THE ALPHA'S CURSED MATE

Chapter 1 – The Night of the Blood Moon The wind was wrong tonight. It carried something thick and metallic, curling into my lungs like smoke. Blood. I wasn’t supposed to be in the forest — not after dark, not on the night of the Blood Moon. Every child in Hollowridge grew up hearing the same warning: Stay inside when the moon bleeds, or you’ll never come back. I never believed it. Until now. My boots crunched against frozen leaves, each step louder than the frantic beat of my heart. The trees pressed close, their skeletal branches clawing at the red-washed sky. That’s when I heard it. Not footsteps. Not an animal. A growl — low and deliberate — the kind you feel in your bones before you hear it with your ears. I spun, my flashlight slicing through the dark, catching only mist and shadows. “Who’s there?” I tried to sound steady, but my voice cracked. No answer. Just the whisper of movement — faster now, circling me. I ran. Branches slapped at my arms, snagged my hair, but adrenaline drove me forward. The growl followed, deepening, closing the distance. And then… eyes. Two burning golden eyes in the dark, watching me with predatory calm. I tripped on a root, falling hard onto the damp earth. The flashlight skittered away, the beam landing on something massive — fur as black as midnight, muscles coiled beneath it, teeth bared in a snarl. It wasn’t human. But it wasn’t entirely beast either. I tried to scream, but the sound lodged in my throat. The creature stalked toward me, each step deliberate, deadly. Then, in a blur of movement, it lunged. I braced for impact — but instead, a shadow crashed into it, knocking it aside. A man’s voice roared, “Leave her!” The two figures tumbled into the underbrush, snarling and thrashing. I scrambled backward, watching in horror as claws met flesh, fur shredded, and blood spattered the snow. Then silence. The man stepped forward, tall and broad-shouldered, his chest heaving. Moonlight caught his face — sharp jaw, raven-black hair, eyes like molten gold. The same eyes that had stalked me seconds before. “Get up,” he ordered. His voice was deep, commanding, leaving no room for argument. I didn’t move. My instincts screamed at me to run, but my body was frozen. He stepped closer, towering over me. “You shouldn’t be here.” “Who— who are you?” My voice was barely a whisper. His lips curved into something between a smirk and a snarl. “The one who just saved your life. And the one you belong to.” I blinked. “Excuse me?” He crouched down, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him despite the cold. His scent hit me — warm cedarwood and something wild, dangerous. “You don’t know yet,” he murmured, his gaze locked on mine. “But you will. I’m Rylan Blackthorn. Alpha of Hollowridge.” The name struck something deep in my memory — the whispered warnings, the stories of a ruthless leader in the woods. “I’m not yours,” I shot back, more bravely than I felt. He chuckled darkly, but there was no humor in his eyes. “You are. The moon has claimed you. And now… so have I.” The world tilted, my pulse hammering in my ears. I opened my mouth to argue — and that’s when I saw it. Over his shoulder, in the shadows, another pair of glowing eyes. We weren’t alone. The second pair of eyes blinked once — then another, and another. My breath caught in my throat as the shadows behind Rylan moved. They weren’t alone. They were multiplying. At least four massive shapes emerged from the trees, their eyes glowing the same molten gold. My pulse spiked, and every instinct screamed for me to run, but Rylan’s hand clamped around my wrist like a steel band. “Stay behind me,” he ordered, voice low and dangerous. “What— what are they?” My voice was barely a whisper. His gaze never left the advancing wolves. “Mine.” The largest of them — a silver-furred wolf with scars crisscrossing his muzzle — stepped forward, growling low in his throat. I didn’t know why, but the sound made the hair on my arms stand up. It wasn’t just a threat… it was a warning. “They smell it,” Rylan said grimly. “Smell what?” “You.” The wolves fanned out, circling us. Rylan released my wrist only to push me behind him. Then, without warning, his body shifted. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, but I watched in stunned horror as his muscles rippled and bones cracked beneath his skin. In seconds, the man standing before me became a massive black wolf — larger, stronger, and more terrifying than any of the others. And his golden eyes burned even brighter. The silver wolf snarled, but Rylan lunged before it could attack. The fight was fast and brutal — snapping jaws, tearing fur, snarls that sounded almost human. I staggered backward, tripping over roots, until something warm and wet splattered my cheek. Blood. I wiped it away, my stomach twisting. Finally, Rylan pinned the silver wolf to the ground, his teeth at its throat. The rest of the pack lowered their heads, backing away. Submission. When Rylan shifted back to human form, he was breathing hard, chest heaving, sweat slicking his bare skin. My gaze caught on the fresh gash across his ribs — deep, bleeding. “You’re hurt,” I blurted, stepping toward him. His hand shot out, grabbing my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. “You’re mine, Amara. Whether you run, fight, or hide, you can’t escape it. The Blood Moon has chosen.” I opened my mouth to tell him he was insane, but before I could speak, the world tilted violently. My vision swam, and a white-hot pain lanced through my veins. The last thing I saw before darkness swallowed me was Rylan’s golden eyes watching me fall.