The Cursed Bride

They were going to kill her.

Nyra paused to catch her breath but the sound of footsteps approaching made her start running once more. She didn't even bother to turn around to see how close they were.

The Lycans were a supernatural breed of creatures that had more special abilities than she could imagine. She'd heard of their speed and strength, and knew there were more wicked things to them from the whispers in the town.

That's why she knew running was futile. The three Lycans that were following her were still catcalling as they walked, a casual ease to their chase. She knew if they wanted to, they would have her head in a matter of seconds, but instead, they were drawing this out. Enjoying the hunt like she was some sort of prey.

"Come on, Red," One of them leered, his voice echoing in the dense silence of the forest she'd stumbled into. "We just want to talk."

The sun had begun to set mere moments ago but it was already getting dark. She sent up a prayer of gratitude that it wasn't a full moon tonight, or else she was as good as dead.

Stupid. She felt so stupid for even being here. For letting herself even get caught in this situation. She should've gone back home with everyone else after the festival ended.

All the humans in Chaolsen, young and old alike, knew better than to hang around outside past sunset, especially this close to the full moon. Yet she'd defied that rule today when she had hung back to take down some of the decorations.

Why hadn't she just left it until tomorrow? Her breathing was becoming strained now as she leaned against a tree, panting harder than ever, and remembering the stern warning her aunt and best friend had given her before they'd left. She had been going stall to stall, making things easier for her tomorrow when the three Lycans had shown up. All too late, she looked around and realised she was the only human left in the square.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. The voice in her voice echoed as the sound of footsteps trampling on the fallen leaves on the forest floor got even louder.

"Where are you?" One of them called out in a singsong tone, his voice even more menacing in the dead silence.

"Don't worry, human. We won't hurt you."

A trickle of fear ran through her body as she turned her head, feeling herself freeze at the sight of their silhouettes just a few feet away. She willed her body to run but something about their approach made her suddenly feel like a deer caught in headlights with no chance of escape.

She was an idiot. That was something her family, and her best friend, had said several times but today it was confirmed. Why did she run into the forest, and not towards the town where people could save her? How stupid was she?

Chaolsen had a running peace treaty between the Lycans and the humans who lived there. They had their own parts of the town, and while the Lycans mingled freely in human territory, the humans never dared to step foot on the Lycan side.

It was a tentative peace they had shared after years of endless feuds and petty bloodshed. No Lycan had hurt a human since it had been set in place and no human would even think of attacking a Lycan. At least, not until today.

"There you are." The tall one sneered as they came ever closer. A wicked grin was plastered on each of their faces and Nyra felt her heart sink. She was going to die. This was it.

In a moment, they were all around her, surrounding her and making the trapped air in her chest burn as she struggled against her rising panic. Of all the times to have a panic attack, this had to be the worst.

Nyra tried to take one step back but her back was already against the tree and with the Lycans crowding her from the front and both sides, she had nowhere left to run.

She could feel the tightness in her chest becoming even more painful but she still defiantly looked at the lead man and rasped, "Please...help! Somebody!!..." She managed to let out a scream at the last word. Her legs gave way and she sank to the ground as the sound of their boisterous laughter boomed through the woods around her.

Nyra kept her eyes on the ground, trying to focus on her breathing and to think of a plan. Anything. She couldn't die today. Not like this.

Just then, she heard a quick flurry of steps and the three pairs of feet standing around her were gone. Confused and slightly terrified by the quick sequence, Nyra looked up and met a dark gaze piercing into her.

The sun had finally set, and the last of its radiance cast an ethereal glow over the stranger who was wearing a dark coat that seemed to stretch across his muscular frame. Tourist season had been and gone in Chaolsen, but he had to be one. She was definitely sure she had never seen this man before.

His face was one she would remember. He looked like a modern day Adonis with his wavy dark hair, angular cheekbones and a sharp jaw, but it was his eyes that made it impossible for her to look away. Dark eyes that reminded her of a moonless night. Eyes that seemed to strip her bare, burrowing into her soul.

