MY CURSED ALPHA AND I

CHAPTER SIX: SHADOWS OF TEMPTATION

The night of the initiation should have ended in triumph, but for Jenny it ended in silence. The echoes of the crowd’s uncertain cheers still haunted her as she walked the dim corridor leading back to her chamber. Her palm throbbed where the dagger had cut her, the scar a reminder of how the ritual had gone wrong.

Zayne walked ahead of her, his strides long and unyielding. He hadn’t said a word since the ritual ended, and Jenny didn’t dare break the silence. She wanted to ask him what the smoke had meant, why the Elders had whispered about curses, why his eyes had burned with something she couldn’t name. But she finally gathered her courage, he stopped at the threshold of her chamber.

“Rest,” he said curtly. His voice was sharp, his tone final.

Jenny froze, her heart aching at the coldness in his words. She nodded and stepped inside without protest. The door closed behind her, leaving her in the dark, wondering if the Moon Goddess had cursed her as much as him.

Brianna on the other hand, seethed in her guest chamber. She tore the gold pins from her hair, tossing them onto the vanity with enough force to scatter them across the floor. Her reflection in the mirror mocked her—eyes blazing, lips twisted with rage.

Jenny had done nothing to deserve the attention she had received tonight. Nothing. She had stood trembling in the circle, nearly fainting from fear, and yet the ritual had turned he into the night’s spectacle. Whispers followed her now, whispers Brianna had wanted herself.

“She always takes what’s mine,” Brianna spat, slamming her fist against the vanity. The mirror cracked down the center, splitting her reflection into two.

Later, the feats began in the great hall of Moonveil. Torches bathed the room in gold light, tables groaning under platters of roasted meat, fresh bread, and spiced wine. Musicians played near the dais, filling the air with music meant to drown the unease of the earlier ceremony.

Jenny sat beside Zayne, but he hardly spoke to her. Hus jaw remained clenched, his gaze distant, as though he bore a burden too heavy to share. Every attempt she made to meet his eyes failed. He stood after only a short while, murmuring something to the Elder, and left the hall without explanation.

The whispers grew louder.

“The Alpha can’t even stay with her.”

“Does he regret the bond already?”

“Perhaps the curse rejects her too.”

Jenny clenched her hand in her lap, fighting back tears. She had never felt so small, so out of place.

Across the room, Brianna thrived. She swept into the hall like she belonged at its center, her laughter bright, her smile dazzling. She drew attention effortlessly, gathered compliments and admiration with every turn.

And then he approached her—Jackson, the Beta of Moonveil Pack.

Tall and broad-shouldered, with dark hair that framed sharp, striking features, Jackson carried himself with confidence of someone who knew his strength. His gaze lingered on Brianna with interest, and she felt the spark of recognition. This was her chance.

“My lady,” Jackson said smoothly, bowing his head. “You outshine even the torches tonight.”

Brianna smiled coyly, tilting her head. “Flattery, from the Beta himself? I must be honored.”

He extended his hand. Dance with me.”

The music swelled, and Brianna placed her hand in his without hesitation. They moved across the floor with surprising ease, their steps matching as if they had practiced together for years. Eyes followed them, whispers rose, but Brianna only smiled wider. This was the attention she craved—the power she deserved.

As they spun, Jackson leaned closer, his voice low. “The Alpha is not the only man worth noticing in this pack.”

Her pulse quickened. Beneath his words lay something deeper—a hint of resentment, a hunger that mirrored her own.

“And perhaps,” Brianna replied, her lips curving into a dangerous smile, “the Luna is not the only woman worth envying.”

Their laughter mingled, sharp and dark, as though they shared a secret no one else could hear.

From her lonely seat, Jenny watched. She saw Brianna’s golden hair catching the light as she danced, saw the way Jackson looked at her sister—not with courtesy, but with hunger. Something in Jenny’s gut twisted, a warning she could not ignore.

When the dance ended, Jackson’s hand lingered a moment too long on Brianna’s waist. Brianna tilted her head back and laughed, the sound carrying across the hall. Jenny’s chest tightened. Something dangerous was beginning tonight—something she feared she would be powerless to stop.

She pressed her hand to the palm, feeling the scar throb beneath her skin. The ritual had marked her in ways she still didn’t understand. And now, watching her sister and Zayne’s Beta share smiles sharper than blades. Jenny knew the shadows around her were growing.

Later, when the feast finally waned, Jackson slipped out of the hall, his expression unreadable. He paused in the quiet corridor, looking into a polished shield that reflected his face. His lips curved into a cold smile.

“One day,” he whispered, “everything he has will be mine.”

And across the hall, Brianna whispered her own vow to the mirror in her chamber.

“One day, Jenny will have nothing.”