Bound To The Cursed Alpha King

Avery's Point of View

"Hold her up properly!!", Sophia ordered as her minions held me tight, paying deaf ears to my pleas and cries.

This has been my life for as long as I can remember, I still don't know what I did wrong that made them treat me this way.

Countless times, I've wondered what I'd done that made Sophia hate me this much. I mean, she has everything-the pack adores her, she has our parents and siblings' love, and she's practically the gem of the entire pack.

While I was treated like the black sheep, my own parents made me feel like an outcast, they made me feel worthless.

"Sophia, please... I'm your sister, your own blood," I choked out, my voice trembling with desperation. "What did I do to deserve this? Why are you treating me like this?! Tell me, please... why do you hate me so much? I've tried... I've tried so hard to make you see me, to make you love me."

I groaned, unable to stop the tears pouring down my eyes.

"What did you just say? Sister?! I'm no sister to a witch", Sophia sneered as she eyed me as if I was the most disgusting thing she had ever laid her eyes on.

"I mean, look at you. With your white hair and strange looking eyes!! You're nothing but a witch, I'm sure mom must have picked you up somewhere", She sneered as she slapped me across the face.

All of a sudden, I felt a strange resolve in me, I knew this was a suicide mission but I was tired of her constant bullying. For once, I wanted to speak up for myself.

"So what if I look different? I know that you're just jealous because I look way more beautiful than you are", I was rewarded with a punch and I could feel the copper taste of blood in my mouth but it was worth it.

"What?! You know it's the truth", I smirked, staring at her, daring her to do her worst.

"Beat this witch up!!", her brainless minions were about to descend on me, when a voice suddenly yelled authoritatively.

"What's going on here?!" I sighed in relief as I stared at the approaching figure, it was Julian.

My savior.

My mate.

The only reason I'm able to put up to all the maltreatment from the pack. He's the only support I have, if not for him, I would have been long dead.

"Alpha!" Sophia shrieked in terror and I couldn't help but smirk at her.

"Don't make me repeat myself!!" Julian growled as he stepped closer to us.

"Alpha, she... sh... she was caught stealing and I decided to have her punished", Sophia stuttered and I gasped in shock at how easy it was for her to lie.

And to think that I saw her as the best sister ever, not knowing that she was nothing but a sly fox.

"Is that so?" Julian asked as he narrowed his eyes on her.

"Yes Alpha"

"Then leave her to me, I'll give her the punishment she deserved," Sophia and her minions nodded as they walked away but not without her giving me the 'you're dead' look.

But I shrugged it off, immediately she was gone out of sight, I leaped into Julian arms as fresh tears poured down my face.

"There..... there, princess. It's all good, I'm here, okay", he cooed as he stroked my hair.

"Julian... why?" I whispered, my voice breaking as I stared into his eyes. "Why are you hiding us? It's been three years, three long and painful years. Are you... are you ashamed of me? Am I nothing more than a secret you keep in the shadows? Every day, I feel like I'm fighting for something that you're too afraid to claim."

"Ashamed? Never, Avery," he murmured, cupping my face as he gently wiped away my tears. "I would never hide you because of shame, but you don't understand the weight of what it means to be Luna. There are... complications, things I can't control. I'm only waiting because I want to protect you, to make sure that when we're announced, no one.... Absolutely no one, can ever touch you. Can you trust me to do that?"

"I do trust you Julian but when is this right time?! Is it until I drop dead? I'm tired of being kept a secret, I really am"

It has been over 3 years now that Julian and I had found out that we were both mates, yet no one knows about us. I was tired of the whole secret, I want everyone to know I'm their Luna and also to shove it down Sophia's throat.

"Soon Avery, you know what?! I have a surprise for you at today's gathering. I'll be letting the whole pack know who my Luna is", he revealed and I couldn't help the scream that left my mouth.

At long last, the wait is finally over and I couldn't help but smile thinking about the expression on everyone faces when they get to know that the girl they all treated poorly is their future Luna.

I can't wait.

*****************

Later that evening, at the pack's hall. The hall was decorated with lots of fresh flowers and the designs were spectacular. Julian must have truly prepared for this.

I stood right beside the huge flower vase, so as to be easily noticed by Julian when he walks in.

I was so nervous that beads of sweats started forming on my forehead, but I quickly wiped them off, so as to keep my makeup intact. I had been able to successfully conceal my wounds from earlier under a huge layer of makeup.

