Redeeming Her Cursed Alpha Mate

RACHEL'S POV

I placed the drinks I had brought down on the mahogany table, a professional smile plastered across my face as I maintained an air of professional decorum.

"Would that be all?"

The group of friends at the table glanced through the drinks before them, reaching out one after the other as they grabbed their drinks. However, I couldn't care less about their constant demands for more drinks.

I stood still, a mask of keen mindfulness plastered on my face as I stretched my ears to the table beside me. Listening keenly to the man who had been going on a long rant.

He was obviously drunk, and his voice was seriously slutty, but I wasn't one to dismiss the confessions of a drunk man. Everyone knows alcohol releases the unfiltered truth people try to hide.

The drunk, boastful man tapped his hands on the table.

"I'm telling you, man, I know everything that goes on in this town. Absolutely nothing goes by without my knowledge."

His friend chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Yeah ! You know everything. That's why your wife was able to cheat on you for months."

"I'm talking about important things, information that can only be released with the right connections." The slurry man replied.

I approached the table,

"Would you guys be interested in another round of drinks?" They shook their heads in unison as they gestured 'No'.

I returned back to work, cleaning the mess of a newly vacant table while still gluing my eyes to the slurry man's table. He clearly had connections in this town.

He could help me learn about the anti-human factions. The factions that were rumored to frequent this bar were the monstrous creatures that pulled the strings of this town behind the scenes.

Inhumane beings that didn't value human life simply reared us as livestock and killed us whenever they saw fit. The very reason I took this job to begin with.

I don't know who these monsters think they are, but they messed with the wrong person this time around. They had killed the wrong person, my dad. And I was going to make sure they paid for it.

A beam of hope erupted in my heart as I saw the drunk man's friend leave the table and exit the bar. This was my chance, and I wasn't going to let it slip through my fingers.

I went to the bartender, informing him that I'd be going on my five-minute break. Before joining the man where he sat, he plastered a friendly smile on my face as I placed a plate of french fries between us.

"Mind if I join you for my lunch break?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"No, not at all." I stretched out the French fries before him, offering him some to bridge the gap of awkwardness. He smiled and then accepted my offer.

"Thank you!"

I fidgetted my feet anxiously, eager to break the ice as quickly as possible.

"Sorry for being so straightforward, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with your friend earlier."

A blank expression was etched across his face. I gulped, realizing I was treading on thin ice but needing to preserve it anyway. I've been working here for months with no clue about those factions. Now that I finally have a clue, I wasn't going to lose it by beating about the bush.

I took a deep breath, mustering up the courage to go forward despite the weight of his piercing gaze.

"I heard you say you have deep connections in town; I need help with something."

The expression on his face softened up.

"I'll be happy to help, but I'll have to know what you want my help with first." I took a deep breath; this was it. An end to the relentless hours of work at this bar.

"I need to track down the anti-human factions in this city; it's of utmost importance." Disbelief etched across his face, and a moment of silence lingered between us as I waited for his reply.

He burst out laughing,

"You seriously believe there are monster factions in town?" I furrowed my brows in annoyance.

"Yes, they are." He continued laughing mockingly at me.

My temples pulsed with annoyance as I jerked up from the seat. I'm tired of people telling me these monsters don't exist, so I refused to be lied to.

His laughter doubled, now holding on to his sides.

"You are cracking me up. How dumb do you have to be to believe such childish stories?"

I walked out of the table, having had enough of his insults, as I returned to work. I'm done with people telling me these factions don't exist; I know they do.

They were lucky to not experience the wrath of such monsters, but to gaslight me about my own experience was a whole other thing.

All the time I spent here working at this bar, trying to get information about the factions, had been a waste. All my attempts were unsuccessful, all leading to dead ends. I was pulled out of my thoughts as I noticed Maria.

Maria approached me, a contagious smile spreading across her face as her eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Rach, this cute guy over there wants to have a drink with you."

I shifted my gaze, tracing my gaze to where she pointed. A ginger man sat, a friendly smile etched across his face as he waved towards me. I rolled my eyes, being in no mood to deal with the usual flirty attempts from the customers.

"I'm not in the mood, Maria."

Maria gripped my hands tightly.

