Bride of the Cursed Alpha - Chapter 36: Chapter 36
You are reading Bride of the Cursed Alpha, Chapter 36: Chapter 36. Read more chapters of Bride of the Cursed Alpha.
Auren POV
After handing the dress to me, Joyce quickly went back to Sable where she started measuring her waist. “Should I adjust it here?” she asked sweetly.
The bell above the door chimed. I snapped my gaze at the door and a wave of shock cruised through my body.
Alpha Lucien.
He entered the shop, his dark gaze searching. The moment Lucien stepped inside, the air in the boutique turned thick with so much tension that it could be cut with a knife. His presence was like a violent storm rolling in, dark and crackling with fury. Every conversation stopped. Every sound stopped—the clatter of hangers, the rustling of fabric and even the smug laughter that had been coming from Sable and the salesgirls. He wasn’t alone. Tarian walked beside him and his expression was fierce as his gaze swept over the scene.
Lucien’s sharp eyes landed on me first, dark and possessive. My breath lodged in my throat. Then his gaze shifted and landed on Sable. The air turned razor-sharp.
Sable wearing a white wedding gown with Joyce measuring her waist. They both stiffened, as they turned to face him.
Sable smoothed a hand over the expensive wedding gown she’d been flaunting in my face just moments ago, her lips parting as if she was about to say something. She fluttered her eyelashes and bowed to him. “Alpha Lucien, I’m buying a dress for your wedding.” She looked down at the silk of her gown. “How do I look?” She smirked with her chin up, glancing at me.
Lucien didn’t acknowledge her. He didn’t even look at her properly. Sable, who had been basking in her moment of superiority, went rigid when he dismissed her so fast and her confidence wavered.
Lucien’s focus shifted to Joyce, who was trembling where she stood. She bowed to him, flinching so hard she nearly dropped the measuring tape in her hand.
His voice was quiet. Too quiet. “What the hell is going on?”
“A-Alpha,” Joyce stammered, her hands wringing together, “I—I was just assisting a valued customer. W-what brings you here, Alpha Lucien?" she added as her earlier arrogance evaporated. It looked like she was going to faint anytime now. Her panic was evident.
Lucien’s icy stare locked onto her. In a deadly calm voice he said, “Have you kept my Luna waiting for over three hours?”
How did he know? Was he keeping a tab on me just like last time? I let out a ragged breath. Things were about to get interesting. I glanced at Vivi and guessed that she must have sent him a message. Vivi pursed her lips and shrugged, and my doubts got confirmed.
“N-no!” Joyce stuttered. “I— I didn’t. Sh-she— was here choosing a gown. She wasn't sure what she wanted.”
Lucien took a step forward and his alpha aura spilled out. Everyone cowered, shaking like they could fall. “So instead of assisting your future Luna, you chose to ignore her and, in the end, handed her that fucking gown?” His lips curled into a cruel snarl. “Do you think that she is going to marry me, Alpha of the North, in that fucking piece of shit?”
“A-Alpha,” she stammered, tape falling from her hands, “There was a misunderstanding, I—”
“A misunderstanding?” His voice sliced through the air. “What I see is my mate being humiliated while someone insignificant prances around in a wedding gown.”
Joyce went down her knees so fast I thought she might faint. “I—I meant no disrespect!” she gasped. “It was just—”
“Just what?” Lucien’s voice sharpened, his rage simmering just beneath the surface. “Just another way to make a mockery of my Luna? Just another attempt to stroke someone else’s ego? Or you think that your future Luna is not worthy of your time? Is anyone more important than her?”
Joyce let out a choked noise. “N-No, Alpha! I—I can fix this. I’ll give her the best dress, I’ll—”
Before she could finish, Sable suddenly stepped forward, her expression desperate. “Alpha Lucien,” she said quickly, pasting on an innocent smile. “I had no idea Joyce mistreating Auren. It’s unfair.”
I couldn’t believe it. She had thrown Joyce in fire to save herself. I peeked at Joyce and found her staring at Sable with disbelief in her eyes.
“What?” Joyce squeaked. “You were the one who—"
Sable cut her off immediately, “I would never support something like that and I repeatedly asked her to cater to Auren instead of me. In fact,” she turned to me, her voice coated in fake generosity, “Auren can have the dress I’m wearing. I was only trying it on, but if she wants it, I don’t mind—”
Lucien turned to her slowly, his fury was barely restrained. The weight of his stare was crushing.
“If Joyce was mistreating my mate,” he said, voice dangerously calm, “then what were you doing?”
Sable’s mouth opened. Closed. She blinked rapidly, like she hadn’t expected to be questioned. “I—I didn’t realize—”
Lucien stepped toward Sable, and she instinctively took a step back.