My heart raced in excitement as I adjusted my dress countless of times. I was putting on a knee-length floral patterned dress with beautiful stones. I had preserved it for special occasions and none seemed more perfect than this. Just as I was still busy adjusting myself, I saw Sophia and my brother Mark, approaching.

"Would you look at who we have here, sis?" Mark chuckled as if he was staring at the greatest joke ever.

"You stole this dress, didn't you?" Sophia accused as she tugged at the hem of my dress.

"Get your hands off me!" I hissed, pulling my arm away with as much strength as I could muster. "One day, Sophia, you'll regret every single time you looked down on me. I swear, when that day comes, I'll make sure you know exactly who you messed with."

"Ohhh.... I'm so scared, please have mercy!" She taunted as she burst into laughter "The Alpha isn't here to save you, remember?" She added as she sipped her wine.

"Always remember who you are Avery, a piece of trash, a witch, nothing more. Never forget that", She said before moving away with Mark.

"Soon Sophia, very soon we'll both know who holds the power around here", I smirked as I raised my glass to my lips.

If only I knew what was going to happen in the next five minutes.

Just then, Julian walked in, accompanied by his beta, Jace. And I couldn't help but drool at the sight of him.

But his behavior seems off, he practically ignored me as if I didn't exist, instead he was talking with Sophia, but I didn't count any importance to it, I simply shrugged. He's my mate after all, so nothing to be scared of.

Standing in his full glory, Julian was 6'1" tall with his shiny olive fair skin, slightly built, chiseled jaw, brown hair and bright blue eyes.

And he was mine, all mine....... Atleast that was what I thought before he made his speech.

"Good evening, today is a wonderful day as I'll be calling out my future queen, your future Luna to join me here", he said and I couldn't help the blush that crept up my cheek.

Everyone cheered in anticipation.

Finally, it was my turn to be seen, to be something more than a shadow in this pack. I pictured their faces-the disbelief, the shame, the way they'd finally look at me as more than just an outcast. For the first time, I would belong. And Sophia... oh, she would choke on her own arrogance.

"Please welcome your future Luna, Sophia Smith!"

Avery's Point of View

"Please welcome your future Luna, Sophia Smith", he announced as Sophia gracefully stepped out and moved into his arms.

Sophia Smith.

The name echoed through the hall, crashing down on me with a force that stole my breath. Sophia. Not me... it was never me.

Suddenly, I felt the air in my lungs disappear as I scrambled for support, I felt weak, I almost passed out from the shock.

My knees wobbled, and I felt myself sway, barely steadying myself with a trembling hand on a nearby chair.

He's been cheating on me..... With my own blood sister!!

Was this the reason he was keeping us a secret?! The reason he watched me suffer in the hands of Sophia?

How long has this been going on? I've been so naive, so foolish to think that an Alpha would fall for the pack's slave.

What was I thinking?!!

When I couldn't take it anymore, I ran out of the hall, I ran straight home, away from the prying eyes..... away from everyone.

The cold night air hit me as I stumbled out of the hall, my heart pounding and legs barely holding me up.

How I wish I could just vanish?! If wishes were horses. But if I couldn't disappear, then I guess I should just drown myself with my tears.

Each word echoed in my mind, piercing me like a blade, it had always been Sophia, not me. I felt my chest clench painfully, as if my heart were breaking all over again with every beat. The bitter taste of betrayal filled my mouth, and I swallowed hard, struggling to contain a sob that clawed its way up my throat. My lips parted, but no sound came, just a shallow gasp as my mind filled with unanswered questions.

'How foolish have I been?', I thought, my stomach churning with self-loathing. Tears pricked my eyes, blurring my vision further as memories flooded back-every whispered promise, every stolen glance, all lies. My hands clenched tightly, nails digging into my palms as regret surged through me, mixed with an ache so deep it felt as though it would never leave my bones.

"Where's she?!!", that was my mother, Cheryl screaming down the house.

Don't I even have the right to cry in peace? Is my life a joke to you all.

"There you are", my mom sneered as she walked into my room. "Your sister is back, go draw her a warm bath, get useful and stop being useless"

'Maybe this is all I am meant for,' I thought, my gaze distant, my spirit numb.

My mind was a fog, and my limbs felt heavy as if I was moving through a nightmare I couldn't escape.

I gritted my teeth together in anger as I slowly got up from the bed and walked to Sophia's bathroom. I was lost in thought when I felt ice-cold water over me.

I gasped, staring in shock as Sophia stood over me with that smug, twisted grin.

