Shadowed Bride of the Cursed Alpha

Chapter 4: The Road to Nowhere

Elowen POV

The carriage rumbled endlessly over rough terrain, rocking me back and forth like a pendulum counting down my final hours. Outside, the world had changed; the green, gentle hills of the Luminara territory were long gone, replaced by towering, dark trees that blocked out the sun, and mountains that loomed like sleeping giants. The air grew colder, sharper, filled with the scent of pine and damp earth.

I sat huddled in the corner, my arms wrapped tightly around myself, staring at nothing.

I am going to die, the thought repeated in my mind, calm and terrifyingly clear. I am nineteen years old, and I am going to die before I even turn twenty.

They said the curse was absolute. The Mark of Thanatos. Any woman who touched Alpha Theron would perish. Father knew it. Calista knew it. Even the drivers probably knew it. I was not being taken to a husband; I was being led to an executioner.

Is there any way to survive?

I closed my eyes and tried desperately to think, searching for any loophole, any secret, any possible hope.

Maybe I can refuse to touch him? I wondered frantically. If I just stay far away, keep my distance, never let his skin meet mine… would that work?

But I knew deep down it was impossible. We would be married. We would live in the same house. Eventually, inevitably, there would be a moment. And even if I managed to avoid him forever, what kind of life would that be? Living like a mouse in the walls, terrified of my own husband? That wasn't living. That was just waiting.

Maybe the curse isn't true? Another thought came, weak and trembling. Maybe it’s just rumors to scare people. Maybe he is just a grumpy old man, not a monster.

But then I remembered the way everyone spoke his name—with fear, with hushed voices. I remembered Calista’s terror when she thought she had to go. No, the curse was real. It had claimed other women before me. I was just the next name on the list.

What if I run away?

My eyes opened, looking at the wooden walls around me. I could try to jump from the carriage while it was moving. I could run into the woods and become a rogue myself. But where would I go? I had no skills, no money, no knowledge of the land. I would either be eaten by wild beasts, or starve to death, or caught and brought back to face an even worse punishment.

There is no way out.

I let out a long, ragged breath, feeling the cold hopelessness settle into my bones. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find a single answer. I was trapped between a family that wanted me dead and a husband who would kill me by simply existing.

So this is how my story ends, I thought, resting my head against the glass. Born unwanted, lived as a servant, die as a sacrifice.

The carriage continued onward, carrying me deeper into the mist, toward the Gloomwatch Fortress, and toward the man who was destined to be my end.

The journey stretched on for what felt like an eternity, the sun beginning to set and casting long, eerie shadows across the path. The landscape grew bleaker and more desolate the further we traveled, the trees becoming twisted and gnarled, their branches reaching out like skeletal hands trying to snatch me away.

I hugged my knees tighter, trying to generate what little warmth I could, but the cold seemed to seep right through my skin and settle in my bones. It matched the feeling inside me perfectly.

I am going to die, I repeated in my mind, no longer fighting the thought, just accepting it like a heavy blanket. I am going to walk into that fortress, say my vows, and then… wait.

I tried to imagine what he looked like. Alpha Theron Blackwood. Forty-five years old. They said he was huge, broad-shouldered, with eyes that could kill a man just by looking at him. He was a man who had lived through wars, through pain, through loneliness. He was old enough to be my father, yet I was being forced to become his wife.

Will he be gentle at first? I wondered, my imagination running wild with fear. Or will he just do it quickly? Get it over with so the curse takes me fast?

I thought about all the things I would never get to do. I would never feel what it was like to be loved truly. I would never know the warmth of a real family. I would never travel, never wear beautiful things, never feel happiness. My entire life had been nothing but suffering, and now even that was being taken away.

Is there really no way out?

I looked at the small window again, watching the darkness grow thicker. The moon was rising, pale and cold.

Moon Goddess, I prayed silently, my voice trembling in my head. If you are really there… why did you make my life so hard? Why did you give me to a father who hated me, and now send me to a husband who will kill me? Is this my punishment? What did I ever do wrong?

There was no answer, only the rhythmic sound of hooves and wheels on stone.

I guess I am just destined to be trash, I thought bitterly, closing my eyes as tears leaked out. Trash gets thrown away. Trash gets burned.

Suddenly, the carriage slowed down. The sound changed. The ground beneath felt harder, more solid, like stone paving. My heart stopped beating for a second, then started hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.

I lifted my head, looking out.

Through the mist and the gloom, I saw it. Massive, dark walls rising high into the night sky, towers that pierced the clouds, and gates made of iron that looked strong enough to hold back the world.

Gloomwatch Fortress.

We had arrived.

The carriage came to a complete stop. The silence that followed was deafening. I could hear my own ragged breathing, and the pounding of blood in my ears.

The door was about to open. Any second now, I would see him. I would see the face of death itself.

I straightened my clothes one last time, wiped my tears, and prepared myself to meet the monster.