Sold to the Cursed Alpha

Raven's Point of View

The forest was just as I remembered it, calm, familiar, and alive with that quiet kind of magic only a werewolf could feel. I inhaled deeply as I crossed the border into Hallowed Pine, the scent of earth and pine wrapping around me like a warm blanket. It had been years since I walked this path. Three years to be exact, three years of agonizing pain of not being able to shift.

The training was grueling. Medical school on its own was already a battlefield, but when you added combat drills, field healing in full shift, and the pressure of representing your pack at one of the top academies, it became something else entirely, but I made it through. I graduated, got certified and licensed. For three years, I endured so much and now I am finally home.

The clinic would be mine soon enough, just like I promised Dad. And just like Alpha River promised me. He was my mate and my future.

He believed in me before anyone else did, and even though I hadn't seen him yet, I knew he'd be waiting when the time was right.

The path opened into the main clearing. The buildings were just how I left them, some touched up, a few with fresh paint, but everything still held the bones of home. I passed the warrior post and caught a few curious glances. I guess word hadn't spread yet.

A young male stepped out from the side of the pack house, pausing mid-step when he saw me. His eyes widened, and then he smiled, a bit too big for someone who was trying to play it cool.

"You're Raven, right?" he called out.

I nodded. "That obvious?"

He laughed, jogging over. He couldn't have been more than sixteen or seventeen, all lanky limbs and teenage energy. His aura was faintly Alpha, just enough to make me pause.

"I'm Kellan," he said. "I'm Alpha River's cousin. He's not here yet, but he told me to keep an eye out for you."

Of course he did.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't think the Alpha would send a kid for something this important."

He straightened a little at that, puffing up with pride. "I'm not a kid. I'm his future beta in training."

That made me smile.

"Well then, Beta-in-training Kellan, I appreciate the welcome."

He beamed, clearly pleased with himself.

"We're all really excited to have you back, you know. People still talk about your dad like he's some kind of legend. They say you've got his hands."

I blinked at that, more touched than I expected to be.

"I hope I do."

He gestured toward the pack house.

"Come on, I'll help you get settled. River said you could take the East wing until your place is ready. I can show you the clinic too, if you want."

I glanced back toward the trees one last time, feeling my wolf stir with anticipation.

"No need," I said, adjusting the strap of my bag. "I know my way, Kellan but thank you."

My wolf was enthusiastic, both of us were excited because this wasn't just my homecoming, it was the start of something bigger. I wasn't here to rest. I was here to work, to serve, to take my place beside my mate,not just as Luna, but as the next pack doctor.

And I was ready.

Kellan meant well, but I knew River better than he did.

"He's not here yet," he said.

Right. At seven in the morning, when River practically growled at the sun every time it dared to wake him early? Not a chance.

So instead of heading straight for the pack house, I veered off toward a smaller trail lined with smooth stones and overgrown grass. It led to River's place, the Alpha's personal residence. Private, quiet, tucked between thick pine trees that hid it from most of the village paths. Not many bothered him here.

I slowed as I reached the porch. The steps still creaked like they used to, but I avoided the loud one near the third plank. I knew every corner of this place. Every groove in the railing, every mark in the wood from when we were too reckless with training weapons or careless with late-night drinks.

The door was unlocked. Of course it was. River always said no one was stupid enough to rob an Alpha. I pushed it open, slow and careful, making sure it didn't creak.

The house was dim, the curtains weren't drawn yet, and the faint smell of pinewood and cedar lingered, his scent. Gods, I missed it more than I wanted to admit.

My boots barely made a sound as I stepped inside. The living room was exactly the same. Couch still slightly sunken in on the right side where River always sat, a half-finished book on the table, and an old training jacket tossed carelessly over a chair. Typical.

I was about to call out his name, maybe to tease him for sending his kid cousin to lie for him, when I heard it.

A sound. It was faint that a human wouldn't catch it. I listened and then there it was a giggle. Soft and it belongs to a female.

I froze.

My wolf tensed beneath my skin, ears perked and alert. I took another step, more cautious this time. The sound hadn't come from the main floor. Upstairs, in his room.

A million things raced through my head, but I forced them down. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe someone came by to talk. Maybe Kellan had been right and River really wasn't home and-

No. River's scent was fresh, warm, alive in this house. He was here. And someone else was, too.