“You didn’t realize?” he said in a lethal voice. “You were standing right here. Watching this happening and you didn’t realize? Are you playing games with me or you think I am dumb?”
Sable flinched. “N-no Alpha. I—Joyce was handling the dresses, I wasn’t involved—” She quickly tried to get out of the situation.
Lucien let out a low, mocking chuckle. “Not involved?” His eyes darkened. “You stood by and watched my mate be insulted, and now you want to play the hero?”
Sable’s lips trembled, but she didn’t dare argue. She looked like she could cry anytime.
Lucien turned back to Beta Tarian. “Cancel this boutique’s license NOW! She will never sell another dress in this pack again.”
Joyce let out a strangled wail. “No! Alpha, please—I beg you! This is my life’s work—”
Lucien remained unmoved. “Your life’s work was built on disrespect. You don’t deserve a place in my pack.”
Joyce stumbled forward, hands clasped together. “Alpha, please! I—I’ll serve Lady Auren, I swear! I’ll design her the most beautiful dress—”
Lucien’s gaze was pure ice. “You think I’d let my mate wear anything made by you?”
Joyce whimpered, visibly shaking. “No, please Alpha, no.”
“Tarian,” Lucien growled.
Tarian stepped forward immediately. “Alpha?”
“Burn every dress in this store.” Lucien’s voice was like a death sentence. “I don’t want a single scrap left.”
Joyce collapsed to her knees, sobbing.
Sable was completely still beside her, gripping the fabric of her gown like it could protect her. Her entire face was rigid with shock.
Lucien’s gaze flicked to her, filled with nothing but disdain. “You’re pathetic.”
Sable’s lips parted to speak, but she couldn’t find the words.
Lucien turned back to Tarian, his voice ringing through the room. “Make an announcement to the pack. No she-wolf one is allowed to wear white at my wedding.” His gaze cut to me, fierce yet passionate. “Only Auren will wear white.”
I inhaled sharply, my eyes locked on him as I battled my tears.
“Alpha, please!” Joyce cried.
Lucien, unfazed, turned to me and taking my wrist firmly in his grasp, pulled me toward the exit.
His voice dropped an octave when he said, “We’re leaving. We’ll get your dress somewhere else.”
And just like that, he led me out of the ruins of Joyce’s career—without a single glance back.
Karma? I wanted to feel sad about Joyce, but I didn’t.
After handing the dress to me, Joyce quickly went back to Sable where she started measuring her waist. “Should I adjust it here?” she asked sweetly.
The bell above the door chimed. I snapped my gaze at the door and a wave of shock cruised through my body.
Alpha Lucien.
He entered the shop, his dark gaze searching. The moment Lucien stepped inside, the air in the boutique turned thick with so much tension that it could be cut with a knife. His presence was like a violent storm rolling in, dark and crackling with fury. Every conversation stopped. Every sound stopped—the clatter of hangers, the rustling of fabric and even the smug laughter that had been coming from Sable and the salesgirls. He wasn’t alone. Tarian walked beside him and his expression was fierce as his gaze swept over the scene.
Lucien’s sharp eyes landed on me first, dark and possessive. My breath lodged in my throat. Then his gaze shifted and landed on Sable. The air turned razor-sharp.
Sable wearing a white wedding gown with Joyce measuring her waist. They both stiffened, as they turned to face him.
Sable smoothed a hand over the expensive wedding gown she’d been flaunting in my face just moments ago, her lips parting as if she was about to say something. She fluttered her eyelashes and bowed to him. “Alpha Lucien, I’m buying a dress for your wedding.” She looked down at the silk of her gown. “How do I look?” She smirked with her chin up, glancing at me.
Lucien didn’t acknowledge her. He didn’t even look at her properly. Sable, who had been basking in her moment of superiority, went rigid when he dismissed her so fast and her confidence wavered.
Lucien’s focus shifted to Joyce, who was trembling where she stood. She bowed to him, flinching so hard she nearly dropped the measuring tape in her hand.
His voice was quiet. Too quiet. “What the hell is going on?”
“A-Alpha,” Joyce stammered, her hands wringing together, “I—I was just assisting a valued customer. W-what brings you here, Alpha Lucien?" she added as her earlier arrogance evaporated. It looked like she was going to faint anytime now. Her panic was evident.
Lucien’s icy stare locked onto her. In a deadly calm voice he said, “Have you kept my Luna waiting for over three hours?”
How did he know? Was he keeping a tab on me just like last time? I let out a ragged breath. Things were about to get interesting. I glanced at Vivi and guessed that she must have sent him a message. Vivi pursed her lips and shrugged, and my doubts got confirmed.