"Why not? I thought you were still on your break." I sighed, returning my gaze to the man, who still had a glint of hope in his eyes that I would return.

"Fine!"

I made my way to his table, seated across from him.

"Hey!" The contented grin on his face grew as he poured me a glass of whiskey.

"I'm Edward; it's nice to finally get a chance to meet you."

I took a sip of the whiskey while maintaining eye contact with him.

"I'm Rachel; it's nice to meet you too." Time seemed dreadfully slow as we continued to have idle conversations, going down yet another bottle of whiskey.

The expression on my face remained stoic; having been avoiding the drink all evening, I was fully sober. He, on the other hand, wasn't; he laughed senseless as he brought up new conversation topics that didn't flow; no doubt, his mind was clouded by the alcohol.

I sprang up from my seat and said,

"I'll love to stay longer, Edward, but I'll have to return to work right now." Edward jerked up, immediately grabbing me tightly, stopping me in my tracks from walking away.

"You don't need to go; I already paid your manager, so you can take the evening off and be with me."

I tried to pull my hands out of his grip but it was too tight.

"I don't even know you." Edward came closer, closing the distance between us as he placed his hand on my waist.

"That's why I want us to spend more time together, so we can know ourselves."

I used my other hand to push out his hand, which was still placed on my waist.

"Get your hands off me." He wouldn't budge; he leaned in closer. His face is now inches away from mine, as his alcohol-stenched breath suffocates me.

I unsuccessfully tried to pull away from his grip, leaning away from the kiss he tried to plant on me.

"Leave me alone." His brows furrowed in anger.

"Don't ruin the mood; we were hitting it off great. Just relax; let go with the flow."

Someone stepped in, suddenly pulling us apart from each other as he stretched out his hands between us. The weight of his glare narrowed in on Edward,

"She said no!"

I tilted my head upwards to see his face; he was tall. His disheveled hair fell effortlessly across his face, a stern look in his deep brown eyes as his glare remained glued to Edward.

My heart raced as I felt a jolt surge within me, one I couldn't ignore. The air between us seemed charged, like a magnetic force that pulled me closer to him.

The proximity between us sent a wave of heat through my body, and he quickly turned his gaze towards mine. Our gaze locked for a moment that felt like forever; his deep brown eyes seemed to pull me in even further.

His chiseled jawline and soft lips crowned the look of perfection that he had. A look of concern etched across his face,

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

I was dumbfounded as I struggled to recompose myself, still lost in the magnetic pull of his eyes. I tried to, but I couldn't get my words out; all I could do was nod my head.

A gleam of anger flashed through his eyes as he shifted his attention back to Edward. His fist wound tightly around Edward's neck. His voice laced with anger as he growled.

"You'll pay for laying your filthy hands on her."

DEVON'S POV

The sun hung high in the sky, its scorching heat radiating through the park. I was safely tucked away from its heat under the shade of the tree, sitting comfortably on a picnic mat.

Sarah, who sat next to me, extended her arm towards my mouth. Gesturing for me to open up so she could feed me, I obeyed immediately as she inserted a piece of apple pie into my mouth.

A warm, comforting smile grew across Sarah's face.

"So what do you think? It's a new recipe." I wondered as I savored the blend of flavors that danced across my tongue.

"It's good."

She shook her head in objection.

"No, like in detail. How does it taste?" I shrugged,

"I don't know, babe. An apple pie is an apple pie."

She rolled her eyes, letting out a light sigh that escaped her plump lips.

"You can be so useless, you know?" I laughed, pulling her into a hug.

"I can't help it; all your cooking tastes good. It's difficult to rank when they are all good."

Sarah pulled back, a playful look of disgust etched on her face.

"Eww, your pits are so sweaty. Keep them away from me." I raised my arms in a playful surrender.

"Okay!"

The piano tone of a twinkle twinkle little star floated through the air, and a smile grew on Sarah's face as she sprang up from the mat. Dusting off the pie crumbs on her purple sundress,

"I'll go get some ice cream from the ice cream cart."

Before I could say anything else, she trailed off in the direction of the ice cream truck, packed away at the other end of the pack. I eagerly waited for her return, her absence hurting me more than I realized.