"It's Luna to you, bitch!!!" She sneered as she eyed me with contempt.

"You wish", I muttered under my breath, but she heard them anyways and I was glad she did.

"What did you just say?" She growled and suddenly kicked me in my lower abdomen.

I suck in my breath, I wasn't expecting that as I clutched at my tummy and groaned in pain.

My gaze met Sophia's, fierce and unyielding, even as pain radiated through me from the latest kick. I had nothing left to lose.

I wanted to scream, to lash out, but fear and years of submission held me back, leaving my voice only a broken whisper. How could they? How could he?

"Address me with respect, slave. A pathetic thing like you wouldn't understand what it means to be Luna." Sophia's voice dripped with disdain. "Look at you, clinging to dreams you'll never reach. Even the Moon Goddess must have cursed you-why else would you be so lonely?"

She pulled me up to my feet by my hair only to push me again face flat to the floor and my head bashed hardly against the bathtub as blood spilled all over.

Sophia's words dug into me, twisting inside like poisoned thorns. Maybe she's right, a small voice in my mind whispered. Maybe I really am cursed.

When Sophia's blows landed, each one was a reminder of my powerlessness, my worthlessness, yet I held my silence, biting down on my lip to keep from crying out.

When I thought it was over, but I was wrong as she wasn't done with me. She walked closer to me and kicked me severally in my abdomen and I howled in pain.

"Please!", I pleaded as I doubled over in pains while desperately clutching at my abdomen. I was tired of living in pain, I just want it over with, maybe when I die, all the pains will go. She'll be able to live her life comfortably.

"You actually thought you would become Luna, right?!" She said and my eyes widened in shock. How did.....

"How did I know?!" She snatched the words right out of my thoughts. "Oh, Avery darling, you're such a fool. Julian told me everything, about you guys being mate, but guess what?! He still chose me over you", She squealed as she clapped her hands together in mockery.

"You're just a worthless bitch that doesn't deserve love, everything about you screams bad luck and you'll die all alone because no one wants to be with you" She spat in my face as she kicked me again with her heels.

"Get out!!", She yelled and I left immediately in order to avoid any other outburst from her.

Was it a crime to yearn for love? To hope to find love with the one the Moon Goddess had destined to love me unconditionally?

I had really hoped that one day, I'll be free from this slavery, but now they are all what they were...... wishes.

I really don't know why everyone hated me, I had tried remembering where I've gone wrong but I couldn't pinpoint anything. Right from my childhood, I've been treated like a rag doll and my parents didn't even show any sign of concern towards me.

Or was it because of my odd appearance?! I had starlight white hair and hazel violet eyes, which was very strange, but I didn't create myself to be like this.

I never wanted this. My thoughts were cloudy as I weakly walked to the place where I always come when I'm in pains....... The lake.

The lake was my only escape, a quiet refuge where I could shed my pain, if only for a while.

There was something about this lake, something that draws me, I just feel connected with it and it was somehow soothing.

The night air felt cool and calming, but inside, a storm of emotions raged. I let myself sink down by the water's edge, staring into the rippling depths as tears spilled silently down my cheeks.

'Why am I so different?' I thought, my hand reaching out to touch the water's surface, as if it could wash away all my scars, my pain, my past.

Suddenly I heard some rustling in the woods and Julian's imposing figure emerged. His expression was hard as granite. "Do you think I would choose you? A weak, useless mate who brings nothing but shame to her bloodline?"

Suddenly, my face hardened as I clenched my fists tightly, I was about to leave, when he authoritatively said.

"How dare you try to walk out on your Alpha?!!" Though I hated him right now, though I wanted him dead but I couldn't deny the mate bond between us. And I decided that I've had enough.

"I hate you! You're so pathetic and a sorry excuse for an Alpha. I hate you!" I knew what I was doing.... Digging my own grave but I just didn't give a damn about it anymore.

He sneered and with super speed that I didn't see coming, he gripped my neck and threw me against the rock. I groaned as pains shot through my entire body and I felt a hot liquid trickling down my face.

"I despise you more, Avery. Do you think I want a sorry excuse as you for a mate?! You don't even have a wolf!!" He growled as he stepped closer to me, Julian had never raised his hands on me...... until today. He must have been really wanting to get rid of me.

"A weak thing like you can never be my mate", Alpha Julian spat, his eyes flashing with disdain.

"So, I, Julian Styles, Alpha of Krypta Clan, reject you, Avery Smith, as my mate and Luna of this pack"

The rejection hit me like a physical blow. I felt our bond rip apart, a searing pain that left me gasping. My heart burned, as if set aflame by Julian's words.

