Bride of the Cursed Alpha - Chapter 78: Chapter 78
You are reading Bride of the Cursed Alpha, Chapter 78: Chapter 78. Read more chapters of Bride of the Cursed Alpha.
Auren POV
A day passed with a lot of activity in the house. Not only did I have fun with pups teaching me new tactics, I spent my time in the kitchen with Vivi and Tom to make delicacies for Lucien.
But that day, ever since he returned, he was restless. It was the middle of the night. He was lying beside me, his arms curled tightly around me. “Auren…” he groaned. He kissed shoulder.
I sensed his exasperation and buried my face in his chest. What was troubling him so much? I wanted to know everything he was thinking. “What’s it, Lucien?” I urged him. He always hid things from me. I had no right to ask about the things that troubled him daily, but I hoped that one day he would share them with me—if only to ease his burden.
“Nothing…” he sighed, and continued to keep me pressed against his body. I don’t know why, but he had been very clingy over the last two days. Suddenly, he got up and walked to his closet.
“Where are you going?” I asked, bewildered, looking at him wearing his jeans and a polo.
“The Shaman has called me,” he replied. “There’s an urgent thing that I have to attend to.”
“Can I come with you?” I asked.
“No!” he snapped. “You will not leave this house until I return.”
I jerked my face back, wincing because his alpha aura leaked out. Realizing his mistake, he rushed to me and hugged me. “I’m sorry, but I get paranoid when it concerns your safety.”
I inhaled his scent of pine and spice. “You think I’m a delicate woman. But I’m not,” I told him, tipping my head up as he leaned over me. “I have endured more than you can imagine, Lucien. Try me.”
His lips lifted on one side. “I know that, love. But unless I mark you, my wolf is going to remain in this overprotective mode. Remus wants to mark you badly, urgently. Controlling him is not easy. So I am finding solutions to make it easy for you.”
Goddess. My eyes welled with tears. “Why are you so good with me?” I murmured.
A tear rolled out of my eye. He leaned down and licked it. “Don’t cry, love. I can't see you in tears.”
My heart swelled with so much love that it could explode. “Be safe…”
“I won't die, Auren.” Resting his forehead on mine, he breathed, “Because I want to live for you, with you. Forever.” With that, he pressed his lips on mine and I opened up for him, having this wild urge to submit to him.
When he pulled away, I asked, “When will you return?”
“Hopefully by morning. But I may be late.”
I nodded and lowered my head. How could I go to Julie’s birthday with every minute thinking about him?
He curled his finger and thumb beneath my chin and said, “Is there something you want to tell me?” It was uncanny how he understood my feelings, even when I didn’t say a word.
I nodded. Without looking at him, I said, “Julie has invited me for her birthday party to some eatery that is about thirty minutes away from here.”
A frown came on his forehead. “When? And only you?”
“Tomorrow. There will be more boys and girls.” I said. Then on an afterthought added, “Of my age…”
His eyebrows raised a little high in surprise. “I understand how important it is for you to mingle with wolves of your age. But you won't go alone. The guards will be with you, okay?”
“Okay!” I said excitedly.
“Great!” He got up and kissed the crown of my head. Then he gave me a forlorn look. “I’ll try to come back to you as soon as possible. Carry your phone always.”
Lucien left immediately after. I rushed to the balcony to see him leave. He was deep in conversation with Tarian. They were both surrounded by warriors who too looked serious. Soon after, they left in their cars. I wished I knew where they were going.
When I returned to the bed, it felt too big. The sheets were creased where he lay, but they were cold. I lay awake, staring at the ceiling, listening to the silence stretch unbearably. I don’t know when sleep came, but it was riddled with nightmares.
Of shadows curling around me in the night forest. Of the moon shining bright in the sky, silently watching me as thorny vines snaked around my body.
I instinctively reached for him on the side, only to grasp empty sheets. I got up and curled my hands around myself. Sometime during the night, I heard wolves howling in the distance.