I kept waiting as moments flew by; she still wasn't back yet. I was puzzled-why wasn't she back yet? She's meant to be back by now, but she's taking too long.

I leave the picnic area, heading towards the ice cream cart, curious to know what was holding her back. Soon the ice cream cart comes into view. I scan through the people nearby, and Sarah is still nowhere to be found.

I pick up my pace, rushing towards the cart, still producing the nostalgic piano tones, but each step I take closer to the cart seems to drive me further away from the cart. It's like each step I take forward, the cart moves two more steps forward.

A million thoughts raced through my mind as I tried to figure out what was going on. I ran frantically through the park, but I wasn't fast enough. I tried shifting into my wolf form, but for some reason my wolf wasn't responding.

I threw my legs as fast as I could, but the cart got away from me. Soon, I ran out of breath and tripped to the floor. I raised my face up from the ground, looking at the ice cream truck that was still way ahead of me. My eyes immediately quivered in fear.

Sarah's knees were on the ground, her hands tied behind her back as she looked into me with tear-filled eyes. The ice cream vendor stood directly behind her, seeming to ravish in my misfortune.

I tried to growl and pounce on him, but the more strength I muster up to pounce, the harder it is for me to move. A sinister grin was on his face, and his cold, dead eyes locked into mine as he took a silver blade up to Sarah's throat.

I jerked up from sleep to Jack pushing and pulling me back and forth. A sense of urgency was laced in his voice.

"Devon, Devon! Alpha Devon!"

I furrow my brows as I run my hands through my face, trying to shake off the grip sleep still has on me.

"What?"

Pushing away the dream I had of Sarah, get again. Her death haunted my every waking moment, and I wasn't safe, not even in my dreams. Allen's stoic expression was unshifting as he grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of bed.

"We are under attack; they are attacking our hospitals."

His words chased off the last fragments of sleep that lingered in my eyelids. I furrowed my brows and rushed out of the room.

"Quick! Send the warriors down to the hospitals."

Allen ran after me, as we hurried out of my bedroom and down the halls.

"The warriors are already on it; they are holding them back as best they can, but we still need you there." We hurried through the halls, shifting to our wolf forms as we ran to the hospitals.

I connected to my warriors through a mental link.

"Hold up the fourth troops; I'm almost there. Stay strong."

"Yes Alpha!" They chorus in unison.

There was tension in the air as I sprinted through the terrain, with the sounds of horrid screams, gunfire, and howling wolves echoing through the air as the hospital was now within my line of sight.

A growl escaped my lips as I approached the battleground, furious at the intruders who were threatening my peace again. I darted my eyes around the chaos that surrounded the once tranquil environment.

My eyes were blazed with the wild spirit of my wolf as I kept my teeth into an enemy wolf that was cornering one of my warriors.

The scent of blood and fear lingered in the air as I lunged through the attackers, killing them in a matter of seconds. My warriors rallied behind me, forcing a fierce platoon that wouldn't back down.

Moments later, the tides of the battle scene were turned in our favor, as the blood and horrid screams of the enemy packs lingered in the air as we fought through as a unit.

I approached a troop of my warriors who had captured an enemy wolf, no doubt to tutor him for Intel. As I came closer to the troop, the intruder wolf sprang up.

He kicked off the wolf that held him down as he sprinted away. I immediately ran after him; there was no way in hell I would let him escape. A thunderous echoe of wolf feet hitting against the ground swirled through the air, and my pack was coming behind me.

I howled at the crescent moon in the sky, signaling them to stay back and guard the pack as I went after the escaping wolf myself.

The elongated shadows of our surroundings were pronounced by the moonlight. It was like the moon goddess herself was guiding me towards the bastard. I sprinted after the wolf, trying to make a run for it.

He raced through the streets, and sure as hell, I was directly behind him, moving as fast as my four feet would carry me, closing the gap between us with each powerful stride.

My paws hit against the ground, creating a rhythmic thud pattern that matched that of my accelerated heartbeat. The intruder's desperate sprint led us to the nearby town, one I knew all too well.

We raced through the flickering street lights and distant hum of the hustle and bustle of civilization. The chase continued as the escape maneuvered through the town.

