Chapter 2 The rejection

Alpha Ryle fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Before I could bend over to figure out what was wrong, his soldiers all had their spears pointed at me.

"Step away from him!" One of them yelled, his spear gracing my chest as he gave me a warning glare. "Step away or I will kill you!"

I took steps back as tears filled my eyes. I could feel my heart constricting in my chest as some of his soldiers bent over to ask him what was wrong. I watched as he heaved and groaned in agony.

"What's happening to him?" I asked the soldier who stood there to make sure I wouldn't go anywhere near my mate.

"What did you do to him?" He asked.

It was only when I looked around that I realized that everyone present was looking at me with so much disgust, whispering about my curse. They were saying that I did it.

"Did you see it? He was fine until he claimed her and touched her," I heard someone say.

"No." I shook my head in denial. "It couldn't be me. I didn't do anything."

I refused to believe the Moon Goddess was that cruel. Why would she get me mated to someone who had the power to get me out of a situation like that only for him to react to me like that?

I gasped when the soldier grabbed a handful of my hair. "Say it, witch! What did you do to him? Are you really cursed?!"

"I didn't do anything, please!" I begged, a sob racking my body.

"He's okay!" One of the soldiers yelled as Alpha Ryle finally stood up, his eyes narrowed as he stared at me. He was the only one who didn't look at me like he hated me. Not yet, at least.

"Step away from her," he commanded his soldier, who did as he said after a moment of hesitation.

"Walk forward, but do it slowly," he said to me.

There was silence as I walked toward him. I could feel the air being still. Even the grass on the ground held their breaths as I stood in front of him once again, but at a safer distance.

"Did you do that?" He asked.

His skin sheen with sweat, as if he had stepped into a furnace and had barely survived it.

"I didn't do anything." I shook my head. I could feel my voice getting shaky as another round of tears threatened to roll down my cheeks.

"As soon as I touched you, I felt it. It was the most painful thing I've ever had to experience. It started from the hands I used to touch you and traveled straight to my heart. Arya, if you have anything to do with this-"

"I don't, I swear!" I said in my defense. "Not on purpose. I don't..."

I looked down at my hands and wondered if maybe...

Was I really cursed? I mean, I used to think I was, but not to this extent. I believed it was only just a bad turn of events that followed me but this was something different.

"Then you wouldn't mind if I touched you again to confirm?" Alpha Ryle asked.

My heart sank at that. What if I really was cursed? What if touching me a second time would kill him?

"No, I... I don't know if it's my fault. You were in pain the last time. I don't want you to-"

"There's no other way for us to figure out what the problem is. If anything, it could have been a coincidence that I was in pain after I touched you. This is the only chance we have to confirm these whispers of curses that I'm hearing."

"Alpha Ryle, you really don't have to do this." Alpha Damon stepped in. "I think it's a bad sign. What happens if you don't survive the next one?"

"You know how I love to take risks, Alpha Damon. This is one I'm willing to take if it means I get answers." He walked toward me until he was right in front of me. His soldiers surrounded us, ready to attack if things called for it.

Alpha Ryle sighed and reached forward to touch me. The light graze of his fingers on my skin made goosebumps rise on my skin, but it didn't have the same effect on him.

I gasped, taking steps back as he crumpled in pain again. This time, I heard a low growl as his clothes started to rip and his wolf was forcing him to shift.

"Hold the witch down!" I heard someone yell, and the soldiers had me on the ground with my face shoved against the grass.

"No, please! Please. I didn't do anything," I begged, my voice muffled and drowned by the panicked screams of everyone else around me.

"Alpha Ryle!" Alpha Damon called out to him, trying to calm him down and get him to rein his wolf in, but his efforts were in vain.

Alpha Ryle fully shifted into his wolf, glaring at me with a low growl that made it dangerous for his soldiers to be holding me down. He looked like he had murder on his mind, and I was going to be the only victim.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as tears sank into the soil beneath me. "I didn't mean to. I didn't know. Please, don't kill me."

He stalked forward. My survival instincts kicked in and I tried to wiggle my way out of the grip of his soldiers, but they held me down with so much strength that I couldn't even move more than my fingers.

"No," I whispered as his wolf was now right in front of my face, eyes glowing a dangerous gold.

Before he could attack, he stumbled backwards. There were gasps once again as the wolf growled and snarled as if having a fight with himself. Finally, he shifted back into his human form.

"Alpha, are you okay?" One of his soldiers asked, his worry evident.

Alpha Ryle was quiet for a long while as he stood there while Alpha Damon found a table cloth and handed it to him to cover his nudity.

Now fully covered, Alpha Ryle returned his attention to me. His eyes were cold and dark, showing no sign of doubt like he had when it happened the first time. It had been established that the Moon Goddess had it out for me.

I was cursed.

"I, Alpha Ryle Silverwood, reject this mate bond shared with you, Arya. I hereby reject you as my mate and want nothing to do with you after tonight."