Chapter 3: I'll Reject Her

 Caspian POV 

Dead bodies.

That was the first thing I checked for the moment I opened my eyes.

It was usually the first thing I looked for whenever I woke up after sleeping with a woman because that was my reality. No woman who climbed into my bed ever survived the night.

That was who I was.

The man everyone believed was cursed.

However, that morning, when I opened my eyes and found the space beside me empty, I experienced something I hadn't felt in a long time.

Confusion.

I remained still, staring at the empty side of the bed. The sheets were disheveled, still carrying the faint scent of another person, but there was no lifeless body lying beside me.

How?

I slowly sat up, rubbing a tired hand over my face before removing the silver mask I'd worn to conceal my identity. Then I closed my eyes, trying to piece together what had happened the previous night.

I remembered drinking a bottle of wine during the feast my people had organized for me. Then, without warning, everything had gone wrong.

My body had become unbearably hot, almost as though something inside me had suddenly awakened.

Kaden, my wolf, was usually restless and difficult to control, but that night he'd been worse. He kept pacing inside me, fighting against something I couldn't understand.

Afraid I'd lose control and do something reckless, I'd left the feast and retreated to the room my people had prepared. My intention had been to calm myself down and wait for whatever was happening to pass.

But then she came in.

I swallowed as the memory returned.

I couldn't remember much about her. The room had been almost completely dark because I'd never tolerated bright lights, but I remembered her body and how soft she felt beneath my hands. I remembered how perfectly she fitted against me, but most importantly, I remembered her voice.

Those soft cries from when I took her, still echoed in my ears, stirring something inside me.

And for a man who'd been with countless women, I could honestly say she was different.

Yet I couldn't remember her face.

It was as though my mind refused to give me anything beyond a pair of striking green eyes that seemed to glow even in the darkness.

And that was what confused me.

If everything I remembered had actually happened, where was she?

Had she somehow survived?

Or had my mind simply created the entire encounter?

I scoffed.

Neither possibility made sense.

For years, every woman who shared my bed had ended up dead. I'd witnessed it with my own eyes, and it wasn't something I could simply forget.

But if that had happened again, where the hell was the body?

I exhaled and rubbed my temples. Whatever the truth was, there was only one way to find out.

 Immediately I mind-linked my Beta, and moments later, Travis walked into the room.

"Alpha," he greeted with a respectful bow.

"Travis." I studied his expression. "Did you happen to see any woman enter my room last night?"

His brows drew together before he slowly shook his head. No, Alpha."

I released a frustrated breath, rubbing my face as he continued watching me with obvious hesitation.

After a moment, he finally asked, "Alpha... is something wrong?"

I looked at him.

"Yes." I paused, unsure how to explain something I barely understood myself. "I don't know if I'm imagining things, but I think I was with a woman last night."

"A woman?"

The moment the words left my mouth, the colour drained from his face.

His reaction wasn't surprising. Travis knew exactly what happened to every woman who ended up in my bed.

"But, Alpha..." He glanced toward the empty side of the bed before looking down at the floor, almost as though he expected to find something there. "There's no dead body."

He hesitated before continuing. "I also just mind-linked Devon and the guards stationed outside your room. None of them saw any woman enter or leave."

His eyes returned to mine. "Are you sure you weren't imagining it?"

My head snapped toward him.

"I know what I'm saying, Travis." My sharp tone immediately silenced him.

I ran my fingers through my hair, frustrated because even I understood how ridiculous this sounded. Still, no matter how much my mind insisted it had been a dream, my body refused to believe it.

I could still remember her warmth, the softness of her skin, and the faint jasmine scent lingering on the sheets.

But the strangest part was Kaden.

He'd gone quiet.

For the first time in years, my wolf, who was almost never silent, had become unusually calm.

That alone was enough to make me question everything.

Nothing about this was normal.

"So, what do we do?" Travis finally asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I stared at him. "I don't know."

The words came out quietly because, for the first time in a long while, I genuinely had no idea what to do.

I was used to having answers. I knew what move to make, what decisions to take, and what orders to give.

But this was different.

Travis remained where he stood, watching me carefully. I could practically see the questions forming in his head, but he seemed wise enough not to ask them.

Eventually, he cleared his throat. "Well, I know this isn't the right time, but if you'd permit me to say something..."

I glanced at him. "Go ahead."

He shifted slightly, choosing his words carefully. "A message just came from Alpha Gale."

The moment he mentioned that name, my attention sharpened.

Alpha Gale.

Right.

The reason I was here.

The reason I'd travelled all the way to this place that was already messing with my head.