Before I knew it, he was gone. I couldn't find a trace of him. His scent was gone, blended into the symphony of aromas that swirled through the air.

I shifted back to my human form, transferring my frustrations at losing the target to a nearby trash can as I kicked it down.

"Shit!"

I walked further, still peeved by the turn of events, as I headed over to my usual spot. Crystal Waters bar, I walked into the bar, ignoring the shocked expressions of strangers shocked that I was streaking.

"The usual!" I said to the salesgirl over the counter, and she smiled and handed me a new pair of clothes to change into.

"Out hunting again, are we Alpha Devon?"

My face was still contorted in anger as I put on the clothes I had been given.

"Not now, Maria!" I headed out of the wolf-changing section of the bar, the music from the human section immediately booming in my ears.

I let out a sigh.

"I need a drink!" I headed into the bar, taking a seat on one of the tables by the bartender's table.

My face contorted in disgust immediately when I saw them; he was forcing himself on her. My hands curled in fists as I sprang up from my seat and matched towards them.

I wasn't going to sit by and watch this lunatic force himself on a lady. I walked up to them, pulling them apart as I narrowed my glare on him. Standing between him and the girl so he doesn't attack her any further.

My wolf howled within me; no doubt he wanted to pounce on this lowlife too, but we couldn't do anything. Not with all these humans watching, I shifted my glance through the crowd and then turned around. My eyes immediately locked with hers.

She had wavy brown hair dyed blonde at the tips and ocean green eyes that pierced my heart. My heart raced, pulling me closer to her, and my wolf howled.

"Mate!"

RACHEL'S POV

He clenched his jaw, threateningly holding his finger to Edward.

"Get out of here." Edward furrowed his brows in annoyance as he moved forward, attempting to come closer to me.

He was, however, stopped by the handsome stranger, who effortlessly pushed him back. Causing him to stumble back and fall back in his seat. He moved threateningly closer towards Edward.

"I'll not have you stay here and harass innocent women; do not make me repeat myself."

I shifted my glance between the two of them; he looked furious, like he was about to pounce on Edward. Fear was contorted on Edward's face as he quivered helplessly on his seat.

Edward's eyes darted back and forth between the stranger and me before he nervously got up and walked away. Heading straight towards the exit.

We stood still, silently looking at each other, as I fought back the urge to lean in closer towards him. Our eyes still locked in with each other, and he remained silent. Then I turned, wanting to walk away.

I hurriedly reached out, holding him by his wrist.

"Please stay; at least let me get you a drink." A stoic expression was etched across his face.

"I can get my own drinks."

"I know, I just wanted to thank you for saving me back there. I mean, it's the least I could do." His eyes darted between the door and me as if contemplating his next course of action.

He let out a sigh.

"Very well, just one drink." We took our seats, and the drinks came moments later. The air was tense between us as neither of us said anything to break the awkward silence.

He is insanely attractive; I'll give him that. His chiseled jawline was prominent underneath his facial hair stubble, making his lips stand out. I fidgeted with my fingers in my glass of beer, trying to think of something else.

Something to fight the urge to lean in closer to him, so I could feel his breath. I'm my nostrils and maybe even kiss him. I couldn't do that, it'll be so weird.

I didn't know what was wrong with me, why do I suddenly feel this way to someone I don't know. He's literally a stranger, I took a deep breath as I tried to compose myself. I wouldn't be swayed away by these flimsy emotions.

I hesitated, trying to think of what to say,

"Thank you! I really appreciate what you did back there, um... I'm sorry I didn't quite catch your name."

His eyes were glued to the glass of beer in his hands, for whatever reason he thought it best to avoid my gaze. After a moment of silence he finally looked up to me,

"Devon!"

I couldn't explain what it was about his eyes that lured me in with a sensual pull, and I didn't know why.

"My name is Rachel."

I tried to strike up a conversation with him, but he shut down all my attempts. Like he wasn't interested in whatever I had to say. I liked staying with him, even if he had a rather strange behavior. It felt like I finally found something I didn't know I was searching for, his mere presence was therapeutic.

Devon empties his glass in one big chug,

"I'd love to stay and chat but I have things to do." He gave a cordial nod, as he exited the table and headed towards the exit.

