CHAPTER 5

ALPHA BYRON'S POV

"Gentle and soft, just like I imagined," I observed within, having a good look at this fragile woman's face, letting my hand feel her shape from behind.

Right in my chest, I could feel my own heart beat pounding out of rhythm because of her.

The feeling was strange, like I've been waiting for this moment for years.

"Eliza," I called her name within, taking a sniff of her scent, feeling a rush through my veins.

We just met today, yet it felt like I've known her forever.

That hour before I walked into the study room, I was in a bad mood because of a problem I've been facing.

With the nursing mothers in my home at that period, I could feel my temper reaching its peak, ready to erupt anytime soon.

But to calm myself, I decided to bury my mind in my study room. Only to accidentally walk in on Eliza while she was busy.

I caught sight of her body and was immediately smitten by her beauty and gorgeous chest.

I have seen so many women's bodies before and never felt drawn to them even for a second.

But hers was completely different, like a unique and rare figure never seen before.

It's the same as others, but it had this purity, glow, and... Words can't describe the feeling that overwhelmed me when I laid eyes on her.

Her presence wiped away my bad mood, replacing it with heat and a sudden desire to gaze at her figure more and more.

But I had to look away when I noticed how uncomfortable she felt.

Pure and innocent. She didn't mean to flash her boobs at me. It was by accident.

I had to leave to give her the privacy she needed. Still, a part of me hoped to see her again before she leaves.

But I missed my chance.

She was gone.

That left a weird gap in my chest when I found out all the women already left.

I couldn't even bring myself to ask the head maid about this woman who stole my attention by accident.

This is something I have never done before. It's my first time having my eyes fixed on a woman.

Now she's here in my home, close to me.

Yet... "Be mindful of where you step next time. What if you had fallen on your son?" My harsh tone flowed out from my lips, causing Eliza to shiver in fear.

She couldn't even speak but lower her eyes in fright, shaking in my hold like a fragile soul about to break.

Of course she'd find me terrifying. I'm the Alpha feared by many. My presence alone is enough to send knees trembling. Even my tone is as sharp as knife.

"I'm sorry, Alpha. I'll be careful from now on," She spoke with trembling voice, carefully pulling away from my hold, make my fingers twitch to hold her back.

But I held myself back from making that move when I saw how Eliza took a step away from me in fear, keeping her head down.

Her action stung me in the chest, reminding me of my position and my reality.

A beast... A monster...

It's a shame a gentle soul like her has no choice but to be around a man like me. Just standing before me makes her scared.

"I'll have to stay away until the work is done," I decided, watching Eliza maintain her position, trembling in place.

It was disturbing.

I was just about to command her to stop bowing when suddenly, the loud cry of a baby broke out, gaining mine and Eliza's attention at once.

In that moment... "My Baby!" Eliza's motherly instinct kicked in, and she ran over to the cot, picking the little one up.

She completely went from a frightened lady to a caring mother, cooing at her son lovingly, rocking him in her arms to calm his cries.

I was amused at how fast her fear vanished, and got replaced with a sight that captivated me in seconds.

"It's okay, Baby. Mommy is here," She spoke softly, petting her son as his crying ceased.

Her motherly affection for the little one got to me.

What she's doing isn't special or new to me. I've seen other women run up to their children to stop their crying. Yet, watching her feels like I'm staring at something amazing.

"Are you hungry? Of course you are, my angel," Eliza gave her son a big smile, making my inside heat up at her glow.

But that feeling came dying down when my eyes fell on her little one and a strong reminder struck me right away, erasing whatever delight I developed on seeing Eliza's love for her son.

"This child... He's a symbol of her bond with her mate," I uttered within, feeling bitter.

More reason to stay away from her and focus on what's more important.

"Her job is to provide milk and nothing else," I spoke coldly inside, watching Eliza take a seat on the bed, as her hand reached for her chest, trailing her fingers up to her buttons to open them up.

Realizing what she's about to do, my heart skipped but my mouth refused to part and say something.

I just stood there, watching her open the first two buttons then... She froze.

Eliza paused, finally remembering she wasn't alone in the room.

Her face went red in embarrassment, as she turned to face me, taking a light bow at me, saying, "Forgive me, Alpha. I completely forget that you were still here. My...my son is hungry and I want to feed him quickly before..."

"For a second I was about to ask if this is how you feed your son, with your chest out in the open for anyone to see. Luckily, your senses came back just in time," I spoke coldly, glancing at the baby then at an embarrassed Eliza who was back to her trembling phase, avoiding my eyes.

