The Alpha Cursed To Love Her

Chapter 1

Nova

"Nova... run. Take Asher with you."

I could still hear my mom's broken voice telling me to escape. Then I blinked and remembered where I really was.

I didn't know how we ended up here. All I knew was that I was locked in a prison cell. They had dragged Asher away the second they threw me inside. I was terrified something bad would happen to him. I crawled into the corner, pulled my knees up, and pressed my face against them. Tears kept falling as I thought about everything that had happened to our family. They attacked us, killed my parents right in front of me, and tried to kill Asher too. It all happened while Weston was gone. And it was because of me. Because of what I am.

My wolf is the rarest kind-a golden wolf. There's only one of us. Ever since I shifted for the first time, my family treated me like the most precious thing in the world. My parents gave their lives so Asher and I could run. People used to say it was a gift from the moon goddess. After everything that happened, I didn't feel like it was a gift at all.

My heart ached when I thought about Weston. He was four years older than me. After our father died, he became the ruler of the North. Everyone called him heartless, but he never was with us. Asher and I were his whole world. He did everything to keep us happy. I was scared of what he would do when he found out. He would paint the whole North red with blood, and I didn't want that for him. He's my brother. I cried harder imagining his gentle face turning into something dark and angry.

Voices outside the cell pulled me back.

"She's beautiful. I want to fuck her. Look at that body."

My whole body started shaking.

"Wait until the general gets here and finishes with her. He always shares after he's done."

Are they seriously talking about raping me? No. I haven't even met my mate yet. No one is touching me except him.

"Yeah, we'll wait. I bet she'll taste good."

What kind of men were these? I wanted to cry. If anyone tried, I would kill them. I had no idea how long I'd been here or where Asher was. It was already getting dark. I needed to find him. I couldn't stand the thought of them hurting him. If anything happened to Asher, I didn't want to keep living.

A guard walked up and stopped between my cell and the next one. I stood up fast and went to the bars.

"Hey... the boy they took with me. Do you know where he is?"

His eyes dragged over my body in a way that made my skin crawl.

"I don't know. Wait for the general."

Fear hit me hard. Had they already done something to Asher? My heart was racing. I just nodded and went back to the corner, burying my face in my hands again. I was hungry, and I knew Asher must be too. I could go without food, but I didn't want him to. Why did our lives turn into this? All because of me. Tears kept falling as I thought about our family. I had to protect Asher no matter what.

Then a scent hit me. I didn't recognize it, but my heart started pounding like crazy. My wolf woke up instantly and focused on it. She didn't speak, but I could feel how nervous she was. The scent got stronger. My wolf grew restless. My own heartbeat was so loud in my ears. I was too scared to lift my head. I had never felt anything like this before.

Footsteps came closer.

'Mate is here. I can feel him. He'll protect us.'

My wolf hadn't spoken to me since we left the North. Back then she wanted to fight and tear their throats out, but I ran instead. Wait... my mate is here? Really? I was finally going to meet him. I wanted to see what he looked like.

I raised my head and met a pair of sparkling green eyes. They were beautiful. The man standing in front of my cell had wet black hair falling over his forehead, a sharp jaw, and thin, sexy lips. He was ridiculously handsome-in a dark, almost devilish way. It looked like he'd just showered. He wore black pants and a black shirt with the top three buttons open, showing a strong chest. I wanted to touch him so badly. He was tall, at least six-foot-three, with a body that looked powerful and solid.

My wolf was practically crying with happiness.

'Our mate is so handsome. He's powerful. He's an alpha. We'll be his Luna.'

He had a strong aura around him-dark and warning people to stay away. Besides my brothers, he was the most handsome man I'd ever seen. I'd spent most of my life inside the palace, but I was sure of it. He had to be a strong alpha. I stood up and smiled at him. He stared at me like he was shocked.

Then I remembered what I must look like right now-dirty, nothing like the princess I used to be. Fear crept in. What if he didn't want me? What if he rejected us? My heart hurt just thinking about it.

'He loves us. He's just shocked by how beautiful we are. Everyone always is,' my wolf said proudly. She knew how beautiful she was.