Hell, I'd left my Northern Pack and travelled all this way, only to arrive and find myself dealing with a dilemma I couldn't explain.

"I already contacted Alpha Gale about our arrival in his territory, just as you requested last night," Travis continued. "He's also sent word that the necessary preparations have been made and he's ready to welcome you into his pack house."

For a moment, I said nothing.

Instead, my thoughts returned to the real reason behind this journey.

My pack elders wanted another marriage.

Another Luna.

Another woman they could sacrifice to the curse.

Ever since Acacia, my mate, died, everyone had been trying to force me to move on. They claimed I needed a Luna, that my grief was affecting my leadership, and that Kaden was becoming unstable because I'd been alone for too long.

Perhaps they were right about one thing.

Kaden had never been the same after losing her.

My wolf had always been difficult, but Acacia's death had made him worse. He was restless and angry, constantly searching for something that was no longer there.

The elders believed another mate would fix everything. They believed a woman was what I needed to calm him down.

But what they refused to acknowledge was what happened every time I listened to them.

Every woman I'd married after Acacia died had met the same fate.

Dead.

I still remembered the first time it happened. The confusion and disbelief as I stared at the lifeless body beside me, unable to understand what had gone wrong.

Then it happened again.

And again.

Eventually, even I began to believe the curse everyone whispered about.

People claimed Acacia had cursed me before she died. Whether it was truly a curse or not no longer mattered because the result never changed.

Women died.

My elders, of course, refused to believe it. They insisted the women were simply unlucky or weren't strong enough to handle me.

But some had been daughters of Alphas, while others came from powerful Beta families. They weren't weak, yet none of them survived.

Eventually, the elders stopped risking women from our own pack and began choosing daughters from smaller territories.

Desperate Alpha families who wanted an alliance with the strongest pack in the North were more than willing to offer their daughters, even if it meant sacrificing their lives.

And now, it was Alpha Gale's daughter.

Another sacrifice.

The thought alone exhausted me.

Truthfully, I didn't want another marriage. I was tired of watching women die because of me and carrying the guilt that followed every death.

But now, the possibility that a woman had actually survived changed everything.

If she was real, perhaps the curse wasn't as impossible to break as everyone believed.

Perhaps I wouldn't have to keep living like this.

"Well..." I turned my attention back to Travis. "Tell Alpha Gale I'll be staying in this pack, but I won't be visiting his pack house until a week from now."

His eyes widened.

I could practically see the questions forming in his head, but before he could ask, I continued.

"During that week, I want you, Devon, and every member of the security team searching for the woman from last night."

"But, Alpha..."

His hesitation was obvious. He probably thought I'd finally lost my mind.

Perhaps I had.

But I didn't care.

"You'll do as I say, Travis."

My voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. I didn't need to raise it. He'd served beside me long enough to recognize when my mind was made up.

After a moment, he lowered his head.

"Yes, Alpha."

Even then, I could tell he wasn't convinced. His eyes lingered on me as though he were trying to understand what had brought about this sudden change.

Eventually, he spoke again.

"Fine. If, as you say, there truly was a woman in your room last night and she somehow survived the curse, what do you intend to do with her?"

He paused.

"Remember, we've already struck an alliance with Alpha Gale's pack. What are you going to do about his daughter?"

I leaned back against the headboard and stared at him.

"What do you think?"

His brows furrowed.

"What?"

"I'll reject her."

The words came without hesitation, and Travis stared at me as though he hadn't expected that answer.

"And if you don't find the mystery woman?"

That question made me pause.

What if none of this was real?

What if it had all been a dream brought on by whatever had happened to me the previous night?

Then what?

I thought about the countless women who'd died because of me and the guilt that had never truly disappeared.

I was about to claim my tenth wife.

The thought alone made my stomach twist.

I couldn't do it again.

Whether I found the mystery woman or not, I refused to add another corpse to that endless list.

I looked straight at Travis.

"I'll reject her too."

"What?"

The disbelief on his face was almost comical.

"Yes, you heard me, Travis." I pushed myself off the bed and stood. "Now get to work."

My tone ended the discussion.

Although reluctant, he gave a respectful bow before leaving the room.

As soon as the door closed, my thoughts returned to the woman from the previous night.

I still couldn't remember her face. All I had were those unforgettable green eyes, her warmth, and the strange sense of peace she'd left behind.

My gaze drifted toward the empty side of the bed, and before I realized it, the corner of my mouth lifted into a faint smile.

Please... be real.

Because more than anything...

I really want to meet you.