The Alpha's Rejected Mate

The CURSED Touch

Word spread through the pack like wildfire — a rumor dancing in hushed whispers.

"Have you heard that Alpha Gideon is about to get married?"

"From another pack?!"

"What?! She is CURSED! Poor Alpha Gideon."

The words painted a portrait of a cursed omega, a witch who had conjured dark magic to ensnare the mighty Alpha Gideon.

Knowing myself wasn't welcomed here, I sighed deeply. Though this has happened all the time in my life, my heart couldn't help but sink in frustration.

It seemed like every gaze bore into my back, carrying the burden of their judgment.

All of a sudden, someone cleared his throat loudly. I looked up. It's Larry.

"Hi Eleanor, sorry I was late. Gideon wanted to discuss something." Obviously, he heard everything and caught the subtle sound of my distress.

"Don't worry." I managed to send him a smile.

He nodded, a silent acknowledgment of the challenges I faced.

"Come on, let me give you a tour of Gideon's house as our BIG BOSS requested. Let's start with the garden!"

Gideon's garden was a sanctuary of tranquility within the sprawling estate. Roses, in shades ranging from the palest blush to the deepest crimson, stood like regal sentinels.

I couldn't help imagining how Gideon always passed by here... Oh, wait. Why was I thinking of him? Was I mad?

I shook my head, trying to get Gideon out of my mind.

With Larry as my reluctant guide, I started my visit to the palace that was now my supposed home--it was so luxurious. The corridors stretched like labyrinthine passages. I almost lost my direction here.

"The left side of the garden is the room, and the right side is the hall which you visited yesterday."

As we walked through the opulent halls, Larry pointed out various rooms and features. Despite the grandeur, the house felt cold, and the rumors seemed to echo in its corridors.

Larry, perhaps sensing my discomfort, tried to lighten the mood. "This is the library. Gideon spends a lot of time here. Not just an alpha, he's quite the reader too."

"Ah, I need to say, you are the first woman our alpha brought here..." Larry was murmuring in a low voice.

Oh, that was something new to know. My heart tightened for some reason, and later, it became a sense of peace. Maybe Gideon wasn't that bad.

I squeezed out a smile, appreciating Larry's attempt to distract me. As we continued talking, the weight on my shoulders lessened.

Then I noticed a wonderful painting. I wanted to stop Harry, who walked in front of me, to ask about it, so I lightly touched his shoulder. However, his reaction was unexpectedly strong.

"Don't touch me," he blurted, his voice carrying a tremor of unease. "I don't want to be cursed."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to touch you," shocked by his sudden defense, my words trailing off in indignation.

With a sigh, I realized that even my simplest actions were distorted by fear and prejudice. The weight of my so-called curse had already cast its shadow on me, coloring how I was perceived.

"It's okay."

It is NOT. I can tell that from his face even though he tried to hide it beneath his warm grin.

I sighed again and explained, "But believe it or not, I don't have the ability to curse anyone."

"Then why does everyone in your pack call you Cursed?" His eyes still flickering with doubt.

"That was because bad things would happen to people around me, but only when they intended to hurt me."

"Like last night, Corey."

"Yes, just like that." I bowed my head, trying to hold my tears, "But I guess nobody would care about the intention. They just called me that way. My father told me when I was little, it was because my mom had some supernatural power and when she passed away, she must pass some of her power on me."

Larry's expression softened as he listened, his eyes conveying a hint of empathy that I hadn't expected.

"I'm sorry for your mom, this story." he approached with an understanding look in his eyes. "And for I overreacted."

Larry's voice was gentle as he said, "Eleanor, don't let the rumors get to you. People love tales, even if they're spun from thin air."

I nodded in a cramped way. Actually, this was the first time I heard someone apologize for offending me.

I managed a small smile, showing my gratitude for his kindness. "Thanks, Larry."

============

Gideon's POV

Seated behind the grand mahogany desk in my studies, I delved into the stack of paperwork that awaited my attention.

Amidst the paperwork, my mind occasionally wandered to Eleanor - the woman whose arrival had disrupted everything.

The image of her face lingered in the recesses of my thoughts. Unbidden, my wolf stirred, like a silent observer to my thoughts. I knew my wolf was more eager than me when it came to Eleanor.

Stop overthinking, Gideon. You are the future Alpha King.

Yes, I am the future Alpha King. The pack relied on my decisions, and I needed to be responsible for my pack. I couldn't just marry someone I didn't trust.

I could feel Eleanor's presence in the packhouse outside, though it seemed distant, muffled by the thick walls. But I still managed to smell her with my mated instinct.

And then there came Larry. Closer and closer. It seemed like they had completed the tour to her new house.

"So, how was she?"

Larry waited until the maid closed the door and said, "She was pretty different, I have to admit."

I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows, "Different? How so?"

"Well, for starters, she doesn't act like the other girls. Not that I'm an expert on women, but she's not what I expected." Larry started to lean against the edge of the desk - when there were just him and me, he was always like that.

"Most girls, especially those new to the pack, they're either all starry-eyed about the alpha or constantly trying to prove something. Eleanor, she's neither. It's like she's got this quiet strength. And, um, she's not falling over herself to get your attention."

Interesting. I thought for a while, "You think there's more to her?"

Larry gave me his classic shrug, "Hard to say, Alpha. But I'd watch her closely. There's a depth there, something beneath the surface. She's not just another girl trying to find her place in the pack."

"Keep an eye on her. We'll see what unfolds."

I don't know why, but memories of her rushed to my mind, scenes from earlier today replaying like vivid images.

Her reaction in the car, her scent, her innocence–, my attention always seemed to be involuntarily drawn to her.

Would that be because she had put a spell on me?

But I couldn't relate anything evil to her. She looked more like an angel.

And there was the future of our pack, the weight of responsibility I carried as Alpha, and the conversations that echoed between my thoughts and the primal voice of my wolf.

I knew deep inside, I wanted her. Eleanor wasn't just any woman; she was the woman I had to marry.

I paused for a moment before adding, "there will be a banquet next week, she needs to attend as my fiancée. Send the tutors to her. She must learn the etiquette and comportment expected of a future Luna."