Bound By The Alpha’s Curse

Chapter6

MIRA

My cheek was on fire and my head was spinning from the force of the blow, but I didn’t move. I just stood there, looking at Sienna while the sting traveled all the way down to my neck. I couldn't believe she had actually gone that far, but I could see the satisfaction in her eyes as she shook her hand out, like slapping me had been the highlight of her day. She was trying to push me to my breaking point, she wanted me to lunge at her or shift so she could have an excuse to have me executed, but I wasn't going to give her that satisfaction.

I took a slow breath and tasted blood in my mouth from where my teeth had cut into my inner lip. I didn't raise my hand to strike her back, instead, I just stared her down until the smirk on her face started to flicker.

"We can take this to Lucian right now," I said, my voice coming out raspy but clear. "We can go to his study and you can explain to him why you’re hitting the person he personally ordered to stay in this palace. Let’s see how he judges this."

The moment I mentioned Lucian, Sienna’s expression changed. She knew she had crossed the line, and she knew that even if Lucian hated me, he didn't like people messing with his orders. She huffed, tossing her hair over her shoulder and rolling her eyes like she was bored, but I saw the slight tremor in her fingers.

"You aren't worth the breath it would take to explain it," she snapped, turning on her heel. "Enjoy your bruised face, traitor."

She walked away in a hurry, her heels clicking loudly on the stone floor, and the small crowd that had gathered began to disperse. Kara stepped up beside me and reached out, gently patting my back as she looked at my swelling cheek.

"You handled that way better than I expected, Mira," she whispered, her voice full of relief. "I thought for sure you were going to rip her throat out, but you stayed calm. You didn't give her what she wanted."

I didn't feel calm, I felt beyond pissed off, but I just nodded and went back to my work. I spent the rest of the day scrubbing floors and hauling water, and every time someone looked at my face and whispered, I just worked harder. By the time the sun went down and my shift was finally over, my body was aching and my face was a dull, throbbing mess, but I wasn't going back to my quarters yet.

I walked up to the Alpha’s wing, my heart hammering against my ribs. I knew the guards were watching me, but I didn't care. I reached Lucian’s door and just stood there, waiting. I didn't know how long it would take for him to show up, but I wasn't moving until I saw him.

It must have been an hour before I heard his heavy footsteps in the hallway. He turned the corner, looking exhausted and grim, and he stopped dead when he saw me standing there. His eyes went straight to the bruise on my face, and for a split second, I saw his jaw tighten, but then his expression turned back into that cold, unreadable mask.

"What are you doing here, Mira?" he asked, his voice low and tired. "Go back to your room. I don't have time for this."

He reached for the door handle, trying to brush past me like I was just another piece of furniture, but I didn't let him. Before he could open the door, I sank to the floor. I got on my knees right there in the hallway, my joints clicking as they hit the cold stone, and I looked up at him.

"Please, Lucian," I said, my voice cracking. "Just give me one more chance. One chance to prove myself to you and to the pack. I’ll do anything. I’ll take any test you want, just don't keep me sidelined like this."

Lucian stared down at me, and for a moment, the hallway was completely silent. Then he let out a harsh, jagged laugh that felt like a slap to the face.

"You’re pathetic," he said, the words cutting deep.

"You think getting on your knees is going to change what you did? You think this makes me respect you?"

He didn't wait for an answer. He turned, slammed his door shut so hard the frame rattled, and I heard the lock click into place. I stayed right where I was, staring at the dark wood of the door.

"I'm not leaving!" I yelled, not caring who heard me.

"I'm staying right here until you give me a chance, Lucian! I mean it!"

I heard a muffled grunt from inside the room, but he didn't come back out. He clearly thought I was bluffing, that I would get tired or embarrassed and crawl back to my bed within the hour. But he didn't know how desperate I was.

I stayed on my knees. The hours started to crawl by, and the palace grew quiet as the torches dimmed. My legs started to go numb, and then they started to ache with a sharp, stabbing pain that made me want to scream, but I didn't move. A few maids walked by on their late-night shifts, and I heard them snickering behind their hands.

"Look at her," one whispered loud enough for me to hear. "She’s a shameless slave. She’ll do anything to get his attention, even beg on the floor like a dog."

"It’s embarrassing," another one added. "She thinks she’s still his mate.”

I paid no attention to them. I didn't look up, and I didn't respond. I hadn't come here for them, and their words couldn't hurt me more than Lucian’s silence already had. Eventually, my eyes started to get heavy, and my head began to droop. I didn't mean to fall asleep, but the exhaustion of the day and the physical toll of the curse finally broke me. I slumped against the doorframe, my eyes drifting shut as I drifted into a restless, uncomfortable sleep.

The next morning, the sound of a latch clicking woke me up. The door swung inward, and because I had been leaning against it, I started to fall. A pair of strong hands caught my shoulders, jerking me upright before I could hit the floor.

I blinked my eyes open, my vision blurry and my head pounding. I realized I was still on my knees, and Lucian was standing over me, looking down at me with a look of pure frustration. His hair was a mess and he looked like he hadn't slept much either.

"Are you insane?" he demanded, his voice cracking like a whip. "You’ve been here all night? On the floor?"

He pulled me up to my feet, his grip on my arms tight and bruising. My legs were so stiff that they wouldn't hold my weight, and the moment he let go of one arm, I wobbled. My knees buckled, and I fell forward, straight into his chest.

I didn't pull away. I wrapped my arms around his waist, clinging to him because I couldn't stand on my own, and I pressed my face against his shirt. He smelled like pine and rain and home, and it made my chest ache so much I thought I might die.

"I told you I wasn't leaving," I whispered into his chest, my voice small and shaky. "I guess I am insane. I’m truly insane for trying to make you forgive me, but I don't know what else to do."

I felt him stiffen the moment my arms went around him. His whole body went rigid, like he was made of steel, and his heart was thundering against my ear.