By morning, his absence had settled into my bones. He had said that he would come by morning, but he hadn’t. What was so important that kept him away from me? The hours crawled slowly, as I remained stuck in a fog. Where was he?
“Luna Auren,” an omega called me as I tried to focus on my tablet. “Julie is here to see you.”
“Shit!” I said and got out of bed. I completely forgot that she had invited me for her birthday. “Tell her that I will be coming down in fifteen minutes.”
The omega bowed and left as I rushed to the bathroom. I got ready in black pants and a pink shirt. Instead of wearing sandals, I quickly wore sneakers and rushed downstairs.
“Sorry!” I apologized. “Happy Birthday!”
“Oh no, Luna Auren,” she said with a warm smile. “I’m so happy that you're coming with me for my birthday. And thank you.”
We both went out and I saw that there were four guards ready to escort us. Not surprised, I sat in my car while Julie sat with her friends in another car.
When we reached the diner, she had suggested, the guards opened the door for me, and I walked inside with Julie and her friends, feeling nervous. I had never had a single friend in my life, and here I was – walking with seven. Who would have known that Julie would turn out to be such a lovely friend?
Her friends formed a circle around me as Julie directed me to a private booth at the back of the eatery. The place was lovely with fairy lights hanging from the ceiling. It was nestled in a thicket with glass walls all around. I spotted my guards stationed at the door, standing watch.
As Julie ordered food, the conversation started. Soon the conversation eased out and all of us were laughing and making jokes.
“Have you studied at all?” a boy called James, asked.
My cheeks heated. “Not really,” I said. “I studied until fifth grade after which I was pulled out of school by Alpha Bram.”
“That’s a pity!” James said, picking up a club sandwich. “So you don’t know anything about shifter history or tracking or pack psychology?”
“Nope!”
“Well, I can teach you. There’s a great library in our pack. You should ask Alpha to send you there sometimes.”
“I will.” Needing to go to the restroom, I quickly added, “Will be right back. Have to go to the restroom.”
Julie stood. “The restroom is right there. I’ll walk you,” she offered. She led me toward it, but nothing could have prepared me for what happened next.
A day passed with a lot of activity in the house. Not only did I have fun with pups teaching me new tactics, I spent my time in the kitchen with Vivi and Tom to make delicacies for Lucien.
But that day, ever since he returned, he was restless. It was the middle of the night. He was lying beside me, his arms curled tightly around me. “Auren…” he groaned. He kissed shoulder.
I sensed his exasperation and buried my face in his chest. What was troubling him so much? I wanted to know everything he was thinking. “What’s it, Lucien?” I urged him. He always hid things from me. I had no right to ask about the things that troubled him daily, but I hoped that one day he would share them with me—if only to ease his burden.
“Nothing…” he sighed, and continued to keep me pressed against his body. I don’t know why, but he had been very clingy over the last two days. Suddenly, he got up and walked to his closet.
“Where are you going?” I asked, bewildered, looking at him wearing his jeans and a polo.
“The Shaman has called me,” he replied. “There’s an urgent thing that I have to attend to.”
“Can I come with you?” I asked.
“No!” he snapped. “You will not leave this house until I return.”
I jerked my face back, wincing because his alpha aura leaked out. Realizing his mistake, he rushed to me and hugged me. “I’m sorry, but I get paranoid when it concerns your safety.”
I inhaled his scent of pine and spice. “You think I’m a delicate woman. But I’m not,” I told him, tipping my head up as he leaned over me. “I have endured more than you can imagine, Lucien. Try me.”
His lips lifted on one side. “I know that, love. But unless I mark you, my wolf is going to remain in this overprotective mode. Remus wants to mark you badly, urgently. Controlling him is not easy. So I am finding solutions to make it easy for you.”
Goddess. My eyes welled with tears. “Why are you so good with me?” I murmured.
A tear rolled out of my eye. He leaned down and licked it. “Don’t cry, love. I can't see you in tears.”
My heart swelled with so much love that it could explode. “Be safe…”
“I won't die, Auren.” Resting his forehead on mine, he breathed, “Because I want to live for you, with you. Forever.” With that, he pressed his lips on mine and I opened up for him, having this wild urge to submit to him.
