The Cursed Alpha's Human Mate

Chapter 1

Allison

My entire body ached, the sting of bruises layering over the exhaustion from hours of tireless work. The beating I’d endured earlier still throbbed through my limbs. My crime? Delaying the pack’s meal. But this was nothing unusual—pain was as much a part of my life as breathing.

As I moved through the kitchen, trying to finish the preparations, my brother Lucas’s voice thundered behind me, loud enough to make me flinch.

“What the hell are you still doing, you disgusting human?”

I didn’t have time to turn before his hand grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking me backward with such force that my scalp burned.

“Didn’t I tell you we’re expecting important visitors today?” he snapped, shoving me to the ground. My head struck the wall hard, and pain shot through my skull like fire.

I tried to steady my vision, but before I could react, his rough hands gripped my face, his nails digging into my skin.

“How much more useless can you get?” he spat, his disgust unmistakable. “Not only are you weak, but you’re also human. And mute.”

The venom in his voice stung more than his grip. Human. Mute. The words had been my cage for as long as I could remember. I was born human to a family of werewolves—a rarity and an embarrassment. Even I found it strange, though the pack found it shameful.

When I was younger, rumors circulated about my mother’s infidelity, whispers that she’d slept with a human. But in the end, the truth didn’t matter; I bore my father’s features, his same sharp jawline and piercing eyes. Except my hair and eyes didn’t match, a difference that fueled endless fights between my parents. I was a living reminder of everything wrong in their lives, and they never let me forget it.

The physical abuse didn’t start until my mother died seven years ago. She’d been brutally killed in the woods while I stood frozen, helpless, watching it all unfold. Her death broke me. I hadn’t spoken a word since that night, and my family never forgave me. They said it was my fault—I’d led her into the woods.

Lucas shoved my face away with a snarl, standing over me as I crumpled against the wall.

“Get dinner ready in five minutes, or you’ll regret it,” he growled before storming out of the kitchen.

I dragged myself up, ignoring the sharp sting in my ribs. Every step hurt, but I forced myself to keep moving. Lucas had taken over as alpha three years ago, and his reign was as cruel as his temper.

I worked quickly, finishing the meal and stepping out of the kitchen to inform Karen, Lucas’s mate, that dinner was ready. I always tried to stay out of the way during meals. Anytime I attempted to serve, I ended up with fresh bruises for being too slow or clumsy.

This time, though, with guests coming, I hoped Karen would take over.

I knocked softly on her door, my hand trembling.

“Come in,” came her sharp reply.

Karen stood before a mirror, brushing her long hair, her reflection cold and unyielding. She didn’t look at me directly, but her glare was unmistakable.

“What do you want?” she snapped.

I stepped closer, pulling a small piece of paper from my pocket and setting it in front of her. She picked it up and read the note: Dinner is ready.

Her lip curled in disdain. “Get out of my sight, you irritate me.”

I didn’t hesitate. I turned and left, relief washing over me that she hadn’t refused to serve the guests. As cruel as she was, I could only hope she’d take over tonight. I couldn’t bear another round of beatings if something went wrong at the table.

I decided to rest in the small, cramped room that I called my own. The bed was too tiny, even for someone as small as me, but I lay down anyway, hoping for a moment of peace. My body ached all over, and sleep felt like the only escape.

It didn’t last long. The sound of my door creaking open woke me.

“Where is that useless brat?” my father shouted as he stormed in.

I jumped out of bed, my heart pounding. His face was filled with anger, and I knew I was in trouble. But for what this time?

“You think you can rest?” he growled.

Before I could answer, he slapped me hard across the face. The force of it knocked me to the floor, my head slamming against the bedframe. Pain shot through my skull, making my vision spin.

He wasn’t done. He grabbed my arm and yanked me up like I weighed nothing. His fingers dug into my skin as his other hand gripped my face so hard it hurt.

“Didn’t I tell you to clean Lucas’s office before the guests arrived? How dare you leave it a mess!” he shouted.

Tears rolled down my face, but I didn’t say anything. I had cleaned the office—or at least, I thought I did. Maybe I missed a spot, but I wasn’t sure.

“You want Lucas to welcome important guests in a filthy office? Is that it?” he yelled, shaking me as if that would make me answer.

My body trembled. I didn’t know how I kept surviving this kind of treatment. Any normal human would’ve died long ago. Maybe the fact that I came from a werewolf family helped me stay alive, even though I wasn’t a werewolf like them.

“You’re so useless,” he spat, shoving me backward.

I hit the wall hard and fell to the floor again. My stomach throbbed from the impact, and I felt blood trickling from my head where it had hit the wall. My vision blurred, and I could barely breathe.

I tried crawling toward the door, hoping to escape, even though I knew no one would help me.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he shouted.

He grabbed my leg and dragged me back into the room. I clawed at the floor, but it was no use. He was far too strong.

He knelt down and pressed his hand around my neck, squeezing hard. I gasped, struggling to breathe as his grip tightened. My chest burned, and my strength faded. Tears streamed down my face as I shut my eyes, waiting for the end.

But it didn’t come.

Suddenly, the pressure on my neck disappeared, and I heard a loud thud.

I opened my eyes slowly and saw a stranger standing in front of me. His bright blue eyes looked at me with concern—something I wasn’t used to. Behind him stood another person I didn’t know.

I turned my head slightly and saw my father lying on the floor, unconscious. Lucas was crouched next to him, shaking him to wake him up.

I felt a wave of relief, but my body was too weak to hold on. My vision blurred, and everything went dark.

The last thing I heard before losing consciousness was someone yelling, “Call the doctor!”