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Chapter eight
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๋ฐ์ดํธ:
2025-05-02 04:38:46
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The Cursed Alpha And His Rejected Brideย ย ย Chapter one
Diana I let the airโฆor the lack of it, burn my lungs as I took one painful step after another. This seemed like the perfect solution to all of my problems. The wind whipped across my face as I stared at the water below me. It was a long way down. Enough that if I cast myself, no one would find me before I died. The speed of the fall would shatter my bones and make it impossible for me to swim my way out of the mess. It was death, guaranteed once I stepped off the ledge. All that it required was that I took that step. โThis is better,โ I tried to psyche myself, giving myself the pep talk that no one but me needed to hear. Death was better than the torture I had faced growing up โ one that guaranteed itself to continue as long as I remained here. Why? I am Diana Crossfield. Thatโs why. I existed, and it was enough reason for my father to detest me so much, that hitting me became second place to throwing me in the ash cellar and locking me up for days. I was
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-19The Cursed Alpha And His Rejected Brideย ย ย Chapter two
Diana โHeโs a powerful prince of the North, now,โ my father said, his voice sounding sarcastically caring. Like it mattered. It didnโt. What mattered was getting rid of me. But I welcomed it. I was about to check myself out anyway. I had spent years wishing for a way out, a miracleโsomething to rip me from this place that never wanted me. And now, when it finally happened, it wasnโt on my terms. It was on his. Canโt a girl have something for once? Welpโฆ โSo?โ I put on a sarcastic glare like I didnโt know where he was going with this. โYouโre going to get married to him,โ he clarified. I rolled my eyes, โFinallyโ โHave your clothing and materials ready before tomorrow. My men would come and take you naked if youโre not ready by the time they are,โ his tone was dismissive as always. I was already walking out of the pack house by then. I had my bags packed before the sun went down and didnโt sleep through the night. A knock sounded at my door at first light
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-19The Cursed Alpha And His Rejected Brideย ย ย Chapter three
Diana The evening air burned my lungs as I ran. Branches tore at my arms, my legs, and my face, but I didnโt stop. Couldnโt stop. At some point, I had lost my shoes. My bare feet slammed against the damp earth, every frantic step sending a jolt of pain up my legs. But I welcomed the pain. It meant I was still alive. It meant I wasnโt in that carriage anymore, heading toward whatever nightmare my father had planned for me. I didn't care too much about life...or at least, I thought I didn't. But death this way? It felt unreal. I was supposed to leave on my terms, right? Why would he have the final laugh? No! Shouts rang out behind me, growing closer. They were chasing me. I pushed harder, the muscles in my legs screaming in protest. The forest was thick, but being left alone to my devices I had played in the woods as a childโI knew the twists, the roots, the places to hide. If I could just make it deep enough, I might have a chance. I might be able to
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-19The Cursed Alpha And His Rejected Brideย ย ย Chapter four
Edric Silence. Thick, suffocating, unrelenting silence, just how I liked it. I could tell she was uncomfortable. She dared not breathe heavily, and she stuck to only one corner of the room. It was almost as if one step from her would have me or Muzan pouncing I didnโt move either. I didnโt utter a single word. I simply kept my eyes on the parchment on my desk, and let my quill trace lines of whatever came to my head. โShe thinks she is about to die,โ thick, guttural groans only I could hear cackled. It was Bane, my wolf. โYou blame her?โ I hummed internally, holding back a chuckle. I could smell it on her. The dread stuck to the back of her throat like the bitter aftertaste of rum, and her pulse ran miles faster than Bane in the forest, chasing after a boar. โShe fears us.โ I didnโt respond. Of course, she feared us. They all did. In fact, at this point, it felt necessary. The more they feared him, the more likely they were to stay away from him, and as long as they d
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-19The Cursed Alpha And His Rejected Brideย ย ย Chapter five
Diana I stacked the last dish onto the drying rack and wiped my hands on my dress, exhaling loudly. The room was finally clean...well, as clean as I could manage without scrubbing the floors until my fingers bled. Save for my room, I have never done this before, so it's impossible to quantify what serves as 'clean'. For a second, I just stood there, my arms limp at my sides. What now? I didnโt belong here. I didnโt know what I was supposed to do next. My entire life, I had been ignored, hated, or simply tolerated in my fatherโs house, but I still had a place there, even if it was at the bottom of everyoneโs regard. Here, in this cold, eerie mansion with a man who could very well be my executioner, I had nothing. No role, no expectations...nothing except the nagging fear that my existence was balancing on a knifeโs edge...and that edge was this man's will. The monster, the beast, whatever he was...hadnโt spoken since ordering me to clean. He had barely even ac