I tried to speak, but my voice caught in my throat. Instead, I spat out blood, my body's reaction to the agony coursing through me.

"No..." I whispered, each word cut deeper, until I was left bleeding, my heart shattered into a million pieces.

I sniffed and wiped the blood at the corner of my mouth, but this time, the hurt was mixed with something new-a simmering anger. I was pathetic, yes, but I was also alive, still breathing despite his contempt.

I stood up to my feet weakly as I looked at him with disgust, "I also don't want a heartless beast as you for a mate, if that's so, then..... I, Avery Smith, accept........"

The words didn't leave my mouth when he lunged forward, cutting me off, his fingers coiling around my throat like a vice and yanked me off the ground.

"Reject me?! You think you're strong enough to leave me?" Julian sneered, his grip tightening around my throat.

"You don't get to reject me, Avery, I will never give you that pleasure" Julian's voice was a dark promise. "I'll keep you, watch you suffer, until I'm ready to discard you. Remember, I own you. And when I'm done with you... you'll wish you were never born."

Kaiden's Point of View

"Your Highness, how did the search for your mate go?!", Caspian my beta asked as he walked into my office.

Almost everyday, the both of us go out in search of my mate. I had instructed him to stay back today cause of the important business we had at the pack. But for me, finding my mate was more important, so I had to go while he stayed back.

"Same, it was futile. And the curse is growing stronger by the day!", I said as frustration clouded my mind.

"Three days ago, I killed a little boy, two days ago, I killed all the horses in the stables, yesterday I killed two pack elders, who am I going to kill today?!"

"Calm down your Highness, we're trying every means possible to find your destined one", Caspian said.

"Don't tell me to calm down!!! Do I have to wipe out the whole pack before I find her?! How many do I have to kill to make up for my ancestor's mistakes?! How many?!! And the Moon goddess isn't making things easier for me!!", I thundered as I stood up from my seat.

"She's making things extremely difficult for me by making me feel false mate bonds with other werewolves. How am I supposed to find my mate then?!", I asked as frustration gnawed at me.

A curse had been placed on me right from my mother's womb. A curse to kill, to destroy and create havoc. It was said to be the punishment for the sins my ancestors made. I was made the sacrificial lamb. And the only cure was for me to find my destined one.

But it's been over 10 years, yet she's nowhere to be found.

Why am I the one bearing the punishment for what had happened a thousand years ago?! Why am I suffering for something I knew nothing about?!

"We won't give up your Highness, we'll keep on searching, even if it requires us turning the whole Aethoria upside down, then we'll gladly do so. We won't stop till we find her", Caspian assured and I could only smile gratefully at him.

He has been the only one who knew about my situation. Suddenly someone walked into the office and it turned out to be the pack's Gamma, Dalton.

"Your Highness, the elders have requested for an audience with you, they are all waiting in the throne room", Dalton said, then he bowed and left my office.

I sighed tiredly as I combed my fingers through my hair. What was it again?

I walked into the throne room and sat lazily on the throne, clearly uninterested in what was going on. My mind was only focused on finding my mate and nothing more.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!! Your Highness!!!" The urgency in their voices sliced through my thoughts, pulling me back to the room. I looked up, meeting their anxious stares. They shifted uneasily, eyes darting away as if frightened by what they saw in mine.

"What was it again?" I said, feigning a disinterest I knew would unsettle them.

Elder Tim, the eldest and usually the most composed among them, cleared his throat but couldn't meet my gaze. "Your Highness... it's been over ten years since your search for a mate began, and yet..." He trailed off, his voice barely more than a whisper, as if he feared invoking my wrath by completing his thought. The other elders exchanged nervous glances, and I could almost taste their fear.

They think I'm weak, I realized, a bitter surge of anger tightening my jaw. They see me not having a mate as a burden that tarnishes their precious throne.

Elder Tim swallowed hard, his hand trembling as he scratched the back of his head. "We... we believe it may be wise to consider stepping down, so another can-another with a queen-can assume the throne." His words stumbled, like each one was heavier than the last, but his meaning was clear.

A dark laugh rumbled from my chest, and I straightened, letting my gaze pierce through each of them. "So, let me understand," I sneered, feeling Slade, my wolf, stirring just beneath the surface, feeding off my fury. "You all think it's wise to dethrone me?"