Nyra didn't know how much time passed with the two of them regarding each other silently. Then, just as quickly as he had shown up, he was kneeling before her. All thoughts of the Lycans who had been terrorising her, and of the world around her had faded away. Nothing seemed to exist but the man who stood a few breaths away from her.

He reached out a hand and her breathing stilled, her heartbeat racing as he curled it around a lock of her red hair, tugging slightly then gently caressing. He seemed mesmerized by it as though he'd never seen anything like it. "Flames," He said, voice husky and deep, the timbre of it making her shudder. "The sunset turns your hair into glistening flames. It's fascinating."

"What?" She managed to say, trying to get her voice clear and her thoughts in order. Why was she having such a visceral reaction to this stranger? She'd met lots of handsome tourists but none of them had ever made her feel so...

"Electric." The stranger said, his eyes darkening impossibly more. He moved his face closer to her and quietly inhaled. "That scent." He growled and moved his face back again. "What is that impossible scent?"

Nyra felt herself bound in place. She tried to get herself to move away but her traitorous body moved closer to him. She'd never felt so attracted to someone before.

Distantly she could hear alarm bells in her head, but they turned off when his hand moved from her hair to rest on her cheek, setting off a thunderclap that ran through her. They both gasped and moved back, as though they'd been burned.

The man gave her another once-over, the look in his eyes now turning wary.

Before Nyra could open her mouth to ask him the words that were at the tip of her tongue, the three Lycan men appeared out of nowhere surrounding him and immediately bowed their heads. ''Alpha, we found the girl,'' they echoed in unison, coming to him with equal looks of concern.

Nyra felt her heart drop and she moved back until her back hit the wall as she watched the man-the male Lycan, the Alpha King-stand up to address them. They instantly raised their heads but that look of reverence was obvious in the way they regarded him.

The Alpha King. Of course. How could she have not realised? It was clear now with the way he held himself and the stillness with which he moved that he was not human. She had been so stupid allowing herself to get swept up by a Lycan, their Alpha no less.

But wait...found the girl? What did they mean by that?

Nyra wasn't sure what they meant, but she didn't want to find out. Her eyes darted round, waiting for the right moment to escape, but the Alpha followed her every glance. His lips were curved in a smirkish smile, and then he said;

"You are coming with me." He spoke matter-of-factly, as though she had no choice but to obey,

Nyra scoffed, emerald eyes blazing now., her body feeling repulsed for being attracted to him, to be attracted to a kind she detested down to her bones. "I would never go anywhere with you."

There was a moment of silence, and then an amused laugh left his lips;

''I wasn't asking,'' he said, and with a flicker of his hand, the guards moved instantly and Nyra's world faded to black.

Nyra opened her eyes slowly, feeling groggy. She found herself in a brightly lit room. It seemed like something from a medieval time or a historical movie, the stone walls were adorned with tapestries in regal jade tones, with a large canopy bed that was right in front of a massive fireplace. There was scarcely any other furniture-the room was basically vacant, save for an armoire by the wall and an ottoman by the window.

It was morning. Fear and rage began to build up inside her again as she realized what had just happened. Somehow, the Alpha King had kidnapped her and brought her with him, and she had spent the whole night in this place!

She had never been to the Lycan part of town, but the rumors had always implied that the Alpha had a large estate all to himself. The previous king had used it to throw parties and large banquets, but this one had kicked out all the others and stayed there alone. He was far too cold and heartless for parties. Even to the humans, it was a well-known fact that the Alpha was a recluse and barely ever left his estate.

Yet he was at the festival, Nyra thought to herself, trying to collect the thoughts buzzing through her head. Why would he even be there in the first place? It was true that the Lycans were free to attend, but not once before had the Alpha been present.

She remembered the moment she first took him in and their eyes met-the way the world around her had faded away as she stood before him. How his eyes held hers and made her skin ignite with...something. It had almost seemed as though he had come for her. But why would he?

Realizing that she was only getting more confused the more she thought about it, Nyra got up, reaching a hand out to steady herself on the bed, she moved to the window to figure out where she was, but the scene before her took her breath away.

