Bound By The Alpha’s Curse

Chapter11

MIRA

My body was a wreck of bruises and open cuts, and my shirt was ruined with a mixture of my blood and Lucian’s, but I had never felt more alive.

“I caught him right in the center of his ego,” I said, wincing slightly as Kara wiped away a particularly deep gash on my forearm. “He didn't think I could move that fast, and by the time he realized I wasn't backing down, I already had the leverage. You should have seen his face when he hit the sand, Kara, it was like the entire world had just stopped spinning for him.”

Kara shook her head, though a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she reached for a fresh roll of bandages. “I was watching from the edge of the crowd, Mira, and my heart was in my throat the entire time. I was so worried about you losing, or worse, Lucian losing his temper and snapping your neck before you could even land a hit.”

I let out a huff, leaning back against the cold exam table and feigning a look of deep disappointment. “So you didn't believe in me? My own best friend thought I was going to be a rug for the Alpha to wipe his boots on?”

Kara laughed, a bright sound that filled the small, herb-scented room, and she swatted at my knee. “I always believe in you, you stubborn girl, but you have to understand that Lucian is the King for a reason. I just didn't think anyone, especially not someone in your condition, could actually bring that man to the ground in a fair fight. You did the impossible today.”

“I did,” I whispered, feeling a surge of pride that made the throbbing in my ribs feel like a badge of honor. I had proven myself not just to Lucian, but to every wolf who had looked at me with pity or disgust, and for the first time in years, I felt like I wasn't just surviving. I was winning.

We were halfway through the healing process when the heavy wooden door to the infirmary didn't just open, it slammed against the stone wall with a crack that made me jump. Three guards marched in, their faces set in hard, unreadable lines, and their heavy boots thudded against the floor as they fanned out around the room.

Kara stood up immediately, her eyes flashing with a protective fire as she gripped her medical shears like a weapon. “What the hell is this? This is a woman’s private quarters and a medical wing, and you have some nerve barging in here without so much as a knock. Where are your manners?”

The lead guard didn't even look at her, his gaze locked onto me with a cold intensity that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “Mira Thompson. You need to come with us immediately.”

Kara stepped between me and the guards, her jaw set. “She isn't going anywhere. I’m in the middle of closing these wounds, and if you had half a brain, you’d see she’s barely holding it together. Get out before I report you to the Alpha.”

“Kara, wait,” I said, placing a hand on her shoulder and pulling her back gently. I didn't like the look in their eyes, but I didn't want Kara getting hurt because of me. I looked at the lead guard, trying to keep my voice steady. “Why do I have to follow you? Lucian himself ordered me to be brought here so Kara could heal me. Are you disregarding his orders?”

The guard gave me a blunt, humorless stare. “We are working under the direct command of the King as well, and his latest order supersedes the previous one. You are to come with us now, or we will be forced to use whatever means necessary to relocate you.”

Confused, I looked at Kara, who looked just as

bewildered as I felt. Maybe Lucian wanted to talk to me in private, or maybe there was some formal ceremony for the winner of a challenge that I didn't know about. It didn't make sense for him to be angry after he had accepted my hand in the ring, but he was a man of unpredictable moods.

“It’s okay, Kara,” I said, sliding off the table and ignoring the sharp protest from my side. “I’ll go. I’m sure it’s just some pack business he forgot to mention. I’ll be back in an hour to finish the bandages.”

Kara gripped my hand, her eyes full of worry. “Mira, I don’t like this. Something feels wrong.”

“I’ll be fine,” I promised, though I was starting to feel a cold knot of dread forming in my stomach. I followed the guards out of the infirmary, walking between two of them while the third trailed behind us.

We moved through the hallways of the palace, but we weren't heading toward the Alpha’s study or the main hall. We were heading toward the lower levels.

“Wait,” I said, stopping in my tracks. “Where are we going? The Alpha’s office is the other way.”

Before I could turn around, the two guards at my side moved with a speed that caught me completely off guard. They grabbed my arms, their fingers digging into my bruised skin with bruising force, and they began to haul me down the corridor.

“Let go of me!” I shouted, struggling against their grip and trying to plant my feet, but I was still weak from the duel and the fever. “What are you doing? I haven't done anything wrong!”

They didn't say a word. They ignored my pleas and my kicks, dragging me deeper into the bowels of the palace until we reached a heavy iron gate. One of the guards pulled a ring of keys from his belt and unlocked it, the metal screeching in a way that sounded like a scream.

They threw me inside the small, stone-walled room, and I hit the straw-covered floor hard, the impact knocking the wind out of my lungs. I scrambled back to my feet, rushing toward the door, but the heavy iron bars slammed shut before I could reach them.

“Hey!” I screamed, grabbing the bars and shaking them with all the strength I had left. “You can't do this! Lucian gave me his word! I won the fight! Why am I in here?”