The Alphas’ Eternal Curse

SELENE. The Moon Festival arrived in what felt like the snap of a finger. The pack had prepared for weeks, and now the celebrations had begun. The entire village was bathed in silver and gold, with silk banners stretched between the houses, the glowing lanterns illuminating the streets, and garlands of white flowers hanging across made archways. The smell of roasting meats and wine and spices filled the air, and there was laughter everywhere.I finished my work early, making sure that I would not get in anyone's way. In the late evening, the pack square was beginning to fill with wolves streaming towards the festival grounds.Now alone in the little room I’d been allocated, I brought out a dress I’d had kept for years, something I’d had never found the courage to wear. It had belonged to my mom. It was simple but beautiful, pale blue soft fabric that glistened faintly in the light. I held it over my body in the cracked mirror of the hallway, looking at myself. What if I actually met

SELENE. Pain.It was all I knew.The lash of the whip, the searing burn as it bit into my flesh. The wet warmth of blood trickling down my back, soaking into the ragged edges of my dress.I’d endured countless wounds throughout my existence. Beatings. Bruises. Humiliation. But never before had I honestly wanted to die as I did now.I tried to block it out, to let myself float, but Kieran's raging demands pulled me back to the land of the living."Tell me the truth, Selene!"I lifted my head, blear-eyed. "I don't— " my throat was sore from screaming. "I don't know what you're talking about."The whip descended again.I gagged on a sob.Somewhere outside the dungeon's little, barred window, the sky had gone dark to a deep crimson.A Blood Moon.How fitting. How symbolic.I was going to die under a Blood Moon.Kieran exhaled a rough breath, stepping back, his expression changing from anger to frustration. He was wearing thin.The guards glanced at each other nervously, sensing tension.

SELENEI remained frozen in shock and bewilderment while my eyes stayed locked on Cassian the Rogue Alpha whose deadly power made him one of Lycoris' most formidable figures. I found myself unable to process the spoken words while their serious meaning crashed into me with the force of a physical attack. "Mated to Cassian?" My brows knitted together in confusion while my eyes searched the room frantically for some kind of release from this unexpected situation. I raised my trembling hands to my temples where my fingers dug into my scalp as though trying to physically contain my racing thoughts while I struggled to accept this new reality. The brightness that once characterized my eyes was now replaced by a dull senselessness caused by the unexpected mating event. The sensation hit me like a punch to my stomach which knocked the air from my lungs and left me struggling to breathe. My deep inhalation failed to stabilize my rapid heartbeat as my voice quivered through my speech while my