When he pulled away, I asked, “When will you return?”
“Hopefully by morning. But I may be late.”
I nodded and lowered my head. How could I go to Julie’s birthday with every minute thinking about him?
He curled his finger and thumb beneath my chin and said, “Is there something you want to tell me?” It was uncanny how he understood my feelings, even when I didn’t say a word.
I nodded. Without looking at him, I said, “Julie has invited me for her birthday party to some eatery that is about thirty minutes away from here.”
A frown came on his forehead. “When? And only you?”
“Tomorrow. There will be more boys and girls.” I said. Then on an afterthought added, “Of my age…”
His eyebrows raised a little high in surprise. “I understand how important it is for you to mingle with wolves of your age. But you won't go alone. The guards will be with you, okay?”
“Okay!” I said excitedly.
“Great!” He got up and kissed the crown of my head. Then he gave me a forlorn look. “I’ll try to come back to you as soon as possible. Carry your phone always.”
Lucien left immediately after. I rushed to the balcony to see him leave. He was deep in conversation with Tarian. They were both surrounded by warriors who too looked serious. Soon after, they left in their cars. I wished I knew where they were going.
When I returned to the bed, it felt too big. The sheets were creased where he lay, but they were cold. I lay awake, staring at the ceiling, listening to the silence stretch unbearably. I don’t know when sleep came, but it was riddled with nightmares.
Of shadows curling around me in the night forest. Of the moon shining bright in the sky, silently watching me as thorny vines snaked around my body.
I instinctively reached for him on the side, only to grasp empty sheets. I got up and curled my hands around myself. Sometime during the night, I heard wolves howling in the distance.
By morning, his absence had settled into my bones. He had said that he would come by morning, but he hadn’t. What was so important that kept him away from me? The hours crawled slowly, as I remained stuck in a fog. Where was he?
“Luna Auren,” an omega called me as I tried to focus on my tablet. “Julie is here to see you.”
“Shit!” I said and got out of bed. I completely forgot that she had invited me for her birthday. “Tell her that I will be coming down in fifteen minutes.”
The omega bowed and left as I rushed to the bathroom. I got ready in black pants and a pink shirt. Instead of wearing sandals, I quickly wore sneakers and rushed downstairs.
“Sorry!” I apologized. “Happy Birthday!”
“Oh no, Luna Auren,” she said with a warm smile. “I’m so happy that you're coming with me for my birthday. And thank you.”
We both went out and I saw that there were four guards ready to escort us. Not surprised, I sat in my car while Julie sat with her friends in another car.
When we reached the diner, she had suggested, the guards opened the door for me, and I walked inside with Julie and her friends, feeling nervous. I had never had a single friend in my life, and here I was – walking with seven. Who would have known that Julie would turn out to be such a lovely friend?
Her friends formed a circle around me as Julie directed me to a private booth at the back of the eatery. The place was lovely with fairy lights hanging from the ceiling. It was nestled in a thicket with glass walls all around. I spotted my guards stationed at the door, standing watch.
As Julie ordered food, the conversation started. Soon the conversation eased out and all of us were laughing and making jokes.
“Have you studied at all?” a boy called James, asked.
My cheeks heated. “Not really,” I said. “I studied until fifth grade after which I was pulled out of school by Alpha Bram.”
“That’s a pity!” James said, picking up a club sandwich. “So you don’t know anything about shifter history or tracking or pack psychology?”
“Nope!”
“Well, I can teach you. There’s a great library in our pack. You should ask Alpha to send you there sometimes.”
“I will.” Needing to go to the restroom, I quickly added, “Will be right back. Have to go to the restroom.”
Julie stood. “The restroom is right there. I’ll walk you,” she offered. She led me toward it, but nothing could have prepared me for what happened next.
End of Bride of the Cursed Alpha Chapter 78. Continue reading Chapter 79 or return to Bride of the Cursed Alpha book page.