Cursed by the Holidays, Claimed by the Alpha

Holidays had always hated me. Or maybe… I had hated them first. Every year, people waited for Christmas like it was some miracle wrapped in lights and laughter. Streets glowed. Houses breathed warmth. Couples walked hand in hand, believing love became purer when snow fell. For me, holidays were reminders. Reminders that something always went wrong. I stood outside the café, the cold biting through my thin coat, watching couples rush inside, laughing, shielding each other from the snowstorm. My phone was still warm in my hand, the screen dark now, but the words burned behind my eyes. We should stop pretending, Willian. This isn’t working. No explanation. No apology. Just abandonment—on Christmas Eve. A bitter smile curved my lips. Of course. It had to be today. Snowflakes landed in my hair, melting slowly, as if even the sky wanted to mark me. I inhaled deeply, the air sharp enough to sting my lungs, and told myself not to cry. Crying in public had never helped anyone. I turned away from the café lights and began walking. The city looked beautiful tonight. Strings of lights wrapped around lampposts. Store windows glowed with fake fireplaces and promises of joy. Music drifted through the air—soft carols that spoke of miracles and forgiveness. I hated every note. My boots crunched against the snow as I walked further from the main street, toward the quieter roads near the old park. I didn’t know where I was going. I only knew I didn’t want to be anywhere people were happy. The wind picked up suddenly. It howled between buildings, sharp and wild, carrying something with it—something heavy. I slowed, frowning, as the hairs on my arms rose beneath my sleeves. It felt like being watched. I shook my head. You’re tired. Emotional. Stop imagining things. That’s when the streetlights flickered. One by one, they dimmed, then steadied again, casting long shadows across the snow. The park entrance loomed ahead, its iron gates half-buried under white. I should have turned back. Any sane person would have. But something pulled me forward. The moment I stepped past the gates, the world felt… quieter. Too quiet. The sounds of the city faded, swallowed by the trees. Snow fell thicker here, heavy and relentless. My breath fogged in front of me as I followed the winding path, my boots sinking deeper with every step. Then I heard it. A low sound. Not quite a growl. Not quite the wind. I froze. My heart hammered as I scanned the darkness between the trees. The park was supposed to be empty this late, especially with the storm worsening. My instincts screamed at me to leave, but my feet felt rooted to the ground. The sound came again—closer this time. “Hello?” My voice trembled despite my effort to steady it. “Is someone there?” Silence answered. I swallowed, turning slowly, when a shadow moved to my left. Fast. Too fast. I stepped back instinctively, my heel slipping on the snow. Panic flared in my chest as I stumbled, falling hard onto the frozen ground. The cold seeped through my clothes instantly, stealing my breath. The growl erupted again—this time unmistakable. Terror surged through me as glowing eyes appeared in the darkness. Yellow. Unnatural. My mind refused to process what I was seeing. Wolves didn’t live in the city. Wolves didn’t have eyes like burning moons. Wolves didn’t radiate pressure so intense it felt like my chest was being crushed. I scrambled backward, my palms scraping against ice, as the creature stepped forward. It was massive. Larger than any wolf I had ever seen. Its fur was dark as midnight, blending with the shadows, its muscles coiled with power. Steam rose from its body as it exhaled, its gaze locked on me. I opened my mouth to scream. Before a sound could escape, another presence slammed into the clearing. The wolf halted abruptly, snarling as something invisible seemed to push it back. Snow exploded upward as a figure landed between us. A man. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dressed in black, as if the night itself had shaped him. Snow dusted his dark hair, but he didn’t seem to feel the cold at all. His eyes glowed. The same yellow. The wolf lowered its head immediately, backing away, its growls turning submissive. My breath hitched. The man didn’t look at the wolf for long. One sharp glance, and the creature vanished into the trees as if it had never been there. Then his attention turned to me. The moment his eyes met mine, something inside my chest snapped. Pain flared—sharp, sudden, unbearable. I gasped, clutching at my heart as heat spread through my veins, rushing fast enough to make me dizzy. The man stiffened. His gaze darkened, pupils dilating as his jaw clenched hard. For a split second, the air between us crackled, heavy and charged, like the moment before lightning strikes. “What are you?” he growled. The sound vibrated through me, deep and dangerous. “I—” I tried to speak, but my voice broke. “I don’t know what you mean.” He took a step closer. My body reacted without permission. Warmth flooded me, chasing away the cold. My pulse synced with something else—something stronger. The pain twisted into something sharp and intoxicating, like my blood was being pulled toward him. His nostrils flared. His gaze dropped to my throat, then to my chest, as if he could hear my heartbeat. His expression shifted—confusion, shock, and something raw flickering beneath. “No,” he muttered. “That’s impossible.” I pushed myself backward, fear and something far more dangerous tangling inside me. “Stay back.” He stopped instantly. Not because he wanted to—because something forced him to. His fists clenched at his sides as his breathing turned uneven. I noticed then that his control looked… strained. Like whatever held him together was fraying. Snow began to fall heavier, swirling around us. The moon broke through the clouds. Full. The instant moonlight touched my skin, the pain returned—stronger, brighter. I cried out, collapsing to my knees as a strange heat ignited beneath my ribs. The man let out a low, broken sound. “Mate,” he breathed. The word echoed through the clearing, heavy with meaning I didn’t understand but felt deep in my bones. “What?” I shook my head frantically. “You’re wrong. I don’t even know you.” He staggered forward, stopping just short of touching me, as if an invisible barrier burned between us. “I know,” he said hoarsely. “That’s why this shouldn’t be happening.” The air trembled. Something ancient stirred beneath my skin. A whisper brushed the edges of my mind—soft, distant, unfamiliar. Awaken… I pressed my hands into the snow, shaking. “Please,” I whispered. “I just want to go home.” His expression twisted. For a heartbeat, he looked like a man torn apart by something invisible. Then his jaw set, his features hardening into something cold and controlled. “No,” he said firmly. “You don’t understand what you are walking into.” “And you don’t understand what you’re doing to me,” I snapped, anger cutting through my fear. “You don’t get to decide my life just because tonight is some cursed holiday.” Something dangerous flashed in his eyes. “Holidays,” he repeated softly. “That’s the problem.” The pressure lifted suddenly. The heat in my chest vanished as abruptly as it had appeared, leaving behind exhaustion so heavy my limbs trembled. I gasped, collapsing forward, my vision blurring. Strong arms caught me before I hit the ground. The moment he touched me, the world spun. Warmth wrapped around me—too warm, too safe. My head fell against his chest, and for the briefest second, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years. Protected. “No,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “This can’t happen. Not again. Not on Christmas.” Darkness crept in at the edges of my vision. As I slipped under, I heard him speak—low, desperate, and filled with fear that didn’t belong to a monster. “If I claim you tonight…” “…you’ll never be free.” End of Episode 1 The mate bond awakens only on holidays… and Christmas has just begun.