Chapter Four

~Kaelen~

"She's ready", Gaius announced and began walking down the hallway to my room.

What was I going to say to her?

I could feel anxiety in my system, and I was quite surprised.

I shouldn't be worrying this much about talking to an Omega...

There she stood, looking at herself in the mirror. Her delicate frame was dressed in a flowing, silken dress that hugged her figure, showcasing her ethereal beauty. Her brown hair cascaded down her back in soft waves, the sunlight catching hints of the honey strands. She turned to face me when she noticed my presence; her eyes scanned me from head to toe and back to my face, where she stared longer than she'd expected to.

Her eyes were captivated-hazel eyes shimmering with an intensity to pull me in. She was beautiful in a way that was haunting, her presence both fragile and fierce.

I took a step closer, my body betraying me as I took her in. I could feel Thane, my wolf, stir within me. I felt that strange, unexplainable bond pulling at me, binding me to her as if we were the only two souls in the world.

I stopped in my tracks when I noticed a sign of discomfort flash across her face. I cleared my throat, ready to tell her to be at ease, at least to reassure her I was no threat in my human form.

"W-who... are you?" She stuttered, trying to look anywhere but my eyes.

"I am Alpha Kaelan" I responded in a calm and steady tone. The expression on her face was something I expected; of course, who would be crazy enough to claim he was the dreaded beast?

"You... Why are you lying? I've seen the beast, and you are not him," she snapped at me, going into her defensive mode. My eyes now on her lips, watching her biting them hard.

"This is what I look like in my human form. What you saw was me in my beast form," I responded, but she wasn't taking in any of my words.

She didn't believe me.

Mirella took an instinctive step back; the fear in her eyes made me hesitate. I needed to make her believe that I was the cursed Alpha.

"He doesn't have a human form, liar. Everybody knows that he is only a beast with no humanity; why are you lying to me? What do you want from me?" She accused me, and I caressed my brows.

A sigh escaped from my lips; this was going to be a long night. What the heck were all these rumors about?

Probably because I let my Beta represent me during any pack matters and that was because I was too ashamed to come out myself. I let myself be anonymous, who would have thought not caring about shutting some rumours down would cause this mess.

"I do not change to a beast except on a full moon, which lasts for a week. After the week, I turn to my human self. Why do you still think I have people in my pack? It's because they know their Alpha becomes insane during the full moon, and they already know what safety measures to do when that happens," I explained, trying not to sound sarcastic.

I closed my eyes in defeat. She still didn't believe me.

"Too bad; I can't change to my beast willingly, or I would have shown you," I stated.

She looks at me for a while, still terrified. I know it's hard for her to trust me, a stranger who claims to be a beast, but she needs to.

"You do not need to be afraid of me; I'll just stand where I am. I'm just here to understand what happened before you blacked out."

She studied me, her gaze flickering over my face as if searching for hints of the beast she'd encounter. Finally, her shoulders relaxed slightly. "Why are you asking me that when you claim to be the beast? You can't remember the hell you put me through?", her tone was laced with sarcasm.

I lowered my gaze. "When I become that form, my mind goes blank, and I remember nothing of what I'd done until I wake up again as... this" I replied, gesturing to my human form, almost in frustration.

"All I know is during the full moon, I shift to beast mode, and then after a week of satiating my bloodlust, I find myself on my bed in my human form with no idea what happens, but," I paused and raised my head. "Somehow you've made me shift before the week is completed, and I need to know how you did it."

"Made you... shift?" She stuttered, her breathing unsteady and her lashes flickering.

"I have no idea what you mean. I don't know. You chased me, and then..." she hesitated, searching for the right words to say.

"And then you called to me, not with words, but... in my mind. It felt like you reached into my thoughts, and then I heard you say something. You-you called me yours." Her cheeks flushed as she spoke, and her hand drifted to the side of her neck where the mark still lay.

Gaius did say I marked her, and I hate that I can't remember when I did it or how I did it. The beast did connect with her, but why?

"Are you sure that's all you could remember? Listen, I think you could help me lift this curse; nobody has ever done this. No female has ever survived me in my beast form, but you and the fact that I didn't feed from your blood but marked you must mean something." I growled, my wolf already becoming impatient.