As I stood, a deadly silence filled the room. The elders recoiled, as though my anger had its own physical weight. Their faces drained of color, and the scent of their fear-sharp, metallic-permeated the air. Elder Tim's eyes widened, and he took a shaky step back.

"Please, Your Highness," he stammered, voice barely above a whisper. "We meant no disrespect..."

"You dare question my judgement!! I think you all needs to be reminded of who the Alpha King is". I sneered as my wolf, Slade took over.

The elders all jumped in fright as the aura in the room completely changed, I stood up from the throne and walked closer to them. The closer I move to them, the further they all moved away from me.

My voice dropped, a dangerous edge slicing through the silence. "Kneel," I commanded, letting Slade's strength infuse my words. They fell to their knees instantly, their breaths ragged, their expressions twisted with terror as if the very air burned against their skin. Most of the elders were already bleeding from their noses. It was a miracle that they were all still alive.

"Why don't I give you all an award for the stunt you all pulled just now?" Slade smirked widened as he saw the fear in their eyes, with a snap of his fingers, the elders started screaming in sheer agony.

"Your Highness, please forgive us!!"

"We're sorry!!! Please make it stop burning"

Their voices shook as they begged for mercy, each word punctuated by trembling lips and wide, terrified eyes that darted to the exits.

All their pleas fell on deaf ears, I wasn't just a werewolf, I was blessed with powers which sadly, came with a curse.

I leaned closer, my voice a deadly whisper. "The next time any of you think to question my reign, remember this moment. Remember how quickly I can bring you to your knees." I turned and left the throne room.

Before I could get back to my office, my nose picked up a scent, an unfamiliar scent mixed with raspberry and wild honey.

"She's here." Slade's voice echoed in my head, an eager rumble that made my heart race. Could it be... finally?

I clamped down on that spark of hope, knowing it would only lead to another disappointment. "Calm down, Slade," I muttered inwardly, though my voice was strained. "You say this every time. What makes you think this is different?"

"Because I feel it, Kaiden. This time, it's real". Slade's voice held a fierce conviction that, despite myself, I wanted to believe. Yet his words were both a balm and a curse, stoking that fragile ember of hope I fought so hard to extinguish. How many times had he said this? How many times had I let myself hope-only to have it crushed?

"And how many times has it been false?" I whispered, a bitterness bleeding into my voice. Images of past encounters flickered through my mind-faces, fleeting touches, empty promises from my wolf's instincts that never held true. The Moon Goddess had twisted my fate, taunting me with false bonds that shattered my heart and fed my curse.

"I can't keep doing this, Slade." My chest tightened, a heaviness pressing down on me as I struggled to contain the resentment seething within. "The curse... it only strengthens with each failure. You're pushing me to the edge."

But Slade was relentless, his presence surging through me, fierce and unyielding. "She's close. I can smell her scent, Kaiden-like wild honey and raspberries. It's unmistakable,"

I clenched my fists, torn between the sharp tug of my wolf's certainty and the cold weight of my own doubts. What if... I pushed the thought aside, refusing to hope. Not again.

As I traced the scent, it led me to Maya, a familiar face in the pack-a woman I'd once shared nights with in an attempt to soothe the loneliness clawing at my soul. My heart sank. This is just another trick, I thought, though Slade was nearly growling in frustration. I approached her cautiously, searching for any sign, any proof that she was my mate.

"My King," Maya greeted, dipping her head respectfully, but I barely acknowledged her words. Instead, I stepped closer, inspecting her neck with a sense of desperation, dread creeping in with each passing second. Come on, I pleaded silently. Please, let this be real.

But as I turned her neck, all I found was smooth, unmarked skin. No bond mark. No sign that she was anything more than a mirage the curse had conjured to torment me. The realization hit me with brutal clarity, and the ember of hope sputtered and died. The curse had toyed with me yet again.

"Thank you, Goddess," I muttered bitterly, my voice thick with sarcasm. "Another day, another lie."

Slade retreated, his rage simmering beneath the surface. "You don't understand, Kaiden. We're close. She's out there-I know it."

"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up, Slade." The weight of despair settled heavily in my chest, gnawing at my resolve. Each failed bond brought me one step closer to the breaking point, feeding the darkness within me, the urge to lash out, to destroy.

"I understand", Slade murmured, quieter this time, almost as if he shared my pain. But we have to keep looking. We have to.

I let out a long, shuddering breath, knowing that my fate-and the lives of those in my pack-hung on this impossible search. I couldn't tell if the curse or the chase would be my undoing, but I had no choice. My destined one was my only salvation.