I walked closer. He growled low, like he was holding his wolf back. His eyes moved over my body, then locked on mine again. I felt nervous and bit my bottom lip, looking away. He growled a second time. I knew it was because I looked away.

'Mate is possessive. He only wants us. Don't look away, Nova. It'll make him sad.'

What was wrong with her? She used to only care about our family and ignore everyone else. Now she was completely different.

'Look at him. He wants our attention.'

I looked up. He was already watching me with something soft in his eyes. Happiness filled me. Then his hand touched my face. Goosebumps ran over my skin. He stroked my cheek with a small smile. I wanted to kiss him so badly.

'Touch his hand. Feel him,' my wolf urged.

I lifted my hand and placed it over his. He stopped for a second, then laced our fingers together with a charming smile. I looked down, blushing hard. He chuckled at that. God, I was so shy.

"How old are you, little mate?" His voice was deep and rough. It made my stomach flip.

I looked up and smiled shyly. "Twenty-one."

I bit my lip again. His eyes dropped to my mouth and he smirked. He was so sexy it was unfair. He just stared at me for a few moments. Then, suddenly, he pulled his hand away. The soft look on his face disappeared and something cold and dangerous took its place. He looked at me like I didn't matter at all. My heart cracked. My wolf let out a small, pained sound.

"Stay away from me. And don't let anyone know you're my useless mate."

Useless? Why? Tears spilled down my cheeks.

"Why? You don't want me?" My voice came out broken. Why did it hurt this much?

'Mate... why?' my wolf howled in pain.

I searched his eyes. They looked empty, but I could see fear in them. My wolf was special-I could usually read people from their eyes-but not him. I could only see pain and fear in those green eyes.

"You're scared... why?" I asked softly.

He froze. Then he turned and walked away without looking back. I sank down to the floor and cried as his scent slowly faded. My wolf was shattered. I clutched my dress because my chest hurt so much. Did that mean he was going to reject us? I asked my wolf, but she was too hurt to answer.

All of a sudden something strange stirred inside me. It felt like something else was waking up after a long sleep-something that wasn't my wolf. Fear rushed through me as the feeling grew stronger... then it faded just as fast. I let out a shaky breath. What was that? I'd never felt it before.

I pushed the thought away and went back to thinking about my mate. My heart started aching all over again.

Chapter 2

Alex

After a long, tiring day I finally got home. Training had taken up the whole day. There wasn't any war coming, but my father always said training was the most important thing. He wanted us to be the strongest wolves, so we did what he wanted. I was covered in sweat, so I went straight to my room, changed, and stepped into the shower.

While the water ran over me, a strong scent hit me out of nowhere. It was so powerful that my wolf went completely restless. My heart started racing like crazy. What the hell was that? I had never felt anything like it inside this palace.

'What is it?' I asked my wolf. He never acted this wild before. He was howling like a mad dog.

'I'm not sure yet... but I think our time has come.'

Our time? For what? I ignored his nonsense, got out of the shower, and started putting on clean clothes. I was buttoning my shirt when the scent got even stronger. I stopped everything. My wolf was howling against my chest like he was losing his mind. I sniffed the air, trying to understand it.

Fuck... vanilla and roses. Damn. That scent... I liked it. No, I loved it. It was the best thing I'd felt in all my twenty-four years.

'Follow the scent,' my wolf ordered.

I was already going to. I left my room fast and followed it. The further I walked, the stronger the vanilla and roses became. My heart was pounding. I felt nervous and a little insane at the same time.

"Did you see her? How can a woman be that gorgeous? I can't believe my eyes."

I stopped when I heard the voices. The scent was strongest here. My wolf howled with pure happiness. I tried asking him why he was so happy, but he ignored me like I didn't matter.

"Yeah, but that kind of beauty will only make her suffer. Don't you think?"

Two men were talking. Who were they calling "her"? Then I realized I had walked all the way down to the basement, to the prison. These had to be guards.

"Yeah. I don't think the general and his men will keep their hands off her. Poor girl."

General? I didn't wait outside. I walked straight in. The moment the two guards saw me, they started shaking.

"Your highness..."

They both greeted me, trying to hide how scared they were. I stared at them for a second.

"New prisoners?"

They looked surprised, then quickly dropped their eyes.

