The cursed King's Captive: A Mate In Disguise

Julian's POV

As I stood before Alpha Dmarcus, my heart sank like a stone in a bottomless pit. It's been weeks since my life turned into a nightmare. My father's ruthless ambition had destroyed everything I held dear. He had destroyed people's lives and enslaved innocent people, both young and old. He had torn families apart, ravaging different packs.

The memories of that day still haunt me till now, every single night when I sleep. My pack was attacked unexpectedly, leaving me as the only survivor of my family. And now I'm left to face the consequences of my father's action.

But the shocking part is that I didn't even shed a tear for my family. Like I couldn't care less. It was painful that I had lost my whole family in one day. "But why didn't I cry?" No matter how hard I tried. The tears weren't just coming out. That shows how the people I call family have been cruel to me.

They had made my life a living hell, treating me like a servant and a punching bag. My father's hatred for me was palpable, and I couldn't fathom why. We shared the same blood, but it seemed like a curse rather than a blessing.

My sister had been just as cruel, ordering me around like a personal maid. And my mother? She was the embodiment of pure evil, a witch who revelled in my misery. I should be grieving, but all I felt was a deep-seated relief that they were gone.

But my freedom was short-lived. Alpha Dmarcus had taken over our pack, and I was now his slave. The weight of my new reality crushed me. I was forced to endure the whims of my new master, who seemed to take great pleasure in my misery.

As I stood before him, half-naked and vulnerable, I knew I had to make a choice. I could give in to my fear and humiliation, or I could find a way to survive. Alpha D'Marcus eyes seemed to bore into my soul, and I knew I had to tread carefully. One wrong move could mean disaster.

I was scared for my life; Alpha Dmarcus was one old man but very ruthless among the realm, and I wondered how my father was so foolish to have crossed paths with this man.

He stood over me, sniffing every part of my body.

"Oh my god, this man is nauseating."

As he kept sniffing me like a wild dog, a wave of nausea washed over me. The look in his eyes was full of malice, and I realized just how vulnerable I was-and I had to keep my head if there was a hope of living through whatever this was.

"You're a pretty little thing," he said, his voice laced with venom. "I can see why your father kept you such a little secret. You're worth it."

At that moment I felt rage boiling up in me but I had to suppress it. I could not afford to anger him yet.

"What do you want from me?" I asked and tried to keep my voice calm.

Alpha Dmarcus chuckled but it was a cold lack of amusement. "Oh, I think you know exactly what I want," he said, with hunger in his eyes. "You're going to be a fine addition to my collection."

It hit me like a speeding freight train--I was trapped! I was at the mercy of this cruel and twisted man. I flinched away as the creep reached out to touch me. I tried to pull away from him, but he was too strong, and I had no recourse as he held my body suspended and in place without so much as breaking a sweat.

"Don't struggle," he whispered, his hot breath on my ear. "It will only make it worse."

"Did you think I spared your life?" Alpha Dmarcus mocked, hate sparkling with malice in his eyes.

"So you would pay for all the things your father had done to the people of my pack. But unfortunately, your sister had to die so fast. Guess she couldn't take the pain, but you did, surprisingly."

He paused, his gaze piercing through me like a dagger.

"So right now, you will do as I say and obey my every command. If you don't want to meet your demise like your family, you'll do exactly as I tell you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, yes, I do," I replied, my voice trembling as I shook with fear. My mind reeled from all the possible things I knew this man was capable of doing to me.

Alpha D'Marcus' eyes seemed to gleam with sadistic pleasure as he gave his next command.

"Now, take off that robe and lay on that bed, and spread your legs," he ordered. "I want to see that pretty face of yours."

I felt a wave of humiliation wash over me as I slowly began to remove the robe, my hands shaking with fear.

As I lay on the bed, I watched him take off his robe. My heart sank, knowing what was to come. He got onto the bed, his naked body pressing against mine.

"You're going to be my new plaything," he whispered, his breath hot against my skin.