“N-no!” Joyce stuttered. “I— I didn’t. Sh-she— was here choosing a gown. She wasn't sure what she wanted.”
Lucien took a step forward and his alpha aura spilled out. Everyone cowered, shaking like they could fall. “So instead of assisting your future Luna, you chose to ignore her and, in the end, handed her that fucking gown?” His lips curled into a cruel snarl. “Do you think that she is going to marry me, Alpha of the North, in that fucking piece of shit?”
“A-Alpha,” she stammered, tape falling from her hands, “There was a misunderstanding, I—”
“A misunderstanding?” His voice sliced through the air. “What I see is my mate being humiliated while someone insignificant prances around in a wedding gown.”
Joyce went down her knees so fast I thought she might faint. “I—I meant no disrespect!” she gasped. “It was just—”
“Just what?” Lucien’s voice sharpened, his rage simmering just beneath the surface. “Just another way to make a mockery of my Luna? Just another attempt to stroke someone else’s ego? Or you think that your future Luna is not worthy of your time? Is anyone more important than her?”
Joyce let out a choked noise. “N-No, Alpha! I—I can fix this. I’ll give her the best dress, I’ll—”
Before she could finish, Sable suddenly stepped forward, her expression desperate. “Alpha Lucien,” she said quickly, pasting on an innocent smile. “I had no idea Joyce mistreating Auren. It’s unfair.”
I couldn’t believe it. She had thrown Joyce in fire to save herself. I peeked at Joyce and found her staring at Sable with disbelief in her eyes.
“What?” Joyce squeaked. “You were the one who—"
Sable cut her off immediately, “I would never support something like that and I repeatedly asked her to cater to Auren instead of me. In fact,” she turned to me, her voice coated in fake generosity, “Auren can have the dress I’m wearing. I was only trying it on, but if she wants it, I don’t mind—”
Lucien turned to her slowly, his fury was barely restrained. The weight of his stare was crushing.
“If Joyce was mistreating my mate,” he said, voice dangerously calm, “then what were you doing?”
Sable’s mouth opened. Closed. She blinked rapidly, like she hadn’t expected to be questioned. “I—I didn’t realize—”
Lucien stepped toward Sable, and she instinctively took a step back.
“You didn’t realize?” he said in a lethal voice. “You were standing right here. Watching this happening and you didn’t realize? Are you playing games with me or you think I am dumb?”
Sable flinched. “N-no Alpha. I—Joyce was handling the dresses, I wasn’t involved—” She quickly tried to get out of the situation.
Lucien let out a low, mocking chuckle. “Not involved?” His eyes darkened. “You stood by and watched my mate be insulted, and now you want to play the hero?”
Sable’s lips trembled, but she didn’t dare argue. She looked like she could cry anytime.
Lucien turned back to Beta Tarian. “Cancel this boutique’s license NOW! She will never sell another dress in this pack again.”
Joyce let out a strangled wail. “No! Alpha, please—I beg you! This is my life’s work—”
Lucien remained unmoved. “Your life’s work was built on disrespect. You don’t deserve a place in my pack.”
Joyce stumbled forward, hands clasped together. “Alpha, please! I—I’ll serve Lady Auren, I swear! I’ll design her the most beautiful dress—”
Lucien’s gaze was pure ice. “You think I’d let my mate wear anything made by you?”
Joyce whimpered, visibly shaking. “No, please Alpha, no.”
“Tarian,” Lucien growled.
Tarian stepped forward immediately. “Alpha?”
“Burn every dress in this store.” Lucien’s voice was like a death sentence. “I don’t want a single scrap left.”
Joyce collapsed to her knees, sobbing.
Sable was completely still beside her, gripping the fabric of her gown like it could protect her. Her entire face was rigid with shock.
Lucien’s gaze flicked to her, filled with nothing but disdain. “You’re pathetic.”
Sable’s lips parted to speak, but she couldn’t find the words.
Lucien turned back to Tarian, his voice ringing through the room. “Make an announcement to the pack. No she-wolf one is allowed to wear white at my wedding.” His gaze cut to me, fierce yet passionate. “Only Auren will wear white.”
I inhaled sharply, my eyes locked on him as I battled my tears.
“Alpha, please!” Joyce cried.
Lucien, unfazed, turned to me and taking my wrist firmly in his grasp, pulled me toward the exit.
His voice dropped an octave when he said, “We’re leaving. We’ll get your dress somewhere else.”
And just like that, he led me out of the ruins of Joyce’s career—without a single glance back.
Karma? I wanted to feel sad about Joyce, but I didn’t.
End of Bride of the Cursed Alpha Chapter 36. Continue reading Chapter 37 or return to Bride of the Cursed Alpha book page.