Mooncursed : Fated To The Alphas

The scent hit me first, as I closed the distance to his room. Musky. Familiar. Laced with heat, arousal and something feral.

My wolf whimpered low in my chest, a warning I didn't understand my feet halted in front of the door, taking in the sounds that was coming from the room.

I pushed open the bedroom door. Then everything shattered.

My stepsister was straddling him, head thrown back, golden hair a tangled mess.

The man beneath her grunted, hands gripping hips with bruising force as he thrust up hard, a low growl of pleasure rumbling from his chest.

Skin against skin. Sweat glistening.

Their bodies tangled together in heat and undeniable passion. The man with his hands all over my stepsister was my mate.

My chosen Mate.

Caius.

He didn't stop when I entered. Neither of them did. They saw me, he saw me and still, he kept going.

"Oh gods," her voice cracked, as her shoulders began to tremble, reaching that point where every woman desires to be.

The moan, sound of great pleasure wasn't mine.

It was my stepsister's, filthy and victorious. "You should've locked the door, Caius," she purred, grinding down harder. "Your little mutt found us."

"Not a mutt," I whispered, my voice failing me, "I'm your mate."

He pulled his lips from my stepsister's throat long enough to laugh, a dark, hollow sound. "You were convenient. Weak. A half-breed omega that I just have to marry to claim your father's lands."

"That's not true. You love me not her.........not my sister." I whispered, tears clogging my throat.

"Stepsister, mutt" Liana spat, as she bounced up and down his dick.

"Why? Why her? Why now?" I asked my voice breaking and tears finally falling down my face.

"I was never going to mark you Rain. You're just a weak foolish halfbreed, and I only accepted for the mating ritual so I could be close to your sister."

Caius had never spoken to me that way before, he was always kind, sweet and has even give me forehead kisses and held my hand few times in the past. My knees gave out, as I backed out of the room, slamming the door as he groaned slamming into my stepsister.

I ran down the hallway tears streaming down my face. Tomorrow night was supposed to be our mating ceremony under the full blood moon. I had finally decided to give myself to him, knowing that we will be bonded by tomorrow.

Underneath my robe was a flimsy lingerie I had picked out just for him.

Now I feel stupid. I ran out of the house to the edge of the lake behind the building.

"Am I that repulsive? Why! Why would you allow him to do this to me." I screamed, clutching my chest tight as it threatened to give way. My knees hit the soft muddy floor.

"Why?" I whispered. "Why do you hate me so much."

At this point I am pretty convinced that the moon goddess really has me in her black book. I was not only a half breed omega, I was the pack's laughing stock. A late bloomer and up until I'm turning 18 in few months I haven't shifted not even once. I don't even know what my wolf looked like, I've never had friends as everyone even the pups saw me as something unworthy of their presence.

I bent over and looked at my reflection in the lake. My eyes were swollen and hair scattered like an incomplete bed nest. I had my mother's green eyes, typical color for an omega.

My father had married again almost immediately my mother died from a sickness that had wiped out half of our pack several years back.

My stepmother Grace didn't give birth for my father, but she already had a daughter about my age from her last marriage. Liana. She was everything I was not. Strong, beautiful, hot, sexy, confident. Name it.

Typical Cinderella bullshit, I became the cast away maid.

Not like I wasn't before then but it just became more obvious Nobody really cared about my well being not until Caius came along and showed me the tiniest form of kindness and affection.

Which I now see that I mistook for love. My father saw it as an opportunity to get rid of me by marrying me off to him even though he wasn't my fated mate, with a promise of half his lands if he agreed. I didn't mind at all, I liked him and he was kind to me. His physique was something men dreamed of so the marriage was a win win for my father and I. I readily accepted, happy that I'd be leaving this house for good.

Happy that I'd finally escape and find peace. But seems like fate had other plans. Turns out, Caius fell for my stepsister which I'm not even surprised about, because I mean who wouldn't fall for her. I'm just heartbroken.

Thinking of it now I'm beginning to see how blind I was.

The flirty looks. Shy smiles. The small touches that no one really cares about. The Late nights that she sneaked out and disappeared for hours. The good thing about being almost invincible is that you notice everything. But this was one huge point I missed.

The tears kept coming like a broken dam, my voice low and muffled so I wouldn't wake my parents up. Was the ritual still going to hold tomorrow? Will I get marked and bonded to this man that just broke my heart? Am I just going to sit and get married to a lie?.