I moved without sound, climbing the stairs like a ghost. Each footstep was placed with precision. No creaks. No warning.

The door to his room was cracked open just slightly, light slipping through the gap. I stepped closer and paused, listening. Another giggle. Then a voice. It was too soft to make out, and then River's. His voice, low, gruff, laced with something I couldn't quite place. Not playful, not exactly... happy either, but intimate.

I stood there, my fingers brushing the doorframe, heart beating slower than normal but harder with each pulse. I didn't move. I didn't speak. I just listened.

Whatever was waiting behind that door... it wasn't what I expected to find on the morning I finally came home.

I should've turned around the second I heard the giggle. I should've ignored the instinct, walked away, and gone straight to the pack house like a sane person. But I couldn't. My wolf wouldn't let me. So I pushed the door open quietly.

And my world stopped.

Reina, my sister, even when her back was to me, I knew it was her. Her hands were on River's chest, her head thrown back in a soft, breathless moan. She was on top of him, bare, moving with a slow rhythm I couldn't unsee no matter how hard I wanted to. Her skin flushed, her hair a mess of dark curls spilling down over his face.

And River, my mate, was beneath her. Kissing her. Holding her. His eyes closed. His jaw was tight, like he was trying to lose himself in the moment, like he wanted this.

I didn't make a sound. I couldn't.

It was like all the air had been sucked out of the room and replaced with ice. My heart didn't even have the decency to race; it just... dropped. Flat and cold.

Reina turned slightly, maybe sensing something. Her gaze met mine over her shoulder. She froze. River's eyes snapped open a second later.

He saw me.

The way his entire body went still told me everything I needed to know.

This wasn't a mistake. It wasn't some accidental, drunken slip. This had been happening. And he knew exactly what it was. I didn't speak. Not a single word.

There was nothing to say.

I stepped back, slow and deliberate. My hand left the door frame like it burned me. And then I walked away. Down to the stairs and out the front door. Going back into the cool morning air that no longer smelled like home.

My legs moved on instinct, but my thoughts were silent. Numb. The bond between us, the one I had protected, cherished, and trusted, had snapped.

Not frayed but snapped and in ruins.

I didn't cry. Not yet. My wolf was too stunned. My body was too rigid. I walked like a soldier retreating from a battlefield I hadn't even known I was losing.

They didn't come after me. That said everything. I didn't hear him approach, but I felt him. That tug in my chest, the bond, or whatever was left of it, tightened the moment River stepped into the clearing. I didn't turn around. I couldn't. I was afraid of what I'd see in his face. Guilt? Regret? Or worse the lies

"Raven."

His voice was low, almost cautious. Like he already knew I wouldn't make this easy for him. I stood in front of the old tree behind the pack clinic, where he first kissed me as a teenager when we learned we were mates. Now, it felt like a tombstone.

"Don't," I said, without looking at him. "Don't say my name like it still means something to you."

"I didn't want you to find out like that."

I turned slowly, the wind catching my hair, my eyes burning.

"But you still let it happen," I said. "You let her take everything that was mine."

River flinched, but he didn't deny it.

"I never planned for this, Raven. I swear to you, it just... happened. Things got complicated while you were gone."

"Complicated?" I laughed, bitter. "That's what you're calling sleeping with my sister behind my back? Complicated?"

His jaw clenched.

"You left."

"I left to build something for us! For the pack!" I snapped. "To train. To get my license. To take my father's place, like we planned. Like you promised."

"I know," he murmured, almost too quietly. I stared at him for a long moment, heart thudding against my ribs like a war drum. "How long?" I asked.

River's brows furrowed.

"What?"

I stepped forward.

"How long were you cheating on me?"

His eyes flickered, pain, shame, hesitation, and that was all the answer I needed.

"River," I said again, slower this time, daring him to lie.

"Almost a year," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper.

A year.

I blinked, taking a step back like the words had physically struck me.

"Why?" I choked. "Why her? Why my sister?"

His silence said everything before his words could reach me.

"She was here. You weren't. The pack needed a Luna, and Reina...she stepped in," he said. "At first, it was just duty. But then things changed. I changed. She helped carry the weight when I was at my breaking point. And then-"

"Don't," I whispered. "Don't you dare turn this into a love story."

His expression darkened, like he knew he deserved that.