Acres of lush trees stretched out before her, and directly before them was a garden with an array of colorful flowers. It was all so beautiful-too beautiful to be locked up in this manner, only to be seen by the brute of an Alpha King.

Wait, she thought, pausing to think again. Why would he bring me here?

"It doesn't make any sense."

Nyra didn't realize she had spoken the words aloud until she heard her voice echo in the silence of the room, and then she heard a reply. "What doesn't make sense?"

She spun around to find the Alpha leaning against the doorframe, his face devoid of expression and those dark eyes boring into her again. Despite herself, she felt the same thrill as before-something in her that felt compelled to go closer to him, something that made her skin feel like it was being ignited.

"What doesn't make sense, human?" the Alpha repeated, and the words broke her out of her trance.

"You!" she seethed, stalking toward him. "You...you beast! You brute!" She yelled, standing in front of him. "You kidnapped me!"

He raised an eyebrow and gave her a blank look before pushing himself off the door. The gesture brought him to his full height, and once more, he towered over her. Nyra reflexively took a step back and immediately hated herself for it.

The Alpha seemed more intimidating today. His broad shoulders and muscular frame were accentuated by the olive turtleneck he wore. His curly black hair was even more unruly, and something about it made her want to run her fingers through it. Her eyes traveled down his thick eyebrows, and just like the day before, she got stuck on his eyes. Somehow the olive color made them seem even darker today, making it even more impossible to look away.

He took another step toward her, but this time, she held her ground. "You are afraid of me," he said, noting the way she was holding herself still, fists clenched tightly, and the sharp way her breathing had changed. "But you seem determined to pretend otherwise. Why is that?"

"Because I detest you, you brute! Why have you kidnapped me and brought me here? Isn't this a violation of the peace treaty?"

He shifted his gaze away at that, and she was glad for the chance to breathe without the weight it carried. "Perhaps. This is a first. I admit that these...circumstances are quite unexpected, and so extra care has to be taken."

"What circumstances?" Nyra asked warily, becoming even more suspicious. "Why did you kidnap me?" It made it all the more strange if this was unusual. "Why?"

"I will deal with anything that might arise from the situation." He carried on as though she hadn't spoken.

"Why are you doing this?"

"You ask too many questions," he mused, evading them once more.

"What do you expect me to do? You just showed up out of nowhere and brought me here! Now you're refusing to tell me why. I've always known you Lycans were going to..."

"Enough!" The word echoed and reverberated across the room. Before Nyra could say anything, he'd moved instantly, appearing in front of her. She felt goosebumps rise against her skin at his proximity. "Enough with the questions, human. You should be grateful."

"Grateful?!" Nyra choked out. "Grateful that you decided to kidnap me?! Are your kind truly this obtuse?"

"Be grateful that I brought you here-that I chose you. Do you know how many others have thrown themselves at me? How many would kill to be in the position you are in?"

Nyra cringed at the words and gave him a droll look. "So what? Would you like an award for being a brute?"

His eyes widened slightly at the statement, and he threw his head back, barking out a laugh. The sound felt so sudden; it was like a clap of thunder, and Nyra felt it down to her bones. She hated herself for how much she wanted to hear it again.

The Alpha looked back at her now, all evidence of humor wiped from his features again. He reached out a hand and ran it through her hair. "You are as fiery as these flames."

Nyra caught herself before she leaned into his touch again, remembering how much trouble that had gotten her into the night before. "Why have you brought me here, you beast?"

"Lucian," he said, eyes capturing hers once more as his fingers curled around a lock of her hair.

"What?"

"Lucian. That is my name. And you will use it," he commanded, letting go of her hair.

Nyra bit her lip to tuck away the sigh that threatened to escape at the loss of proximity as he stepped away, even as her temper began to rise at the command.

"Why do I keep feeling this way? What have you done to me? Is it some sort of spell or...?"

"No more questions, vixen," he said abruptly, interrupting her. Then he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Nyra yelled, feeling a new panic set in again. "You can't just leave me here. I'm not some pet for you to keep in your manor!" She shouted at his retreating figure.