The wind picked up, brushing over my bare arms, chilling the tears that clung to my skin. I didn't care. I sat there, knees drawn to my chest, shaking. The robe I wore was damp and stained from the muddy ground, the lace beneath it completely forgotten.

The moon cruel and indifferent hung above me, watching. Full, bright, almost mockingly. I didn't know how long I stayed like that. Maybe hours. Maybe minutes.

Time had lost meaning. My body ached. But My heart ached more. Eventually, the tears stopped. Not because I was okay, but because I had nothing left to give them. I was hollowed out. Wrung dry. I lay on my side, curled at the lake's edge, cheek pressed against the cold earth.

The smell of wet moss and dew clung to me. I was supposed to be in bed, dreaming of a future. Of bonding. Of belonging. Instead, here I was discarded like a mistake that never should have been born.

The darkness wrapped around me, softer than any embrace I'd ever known. And finally... sleep found me. It wasn't peaceful. It was thick and heavy, like sinking into tar. Somewhere, just before the edges of my consciousness faded, I thought I heard something.

A growl? No, a howl. Low. Distant. Not from our pack.

There was life out there and if I wasn't going to get what I want I might as well leave. The wind stilled for a minute as if hearing my thoughts Then silence.

Morning came too quickly.

The sun, almost blinding through the trees, I grunted as I got up. My knees were tight and stiff. The mud had dried to my face, as I dragged myself back inside to go wash off before anyone could see me.

My eyes felt swollen, my body stiff, but no one cared enough to notice. Not even my father. The house buzzed with preparations. Servants rushed about carrying trays and fabrics, their voices hushed but urgent.

Tonight was supposed to be my night. My mating ceremony.

The night I would finally escape. Instead, I felt like a ghost drifting through a home that had never wanted me. When Caius walked into the hall, his hair still damp from a bath, his shirt hanging open at the collar, I thought stupidly that maybe he would look at me, maybe he would say something that made sense.

That he loved me and can't wait to be with me. Maybe it had been a nightmare, a cruel trick my mind had conjured. But then Liana followed him. Barefoot. Wearing his shirt. Her lips swollen. Her eyes smug, giving her "I just had the best morning sex ever"

The ground tilted beneath me. My head spun, and I was this close to collapsing on the floor.

"Father," Caius's voice rang with authority, cold and sharp. I could feel the hairs in my neck rise as my father drew closer to were we stood in the hall. "The ceremony tonight will not be for Rain."

The world stopped. Every servant stilled, the sound of clattering trays fading into silence. "What?" I whispered, though no one was listening to me. Caius's gaze landed on my father, not on me. Never on me.

"I will take Liana as my mate. She is strong. Worthy. She carries the bloodline your pack deserves."

I stumbled forward. "No you can't do that. You're my mate! The ritual it's supposed to be me!" Liana smirked, sliding her arm through Caius's like a queen claiming her throne. "Don't embarrass yourself, my dear sister. He doesn't want you I mean who would. Look at you" My chest cracked open. I whimpered so hard I nearly doubled over, but the sound was lost beneath the laughter that rippled from Caius's throat.

I turned to my father, desperation clawing through me. "Please, don't allow this. Please, Father. You promised me. You-"

"Enough, Rain, I have had enough of your silly tears" he cut me off with a snarl, eyes burning with irritation instead of pity. "You should be grateful. Caius has agreed to keep you. He wants you as their servant."