I was being desperate at this point, but it was for a reason.

She needs to fall for this act! I need to find a way to make her believe I truly care about her. She needs to trust me fully and I need to find a way to bind her to this pack till I've found a solution.

This... This might be my only chance to get myself detangled from that curse that wild witch had placed on me.

Chapter Five

~Mirella~

"Are you sure that's all you could remember? Listen, I think you could help me lift this curse; nobody has ever done this. No female has ever survived me in my beast form, but you and the fact that I didn't feed from your blood but marked you must mean something," Alpha Kaelan growled, and I blinked a couple of times.

He thought I could help him?

He thought a lowly omega he bought could help him; why?

"But... I really did nothing." You just marked me, and then I became unconscious." I asked, unable to breathe as I awaited his answer.

What was he going to do now that he knew I couldn't be of help to him?

Was he going to kill me?

Send me away?

"I know deep down that you are connected to this. I just have this gnawing feeling inside of me, and I trust my gut. But if I'm wrong, I won't do anything to you; you are free to walk around the pack as you like, even go back to your parents pack if need be", he simply said and got up to leave.

I was surprised that he didn't call his soldiers to offer me to the Moon Goddess, but hearing him talk about sending me back to my former pack ignited an anger within me. I balled my hands into a tight fist; I do not wish to go back to that place.

"What did you do to my wolf?", I suddenly blurted, making him stop in his tracks.

"I've been trying to communicate with her, but I can't. Gaius gave me some herbs to awaken her, but I still haven't felt my wolf. Wh... what if you've killed my wolf?" I raised my concern.

The thought of losing Lyra was scary!

My heart began racing as trepidation washed through me. I know I shouldn't be feeling this hopeless, but what if the price to make him normal when it wasn't the right time was my wolf?

He furrowed his brows, his gaze softening, "Your wolf..." he murmured thoughtfully, his eyes filled with genuine concern.

Tears strolled down my face as I moved closer to the bed and slumped on it. I am so scared, so scared I would lose my only friend in this world.

I felt him sit beside me; he pulled me closer, but he didn't say anything, but I knew he felt guilty. I do not want to add to his guilt, but I just can't help it.

"I'm not sure why that's happened, but I promise you, we'll find answers. Whatever is blocking you, whatever has affected you-if it's a consequence of this curse or something else-we'll face it together. And if it means going back into that darkness to find out, then I'll go with you. You won't have to face this alone."

His words settled over me like a balm, soothing some of the raw, jagged edges of my fears.

"Be my Luna, Mirella."

I shot a blank stare to be sure that it came from him.

I saw the seriousness in his face and I stared at him for a full minute, wondering where that was coming from.

"Wh... what?" I exclaimed. My eyes widened in shock, a flicker of disbelief crossing my face as I stared at him. "Your... Luna?"

He nodded his head in sincerity, filled with an intensity that made my heart race, "You heard me right, Mirella."

"I did something wrong to you, Mirella. I don't know if you would be able to get your wolf back, but we can wait for as long as you want to see if your thoughts are right or maybe your wolf is just resting like Gaius had said. I just want to tell you that I would do anything in my power to get your wolf back," he said.

I shook my head, "Why then do you ask me to be your Luna?"

Alpha Kaelan's gaze softened, and I'm sure he could feel the way I trembled. "That because my beast did a stupid thing, he marked you, and that's awful because no wolf can claim you as his mate, and I am unable to have a mate because of the curse; it affected the mate bond, making it impossible for me to know who is my mate, and so if you do not consider being a beast mate, then I do not mind," he proposed, but I was not having it.

What if this is one of his plans to keep me in the pack forever?

I closed my eyes; I was already a slave in his pack, and I can't even leave the pack like I wished.

He reached out, hesitant but determined, his fingers brushing my cheeks gently. "Listen to me. I know this can feel a little overwhelming, and it may seem like I'm insane. I just want to let you know that if you do not want to be my Luna, it's fine," he said and paused.

