckles pale. Something was wrong; I could feel it. “ Girls,” Father began, his gaze shifting from Brianna to me, “ the Crescent Moon Pack has sent their answer.” Brianna’s chin lifted proudly, already imagining herself crowned as Luna. Father continued, his tone steady though his eyes betrayed unease. “ Alpha Zayne has agreed to the alliance. The marriage will go forward.” Brianna’s triumphant smile widened, but before she could speak, Father’s next words felt like a hammer. “ But its Jenny he has chosen.” Silence smothered the room. My breath caught. “ Me?” Brianna’s face twisted in disbelief. “What? No! That can’t be! I am the eldest, I am the most beautiful; this is suppose to be mine!” “ Enough!” Father’s voice cracked like a whip. The authority in his tone silenced her instantly, though her eyes burned with fury as they locked onto me. I could barely hear anything else over the pounding of my heart. Why me? Why would Alpha Zayne, cold and powerful, choose me of all people? I wasn’t ready for this. I hadn’t even shifted. I wasn’t fit to be anyone’s Luna. Brianna trembled with rage, fists clenched at her sides. “ This isn’t fair,” she hissed, venom dripping from every word. “ I won’t forgive this.” Her glare pierced me like knives, and I knew then that my life had changed forever— and not for the better. That night, sleep refused to come. I lay awake staring at the ceiling, the words echoing in my head: Zayne has chosen Jenny. My stomach twisted with dread. My entire life had shifted in a single moment, and I couldn’t stop the weight pressing down on me. Rolling onto my side, I hugged the pillow to my chest. Images of Brianna’s face, twisted in rage, haunted me. Her threats weren’t empty; I knew her too well. She would not rest until I regretted the moment I allegedly stole what she believed was hers. Just as my eyelids began to grow heavy, I heard it. Whispers. I stiffened, straining my ears. The voices came from the hallway outside my room. Carefully, I slid out of bed and crept closer, pressing my ear to the wooden door. “ Do you think he knows?” It was Mother’s voice, soft but trembling. “No,” Father replied firmly. “ We’ve hidden it well. If Alpha Zayne learns Jenny still hasn’t wolfed out, everything will be ruined.” My blood ran cold. I staggered back from the door, my hand pressed to my mouth to stifle a gasp. My secret. The one thing I prayed would stay buried. And now… it was tied to my marriage to the most feared Alpha in the land. If the truth was discovered, I began to wonder what Alpha Zayne would do to me.