The words gutted me. Servant. Caius didn't even flinch at the cruelty. "She'll come with us when I take Liana back to my pack. Someone needs to tend to her needs. And Rain..... she's accustomed to the role." I shook my head violently, tears blinding me. "No! You can't do this. You can't force me to serve them. Please, I'll do anything else. Anything but this!" But my father's jaw stayed hard, his gaze full of the same disgust he had shown me my entire life. "You'll obey. This is more than you deserve. Caius is still honoring his agreement by taking you under his roof. Consider it mercy." Mercy. The word made me want to vomit. Liana leaned close, her voice dripping with triumph. "Don't worry, stepsister. I'll make sure you know your place. You can lay out my gowns, fetch my water, scrub my floors. Maybe I'll even let you sleep by the hearth like the mutt you are." Her words seared me like acid. My knees buckled, can't anybody see this?! I cited internally, my life is going to be a living hell, somebody please! Help!. But I refused to fall. Not in front of them. Not when their eyes were gleaming with victory. "Please," I begged again, the sound raw, ragged. "Father, don't let them do this to me. Don't throw me away like this. I can stay here and be your servant, but please don't let them take me away.0 But he turned his back, dismissing me like an unwanted dog. And just like that, my fate was sealed. I crumpled to the ground watching as the servants resumed the duties and my world spun. The rest of the day blurred. Servants fitted Liana for a dress that had been meant for me. The gown I had chosen. The silks I had touched with trembling hands, imagining what it would feel like to walk into the circle of fire and bond myself to my mate. Now it was hers. Every laughter that floated from her room, every murmur of Caius's voice beside her, felt like a blade driving deeper into me. When the sun began to set, I sat on the edge of my bed, a half-packed bag at my feet. My hands shook as I folded the little I owned: a few dresses, a comb, the locket that had belonged to my mother. The walls seemed to close in, suffocating. I thought of the lake. Of the howl I'd heard last night, low and distant. A promise of something outside these walls. Something beyond this suffocating fate, that somehow seems so out of reach. I was trapped. Bound to the cruelty of a man who had broken me, and a sister who delighted in my ruin. And my father? Well I didn't expect much. Grace pretty much as him wrapped around her finger and it was probably her plan all along to have me serve her daughter. The drums outside began to beat the call to the ritual. It should have been for me. But tonight, I was nothing more than a shadow. A servant. A discarded mate. And as I shouldered my bag, waiting for Caius and Liana to claim me like property, I swore that if the goddess had truly cursed me... then I would learn how to curse her back.

The bonfire blazed high, licking at the night sky, its heat oppressive and cruel. The scent of burning cedar, sweet wine, and wolf musk rolled thick through the clearing. The crowd was restless with excitement, faces lit in orange glow, eyes bright with hunger for the spectacle about to unfold. I stood among them, invisible as always, but this time the weight of my invisibility crushed me. My heart beat too loud in my chest, every thud like a hammer driving me further into despair. Caius stood at the center, dressed in ceremonial black trimmed with silver.

