Cursed Bonds

Confused Reality {Irvine}

"For a moment, I felt the primal urge to dig his throat out. The words he had said to me in the room last night still echoed in my brain. Everyone seated at the table was pretenders and weaklings. I watched them suck up to the Alpha when, in reality, they wanted him dead. But I guess it is normal in the life of someone as powerful as he was.

'Ellevndale,' my head jerked up at the mention of my name from Alpha Reed’s lips. His eyes focused on me, and I suddenly became sweaty and anxious under those pale brown eyes that held nothing but pretense. 'I remember it like it was yesterday. You saved me from getting killed by those vampires by pulling me into a bush of wolfsbane that hid my scent and chased the vampires away. You were just a kid then, and when I brought you in, I never knew I was saved by an angel sent by the moon goddess. You are like a daughter to me, and I know you will never fail me.' The rest of his words got tuned out. I understood clearly the meaning behind his words. He still wanted me to kill Alpha Kaiden, and he obviously thought that was possible because I was no longer a runt. He finished the toast, and everyone laughed along with him.

I had never been this confused and lost in my entire life. While I sat and watched the world go on without me, I felt small, very small until a warm, calloused hand crept under my shirt and caressed my inner thigh. My entire body stiffened, it burned where he touched. I heard him chuckle behind me. He curled his other hand around my waist and brought me closer to his body till I felt his breath on the back of my neck, which sent shivers down my spine and toes. 'We shall talk about your failed attempt at my murder last night, kitten. Don’t think I forgot.' His words in my head were nothing but ice, and I knew in that moment, something bad was going to happen to me.

Everyone knows how Alpha Kaiden got his reputation as a monster. His ruthless ways of dealing with enemies were so gory that it was only to instill fear in the hearts of everyone who heard about him. The story of how he killed his mate is no news to me. My heart hammered in my chest as I thought of a way to survive this entanglement. I can’t stay here, and I definitely can’t stay with the Alpha king because he would surely make my life miserable, and I have suffered enough.

As everyone else ate and gossiped amongst themselves, I devised a way out of this situation in my head while keeping a fake-ass smile on my face. I would play along with this mate facade and play the coy and damsel in distress so I can get him to relax, and I can free myself from him before he notices. The breakfast ended, and I still felt as if I haven't eaten. The nerves in my tummy did not allow the little I ate to stay in my stomach. There’s bile building at the back of my throat; the events of last night had turned my system inside out. Alpha Kaiden took my hand in his and pulled me along with him to who knows where. When I looked up, my eyes met with Bryan, and I caught it. An emotion I could not place my finger on, but I saw it. Was it anger or jealousy? It would definitely be anger. He probably hates that I am mated to someone above him in power and status. I looked away before Kaiden could notice, but when his hold around my wrist tightened, I knew he caught me.

We got to his chambers; the huge doors opened automatically when we got closer to it. We stepped inside, and the moment the doors closed shut, my back got pushed back to it. The carving of the wood dug into my skin, and I hissed. 'What—'

'I do not share what is mine, mate,' he growled to my face, his mismatched eyes held anger in them as he sneered down at me. I wanted to look away, and I also wanted to kiss him hard on the lips—wait, what? My eyes moved before I could stop myself; they lowered to his luscious lips, and I could not look away; heat ran down from my face to my lower belly. I am doomed. He leaned closer and grazed his teeth against my ear. 'The sooner you understand this, the safer it is for you,' and like that, he left me. My feet touched the ground back, and I exhaled. I can’t seem to breathe when I am with him, and I still can’t understand why that is. I have never felt this intense when I was with Bryan, so I do not understand why I felt this way for Kaiden.

I stayed rooted to where he left me and watched him march over to the vanity and took the bottle of bourbon and downed the contents straight from the bottle. I watched his Adam's apple bobble up and down as he gulped the whiskey. He's a fine piece of art; I can’t lie, but he is also an asshole. He did not want me in his room, so I turned and pulled the doorknob— 'And where did you think you’re going, Lykos,' his voice sounded like a beautiful nightmare. So hoarse, so thick and rough. He is all male. I did not turn away from the door when I replied with my teeth clenched.

'My name, your majesty, is Irvine. Irvine Ellenvadale,'

'Turn,' he ordered, 'Turn and look at me when you speak,' I felt the urge to disobey and press his button, but I followed the reasonable part of me and turned. My hands stayed on the doorknobs, and I pressed my back against them as I looked up to him. Time seized, no, it slowed, and repeating the words I said earlier became difficult for me. 'I-I said, my name is Irvine Ellenvadale,' my voice was almost inaudible, but I knew he heard me clearly. A cruel smile stretched his lips. He dropped the bottle of whiskey and stalked over. His width and height swallowed the massive space in the room, and he is well aware of how intimidating his presence is."