"And you're going to regret ever being born."

I felt disgusted as he reached out for my thighs as he touched them. I flinched, trying to pull away, but as old as he was, he was still very strong. He slapped me hard on my face, and I could feel the surge of pain.

"Remain in that same position," he growled, his eyes flashing with anger.

I had to gradually adjust to the way he wanted, trying to obey his every command. But as I did, my knee jerked up, and it hit him directly on his jaw. I could hear the clenching of his teeth as they jammed together, and he cried in pain.

He raised his head up, his naked body tense with anger. But he wasn't balanced, and as he moved, he slipped from the bed and fell onto his neck.

I didn't hear any sound of him groaning in pain. The room was totally silent. I stood up, crawling on the bed to see Alpha Dmarcus on the floor. He wasn't moving. I touched him and called out his name, but there was no answer. I checked his heartbeat, but there was nothing. He was dead!

"Oh no, this can't be happening now," I muttered to myself, panic setting in. "Fuck, wrong timing."

But then, something unexpected happened. I let out a loud, hysterical laugh. It was as if my brain couldn't process the absurdity of the situation.

"What is happening?" I laughed, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. To be fair, Alpha Dmarcus did look ridiculous on the floor, naked with his neck twisted at an odd angle.

But my laughter was short-lived. I knew I was doomed. My whole pack had been slaughtered, and I was paying for my father's sins as a slave. And now, I had mistakenly killed the alpha.

"This is not good," I whispered to myself, trying to compose myself. "This is very, very bad."

Immediately, I started shaking as reality kicked in. I didn't know what to do. My mind was racing with thoughts of the consequences of my actions. I had killed the alpha, and I knew that this pack would not take kindly to this.

"What have I done?" I whispered to myself, my voice trembling with fear. "What have I done?"

Just then, I came down from the bed, crying. I tried to keep Alpha Dmarcus in a straight position; maybe I could just lie that I met him like this. I attempted to take his robe, covering him, just like how I met him. I was self-less in doing this; I was standing there naked trying to dress a dead man up.

All of the sudden the door went wide open. "Daddy, Daddy, there is a big problem," a voice sounded.

I turned to see who it was and my heart stopped. It was Alpha Dmarcus's daughter Theodora. She was beautiful with bright green eyes and long curly brown hair. The last thing on my mind was her beauty, however, her eyes were scanning all of us standing there.

"What the fuck?" she said looking wide eyed and revolted.

She looked at me then at Alpha Dmarcus's body and back at me.

I froze, no idea what to do. I was still naked, still holding Alpha Dmarcus's robe. I surely looked like a guilty party and thought I had to think of something fast.

"I...I can explain," I stammered, trying to come up with something I could sell.

But Theodora was beyond reasoning with. She looked as though I hit her in the gut, and anger and grief shot through her eyes.

"You killed him," she spat, voice dripping with venom. "You killed my father."

I shook my head, attempting to defend myself. "No, Theodora, it was an accident. I swear to you."

But Theodora wasn't listening. She was already calling for the guards, her voice echoing off the walls.

"Guards! Guards! Come quickly! This... this thing has killed my father!"

Julian's POV

I knew I was doomed. The guards would come, and they would take me away.

"It was my mistake, a horrible accident! I didn't mean to!" I begged as I stumbled over my words to get her to believe I didn't kill her father.

I glanced around the room for a way to get out, but saw no escape routes. I was screwed, and I knew it.

I pleaded again, "I didn't mean to kill him, I swear!"

"It was a mistake! Please have mercy!" I wailed, tears running down my cheeks.

But her face showed no mercy. She slapped me hard on the face, pulling my hair backward. I hollered in pain as she stared me down with disgust.

"You killed my father, you will pay for this." She said hatefully.

The guards were pulling my arms, trying to drag me away. I was fighting against them, but I was quite outnumbered.