"There's more," he said carefully.

I looked away, but he kept speaking.

"She's pregnant."

The world blurred.

"What?" I breathed.

River looked down, rubbing the back of his neck.

"We weren't trying, but it happened. I found out two weeks ago."

"And that's it, then?" I asked, voice raw. "You chose her over me, your mate."

He nodded.

"I had to."

"No," I said, sharp and broken. "You wanted to. Don't pretend this was some noble sacrifice. You chose her, River. While I was gone, busting my ass to become the Luna you said this pack needed, you replaced me!"

He didn't answer.

That silence screamed louder than anything he could've said.

I stared at him, at the man I once thought I'd spend my life with, and felt something inside me crack. Not just the bond. Not just my trust. But the illusion that this place, this mate, had ever truly been mine.

"Congratulations, Alpha," I said coldly. "I hope she was worth it."

And then I walked away. Not stumbling and broken. He didn't follow, so I called Hennessy and told her to meet me at the Cave. We're going wild tonight.

-

The bass hit like a heartbeat, loud, steady, alive. "Cave" looked like every other upscale club tucked into the heart of the city, all neon haze and expensive drinks, but beneath the surface, it was made for wolves like us. Most humans didn't even know what they were walking into.

It didn't matter.

I didn't come here for the music. Or the crowd. Or the sleek interior with its hidden scent barriers and padded walls built to handle a wolf's temper.

I came here to fall apart and to cry my heart out.

Hennesy found me at the bar, just like she always did. My oldest friend, my anchor, and more like a sister to me than Reina. She didn't ask why I was already two shots in with a third on the way; she already knew.

"He did what?" she asked, wide-eyed, after I finally stopped talking.

I wiped my face, too tired to care about appearances. "Reina betrayed me, and he got her pregnant, Hen. While I was gone, training for a future that didn't even exist anymore."

Her lips thinned into a hard line. "I'll rip his throat out."

I let out a short, humorless laugh. "Get in line."

The night blurred after that. The drinks kept coming. I danced a little. Maybe too much. I screamed along to a song I barely knew, and then cried in the bathroom like a girl who'd never been broken before. Hennessey tried to take me home twice, but I told her I needed a few more minutes. She could go home. Even though she was hesitant, I told her I could manage.

Big mistake.

I stepped outside just past midnight, still dizzy, still clutching my jacket like armor. The alley behind the club was dim and quiet, too quiet. I should've known better.

I didn't even smell them until it was too late.

A van screeched behind me, tires scraping against wet pavement. Shadows moved fast, two men, maybe three. No pack scent and no warning.

"What the-" I staggered back, instincts kicking in too late.

Hands grabbed my arms. I fought hard. Threw a punch. Caught one of them in the jaw. But I was off-balance, off rhythm, and drunk.

One of them hit me. Not hard enough to knock me out, but enough to send me to my knees.

"Get her in the van," one of them muttered.

I screamed, but the music inside drowned me out. My wolf howled in rage, but I couldn't shift, couldn't focus. Everything spun. My limbs were heavy.

I fought until my vision blurred, claws tearing through my fingertips, but not fast enough.

They dragged me in.

The doors slammed shut.

And then everything went black.

Keeran's POV

The office was quiet, too quiet for the weight hanging in the air.

Outside, the city bustled like nothing was wrong. But inside, I was suffocating under the pressure of a curse no one dared speak too loudly about.

Liam stood near the shelves, arms crossed, giving me that look. The one who said he'd already rehearsed this conversation a dozen times before bringing it to me.

"Just say it," I muttered without looking up.

"You're almost thirty," he said carefully. "The Elders are restless. The pack's starting to think if you're going to take a Luna."

I exhaled sharply through my nose.

"Why does it matter? All she-wolves are the same. They want the same damn thing."

He didn't argue because it was damn true.

The curse had haunted my bloodline for generations, silent, cruel, and unbreakable. It skipped around like a shadow, unpredictable and unrelenting. My great-grandfather died without ever finding his mate. So did my uncle. And now it was me.

I turned 28 two years ago. And the older I got, the more the bondless ache in my chest grew sharper. My wolf was restless. Starved. He wanted his mate, and she was nowhere.

I'd searched. I had combed through pack alliances, open territories, and even rogue outskirts. Nothing. No scent, no pull. No instinct that told me she existed at all. That's when I knew I inherited that damn curse.

