Bound By The Alpha’s Curse

Chapter3

MIRA

Lucian stood there for a long time, and his eyes stayed locked on mine until I had to look away first. The silence in the hallway was very uncomfortable but he finally broke it with a voice that sounded like grinding stones.

“Fine,” he said, and he let his hand drop from the wall. “You want to train? You can join the morning rotation with the guards. But don’t look at me if you get hurt, Mira. You aren't my responsibility anymore, and I won't be held accountable for whatever happens in that pit.”

He didn't wait for me to thank him or even respond.

He turned on his heel and walked toward the doors of his study, and the sound of the lock clicking into place felt like a slap. I stood in the dark hallway, hating how much his distance hurt, but I didn't try to knock. I knew he was done with me for the night. I walked back to my quarters, and the cold air in the servants' wing made me shiver.

The room they had given me was little more than a cell, and the bed was a slab of stone covered by a thin, damp mattress. There were no blankets, and the window didn't close all the way, so the Seattle rain misted onto the floor. I curled into a ball, trying to keep my own body heat trapped against my skin, and I eventually fell into a heavy, restless sleep.

~

I woke up screaming.

A bucket of ice-cold water hit my face and chest, soaking through my clothes and into the mattress. I gasped for air, my lungs seizing from the shock, and I scrambled backward until I hit the stone wall. Mrs. Gable stood over me, the empty bucket still in her hands and a look of pure satisfaction on her face.

“Get up, you lazy girl,” she snapped, and she kicked the side of the bed. “The sun is rising, and the palace doesn't run on your schedule. You have work to do.”

I tried to stand, but my head spun, and a sharp pain flared behind my eyes. My throat felt like I had swallowed broken glass, and every time I breathed, my chest felt heavy and tight. I had spent the night freezing on a stone bed, and the cold water had been the final straw. I was definitely coming down with something.

“I’m not doing the laundry today,” I said, and my voice came out a rasping whisper. “Lucian gave me permission to train with the guards. I’m heading to the grounds.”

Mrs. Gable laughed, and she stepped closer, poking a hard finger into my shoulder. “The Alpha wouldn't waste his warriors' time on a traitor like you. You’re lying to get out of your chores, and I won't have it. You’ll go to the kitchens and start the fires, or I’ll have you whipped for insubordination.”

She grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin, and she started to haul me toward the door. I tried to pull back, but my muscles felt like lead, and the fever was starting to make the room tilt. I was ready to fight her, even as sick as I was, but the door opened before she could drag me out.

Kara stood there, her healer’s bag slung over her shoulder. She took one look at me, sopping wet, shivering, and pale and she stepped into the room, placing herself between me and the head maid.

“That’s enough, Mrs. Gable,” Kara said, and her voice was cold.

“She’s faking it, Healer Kara,” the maid hissed. “She’s trying to avoid her duties.”

Kara reached back and put a hand on my forehead, and she immediately frowned. “She’s burning up. She has a fever, and she’s soaked to the bone. If you keep this up, she’ll end up in the infirmary for a month, and the Alpha will want to know why his new ‘supervision’ project is too sick to work. Is that what you want?”

Mrs. Gable narrowed her eyes, but she finally dropped my arm and stepped back. She didn't apologize. She just gripped her bucket and walked out, muttering about how the pack was going to the dogs.

Kara turned to me, her expression softening. “Mira, you look terrible. You’re shaking. Let me get you some medicine and a dry change of clothes. You can’t go out there like this.”

“I’m fine,” I said, and I tried to stop my teeth from chattering. “I have to go. If I don't show up for training on the first day, Lucian will think I’m weak. He’ll think he was right about me.”

“You’re stubborn,” Kara sighed, but she didn't stop me. She helped me find a dry set of tunics and gave me a bitter-tasting liquid from a small vial. “This will help the fever for a few hours, but you need to be careful. Your wolf is suppressed because of the curse, so you won't heal as fast as the others.”

I nodded and headed out toward the training grounds. The morning air was crisp and damping, and every step felt like I was walking through mud.

When I reached the dirt pit where the guards gathered, the conversation died out instantly. There were about twenty men and women there, all of them twice my size and armed with wooden sparring swords.

Ronan was at the center of the group, and he was currently mid-swing against a training dummy. He stopped when he saw me, and he didn't hide the disgust on his face. The other guards started whispering, and I could hear the sneers in their voices.

“What is she doing here?” someone asked.

“The Alpha said she could train,” another replied.

“Maybe he wants us to test her so he doesn't have to.”

I walked into the center of the pit, my head throbbing and my vision slightly blurred from the flu. I looked around at the circle of hostile faces and gripped the hilt of a training sword.

“I know you don't want me here,” I said, and I made sure my voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.

“And I don't need you to welcome me. I came here for a purpose, and I'm going to reclaim my place in this pack. None of you are going to stop me.”

Ronan stepped forward, and he threw a wooden sword at my feet. “Big words for a girl who looks like she’s about to faint. If you want to be a warrior, you have to prove you can survive a real fight. No more scrubbing floors, Mira. Pick it up.”

I reached down and grabbed the sword. It felt twice as heavy as it should have, and my hand was slick with sweat. Ronan didn't wait for a signal. He moved with a speed that made my stomach churn, and he swung his blade toward my ribs. I barely managed to bring my sword up in time to block, and the force of the impact sent a shudder through my entire body.

We traded blows for several minutes, but I was failing.

My lungs were burning, and the flu made my reactions sluggish. Every time I tried to counter, Ronan was already there, pushing me back and taking advantage of my lack of balance. The guards started cheering for him, laughing every time I stumbled.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Ronan taunted, and he lunged forward, his shoulder slamming into my chest.

I fell back into the dirt, and the world spun in circles.

I tried to get back up, but my knees buckled, and I coughed, tasting the metallic tang of blood in my mouth. Ronan stood over me, his sword raised high for a final, crushing strike. He wasn't going to pull his punch. He wanted to knock me out and end this right now.

“Enough!”