As they dragged me away I watched Theodora shouting while holding her father's dead body on the floor. The very sound of her voice echoed in my ears. I thought it would never go away.

I was thrown into a cell, dark and desolate. The moment they slammed the door behind me, I felt like the weight of the world had disappeared. I could feel the rage awakening inside me, and I slammed my fists into the stone floor. This is what it feels like to struggle against an alpha and lose.

******

I rested my back against the wall in my cell, which was too cold and dank with too much moisture. All my body parts hurt from head to toe. I was starving. I haven't had food for two straight days, and I wonder how I'm still alive till now.

I felt too exhausted to move any further. The palms of my hands felt warm while the blisters on my lips burnt like dry ice. My eyes felt empty, and my skin too clammy to touch.

The emotional pain I had endured was nothing close to the physical torment I'd endured for 48 hours. I'd been subjected to never-ending torture.

Theodora had given the order to use every trick in the book to break me. From beating, whipping, starvation and worse. I'd actually lost count of how many times I had fainted from the agony.

I couldn't believe that just a few weeks ago, I was a princess, living in comfort.

I had everything I could ever want, even though my family hated me. But all of that was ripped away from me in an instant.

I was nothing but a prisoner imprisoned in a cell, waiting for certain death. That was almost too much to digest. The loss of everything was extremely bitter, to be "everything" and then cast out into the nothingness around me by cruel hands of fate.

The fabrics coated with my tears recall the thoughts of every memory I have lost, which reveals my tattered family, captivating home and freedom transformed nothing. Life was an adventure, and now it's staring deep into the abyss.

I closed my eyes, feeling tears fall and releasing all my sadness. My body shook, but my muscles felt too weak to move. I felt exhausted, hungry, and trapped. The darkness felt overwhelming. Will it last forever? Only time will tell.

I heard footsteps coming towards me, and my heart filled with dread. I backed away, pressing myself against the wall for support. My body trembled with fear. "Are they here to hurt me again?"

"I will not be able to last," my self wished to whisper, knowing every drop of concocted tears made the willies more vibrant.

My thoughts were interrupted as a figure clothed in fragrant perfume erupted to my cell, which then revealed Theodora.

She had her hair styled in the exact way it needed to be for her face, she looked like she was going to an important meeting.

The guards opened the gate for her and she stepped carefully into the cell, peering around the small space with contempt.

"I guess this isn't the ideal abode for a princess," she said, her tone dripping with hate.

"You smell like vomit." She hawked up phlegm and spit it on the floor while expressing disgust with her face.

She told the guard to bring a chair, and the guard obeyed swiftly, he placed a fancy chair directly in the centre of the cell. From the moment she sat down, it was clear she had some mastery of grace and sophistication. Theodora waved her hand as if she were brushing something away, and the guards stepped back and let us to be a little more alone.

Tears began to well in her eyes, and for an instant I thought I saw a flicker of sadness. Then her anguish turned into cold, hard anger.

"You murdered my father," she spat.

"You murdered the only man that treated me like his own. I'll never forgive you."

But then, something unexpected happened. Theodora's expression transformed, an evil smile curling up her lips.

"Well, well, well," she whispered. "You just made it easier for me. How clever could you be? I just couldn't bring myself to do it, but you just did. Bravo."

She leaned forward, her eyes bright with malice.

"Tell me, how did it happen," she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "I am curious. How did you manage to kill the one person who stood between me and the throne?"

My eyes went wide in disbelief. "Wait, what?" I said, trembling.

Theodora's smile widened. "Well, let's just say, he's an old man. I wanted to make his death uncomplicated, but you had to do what you do best. Oh, so sad."

I couldn't believe it. Theodora didn't even look capable of harming anyone, let alone killing her own father.

"Oh well, my time here is up." She stood up and smoothed her dress. "I couldn't stay here anymore; I don't want to smell like this cell."

I dropped to my knees, surrendering to desperation. "Please, just let me go. I am begging you, I will never come back. You'll never hear from me again."

