The Cursed Alpha’s Human Mate

Flora I balanced the last two trays on my palms with a sigh of relief, grateful that I am almost at the end of my shift on my last day of work. Unbeknownst to my employers of course. I planned on sending them my resignation email by morning when I was already miles away from this godforsaken town and godforsaken city. If I directly submitted a resignation letter, they’d make me stay longer than I planned with the excuse of finding my replacement. I have witnessed them do it to previous employees and I’d be damned if they did it to me too. Also if I told them, they would tell Dad and Dad will tell Jake. And I will end up not leaving town again. “Flo, can you cover my last tables for me?” Ginny, my work best friend, hurried to me, already taking off her apron with her eyes filled with tears. “Please, my sitter called to tell me that Serena has been rushed to the hospital. Her..her,” she choked on her tears. “Her episode started again.” I nodded vigorously as I watched her stuff her things haphazardly into her bags. “Of course, Ginny.” I immediately served the waiting patrons and followed Ginny to the door. I had only met Serena once but that one time was enough to make me understand the fear Ginny had. Serena was a sickly child who needed extreme care. Ginny hugged me quickly and messy then fled through the door. I held the door with my hip, the bell still jingling above my head as her car peeled out of the driveway. Just as I took my weight off the door, a gloved hand; black leather and obviously expensive, shot out and caught the door just by the edge. I looked up… Green eyes stared down at me with a slight furrow in his brows. His presence filled the doorway like a stubborn smoke and I can swear the chatter behind us died down. His eyes roved through me from head to toe as a light burn clouded my chest. Was this pain just from looking at him? Before I could process my thoughts, another man came up behind him. He stood taller and more alert like a soldier at war. His eyes quickly scanned the whole area before settling on me. Purple eyes, like an amethyst, shot straight at me and deep into my soul like it was searching for my deepest darkest secret. “Miss, we need a table.” Purple eyes said, snapping me out of my daydream. “Of course. Right…right this way, please.” I spluttered. Shit, I cursed and bit my lip. My pulse pounded in my ears as I led the way. I didn’t need to do that, they could have perfectly found themselves a seat without my interference. I forced a smile on my face when they took their seats. “So, what would you like to have?” My eyes followed the man with the purple eyes as he undid his buttons at the wrists and folded his sleeves just above his wrists. Tattoos lined his arms from his wrist up and disappeared inside his shirt. Vines, tiny skulls and…butterflies? What type of a man was this? “Can we place our orders or would you rather we put him on display for you?” Green eyes snapped. I turned my eyes immediately to catch him glaring at me but I dropped them immediately. I couldn’t hold his gaze, something about those eyes staring into mine burned my chest. “Two glasses of water, two glasses of whiskey. One neat, the other on the rocks.” Purple eyes said and placed a briefcase on the table. I narrowed my eyes on it. Have they had that all this time? “Anything else?” Green eyes quipped. “I should be asking you that,” I muttered and cleared my throat slightly. “Did you need something else?” I asked without raising my head. “Yeah. Maybe I’d have to head for the ritual tonight.” My neck shot up and I darted between the two men. Green eyes kept his gaze on me as a small smile tugged on purple eyes’ lips and he bent his head to hide his smile. Tilting my head slightly, I turned to green eyes to glare at him but his eyes were still glaring at me. Raising my head in defiance, I held his gaze and a shiver ran down my spine immediately causing me to stagger towards the table but purple eyes’ hands shot out and reached for me before I could fall. “Are you okay?” He asked as he held me up. I nodded and shifted my eyes to Green eyes but his gaze was now on his hands as he peeled off his leather gloves. Purple eyes nodded as he darted his eyes between me and Green eyes before letting go of me. Gripping my notepad and pen tighter, I turned on my heels and fled the booth. *** I threw the last of my bag in my trunk, slammed it shut and quickly began to pull out of my neighbor’s driveway. I purposely parked my car there after work so that Dad would not be alerted when I am sneaking away. About six miles later, my engine sputtered once, twice then died with a pathetic cough as the car rolled into a sluggish stop. My headlights went off leaving me seated in darkness in the middle of nowhere. “Of course. of all nights, you chose tonight to give up on me!” I cussed at my ancient sedan as I exited my car. Groaning, I popped the hood out of habit, smoke hissed up at me accompanied by a strong smell of burnt oil. I can’t handle this. Not right now. Snapping my hood shut, I reached into my trunk and took out my backpack that held my ID, some cash and other essentials and stared at the long, straight and dark road before me. “No way,” I said with a scoff and turned towards the woods. “f**k, Flora.” I turned on my phone flashlights, gripping my phone tighter, I started into the woods. Darkness stretched before me, twigs and dried leaves snapped and crunched under my feet and I hummed a happy song to ground myself and to keep myself from going crazy when a branch grazed my arms. Then I heard it… Deep voices chanting lowly. Their voices were clear and their words familiar, like something I have heard Dad recite maybe five times. Shivers ran throughout my body and my heart began thumping loudly as their voices became clearer. I should run. I should go back and lock myself in my car till sun comes but my feet carried me forward despite my internal protests. Till I saw them. I crouched behind the first tree I saw and kept my eyes on them. They were in a circle, about ten of them or more. A fire burned weakly in their middle. And there standing in the middle too, slightly apart but closer to the fire were them… A gasp shot up my throat but I pressed my lips together to keep it back. Green eyes and Purple eyes. The men from the restaurant. The rest of the circle fell quiet as the two men continued their chanting. After a few words, purple eyes lifted the briefcase he had at the restaurant and held it towards Green eyes. He reached for it immediately but his hands stopped mid air and his eyes, bright and sharp, cut through the darkness and straight to where I hid. My breath hitched and I held my breath. Purple eyes followed his gaze quickly and his eyes landed on me soon after. His lips, just as they did back at the restaurant, curved up in a smile as if knowing I’d be there. With the smile still on his face, he nodded at me as if telling me to come. The gasp finally escaped my lips as I leapt up from where I was hiding and began running back to my car. Dammit! I should have listened to Dad. I should have stayed with Jake and forgot about my dreams of leaving the town. Branches snapped under my feet as I ran. A twig snapped behind me, I turned around sharply. Green eyes stood there, his lethal gaze burning into my eyes. I spun immediately and saw Purple eyes standing in front of me. I stood in the middle, my eyes darting between the two men. I was trapped between the two men; one with a smile that mocked my foolishness and the other with a deathly glare that made me regret every decision I’ve made since I was born. “You shouldn’t have ran,Flora.” Green eyes said softly, his voice in total contrast to the way he was glaring at me. “You are already late.” He added. My backpack slipped from my shoulder but I didn’t bother to pick it. I wanted to leave this place. “The ritual is not for them,” Purple eyes nodded to the circle, only this time, they were all watching us. “It is for you. Come, let’s finish what we’ve started.”