"I am very sorry, Alpha. I will never repeat this mistake again," She apologized, letting her head lower down further to show how sorry she was.

I couldn't stand this for another minute. So, I walked out of the room, shutting the door behind.

But instead of walking away, my legs froze right outside the room, waiting to see her feed her son through the slight opening of the door.

Right at that moment, Eliza's fright faded when she looked at her son and smiled at him like she wasn't scared seconds ago.

"I'm coming, my love. Be patient," She said with a warm smile, finally pulling out her boob to feed her son.

Setting my eyes on her breast again, that feeling from earlier came rushing back to me, gluing my feet to the floor as I watched her hum to the little one, fixing her nipple into his mouth.

My lips parted slowly at her action, as I stared on, remembering how my body reacted when I discovered she was the owner of the milk sample I selected.

Every woman who submitted a sample of their milk believes they're giving it to a child who needs a wet nurse to feed his hunger.

But the truth is there's no baby in the Royal home.

Secret baby, Open baby... There is none.

The one who needed the sample milk all along was me.

I, Alpha Byron of Moon Raven pack, feared and recognized for my courage, terror, and power, now secretly craves for milk from a woman's breast, behind closed doors, hiding away shamefully.

It was never like this in the past. My life was going perfectly well until one fateful day — seven months ago— while I was having a meeting with my elders, something shocking happened to me.

My wolf went out of control, overpowered me, and brutally attacked the elders, leaving three terribly injured!

I acted like a rabies dog and almost killed my elders. They were terrified of me.

It was the first time I knew what fear felt like. And my own wolf brought that on me.

I thought it was a sign of illness and organized my own treatment to cure myself. Little did I know that what I was dealing with was way worse than sickness.

The truth came to light after another horrible scene took place.

My wolf once again took over and it attacked my previous Royal head guard, killing the fellow who wanted to help me.

I was covered in his blood and failed to control my wolf from turning the mansion upside down.

That's when the Shaman, who heard about my situation, hurriedly intervened, chaining me down.

He was the one who revealed the horrible truth that's been passed down to me from my grandfather.

A curse.

My grandfather was cursed by the souls of the innocent lives he took when he was in power. A curse to roam the land as a mindless beast, ripping the flesh of his people, until he becomes a walking corpse, long dead in a mindless beast.

The curse manifested in my grandfather's life. His wolf killed and devoured so many lives. No one could reach out to him anymore. He was long gone, replaced by his devilish wolf.

A cure couldn't be found. So, the only solution was to kill him before he wipes the pack completely.

My father was the one who killed my grandfather, putting an end to the curse.

That's what he thought, because he lived his years fully well, till his death.

Little did he know that the curse skipped him and fell on me.

Now I'm bearing the punishment of another man's sin, harming those around me, unable to control my own wolf.

I didn't want to end up like my grandfather, so I sent my Shaman to dig deeper in my case and find a solution to my problem.

That's until three weeks ago, the Shaman finally found a way to eradicate this curse once and for all.

The milk of a nursing mother was the solution. But not any kind of milk. The one that will link with my soul, giving me inner peace. One that'll be strong enough to feed me till I am completely free.

I didn't know how I'll identify the right one, so he told me my beast who's in distress, will surely recognize it.

So right after the women left, every milk sample was brought before me in my chamber, for me to taste and locate the right one that'll link with my soul.

I drank most of the filled cup, but none of them gave me the sign.

Even the half cups had the same result, all crushing my spirit one at a time.

That's when my gaze fell on one cup with very little content inside.

It was small yet it stood out.

My reason for grabbing that very container was because its quantity was little, and I wanted to mark it as the last milk I'll drink for today, because I was losing my cool and getting extremely tired.

But the moment that milk slid into my mouth, I felt a powerful shift from my wolf.

It reacted strongly to the milk!

The very sign the Shaman spoke of!

I desperately looked at the name written on the cup and ordered the owner to be brought into my mansion as soon as possible.

When she walked into my throne room with her son in her hold, I was stunned to see the woman who stole my heart was the one who delivered the sample that linked with my soul.

"Eliza," I said her name softly, feeling my inside at peace.

Even the melodious tune she hummed for her little one, reached my soul, calming my mood.

But knowing how my world contradicts with hers, it became hard for peace to find a resting ground in a cursed beast like myself.

"I have to stay away from her. All I need is her milk, and nothing else," I reminded myself the main goal, finally walking away.