The Cursed Alpha's Human Mate

Chapter 2

Kael

“You are welcome to our home, Alpha Kael,” Alpha Lucas greeted as I entered the Moon Pack’s territory. My beta, Aiden, followed closely behind me. Beside Lucas stood his Luna and his father, the former Alpha.

I gave a curt nod in response, uninterested in exchanging pleasantries. I hadn’t traveled all the way from my pack for idle conversation. I was here for business—to finalize the deal we had discussed.

“How was the trip, Alpha Kael?” Lucas asked as we made our way down the hallway.

His question annoyed me. I stopped walking and fixed him with a sharp glare. “Can you shut up and lead the way? Let’s get this over with,” I snapped.

Lucas stiffened, his jaw clenching at my tone. No Alpha liked being ordered around, especially in their own territory. But he stayed silent, likely aware that crossing me would be a mistake. I was stronger, and he knew it.

He opened the door to his office, and I walked in without a word. Dropping into the chair in front of his desk, I watched as he settled behind it, his Luna by his side.

Their closeness irritated me, though I wasn’t sure why. Maybe because I couldn’t relate to their affection. I didn’t have a mate, and I never would.

My family line had been cursed by the Moon Goddess after my ancestor defied her. Every generation suffered differently, and for me, the curse manifested in the worst way imaginable—I killed my mates.

Not by choice, but because my wolf was feral and uncontrollable. I’d already killed four of my destined mates during the mating process. The fifth I’d spared by rejecting her outright. That’s when I decided—no more mates. I’d reject every one the Moon Goddess dared to send my way.

I didn’t want to pass the curse onto another generation. It would end with me.

“Shall we look at the terms of the contract?” Lucas asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

I glanced at his father as the man excused himself from the room, his expression tense with irritation. Whatever his issue was, I didn’t care.

Aiden handed a folder to Lucas, who opened it and began to read. As he flipped through the pages, his expression darkened, and his eyes widened slightly. Clearly, he hadn’t expected the terms I’d set.

He passed the document to his Luna, likely hoping she’d confirm whether he’d misunderstood. She skimmed through the contract, and her reaction was the same—shock and disbelief.

She placed the folder back on the desk carefully, her hand trembling slightly.

“Isn’t this a little too much to ask for your protection?” Alpha Lucas asked cautiously, his tone strained. I could see how hard he was trying to control himself, knowing full well that any outburst would be meaningless against me. After all, I was the Alpha King. No one crossed me without consequences.

“You’re asking for my protection, not the other way around,” I replied in a calm but cutting tone. “If you want it, then you should be prepared to pay the price, Alpha Lucas.”

I leaned back slightly, watching both Lucas and his Luna struggle to suppress their anger. Their restraint amused me.

“Can we at least renegotiate the terms of the contract?” Lucas asked through gritted teeth, staring at the paper again.

I glared at him sharply. “I don’t appreciate having my time wasted, Alpha Lucas,” I snapped, rising to my feet as if to leave.

“Fine,” he said quickly, his voice sharp with frustration. “We accept the deal, Alpha Kael.”

A sinister smile tugged at my lips as I turned back to face him. I sat down again and watched as Lucas reluctantly signed the contract. Taking my pen, I added my own signature, sealing the deal.

“Please join us for dinner,” he offered, attempting to salvage some form of courtesy.

I shook my head, already rising from the desk. “No, I have other matters to attend to,” I said, heading for the door. Lucas followed closely behind me as I walked through the hallway.

I stopped abruptly, my senses sharpening when I caught a scent—a foreign, human scent. That wasn’t the shocking part, though. What startled me was the sweetness of it, a scent that tugged at something deep within me.

Shadow, my wolf, growled in my head, ‘Mate.’

“Is something the matter, Alpha Kael?” Lucas asked as I paused.

I turned my gaze to him. “I didn’t know your pack harbored humans,” I said, continuing to walk, though the scent grew stronger with every step.

“Oh, that’s just some human we saved,” his Luna interjected quickly, her voice a little too eager. She was lying, but I didn’t care about her reasons. My interest in the human was purely because of what the Moon Goddess had done—again.

I hummed in response, pretending indifference, but stopped suddenly when a faint, desperate cry for help reached my ears.

Without a second thought, I turned back and followed the scent, stopping at a door where it was strongest. Lucas and his Luna trailed behind, their voices frantic. “Alpha, wait!”

Ignoring them, I pushed the door open, my anger flaring at the sight before me. The former Alpha, Lucas’s father, had his hand pressed down hard against a fragile-looking girl—my mate.

In an instant, I was across the room, shoving him away from her with a force that sent him crashing into the wall. My fury burned hotter as I turned my attention to the girl.

She opened her eyes slightly, the faint glow of green meeting mine. Her gaze flickered between me and the others in the room before settling back on me. Shadow stirred with excitement, but my focus stayed on her.

The need to protect her surged through me, primal and unstoppable.

Suddenly, she collapsed, her fragile body falling against me.

“Get the doctor!” I roared, my voice echoing in the room. I didn’t care who responded, as long as someone did.