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-19The Cursed Alpha And His Rejected Brideย ย ย Chapter six
DianaโMine.โ I heard the word loud and clear. At first, I thought it was just a predatory growl or something that got stuck in his mouth.But no.He was uttering the word that claimed me as his possession.And here, I thought I could finally be free.โJust let me go,โ I begged, not really even meaning it because I knew it was impossible.He was in front of me now, and faster than I could blink. I closed my eyes and longed for the inevitable end. My heart raced faster than my legs had run, and I just hoped that he wasnโt the type that liked to play with his food.I never thought about how Iโd die.I just knew it was inevitable one day.โHow do we do this?โ he purred, his voice low and unnerving. It stiffened my spine.I stayed silent.โSlow and painful?โ I felt a hot puff of air flood my face and when I opened my eyes, he was right there, in front of me.I couldnโt breathe. My body couldnโt will itself to, paralyzed with terror.โOr quick and painless?โ his eyes glowed in the darknes
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-04-11The Cursed Alpha And His Rejected Brideย ย ย Chapter seven
EdricI didnโt think she would run that fast. They usually didnโt.They usually ran immediately or after a long week of unbearable work designed to break their spirits.Either she was very stubborn or already broken.I was going to find out which.โShe obeys wellโฆwhen you watch her,โ Bane offered, understanding my conflict.โIโm not going to watch her every waking moment, Bane,โ I said out loud. I could talk out to my wolf when there was no one with me.It was something I was sure every werewolf did.They just never admitted it.โI will. Just be around her.โโShut up.โI got back to writing, trying to solve these equations, while simultaneously crafting some poetic pieces for the next festival.Muzan would represent me, since if I came out, the people would run, anyway.It wasnโt worth it.โYou donโt like her?โI didnโt know how to respond to that question. I meanโฆI didnโt like her, but only in the sense that I didnโt like anyone.Other than that, I couldnโt say otherwise.โYour heart
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-04-11The Cursed Alpha And His Rejected Brideย ย ย Chapter eight
DianaIt hurt to stand.But I had to. I would need to runโฆI thought. But he could catch me if he wanted to anytime.My entire body trembled, and I could barely see out of my tear-stricken eyes.He was faking it. This monster was faking being poisoned.Just how much of a mess is this? And how cruel were we to have put me in the jaws of something so inescapable? He should have just killed me.For the sake of the moon goddess, he should have put a knife through my chest and left me to bleed to my death!Muzan shook his head. โCome on, now, Diana -โโNo, noโฆโ Edric interrupted. โLet her be. This was a good try. If she does it often enough, Iโll get enough stomach upsets and just might let her go.โMuzan looked at me. โNo, he would not let you go.โEdric chuckledโฆhumorlessly. โI wouldnโt.โI did the only thing I could do.Cry.Iโm sure I have cried more today than I have over the past week. Everything felt like it didnโt want to kill me. It just wanted to suffocate me enough to take the fi
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-04-11
์ต์ ์ฑํฐ
The Cursed Alpha And His Rejected Brideย ย ย Chapter eight
DianaEdric opened the book and we peeled through the contents of the pages at the same time. But being a faster reader than I was, I was only able to scrape through words.While he, desperate for answers, turned the pages faster than my eyes could keep up with.At the end of it, though, he closed the book and looked up with a sigh of disdain.โWhatโฆwhat was it?โ I asked, mental fingers crossed that it wasnโt anything overly disappointing.To give me an answer, he had to adjust his seat and take a deep breath.His answer was brief, but his explanation paved the way for what felt like a lifetime of thought and contemplation.Apparently, there was something that existed in the werewolf kingdom.Something usually scary, but now, exciting.The way alphas and lunas worked, was that there was an existing alpha for generations. Usually, the son of the alpha inherited that role.If the clan wasnโt satisfied, with the leadership of that alpha, they could nominate someone else to take overโฆor o
The Cursed Alpha And His Rejected Brideย ย ย Chapter forty-seven
