Chapter 3 The Bane Of My Existence

Jesse

Where did she go?

I pushed myself up on the bed, my brows furrowing as I scanned the empty room. The sheets were cold on the other side, so it must have been a while since she left. And there was strangely no scent lingering strongly enough to tell me when she left.

How did I sleep so deeply that I didn’t even feel her leave?

That alone unsettled me. I hadn’t slept properly in years. Not since the curse began tightening its grip around my life. Yet last night… I slept deeply, and peacefully.

And not only that, my body had reacted to her. My wolf had stirred, and reacted in a way it hadn’t reacted in years. Could she be the one? The one meant to break my curse?

The thought alone made my heart pound harder.

Without hesitation, I reached out through the mind link.

Damon.

He appeared almost immediately, the door opening as he stepped inside. “Alpha.” He looked quite surprised to see me in this situation, but my curiosity was piqued so highly, I didn’t want to waste time explaining a situation that I didn’t fully understand myself. 

“Check the security footage of the corridors of this club house,” I said coolly, my head still jumbled up with thoughts. “I want to know exactly who entered this room, and when she left. Then run a quick investigation, and find out what pack she’s from.”

He only nodded once and turned to leave, already moving to carry out my order.

I leaned back against the headboard, my thoughts spiraling. I was cursed to lose control and turn into a mindless beast before my thirtieth birthday. The seer had told me that the one who will save you will appear suddenly, she would be my true mate, and bear me an heir…. He said that was the only way to get cured, I had spent years waiting for her, and now I had less than a year to turn thirty. She fit every requirement the seer described. She had appeared suddenly, and she was the first woman for my wolf to respond to…  

Yet… I hadn’t felt a mate bond.

Why? Was it because we hadn’t exchanged blood?

That made no sense. In fact none of it did.

Fragments of last night flooded my mind without permission. The way her body had responded to mine. The soft, moaning sounds she made, the way she arched instinctively, and reacted so passionately to each and every of my thrusts.

The memory alone made my dick get hard.  I exhaled slowly, my grip tightening on the sheets. I wanted her again. The door opened, my beta walked back in, his expression unreadable.

“Alpha,” Damon said carefully, “I found her.” “Who is she?” I asked, my voice low and sharp.

Damon hesitated for half a second before answering.

“She’s the daughter of the Alpha of Claws Pack.”

My eyes narrowed. “The daughter of the Claws Pack?” I demanded. “The one I’m supposed to marry in a week? ”

“No,” he said quickly. “It’s not your fiance.” He exhaled. “It’s her sister. Well, her step‑sister.”

Something dark and unreadable flickered through me, then I laughed. “So the one that could possibly cure me, has to be the daughter of the man I want to destroy, what sort of sick joke is this?”

Damon watched me carefully. “Alpha, if she’s truly the one who can break your curse, then our plans to… ”

“They won’t change,” I cut in coldly. “I will renege every debt the Alpha of that pack owes me. Every single one.”

He nodded slowly. He understood what that meant. Mercy was not part of this equation.

“Then what do you want to do about the current situation?” he asked.

I stood up. “Get me a fresh pair of clothes,” I said calmly. “It’s about time I pay a friendly visit to my future Luna’s pack.”

“Yes, my King,” Damon bowed and left immediately.

Moments later, he returned with a fresh set of clothes. I dressed quickly, my movements precise, and controlled. But beneath that calm, my thoughts were already with her.

The closer we got to the Claws Pack, the stronger that strange pull in my chest became. It was quite faint, but persistent. 

When we arrived, the scene before me made my steps slow.

She was there, on her knees. Her hands were restrained behind her, tight enough that I could see the strain in her shoulders. Her back was exposed, bare and vulnerable, and the sight of it made darkness coil violently in my chest. A rod was being held by Alpha Dariel.

My gaze darkened instantly. “What is going on here?” I demanded, the effect was immediate.

Everyone froze. The guards stiffened, and the elders went pale. One by one, they dropped to their knees.

“Your Majesty,” the Alpha greeted. “To what do we owe this great pleasure?”

I didn’t look at him, my eyes never left her.

The faint tremor in her shoulders. The way she stood proud even while being humiliated. Then the familiar scent from last night drifted to my nose… 

I took a step forward.

“I asked a clear question,” I said coldly, finally shifting my gaze to the Alpha. “What is going on here?”