His attitude all evening was what I could only describe as strange, he gave curt replies all through and seemed rather in a hurry to leave. There was nothing I could do about it though, it's possible that that's just who he is.

I should just be thankful he showed up when he did. My jaw dropped when I saw him and Maria exchange a few words on his way out. I quickly got up from my seat, and hurried towards Maria.

"You know Devon!?"

Maria's face contorted in an obviously feigned state of confusion,

"Who is Devon!" I picked up my pace, finally catching up to Maria who had refused to stop and wait for me.

"That guy you were talking to just now."

Maria headed into the backroom in rather quick steps as she began washing the dirty dishes.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Rachel; I say goodbye to all our regular customers."

My brows furrowed as my suspicions peaked.

"He's not a regular; this is the first time he's been here since I've been working here."

Maria was peeved; her brows furrowed as she glued her eyes to the dishes she was cleaning.

"He stopped coming for a while now; he used to frequent here regularly. That was before you started working here."

I don't know what it was, but I could tell she wasn't being honest. I crossed my arms.

"You are a horrible liar, Maria!"

Maria glared at me, an intense fury in her eyes I hadn't seen before.

"Look, Rachel! I have work to do, and so do you. Stop questioning me and do the job you are being paid to do."

I sighed,

"No need to be so feisty. I met Devon earlier; he seemed distant. I just wanted to get to know him better."

Maria's eyes widened in what I can only describe as horror as she dropped the glass cups in her hands.

"No! Stay away from him; trust me, you don't want to have anything to do with him."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes in disbelief.

"Don't be a drama queen; I already miss him. He's a genuinely nice guy."

Maria came closer to me, her eyes glazed with horror as they narrowed in on mine as she whispered threateningly.

"Devon is one powerful Alpha wolf you don't want to have anything to do with."

My face puzzled as the weight of her words sank in. Alpha wolf, I just met a werewolf.

My jaw dropped, and my face contorted in shock and disbelief.

"You told me I was crazy for believing in those factions. And you've known them all this while?"

Maria's face sterned in further,

"I'm doing this to protect you, Rachel; you don't want to get involved with these factions. Especially Devon, he despises humans."

I couldn't believe it. Maria, who I had known for almost two years since I had worked here, had been lying to me all this time about these factions.

She told me they didn't exist, and she had dealings with them all these years. I clenched my jaw,

"You've been lying to me about these factions."

Maria's face was stern.

"You don't know what you are getting into by mixing up with these factions. You lost your dad to the factions-big fucking deal. Some of us are being chained and forced to deal with them; get away from it all while you still can."

My heart dropped into my stomach as a thought suddenly crept into my head. Immediately escaping through my lips,

"Are you even human? You could be one of them."

Our heads immediately turned to the door as it crept open, and Robert came in, his eyes darting between Maria and me.

"There you too are; the boss has been looking for you too."

Maria and I glared at each other; the fury in her eyes immediately convinced me that Robert knew nothing of it. We exchanged a nod towards each other, immediately agreeing to end the discussions.

We returned to work, and Maria and I exchanged passive, aggressive glares at each other all through our shift.

Underneath all the anger I had towards Maria was a hint of gratitude. All my searches for a lead to the fractions had finally come to an end; I finally had a clue. Who basically presented itself on a platter of gold.

Devon would definitely have something to do with those Factions. Maria said it herself: He was an Alpha, meaning he had a whole pack waiting for his every command. He would be my key to getting those bastards that killed my dad.

That's if he isn't the leader of the anti-human factions I'm searching for; Maria said it herself. He despised humans; he could've been the one who gave the order for my dad to be killed.

If he despised humans so much, then why did he help me? He could've easily looked the other way, like everyone else in the bar did. But he chose to do something about it instead.

I shouldn't be so quick to believe Maria either; she's lied to me for so long about the existence of these factions. What is stopping her from lying about Devon as well? Whether she was lying or exaggerating the truth, it doesn't matter.

All my long search has finally come to fruition; I finally had a clue. Devon. He is going to lead me to the anti-human factions, I'm sure of it. I'll get whatever information I can from him by any means necessary. No matter the cost, I'll do it.