The Alpha Cursed To Love Her

Chapter 8

Alex

I still couldn’t figure out how Elena found out about Nova. She even knew she was my mate. Damn it. The thought kept circling, sharp and useless. Elena had a way of digging up things that should have stayed buried, and the fact that she already knew the truth about Nova made my skin crawl. I hadn’t told a soul. Not one. Yet somehow the information had reached her, and now it hung over me like a weight I couldn’t shake off.

All I wanted was to go home and see her, but I had no idea how to look her in the eye after the things I said. Those words cut straight into her. I knew she was hurting. The way her eyes filled with tears when I spoke still stuck in my head, clear as if it had just happened. I could still see the exact moment the light in them dimmed, the way her shoulders had curled inward like she was trying to disappear. I had been a complete jerk. Why did I say her body was filthy? The memory of those words made my stomach turn. Anyone else would have treated her like something precious. Me? I just tore her down. I had watched the pain bloom across her face and kept going, driven by some twisted need to push her away before she could get any closer.

I glanced up. The sky was already turning dark, the last streaks of orange fading into a deep, bruised blue. My watch showed 6:30. I had promised her I’d be back around seven. The reminder sat heavy in my chest. My head felt like a mess, thoughts crashing into one another without order or mercy, so I headed for the small cabin we used after shifting. The path was familiar, worn smooth by years of the same routine. Inside, the air smelled of wood and old earth. I stripped down without ceremony, folding nothing, just leaving the clothes in a heap on the floor. Then I let my wolf take over.

The shift came hard and fast. Bones realigned, muscles stretched and reformed, and the world sharpened into a thousand scents and sounds. We tore through the trees until we reached the river. The water ran cold and clear over the rocks. After a long drink that did nothing to settle the restlessness under our skin, my wolf dropped onto the grass and stayed quiet. He hadn’t said a word since I hurt Nova. He was shutting me out on purpose, and the silence felt louder than any argument.

‘Still not talking to me?’ I finally asked, the question carrying more exhaustion than anger.

‘You made her cry. I hate seeing her like that, and you still did it.’

The words landed like a blow. I hated it too. The image of her tears refused to leave. But what other choice did I have? The path ahead of us was already set, and she had no place on it. That was the truth I kept repeating, even as it tasted like ash.

‘You know why. We can’t be with her.’

My wolf let out a painful howl that echoed through the trees and settled deep in my own chest. The sound carried every ounce of longing he felt. My own chest tightened in answer. I wanted her just as badly as he did—maybe more. The pull toward her had been there from the first moment, a constant, living thing that refused to quiet no matter how hard I tried to starve it.

‘Don’t turn us back into that thing we used to be. Don’t wake it up. If it comes back, only we walk away from it.’

Old memories hit hard. Fragments of blood and rage and a version of myself I had spent years locking away. The darkness that had once lived under my skin, the thing that had made people look at me with fear instead of respect. I had buried it deep, sealed it behind promises and control, and I had no intention of letting it surface again.

‘Her pain can bring that side of us out again. Be careful. We made a promise. Don’t break it.’

He was right. I couldn’t let that version of me return. It would terrify Nova. If she ever learned what I used to be, she would never come near me again. The thought of her looking at me with that same fear I had seen in others made something cold settle in my gut. She deserved better than the monster I had once been. She deserved better than the man I was now, standing here with her tears still fresh in my mind.

“Alex, don’t forget about Camille. She’s waiting at the royal park.”

My father’s voice came through the mind link, calm and absolute. He had to remind me of that? Great. As if I could have forgotten the arrangement he had made, the future he had already decided without asking what I wanted. The reminder only tightened the knot already sitting in my chest.

My wolf stood up slowly and headed back to the cabin. He dragged his feet the whole way, every step reluctant. He wanted nothing to do with any woman except Nova. Camille’s picture alone had been enough to disgust him. The idea of standing near her, of pretending interest for the sake of duty, made his lip curl even in silence.

We shifted back inside the cabin. The change left me human again, skin prickling in the cool air. I pulled on my clothes but didn’t bother with my hair or a shower. The shirt hung open at the collar, the sleeves slightly wrinkled. I wanted her to see I didn’t care. Let her look at the mess and understand exactly how little this meeting meant. Then I started walking toward the park, each step heavier than the last.