Theodora's face turned steely and calculating. "Oh no, darling, this is only the start of your terrible nightmare!

You will pay for killing my father and for what your father did to us."

With that, she turned and left. "Please, just let me go!" I cried.

"Shut up, Julian!" her voice echoed as she walked away.

Just then, one of the guards came in with a tray of food. I grabbed it quickly and started eating because I was starving. The food was my only concern. After I finished eating, I noticed there was a note on the tray.

It read, "Thanks for making things easier for me. Your Highness, Theodora."

I knew exactly what she was referring to, but I didn't care. All that mattered was that I had eaten.

But as I leaned back against the wall, my stomach began to churn. A searing pain shot through my abdomen, and I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. I stumbled forward, vomiting up the food I had just eaten.

That's when it hit me-I had been poisoned.

I doubled over, clutching my stomach in agony. The pain was unbearable, a searing burn that threatened to consume me whole. I tried to cry out, but my voice was hoarse and barely audible.

My vision began to blur, and I felt myself swaying, my body weakened by the poison coursing through my veins. I tried to hold on, but it was no use.

With a faint whisper, I collapsed to the ground, my world going dark as I lost consciousness.

*********

Pain. That was the first thing I felt as I drifted between consciousness and oblivion. A deep, searing pain in my stomach, burning like fire from within. Theodora's poison had done its job well-I was too weak to move, too weak to fight. But I wasn't dead. Not yet.

The heavy doors to my cell groaned open. I kept my eyes shut, forcing my body to remain limp as the guards entered.

"She's dead," one of them scoffed. "The princess lasted longer than I thought."

Princess. The word meant nothing now. I was no longer Julian a princess-I was nothing but a discarded body, a burden to be disposed of.

"Take her to the execution grounds," another ordered. "Let the crows feast."

Rough hands grabbed me, hauling me up as if I were no more than a sack of grain. My limbs dangled uselessly, my breath shallow. I fought the urge to gasp as they dragged me through the dim corridors, the scent of damp stone and blood thick in the air.

Then, chaos erupted.

Shouts rang through the castle. Metal clashed against metal. The guards dragging me cursed, their grips loosening. A sudden explosion rocked the halls, sending them stumbling.

I didn't wait for answers. With the last of my strength, I rolled from their grasp, hitting the cold ground hard. Pain flared through my body, but I forced myself to move, crawling into the shadows as the guards ran toward the commotion.

The castle was under attack.

I didn't care who had come-I only knew this was my only chance.

Through sheer will, I pushed myself forward, navigating the darkened corridors until I found a storage room. Inside, tattered cloaks and old uniforms hung from wooden racks. With trembling hands, I grabbed a tunic and pants, stripping off my ruined gown.

My reflection in a dusty mirror stopped me. Pale skin, hollowed eyes, dirty hair. A girl who had lost everything.

No. Not a girl. Not anymore.

I bound my chest tightly, flattening what little curves I had, and pulled the hood of a cloak over my head. Luckily, my body was too thin from weeks of starvation but that would help my disguise. No one would look twice at a scrawny boy in ragged clothes.

As fires raged outside, I slipped into the shadows, my heart pounding. The castle walls stretched high, but even though I didn't know the paths well. I tried my best to find my way out through the chaos.

Under the cover of night, I fled.

I was no longer Princess Julian. That name had died in a cold, dark cell.

Now, I was Prince Jules-a nameless boy, a ghost in the wind.

Jules POV

The new identity was a cloak that shielded me, but even the deepest shadows couldn't obscure the past. My once-proud lineage, my blood, still hung over me like a storm cloud. I didn't know if I could outrun it forever, but I had to try.

In my new home, hidden deep in a community of outcasts, I could breathe. For the first time in years, I was free from the life I was forced into. I wasn't a pawn for the kingdom, a sacrifice for a lie. I was just a boy, nothing more.

