Bound by the Alpha's Curse

st was t

mething terrible waited in the darkness. Nara tightened her grip on the

ered to herself. "Then back to the

ould have returned an hour ago. Omegas never stayed out this late. But the healer had sent her to gather ni

The air was colder than usual, sharp with the scent

hing

snapped b

a f

She didn't breath

her chest. Please be a deer. Or

snap.

hed the basket tighter. Sl

yes stared at her from

pack

rmless c

ro

scream, the rog

ed the bas

root, but she forced herself up again. Her lungs burned. Her vision blurred with tears. She co

Nara.

The rogue snarled, its claws scraping against wood a

t, pushing herself until her knees hit open ground. Sh

n't a f

sn't s

rength to shift-something she

wanted

sound that seemed to echo t

ckered ahe

rder p

her again. She didn't care if

eeded to r

ut, a powerful force sla

's claws pinned her shoulder, burning fire into h

ath brushing her neck. Its t

d, shaking. "Pleas

and then somethin

per s

onger

idn't belong t

ossibly large. It ripped the rogue away from her with a vi

eath shaking as she stared

beneath its dark fur. Shadows clung to him, swirling like smoke, alive

ew tha

yone

Kael D

ursed

nst her chest, making her want to bow her head instinctively.

lunged one

et it

yed. Bones cracked. And with a final sn

e

again, heavy a

The shadows curling around him dissolved slowly, as if suc

breath

his gaze now. Something

ped tow

n

ic

away. She wanted to vanish. She wasn't supposed to be near him. She was

d her, something i

ir ch

orld

ng at her like he

hen growing into a burning heat that spread through her

without knowing how-that she ha

mir

snapped i

e b

art st

is can't be

r the first time, she saw fear in

e

r dissolving, until he stood before her in human fo

whispered, unable

ring his name from her

ghtly. He stared at

s deep, harsh, unfami

speak. Sh

pped c

ibs, her heart, her soul. She swayed forward without

ma

ad a

ha

ursed

eared

uld kill her w

himself than to her. "No. F

ly with tears. He ha

she beg

e didn't strike her. He just stared a

e whispered. "It

h pain, sharper than an

he was a mistake. A curse. A

rd. "Alpha Kael.

said, voice cold

hamed even though s

" he muttered. "You wo

k a st

ano

ke fire, each step he took feeling l

ed, tears slipping dow

st a flicker-but it

ain, his voice w

Draven, reject

her like a p

her chest, white-hot and unbearable. The bond twisted

shock. He staggered slightly,

't breaking,"

, stronger this time, sendin

ows swirling around his body aga

he growled, looking at he

felt the pain-sharp

th

l tore throu

a ro

rder pat

hing

hing

d, his expression changing instantly-

gnit

p," he

ion still ripped through her chest. Kael reached her in two

ppening?"

nched. "The

ho

eyes that held both fury an

es hunt

could breathe, the forest behind

ny to

him, shadows rising lik

ce low and deadly, "

ed. "I-I can'

my mate,

fr

ilver burning with

't let the

ed wolves stepped into the moonlight-huge,

echoed i

line awake

blood r

ffened b

creature