By the time I arrived it was already eight. I had lost track of time in the woods, the quiet of the trees pulling me under longer than I intended. The park was lit up so bright it barely looked like night. Strings of lights hung between the trees, casting everything in a soft golden glow that felt wrong for the hour. The air carried the scent of cut grass and distant perfume.

A woman in a red strapless dress stood waiting near the central path. A lot of skin was on display, the fabric clinging in deliberate places, but I felt nothing. No spark. No interest. Just a flat, empty space where attraction should have lived. She turned and gave me a big smile the moment she saw me. My heart didn’t react at all. All I could think about was Nova—the quiet way she moved, the softness in her eyes when she thought no one was watching. This woman’s smile didn’t even come close. Was this really who my father wanted as the next queen? My heart refused to accept anyone else. Nova would have been a far better choice, and the truth of that only made the whole situation feel more hollow.

‘This one is trouble,’ my wolf muttered, the first words he had offered since the river. ‘Her wolf is drawn to us—not just to us, but to our power. She wants the title.’

He was usually right about people. Most wolves rejected anyone who wasn’t their true mate, yet hers seemed interested, the energy around her sharp and calculating. That didn’t sit right with me. There was something too eager in the way she held herself, something that set my instincts on edge.

She stepped closer, the heels of her shoes clicking softly against the path.

“Hey… I’m Camille,” she said in a soft voice, cheeks a little pink.

Trying to look shy. It didn’t work on her. The flush looked practiced, the tilt of her head carefully measured. Everything about the performance felt wrong.

“Alex,” I answered, already looking away. My mind stayed on Nova—the way she hid her face when she got embarrassed, the way she bit her lip when she was thinking too hard. She was so damn cute. The memory of it settled warm and painful in my chest, a sharp contrast to the woman standing in front of me.

“So… you know about us, right?” she asked, moving even closer, the scent of her perfume reaching me in a wave that made my nose wrinkle.

I took a step back. Standing that close to another woman felt wrong, like I was crossing a line that shouldn’t exist. The space between us still felt too small.

“What about your mate?” I asked, the question flat and direct.

Anger flashed across her face for a second before she covered it with a sweet smile. Fake as hell. The shift was quick, but not quick enough to hide the flash of irritation underneath.

“He won’t be a problem for us,” she said, pushing her chest forward a little, the movement deliberate.

“So you dumped him just to become queen?” I asked flatly, watching her carefully.

Her face went pale. Then her eyes dropped to my mouth, lingering in a way that made my skin crawl. I already felt sick. Elena had called her a b***h, and she wasn’t wrong. Everything about this conversation confirmed it.

‘She’s trying to get our attention,’ my wolf snorted, the disdain clear even through the link. ‘Doesn’t she get that only our mate can do that?’

He was right. Nova was the only one who had ever gotten under my skin, and she hadn’t even tried. She had simply existed, and the world had rearranged itself around her without asking my permission.

“Can we go to dinner?” Camille asked, her voice still soft, still performing.

I gave a short nod and walked ahead before she could touch me. The idea of her hand on my arm made something in me recoil. I kept a measured distance as we left the park, the bright lights fading behind us.

At the restaurant I booked a table near the back, away from the main floor. People stared when they saw me with a woman. Whispers followed us across the room. The manager hurried over, clearly nervous, his hands clasped tightly in front of him.

“Your highness, your table is ready.”

We sat down. I didn’t say a word. The silence stretched between us, thick and uncomfortable. She still made my skin crawl. Every movement she made felt calculated, every glance designed to draw a reaction I had no intention of giving.

“Alex… have you found your mate yet?” she suddenly asked, the question landing like a stone in still water.

I paused, then looked at her. The restaurant lights caught the sharp edges of her smile. For a moment I considered telling her the truth, just to watch the performance crack. Instead I kept my voice even.

“No.”

“Good. Just remember—after the engagement, even if she shows up, you can’t be with her.”

Who did she think she was, deciding that for me? She smiled like she had every right, like the future was already settled and I was simply a piece to be moved into place. The words settled under my skin and burned.

What a b***h.