I cut my hair short and wore boy's clothing. It helped to bury the memories, to bury the princess I had been. No one knew who I truly was here. I had become just another face in a hidden world, one I had crafted for myself.

But it didn't last.

News spread that the girl they thought was dead-Princess Julian-wasn't dead at all, her body was missing.The bounty hunters had started searching, scouring villages and towns for any trace of her. Her body wasn't found.

And now, they wanted me back.

With the bounty over my head, I could not stop moving and had to stay on the move. It was only a matter of time before someone figured out the puzzle of who I was.

*******

I ran.

Though the shouts behind me had faded, i did not stop. I couldn't. The bounty on my head had turned the world upside down. Every shadow felt like a trap, revealing another hunter eager to claim my life.

My body protested. Exhaustion dragged at my limbs, but fear moved me forward. I had escaped-escaped the city, the rogues, the guards taking aim to kill me like a rabid dog. And yet here, deep in the wild, I began to hope that I was finally out.

The trees soared endlessly in all directions, their intertwining branches creating a canopy so thick that only the faintest hints of moonlight graced the hard-packed ground of the forest. It was a dark place, the kind of land best described in hushed voices. Nobody came here. Nobody wanted to.

But I had no choice.

I pushed on, my breaths labored.

Then I heard it.

The deep, far-off call of a horn.

Slow and eerie, sending a chill through my spine.

I stood still, my chest heaving. The wind changed, bringing with it a different scent, that of smoke and of steel.

I was not alone.

There was something moving beyond the trees. The air was thick with tension and the forest was eerily quiet.

My heart pounded.

Was it a war party? Bandits?

Before I could decide, a shadow moved between the trees.

A man.

No-men.

Figures emerged from the darkness, their armor blackened like wolves in the night. They moved in calculated silence, their eyes scanning the trees with the sharpness of hunters.

My blood ran cold.

I had unknowingly stumbled into their path.

I turned-

Too late.

A hand clamped onto my arm.

I gasped, instinct taking over as I drove my elbow into my attacker's ribs. He grunted, but his grip didn't loosen. Another figure appeared behind me.

I twisted, fighting like hell.

I managed to rip free, lunging for the dagger strapped to my thigh-

Only to feel a cold blade press against my throat.

"Enough."

The word was spoken with such quiet authority that the forest itself seemed to still.

My breath hitched.

The man standing before me was unlike the others. Taller. Broader. His presence alone sent fear crawling up my spine. His tunic was dark, fitted to his powerful frame, the fabric embroidered with gold that flickered like flames in the dim light.

But it was his face that stole the air from my lungs.

He was beautiful in a way that was utterly inhuman.

Strong, sculpted features-sharp cheekbones, a chiseled jaw lined with the shadow of stubble, and a mouth that curved with cruel amusement. His skin was lightly bronzed, a stark contrast to the ruthless gleam in his golden eyes.

Those eyes-piercing, luminous, predatory.

I felt something cold slither down my spine.

He didn't just look dangerous. He was danger itself.

He studied me in silence, as if deciding what to do with an unexpected kill.

I swallowed hard.

Then, from the trees behind them, another warrior approached, holding up something small-my dagger.

"My lord," the man said. "He was armed."

The golden-eyed man didn't react. He simply reached out and took the blade. Turned it between his fingers. Testing the weight, the balance.

Then, he flicked his gaze back to me.

"Why are you here?" His voice was deep, calm-dangerous.

My pulse roared in my ears. "I-I was..... I didn't know anyone was here."

A slow, sharp smile curved his lips. "You expect me to believe that?"

"It's the truth," i hissed.

Silence.

Then-

A sharp snarl from one of the men. "He carries an enemy crest."

My stomach dropped.

My eyes flicked to what the soldier held-a torn emblem from a rival kingdom.

No.

I didn't even remember grabbing it-I must have taken it while looting for supplies, not thinking, not realizing it would be a death sentence.

The golden-eyed man studied it, then looked back at me, expression unreadable.