"Yes, your highness."

Everyone was always scared of me. I never understood why. I wasn't that scary... or at least I didn't think so.

"LEAVE."

My wolf suddenly took over and barked the word with pure anger. The two guards ran off without looking back.

'What's wrong with you?' I asked, shocked. He was always dangerous, but usually calm.

'Stop talking and go to her. She's scared.'

Go to her? I was just as nervous as he was. Then it hit me... was this about our mate?

I didn't waste another second. I walked deeper into the dark hallway. The scent was so close now it made my wolf completely lose it. I passed three cells and stopped in front of the fourth.

I looked inside. My wolf howled with pure joy.

'Mate... our mate... MINE.'

She was sitting in the corner, knees pulled up, face buried in her hands. Then she lifted her head and looked straight at me.

Fuck.

I forgot how to breathe for a second. Those guards had definitely been talking about her. She stood up and smiled at me. That smile made my heart race even faster. Baby-blue eyes, soft cherry lips, a perfect face. Her copper-colored hair fell all the way to her mid-thighs. How could anyone be this beautiful? Her beauty could make seven kingdoms fall to their knees. My eyes moved over her body-soft curves, everything perfect. The moon goddess had given my little mate everything.

My wolf wanted to break free and claim her right there, but I held him back. He still let out a low growl when she looked at me.

'Mark her. Make her ours. She's our Luna... our everything.'

This was the first time my wolf had ever acted like this. Where did the cold, heartless version of him go?

She was blushing. Shy. I smiled. Then she looked away, and that made me growl again. She quickly looked back, still biting her bottom lip. She was so damn cute. My heart softened just watching her.

Without thinking, I reached out and touched her face. Her skin was soft under my fingers.

'Mate is so beautiful. I'm already in love with her. She's special,' my wolf said like a lovesick puppy.

Then she placed her small hand over mine. I froze for a second. She looked up at me with a questioning expression. My heart melted again. I smiled and laced our fingers together. She blushed harder, and I chuckled.

"How old are you, little mate?"

She looked up and smiled. "Twenty-one."

Her voice was sweet. This little angel was shy. I kept looking at her... then everything else came rushing back into my mind. My heart twisted. I pulled my hand away fast. My whole mood changed as I remembered how my father had killed my second brother's mate.

'Don't... you're hurting her,' my wolf whispered, letting out a small, pained sound.

I looked at her. Hurt filled those beautiful eyes. But I couldn't let anyone know she was my mate. If my father found out, he would kill her. And I was already supposed to get engaged to another woman-someone my father chose. I had to push her away. I didn't want her to die. She was mine.

"Stay away from me. And don't let anyone know you're my useless mate."

I couldn't believe those words came out of my mouth. Tears filled her eyes. No... she wasn't useless. I already liked her. My chest ached at the look on her face. Fuck. What did I just do?

"Why? You don't want me?" Her voice cracked.

My wolf howled inside me, hurting because she was hurting. I felt the same pain, but I couldn't risk her life. Fear hit me hard at the thought of losing her.

She stared into my eyes like she was searching for something.

"You're scared... why?"

My whole body froze. She was reading my eyes. How? No one had ever been able to do that.

'I told you she's special. Our mate is special. It's our job to protect her.'

She was right. Normal wolves couldn't read eyes like that. My mind was a mess. I couldn't stay there any longer. I turned and left without looking back. I heard her soft sobs as I walked away. I ran out of the basement. By the time I reached the top, I was covered in sweat.

I was about to head to my room when I heard my father's voice.

"Alex. Where were you?"

Fear shot through me. I had never been this scared of him before.

"I went to check on things," I said simply, hoping he wouldn't ask more.

"Alright. I was looking for you. Come with me."

He turned and walked away. I followed. He led me to the study.

"It's about your engagement, Alex."

My heart sank the moment he said the word. All I could see was her face. How was I supposed to be with another woman after meeting my mate?

He handed me a picture. A blonde woman with a big smile looked back at me. Something about her already felt wrong.

"She's Camille. Beautiful, isn't she?"

Beautiful? I almost laughed. If she was beautiful, then what was my mate? An angel? A goddess?