His dark hair gleamed in the firelight, his jaw proud, his shoulders squared. He looked like every dream I had once wrapped around myself like a blanket. But tonight, every inch of him belonged to her. Liana. She stepped forward in scarlet silk, the fabric flowing like blood down her perfect body. Jewels glittered in her hair, catching the firelight, her lips curved into that victorious smile that had haunted me since last night. She was radiant, untouchable, and completely aware of it. I wanted to look away. I couldn't. Betrayal stung harder and more painful that a bee's sting, yet all I could do was stand and watch. The elder priest raised his hands, calling for silence. His voice carried through the crowd like thunder. "Tonight, under the blood moon, the bond between Alpha Caius and Liana of the Greenstone pack shall be forged. May their union strengthen this pack and bless our lands." The words hit me like a blade. Liana of the Greenstone pack. My stepsister. The girl who had taken everything from me. And I was forced to stand here and watch as if I were nothing. "Step forward, bride and groom," the priest commanded. They moved together, side by side, his hand brushing hers, their smiles matching. He had smiled at me once like that soft, reassuring, gentle. Now, I saw nothing but arrogance in his expression. The ceremony began. Chants rose from the pack, deep and guttural, a rhythm I had grown familiar with hearing at every mating ceremony vibrated in my bones. My stomach turned with each verse, each step that brought them closer to sealing what should have been mine. The elder dipped his fingers into a silver bowl filled with crushed moon herbs, smearing the paste across their wrists. "Tonight, you will mark each other. Bite to bond, blood to seal, and flesh to claim. Speak your vow." Caius's voice was strong, commanding, proud. "I vow to protect you, to lead beside you, and to honor our bond until death." Liana's was sweet, dripping with false humility. "I vow to stand with you, to serve beside you, and to honor our bond until death." The crowd roared its approval. My ears rang with it. Then Caius tilted his head, baring his neck. Liana's fangs glistened in the firelight as she leaned in. Her teeth sank into his flesh with a wet, tearing sound. He growled, deep and primal, holding her tighter as the bond took root. My stomach lurched, bile rising in my throat. When she pulled back, blood trickled down his collarbone, and she licked it with a moan that made the crowd cheer louder. Now it was his turn. He grabbed her neck, tilted her head back, and bit down hard into the curve of her shoulder. Her scream tore through the clearing half pain, half pleasure and my knees almost buckled. That scream was supposed to have been mine. The bond was sealed. The elder raised his arms again. "It is done. The union is blessed!" The pack howled as one, the sound tearing through the night like a storm. Wolves shifted, their bodies shimmering with silver light as they celebrated. My father stood near the front, pride in his eyes, not a single glance spared for me. I wanted to vanish into the earth. But the ceremony wasn't over. A feast followed, tables groaning under roasted boar, venison, and honey wine. Liana sat at Caius's side, glowing in her triumph. Every time she laughed, her hand tangled in his hair while his lips brushed her skin, I died a little more. I walked up to my father with the little courage I had left "Father...." my voice cracked, shaking, raw. "Please. Don't do this. Father, please. I can't-" "Enough Rain!" He barked, loud enough that the people around us stopped to stare. " you are going with them, you will serve your purpose. And if ever you step your feet back here you will be severely punished" The words hit harder than a hammer to a nail. Liana's laugh slipped like venom into my ear. She pressed herself against Caius's side, her hand resting on his chest as she smirked at me. "Don't worry, sister. I'll make sure you're useful. Someone has to lace my dresses, clean my shoes, fetch my water and tend to my cubs when I have them. And who better than you?" Tears blurred my vision. My throat burned. "Please," I whispered, softer this time, broken. "Please don't let them do this." But my father turned away, raising his cup, joining the cheer. Their laughter filled my ear and my father's betrayal felt worse. He loved me once. He cared so much that I was assigned every servant to tend to my needs. Not until my mother died. And Grace and Liana came. The night dragged on, endless, suffocating. Eventually, the fires dimmed, the songs grew slower, and preparations for departure began. We were leaving. Tonight. The rule was clear. Once marked, the mate must be carried back to the Alpha's pack before the night ended, before the bond settled too deep to break, so the park members could officially welcome their Luna. Caius's pack lay far beyond the forest to the east. The carriages were loaded with trunks of silk and jewels, gifts from my father to show off our pack's wealth. My own meager belongings fit into a single small bag an afterthought. I climbed into the second carriage, the one assigned to servants. The wood was rough, the cushions thin, the air heavy with dust. Still, it was more than I deserved, at least in their eyes. Liana and Caius rode ahead, their carriage lavish, curtains drawn for privacy I didn't want to imagine. The wheels groaned as we set off, the night air sharp and cold against my damp cheeks. Trees blurred past, shadows deepening as the forest swallowed us whole. What was the need that of spending so much time in the thing when all they could do was shift into their wolves and reach his pack faster than we could ever on the carriage. But just again it was tradition. It wasn't long before the carriage lurched suddenly, tilting to the side with a violent jolt. The driver cursed, pulling the horses to a stop. One of the knots holding the wheels steady had come loose. "Damn it," the driver muttered, hopping down to check the damage. Liana shoved open her curtain, her voice sharp as a whip. "What's going on? Why have we stopped?" The driver bowed his head. "A knot came loose, my lady. It'll take a few minutes to fix." Liana scowled, then turned her head, her gaze falling on me like poison. "Rain. Make yourself useful for once. Fetch me some water. I'm thirsty." I hesitated, glancing at the dark forest that loomed on either side of the road. Her lips curled, mocking. "What's the matter? Afraid of the dark?" Caius's chuckle joined hers, low and cruel. "Go on, Rain. You heard her." My throat tightened, but I forced my legs to move. The cold air bit into my skin as I stepped down from the carriage. The forest was alive with sounds crickets, the rustle of unseen creatures, the distant echo of an owl. The night felt heavier here, thicker, like it was watching me. I wrapped my arms around myself, my steps hesitant as I moved toward the trees in search of water. The road behind me grew quiet. Too quiet Then suddenly........ I could run away. The thought came bursting into my head like a wild hurricane that it almost made me dizzy. If I was ever going to get the chance now would be the time. But if I leave I would become a lone wolf, I don't know how to hunt, my wolf instincts were as good as dead and since I haven't shifted once I'll become prey. But. I could still leave. It's not like anybody would really care. My feet stopped, planting me to the ground as i weighed my options, looking back I could still see the faint light from the lamp on the carriage but the forest in front of me was dark and unpredictable. Yet, my heart thundered in my chest like it was begging to free.