Claimed By The Alpha’s Curse

LENNOX'S POV The hunger woke me up before dawn, not the normal kind. This sat in my chest like a living thing, clawing at my ribs and screaming at me to take what it needed. I opened my eyes and the first thing I smelled was blood. Davian's blood. He was asleep in the chair across the room, his head tilted back against the wall. Black veins crawled up his forearms even in sleep but I could hear his heartbeat loud and steady, like someone was drumming right next to my ear. My mouth flooded with saliva. My gums ached so bad I thought my teeth were splitting open. I gripped the sheets until my knuckles turned white. The hunger twisted in my stomach, hot and vicious, begging me to cross the room and sink my teeth into his throat. "Stop it," I whispered. "Stop." But it didn't stop, it got worse. I stumbled toward the bathroom and collapsed against the sink. When I looked up at the mirror, I didn't recognize myself. Black veins spread up my neck like tree roots, darker than yesterday. My eyes flashed gold before fading back to grey. "What is happening to me?" I breathed. Two weeks ago, I walked into this house with nothing, no family and future, just rage and a plan to survive long enough to destroy the man who ruined me. Alpha Ryker Hale. I gave him everything. My virginity, my trust, my entire clan. I handed him my father's legacy because I thought he loved me. Then he brought another woman to a council meeting and introduced her as his mate. The bond mark was fresh on her neck, still bleeding. Fifty witnesses watched him erase me from existence. Seren Lucas. Blonde, beautiful, perfect Seren who smiled at me like I was dirt. They stripped my title that same day, erased my family name, and threw me out like garbage. So I came here. Alpha Davian Kross, the cursed heir who'd killed three women trying to break the curse rotting through his bloodline. He needed a fourth volunteer desperate enough to risk dying for a chance at power. I told him to bite me, claim me, and if I survived, he'd give me his pack and everything that came with it. He told me I wouldn't last the first night. I told him I had nothing left to lose. He bit me anyway. The venom hit like fire, burning through my veins, trying to kill me like it killed the others but I didn't die. I survived the first night, then the second, then the third. By the end of the first week, Thea was staring at me like I was something that shouldn't exist. We were tied together now, his curse was becoming mine and now I'm throwing up black bile and craving his blood like a monster. I gripped the sink, my hands shaking too much. The door opened behind me. Davian stood in the doorway, his grey eyes locked on me, his face blank. "You're awake," he said. "Get out," I told him. "You need to see Thea." "I said get out." He didn't move. "Your veins are worse." I looked down at my hands. The black had spread past my wrists now, crawling up my forearms. "I'm fine," I lied. "You're not fine." "Then let me be not fine in peace." Davian stepped into the bathroom and I backed up against the wall. "Don't come closer," I warned, my voice shaking. "Why not?" Because I can smell your blood, if you touch me right now I don't know what I'll do but I couldn't say that. "Just don't," I snapped. He stopped, but his eyes didn't leave mine. I could feel him through the bond now, that constant hum we'd had since the claiming."When did you last eat?" he asked. "Yesterday." "That's not good enough." "I'm not hungry." "You just threw up." His jaw tightened. "Lennox, you survived three weeks of venom that killed three women before you, don't waste it by starving yourself now." I laughed, sharp and bitter. "You think food is going to fix this?" "Then tell me what you need," he said, his voice dropping lower. ‘’You. I need your blood. I need to sink my teeth into your throat and drink until this hunger stops’’ The thought slammed into me so hard I had to grip the sink to stay standing. Davian moved closer and I flinched. "Stay back," I whispered. "Tell me what's wrong." "Nothing." "You're lying." "I'm not—" "Yes you are," he cut me off, stepping closer until I could feel the heat coming off his skin. "Tell me what's happening to you." The bond flared between us, hot and electric. My vision blurred, I could hear his pulse pounding right there under his skin. My teeth ached. "Lennox," Davian said softly. "Look at me." I looked up and his grey eyes locked onto mine. "Tell me," he said. I opened my mouth but footsteps echoed down the hallway, fast and urgent. "Davian!" Thea's voice called out, panicked. "We have a problem!" Davian turned and I shoved past him, but my legs gave out after three steps. He caught me before I hit the ground. The second his hands touched my skin, everything exploded. The bond surged between us, hot and vicious. My vision went completely red, the hunger roared and I felt something sharp push through my gums. I looked up at Davian and saw his eyes widen. "Lennox, your eyes—" Thea burst into the bathroom and stopped dead, her face going pale. "Oh no," she breathed. "It's already starting." "What's starting?" Davian demanded. Thea stared at me like I was a bomb about to explode. "The second stage, her body's trying to complete the bond." "The bond is already complete," Davian said. "No it's not," Thea shook her head. "The bite was just the first stage, for the bond to fully form, she needs to feed." Davian went completely still. "Feed on what?" Thea didn't answer, just looked at me with pity in her eyes and that's when I understood. The hunger wasn't going away and if I didn't feed it, the bond would kill me. "No," I whispered, shoving Davian away. "I'm not doing that." "You don't have a choice," Thea said quietly. "If you don't feed within forty-eight hours, your body will start shutting down..." "Then let me die." "Lennox—" "I said no!" My whole body shook. "I didn't survive three weeks of hell just to become some kind of vampire!" "The curse is rewriting you from the inside," Thea said. "If you fight it, you'll lose." The room spun, I could feel myself losing control. Then someone pounded on the front door downstairs, loud and urgent. "Alpha Kross!" a man's voice shouted. "We have visitors at the border! They're demanding entry!" Davian's eyes flashed gold. "Who?" "Alpha Ryker Hale, sir! He brought his mate and a dozen warriors! Says he's here to discuss an alliance!" The world stopped. Everything, the hunger, the fear and the panic, all of it froze. Ryker was here. The man who stole everything from me, who gave another woman the bond mark that should've been mine, who threw me away like I was nothing. He was standing at Davian's border right now. The hunger in my chest twisted into something else. "Lennox, don't," Davian warned, watching my face but I was already moving toward the door. "Lennox, stop!" Thea grabbed my arm but I shook her off. "Let him in," I said, and my voice came out strange, deeper than it should be. "Lennox, you're not stable right now," Davian said, blocking the doorway. "You need to stay here." I looked up at him and felt my lips pull back into something that wasn't quite a smile. "He came all the way here," I said slowly. "It would be rude not to say hello." Davian's eyes narrowed. "You can't go down there like this." "Watch me." I shoved past him and headed for the stairs, my legs steadier now that I had a target for all this rage. Behind me, I heard Thea whisper, "Davian, if she sees Ryker right now, in this state, she'll kill him." "I know," Davian said, and then his footsteps followed me down the hall. I smiled wider. Good, let him follow. Let him watch what happens when you throw away someone who had nothing left to lose. Ryker wanted to discuss an alliance? Perfect. I had a few things I wanted to discuss with him too.