He paused at the door and said, without looking back, "Someone will bring you some food. I will speak with you tomorrow." With that, he turned, and the door closed, a soft click signaling it being locked.

Nyra let out a scream of frustration. There was no way this was happening to her. After a lifetime of hating Lycans, now the Alpha had decided to keep her locked in his manor? Without even bothering to explain anything?

She screamed again and looked for the nearest thing to throw at the door, across the room-anything to fling just to channel some of the aggression she was feeling. Her eyes settled on the pillows clustered on the bed, and she began to pick them up and throw them before falling onto the bed and letting out another scream.

"No!" She shouted again, starting to feel the fight drain out of her, and tears began to brim in her eyes. What had she done to deserve this?

"Oh my god. Aunt Ivy and Amelia." She gasped, sitting up quickly. In all the chaos, she'd forgotten about her family. "They must be so worried."

She got up and started to pace the room, wondering what they must be thinking now. Staying out past sunset wasn't something she'd even done before, let alone staying out for the entire night. Her family had to be worried sick by now.

Shame coated her and brought bile up into her mouth. While they were out there trying to find her, she was here arguing with her kidnapper and feeling so...wanton around him.

It felt like there was a war going on inside her each time she was in his presence. Her mind and heart knew that he was the Alpha King and that he was the same beast she had spent all these years hating. Yet once he was close to her, something in her short-circuited and made her want to get closer to him.

Enough of this! She got up. If he's not going to let me go, that means I have to find a way to escape.

Nyra went back to the window and looked down. The room she was in had to be at least three stories up, so there was no chance of jumping. She turned and began to look around for something-anything-that she could use to help her get out.

She opened the doors to the armoire and began to tie together the blankets and old shawls inside. After making sure it would be long enough to reach the ground safely, and tight enough to hold her weight, she secured one end to the bedpost and tossed the other out the window.

Just before she started her descent down, the thought of what she'd do once she was down crossed her mind, but she pushed it to the side.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," she said to herself, and after giving herself a mental pat on the back, she turned and started to go down the side of the wall.

"It's a good thing I'm not scared of heights," Nyra told herself, feeling slightly breathless. She had gone almost halfway when she felt something begin to give.

"Oh, no, no, no." She chanted, panicking as the makeshift rope got looser and looser. Nyra glanced down and saw that there were still a lot of feet before she would hit the ground.

She began to panic and flail once more, feeling hopeless as it loosened and gave way completely. She screamed and brought her hands up to her head to protect it from the impact. She tried to think of something that would help her-a prayer-but nothing came as her mind spiraled out of control because of the panic.

I can't believe I'm going to die here! Nyra thought, closing her eyes tightly.

She waited for the crushing pain that would start as she hit the ground, but it never came. Instead, she felt herself land in a pair of thick arms that tightened around her. A hand came up to her back, crushing her tightly against a firm and warm body, while the other was tucked under her knees. She could feel the heat radiating from every point of contact through her dress, and it was almost scalding.

"Vixen." That voice. No way...

Nyra opened her eyes, wide with shock when she found the Alpha King, Lucian, holding her. He looked down at her, face clouded by anger, his expression darker than she'd seen before, and a tremor of fear ran through her.

Her heart picked up again, realizing that she was in as much trouble as she had been while she was falling. This beast. This man. Lucian, she chastised herself, getting tired of the terror she was feeding into by not using the name. But that terror was even more palpable now because she was scared of what he would do to her now that she'd attempted to escape.

"What were you thinking?" His voice set off goosebumps again, and she shivered-this time out of fear because of the tone he was using. It would've been better if he had shouted, but this quiet temper just stirred up all the stories she had heard of his ruthless nature.

The way he would rip off the heads of the Lycans who slighted him. The way he tore his enemies to shreds. The way he didn't suffer fools. His people feared him just as much as they respected him, and now she had an inkling why.

"I am not in the habit of repeating myself, human," he said again in that even tone, his husky voice grating against her, rich with the promise of danger.

"Let me go!" Nyra shouted, remembering herself. She began to try to escape from his grip, but he simply held on tighter.