'Ugly as hell. Can't even compare to our little beauty,' my wolf said with pure disgust. I completely agreed.

"I think you like her. That's good," my father said with a smile.

Like her? Not a chance.

"Your engagement will be at the end of next month. You have almost two months."

What the fuck? I didn't want this. My heart was hurting, but I forced the feeling down. Then a thought hit me.

"What happens if her mate shows up?"

My father frowned. "She likes you. She already rejected her mate for you."

She rejected her mate? What kind of woman does that? A complete bitch. For me? What a joke. But I didn't argue. I just nodded and left the room.

My mind stayed full of my little mate's face. So damn gorgeous. I swore to myself I would protect her. Even if my father found a thousand other women, I would only love her. My heart would belong to her forever.

I went to my room and lay on the bed. I kept thinking about her-pretty, cute... and the way I had made her cry. That part hurt the most.

I couldn't sleep. It was already two in the morning. I kept trying to figure out how to keep her safe without hurting her more.

Suddenly a sharp pain tore through my chest. My wolf went crazy.

'Mate... mate is scared. She needs help!'

I forgot about my own pain, jumped out of bed, and ran. The closer I got to the basement, the worse the pain became, but my wolf's strength kept me moving. There were no guards anywhere. I raced down the dark hallway.

When I reached her cell, I froze.

What the fuck was happening?

Chapter 3

Alex

My wolf let out a loud, furious growl the second the general's eyes landed on me. Fucking bastard. He was only in his boxers, tearing at my woman's clothes. Her hands were tied with his belt and his shirt was stuffed in her mouth. My heart ached looking at her. Tears filled her beautiful eyes. Her smooth, fair skin was exposed. She looked at me with hope, but the tears kept falling. She was still struggling to get free.

My blood boiled. How dare he?

My wolf growled again, even more dangerous this time. The general scrambled off her body, shaking with fear. Old bastard.

"Y-your highness..." His voice trembled.

I didn't even want to look at him. My eyes stayed on my mate.

"Fucking bastard. HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY MATE?"

My wolf was beyond furious. Before the general could say another word, I snapped his neck. His body dropped to the floor, lifeless. I couldn't control the anger. Was it because of her tears? I didn't fully understand what was happening to me, but I knew one thing-I didn't want anything bad to happen to this woman. She was innocent.

Remembering the way she had smiled at me earlier made some of the rage fade for both me and my wolf. Then I looked at her again and my heart stopped. Horror filled her eyes. Had I scared her? The thought made my chest hurt. I never wanted her to be afraid of me.

'Mate is scared. Her body is weak. She needs food,' my wolf said, worried. They probably hadn't given her anything to eat or drink.

'Is she scared of us?' I asked.

He growled. 'Everything happened because you left her.'

He was right. But how was I supposed to protect her from my father? I could love her and take care of her, but if he found out... I was terrified of what he would do.

'Untie her, idiot.'

I stepped closer. Tears were still rolling down her face, and each one felt like a knife in my chest. I knelt in front of her and carefully untied her hands and removed the shirt from her mouth. Her face was pale.

The second she was free, she threw her arms around me and held on tight. I thought she would be scared of me after watching me kill someone, but she buried her face against my chest and cried harder. I felt her hot tears soak through my shirt. I kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back slowly. Her clothes were torn, so my hands brushed against her bare shoulder and back. Why did I suddenly want to kiss her? Shit.

'Mate is depending on us. Comfort her... mmm,' my wolf moaned.

I knew why. Feeling her body against mine felt good to both of us. She was trembling, and I stayed still, not wanting to move away. She felt like a drug. Finally the crying stopped and she lifted her head. Fuck, she was so gorgeous. I gently wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Are you okay?"

My own voice surprised me. It came out so soft and gentle. What are you doing to me, little mate?

"Mmm... I... I want to see my brother. They took him away."

Her eyes got watery again.

"Who took him? The guards?" I asked, then kissed her forehead. She blushed and looked down. I chuckled at how cute she was.

"Yeah. Asher... He's fifteen. Blue eyes and dark brown hair."

Before I could answer, someone called my name.

"Alex?"