"However, I can assure you, Mirella, that you are safe here. As long as you are with me, nobody will touch you," he reassured me, his thumb tracing the faint mark on my neck that unlocked something within me. His words and his voice made me dizzy, giving me a sense of protection that I'd never felt in my life.

What I was feeling right now isn't something I should feel right now.

The mark felt warm and tingling, and my heart fluttered wildly, both in awe and fear. He wanted me to stand beside him, to be his Luna. To be bound to him not only by the mark on my neck but by something deeper, something that went beyond the simple magic of a mate bond.

"But I'm still a sacrifice; I was sold to you by my father," I reminded him, feeling so uncertain.

"You aren't a sacrifice any longer. I've told Gaius and everyone in my pack to treat you as my guest. As my woman. I would have prepared your room, but I did not know when you would be awake."

I could see how hard he was trying to make me feel at ease and reassure me. I wanted to believe him, to lean into the safety he was offering. The idea of being his Luna was something a lowly omega like me should grab without wasting any time. He was not only offering me a place but also a title, a role of purpose and respect.

"I'll give you time to think about it, but I meant every word that I just said, Mirella. I promise to keep you safe with me as long as you accept my proposal...", he gently tucked the frays of my hair behind my ear, and I saw his eyes admire me. "I promise you, Mirella."

He got up and walked out of the room without looking back, leaving me to wallow in my own thoughts.

Never in my life did I think that an Alpha would even consider me to be his Luna. I was expecting him to reject me after marking me by mistake, but this was just a shock.

The thought of being bonded to a beast made me shiver, but either this or I'd go back to my family and continue to face misery.

Plus, his human self seemed... awkwardly sweet.

"I don't have anything to lose...", I said to myself after hours of thinking. I got up from the bed and walked out of the room.

"Where's your... Alpha?", I asked a maid and she directed me to a closed door.

I walked to the door and was about to knock when I heard voices speak.

"Do you think she fell for it?"

"I'm very sure she did." I heard that familiar voice that melted my heart minutes ago. "No woman has resisted my charm before, and she won't be the first. It's only a matter of time before she accepts."

"So what's your plan?"

"The plan is to use her to get this darn curse off me. The fact that she made me shift means there's something in her that can give me back full control over myself. But for us to find that out, she has to be here first. Once we're done with her, we'll dispose of her."

"By dispose you mean... kill her?"

I heard a chilling silence for a moment. "If we have to, we will. But for now, let's worry about getting what we want out of her."

I felt my fragile heart beating too fast against my chest.

I... I couldn't believe this.

So he wanted me to be his Luna... just so he could use me?

Was I going to let myself be used as a lab rat by Kaelen until I was useless to him, only for him to kill me after I'd become useless to him?

A flood of emotions overwhelmed me, and I had a lot of questions that needed to be asked, but there was one thing that was sure.

I needed to run.

Before this evil beast of an Alpha would ruin my life, I needed to escape, and I needed to escape tonight...

Chapter 6

~ Mirella's POV ~

The only thing my mind could think of was to get out of this godforsaken place, but my mind was somehow disconnected from my body.

No matter how many times I tried to move, my feet stayed rooted to the ground.

"Do you plan to wait a little after your wedding or-"

"Call the doctors as we speak", I heard Kaelen's chilling reply. "Tell them we've found a new subject that we'll use. I'll get them whatever they want. I must be healed at cost - even if it means ripping her open."

The thought of unknown men tearing my stomach open forced a gasp out of my voice.

My mind was reading danger.

I forced myself to get away from the door, but I ended up missing my leg and kicking a vase to the ground.

I couldn't see their faces, I knew I'd gotten the attention of the darkness in that room.

I could feel it.

"Is there anyone there?", I heard the old man's voice. "Show yourself immediately."

I felt my heart threatening to burst through my chest. Shadows kept getting larger and closer to the door, each step I heard making it known to me that I wasn't getting out of this alive.

Until it suddenly stopped.

"I'm sure it's just the wind", I heard Kaelen tell his old man. "Put your focus on the conversation.

Was that the Moon Goddess trying to give me a second chance to live?