"I'm not just single," I said flatly. "I'm fated to be alone. That's what the curse is."

Liam leaned against the wall, his voice low.

"And what happens if you never find her?"

I turned from the window, meeting his gaze.

"Then I lead alone. I die alone. And this pack will outlive me like it did the rest of my family."

He didn't like that answer, but we both knew it was the truth.

"You've built everything with your own hands, Keeran. You've never needed a Luna to prove your worth. The pack respects you."

"But I'm not an immortal. I wouldn't be here forever. That's why I need an heir," I cut in.

He didn't reply.

I stepped away from the window, tension building behind my ribs. I admire Liam still not cowering in fear despite my temper.

"Then I should probably train one of my nephews," I said,

Liam gave a short nod.

"Is that your final decision, Alpha?"

"Do I have a choice? It's not like I'll find a she-wolf that doesn't want power and money. It's not like there's a she-wolf who doesn't know me."

The weight of the curse didn't just hang over me, it pressed in every time I closed my eyes. I was running out of options. But Liam, ever the opportunist, had that sly smile again. The kind that made you suspicious even when you wanted to trust him.

"You know," he said, leaning against the edge of my desk with a casual air, "there are ways to get what you want without waiting for fate to decide."

I raised an eyebrow, folding my arms.

"I don't want to buy a mate."

He chuckled softly.

"It's not as... crude as it sounds. I have contacts. People who deal in rare things, wolves from distant packs like Asia and Africa, unclaimed or rogue. If you're serious about having an heir even with this curse, I can find you a mate who fits your needs."

I frowned for a bit and looked at him. He was serious.

"I don't want someone near the pack. I don't want a Luna who's tied to local politics or baggage."

Liam nodded, unfazed.

"Understandable. I can source her from anywhere. Maybe a remote northern territory, maybe an isolated rogue group. No strings attached, just what you want. Healthy, strong, compatible."

I studied his face for a moment. There was no malice, just cold efficiency.

"Are you saying this is... legal?" I asked.

"Legal enough," Liam said with a smirk. "No paper trail. No pack drama. Just a clean deal. You pay, I deliver."

I let out a breath, knowing that desperation was creeping in where resolve used to be.

"Show me what you've got."

Liam's smile widened.

"That's the spirit."

The casino lights were all for show.

Flashy. Loud. Distracting. Designed to make humans feel like they were on top of the world, drunk on adrenaline. I didn't even glance at the tables.

Liam was already waiting by the bar, nursing a glass of something amber. He straightened when he saw me, tossing a nod toward the back hallway.

"It's about to start, Alpha."

I followed him past the velvet rope and through a door guarded by a man whose eyes told me he wasn't human, and that he didn't need to be to break someone in half. No one stopped us. No one even spoke.

Down the corridor, the lights dimmed. The music has faded. What looked like a service elevator opened with a soft chime. Once inside, Liam pressed a small brass key into a hidden panel behind the floor buttons. The elevator dropped not up, not to another floor below, or underground.

I felt the shift in the air the moment we passed beneath the casino's shell. The scent changed, no more stale alcohol and sweat. Down here, it was sterile.

Liam adjusted his suit jacket.

"They're cycling through southern regions tonight. Mostly unregistered wolves, low-profile. We're not looking for drama. You said you wanted someone distant. Someone clean."

I nodded but didn't respond.

My gut twisted. I didn't like this. I didn't like the idea of buying someone who didn't even know what she was being pulled into. But this wasn't about love. This wasn't about romance. This was about surviving a curse that refused to loosen its grip.

The elevator opened into a wide, dimly lit gallery. Velvet drapes. Private booths. Security on every corner.

The auction house was built like a theatre, grand, opulent, and predatory.

A woman in black greeted us.

"Alpha Keeran. Your seat is ready."

I followed her down the aisle while Liam walked beside me like this was just another business meeting.

We slipped into a private booth lined with smoked glass and silence. The lights were low enough that no one could see us clearly from below, but I had a perfect view of the platform at the center.

Liam leaned in slightly.

"Just watch. If one catches your eye, signal me. You don't have to commit. Not unless you feel something."

I didn't answer.

Because a part of me hoped I wouldn't feel anything at all.

And the other part was terrified that I might.