It was Kelvin, my beta and best friend. The most trusted man I had. He stared at me in shock, then his eyes landed on the woman in my arms. He held his breath. I knew he was struck by her beauty, and I didn't like it. A low growl left my throat without me meaning to. Kelvin looked even more shocked.

"Is... is she your mate?" His voice shook a little.

I had no choice. I nodded. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"We'll get through this, okay?" he said as he walked closer. He understood me better than anyone.

"Yeah."

He smiled, then suddenly noticed the general's dead body.

"What the fuck? Did you kill him? What the actual fuck?"

I had expected that reaction. I quickly pulled off my shirt, wrapped it around my little mate, and stood up with her in my arms.

"Clean this mess up. Don't leave any evidence. And find the boy named Asher-blue eyes, brown hair, fifteen years old. Take him with you."

I left Kelvin standing there in shock and carried her out. On the way to my room I felt small fingers trailing lightly along the back of my neck. It felt really good. I looked down at her and she quickly hid her face against my chest. I almost laughed.

"You're touching me without permission, hmm?" I whispered near her ear.

She giggled into my chest, then peeked up at me.

"You're mine. Aren't you?"

Fuck. Was she trying to kill me? She already owned me. We hadn't even spent an hour together and I was already hers. What a cute little woman.

'Yeah, we belong to her. My little lady. I love her,' my wolf said, completely lovesick again.

"Is that so?" I chuckled. She bit her bottom lip and rested her chin on my shoulder. It felt nice.

No one was around, so it was easy to get her to my room. I carried her inside, set her on the bed, and locked the door. She looked up at me with big puppy eyes. This woman was going to be the death of me one day.

"I want to take a bath," she said with a small, sad smile. She was covered in sweat and dirt.

"Okay. Wait for me."

I went into the bathroom and filled the tub with warm water. When I came back out she was still sitting on the bed like an obedient little girl. Being around her felt strangely comfortable. She smiled and stood up.

"I'll bring you some food," I said, kissing her forehead before leaving the room.

Only then did I remember I wasn't wearing a shirt. Whatever. I headed to the kitchen. Two maids were chatting. I ignored them, went to the fridge, and pulled out what I needed for porridge. The second they noticed me they jumped up in fear.

Why is everyone always so scared of me?

'Maybe because of the way you kill people,' my wolf muttered. I shut him out. Annoying dog.

"Your highness," they greeted, still terrified.

I sighed. "Go to sleep. I'll handle this myself."

They hesitated, but one look from me and they left. I made chicken rice porridge-the only thing I actually knew how to cook. It took about twenty minutes. I carried the bowl upstairs with a glass of orange juice.

When I walked into the room, my little mate was sitting on the bed in the same spot, now wearing one of my shirts. Her eyes lit up when she saw me.

"I took your shirt from the cupboard. I didn't touch anything else, just this," she explained quickly, looking completely honest.

She was clearly well-raised. Her manners, her kind smile-everything about her made my heart race. She looked so beautiful in my dark blue shirt. Her wet hair hung over her shoulders and her lips were red. The shirt was huge on her small frame, so her collarbone showed, and her skin was a little pink from the warm bath. My body reacted hard just looking at her. I forced myself to ignore it and set the food down beside her.

"You made this for me?" she asked with a bright smile.

My mind almost short-circuited.

"No," I said flatly, trying to keep some distance.

"Liar. Look at your hands." Her tone was playful.

Cuts and water stains. Yeah... it gave me away.

"What's your name, little mate?" I asked. I hadn't even gotten the chance to ask earlier.

"Nova... Nova Anderson," she said with a sad little smile.

I could tell something bad had happened to her, but I didn't want to push. So I didn't ask.

"Alex Vermilion," I told her.

She looked up. "I know. I heard him say it."

She noticed everything, huh?

"Eat now," I said, sitting down next to her.

She sighed. "My little brother is starving. I can't eat." She was biting her lip, holding back tears.

"Kelvin will take care of him. Please eat, my lady."

I stroked her wet hair. She nodded and finally started eating.

"It's delicious... You'll make this for me every day, okay?"

Her eyes sparkled. I couldn't help smiling. I nodded. She leaned in and kissed my cheek with the sweetest smile.

How was I going to protect this little woman? She was mine now. I would protect her no matter what.