As I saw the shadow return back to its original state, I didn't miss the chance to force my body away from the door.

I knew I suffered in my father's pack, but at least I was sure I was going to live.

Each second I spent in here, made the thread my life was hanging on, thinner.

I didn't bother getting into the room I came out of. I didn't have a plan. Just a will to live.

I was about to run down the hallway to get downstairs when I heard female voices and light shadows coming up the stairs.

Shit.

I needed to hide!

I frantically pivoted and barged into an open room, hoping it wasn't occupied.

I shut the door immediately and pushed all my weight on it when I saw it was without a lock.

"It's still a shock to me that Alpha Kaelen came back without having a single taste of blood to feed his cursed wolf..." I heard low echoes of their voices as they passed the door.

"With the way it kept getting worse each time he was possessed, I was scared he wasn't going this one."

"And... Do you have an idea who that lady is that he brought in his arms with him? Do you know if she had anything to do with his sudden return back to normalcy?"

"I don't, but if I were her, I'd run for my life. Every woman he'd come in contact with barely ever lived to tell the story. Whatever she does with him, she's going to get destroyed."

"Just the same way he destroyed his last woman..."

Wait... what?

My eyes widened in shock as their voices faded into the darkness ahead of them.

The same person who gently held my hand and begged me to be his Luna, destroyed his last woman?!

I was tired and weak. My head was still throbbing from the way I was flung to the tree. But the maidens' stories were enough motivation for me to get out of the palace while I still had my life in my hands.

Slowly, I found my way down the stairs when I was sure they were gone. It was deep in the night, and I could tell everyone was fast asleep, save for the guards I knew would be paroling outside.

Going through the front door would be as good as leading myself to the slaughter house, so I had to think of the next best exit route, and I needed to do that fast.

If only I knew where another exit could be located at...

Wait.

"The kitchen"

I remembered that every royal palace had an exit route through the kitchen instead of only the main door for the children and maid to get out through in case of trouble.

There must be another door leading outside in the kitchen. But what if there was someone in the kitchen? What explanation was I going to give?

Sending a little prayer to the Moon Goddess, I walked into the kitchen and to my surprise, no one was there. I looked around for a door, and soon sighted one at the extreme end of the kitchen.

I hurried over and I twisted the doorknob, hoping it wasn't locked.

It gave way.

Maybe the Moon Goddess did answer prayers.

I walked through the door and the cold night wind blew across my face.

Freedom.

Now, all i needed to do was to jump the fence.

I knew my life was as good as over if that beast caught his new lab subject trying to run away, but this was the only hope I had to live.

I took some steps back to gain enough speed to take me over the fence. I'd never done this before, but it couldn't be that hard.

"1... 2... 3..."

I immediately ran across the building to the fence and just as I was about to get my limbs all over the fence, I felt a strong force from nowhere drag me down to the ground.

****

What just happened?

How did I get to the ground?

I met the ground with so much force, pain rippled through my whole system. For a full minute, I lay sprawled on the ground, finding it impossible to understand what just happened.

I was in the process of dusting myself when I saw shadows of three hefty men cover my figure as they towered over me from behind.

I immediately stood up to face them and saw that two of them were wolf guards, while the other was the demon I'd grown to dread...

Kaelen.

My eyes widened in realization and fear as I immediately turned pale, knowing that I was in big trouble. Just when I was about to escape, Kaelen got a hold of me.

Shit.

I was relieved when he seemed undisturbed by the vase he heard me shatter.

How did he get here? And why this place, of all places?

"How did... But when did you...", I couldn't get standard sentences out of my quivering lips as I stared from the guards to the prince, avoiding his fiery gaze.

"It's too late to be wandering around, don't you think?" His deep voice caused the ground beneath me to shake.

"Kaelen, I can explain. I swear it's not what you think-"

"You never cease to amaze me. You're full of surprises", he muttered with an emotionless expression.

K...Kaelen, please-"

"Take her upstairs, to my room", he ordered the guards. "She just woke up from a coma, and she needs as much rest as can get." and in one swift swoop, I was lifted off the ground, my legs flying in the air, pleading for mercy.