"An assassin," one of the warriors spat.

My heart slammed against her ribs. "No-"

A blade was unsheathed. A warrior stepped forward.

"Shall we kill him now, Your Majesty?"

My breath caught.

"Your Majesty?"

My mind reeled. The title alone sent a chill down my spine, but it wasn't until I saw the emblem on his chest-stitched in black and gold, the mark of a wolf with a blood-red crown-the truth crashed over me like a tidal wave.

I knew that sigil.

Every pack did.

It belonged to the most feared ruler in the land. King Lucian the Alpha of the Ironhowl Pack.

This wasn't just a noble.

This wasn't just a warlord.

This was him.

The warlord-king whose enemies vanished without a trace.

The monster whose hands were forever stained with blood.

The predator who never let a trespasser live.

And me-a stranger with a dagger and an enemy's crest-had just walked straight into his grasp.

He tilted his head slightly, golden eyes assessing me.

For a moment, he said nothing. Then-

A low, dark chuckle.

"No," he murmured. "I think I'll hunt him first."

I barely had time to breathe before his grip released.

"Run."

My body went rigid.

The warriors around them shifted, smirking. Amused.

I wasn't sure I had heard him correctly.

"What?" I breathed.

The king stepped closer.

"If you make it out of my forest," he said, voice silk and steel, "you're free."

His gaze flickered, sharp with amusement.

"But if I catch you..."

My throat went dry.

A slow smile. "I will make you beg for death."

Terror surged through me.

He was serious.

Everything he had said was real.

Something churned in my chest-fear and anger.

My heart almost beat out of my chest and my breath came out in gasps as I ran down the earth beneath my feet. I couldn't look back. With each painful step forward, I thought about how my heart was all that was left to keep me going and every single breath was a battle of survival.

The forest around me seemed to surround me like suffocating, monstrous trees with trunk-like limbs. It seemed like the sound of my pursuit was gaining ground.

I had no idea how long I had run for. Long enough where I lost track of time. Long enough where my legs felt as if they were going to collapse around me. But there was no stopping. No thinking. Only survive.

"Run."

The command from the King had burned into my mind as if someone had branded it in my brain. I was running because he had commanded me to.

The air got colder and the trees got thicker. I could feel him coming. I could almost taste him.

And then I stumbled. That step seemed like it lasted forever. I caught myself just before I made it to the ground and screamed out in pain as I rolled her ankle. But I didn't slow down.

"Don't stop."

I pushed onward, the sound of the leaves crunching behind me. The sound of heavy boots-his boots-pressing everywhere I went. That sound, and the sudden and dark laughter of the man, the man who had turned life into some twisted hunting game.

I could not afford to give him any satisfaction.

My thoughts were jumbled-fear, anger, determination, disbelief. One minute I felt free, and the next I slipped into the snare of the worst kind of man, the man who feasted on the blood of his victims.

When I saw the moonlight filtering through the trees ahead of me, the clearing just beyond where I had just run to, I let out the breath I hadn't realized I had been holding. Freedom.

I pushed harder, faster, pain penetrating the aching middle of my body, even down to my legs.

It was so close.

But, once again, the ground is shifting below me.

A tripwire.

And before I could react at all, the rope caught me off my legs and yanked my body upward at a sickening pace.

My body swung clumsily, trapped, hanging in place.

No.

I wiggled and kicked my legs against the ropes as the panic shot through my veins. If I was caught now-I couldn't be!

I froze, as the footsteps grew closer. I looked up. My breath caught my throat.

The king.

He stepped out of the shadows like a ghost, looming behind me, his cape billowing as he moved, his messy shining hair falling across his forehead, his hazel eyes fixed on me with that familiar tremulous power, the hint of yellow light giving them a predatory shine. He didn't try to help me, he just stood there, staring like a predator admiring its prey.

"You didn't think you could get away from me, did you?" His low voice managed to sound almost disappointed.