EdricWe left the hall of mirrors without finding the definitive answers, but we found something.I think that was the most important thingโthat we kept moving forward, no matter what.Everything we did to get up to this point was simply searching, blindly looking for answers to questions we didnโt even know to ask.But here, we had a lead, and it lay in Dianaโs hand.I couldnโt touch it, because it quite practically burned me.I looked down at my hands โ the pain should have gone by now, and it was. But there were still the heat blisters. They were receding, though, a confirmation of my cursed immortality.I took a breath and looked straight ahead, trying my best not to look at the mirrors. Diana wasnโt aware of this, but anytime I looked at these mirrors, a splitting headache threatened to open my skull.I theorized that it was because they were things that I wasnโt supposed to remember, and Bane concurred.That didnโt stop me from coming here any time I was in the mood for a little
The Cursed Alpha And His Rejected Brideย ย ย Chapter forty-six
DianaI left his room after a while of what seemed to be meaningless ponders, the both of us too frustrated to even continue.What were we looking for?What did we hope to find?Perhaps that was what sealed our fate from the beginning.A problem shared is a problem solved, they say. So is knowing the problem. Knowing what needed to be solved.To find something, you must be able to identify it. We didnโt even know what we were looking for.Was it material? Was it abstract? Was it an emotion?Everything cluttered my lungs โ the questions and lack of answers thereof. I needed air, and so, I sought that instead, edging over to the windowsill in the main hallway, overlooking the garden below.There was a ledge opposite me, where Edric promptly sat on, perhaps needing the same thing I did.Air.โI canโt even remember the name of the witch who cursed me,โ he confessed with a silent tone, one that spelled his embarrassment at the situation. โPathetic, no? Wouldโve been a good start, if you as
The Cursed Alpha And His Rejected Brideย ย ย Chapter forty-five
DianaI sat curled on the edge of the bed, refusing to move.I was scared that if I did, in some sick, twisted turn of events, something would happen. Something so wrong would hurt him even more.The paradox of the whole thing was that my being ever closer to him meant that he was weaker. It meant that he could die.And yet, here I was, pretending like I didnโt want to hurt him.My fingers lazily grazed Edricโs arm and I felt the warmth and his pulseโฆjust to make sure he was still breathing.Or to be sure it wasnโt.I wasnโt sure I lived in a world that even made sense.The minutes blurred into longer ones, and each ticking of the clock made me painstakingly aware of my role in this.In the death of a man.Eventually, sleep pulled me under its blankets. It wasnโt warm and fuzzy. It was a rough tug. I felt the tiredness gnaw at my bones and by the time I pulled my eyes shut, I couldnโt even spare some time for extra thought.I just got sucked into the world of the unknown.Where my min
The Cursed Alpha And His Rejected Brideย ย ย Chapter forty-four
DianaI was tending to the crops in the garden when Muzan came to me. His face held concern, deeper than I had ever seen.โIs anything wrong?โHe nodded.I stood up.โHeโsโฆillโฆodd, I knowโฆโI wanted to sprint past him, to go and see Edric, but he held me backโThe curse is not broken, Diana. He stabbed himself with a knife to test it outโฆnothing.โHis words made me relax a little, but still, he was ill. I had to see what was wrong.When I got to his room, he didnโt look like anything was wrong with him. He was hunched over his desk, his eyes buried in concentration behind his meaningless calculations.Meaningless at least, to me.โFalse alarm,โ he waved dismissively when I inquired about his health and the report from Muzan. โLooks like Iโll be living to see another century,โ he huffed.โYou act like itโs a really bad thing,โ I rolled my eyes.โWell, when youโve seen fiveโฆmaybeโฆyes.โI wasnโt ready for his schematics this morning. I wasnโt ready for it today.โIโll check through what
The Cursed Alpha And His Rejected Brideย ย ย Chapter forty-three
EdricโWhโฆwhat does that mean?โ she croaked frantically, trying to reach her wrist, but I pulled it away from her.I didnโt want her to scratch it anymore, because I wanted to see what would happen. I needed to see what the wolf symbol did.To my surprise, nothing happened.โWhat happened?โ she asked with a weak sigh.Or, at least, I think nothing happened.I looked around me when I felt the whoosh, and knew for a fact, that this was far from ordinary. If a mark was able to appear on her wrist from nowhere, then something was coming.I just needed to be ready for it.โNothing,โ I sighed, feeling frustrated, when this was supposed to be the most upbeat I had been in years.A discovery!Something new! Something new must mean change! And change is good, isn't it?Well, not when the only thing that never changes is you.I stood up and packed everything up.โI should have never let you do the spell,โ I said as I walked away. โIโm sorry.โHer hasty footsteps followed my deliberate ones in h
The Cursed Alpha And His Rejected Brideย ย ย Chapter forty-two
DianaThe next day was filled with more glee than I ever had in a week. When I offered Edric breakfast, he loved it so much, he wanted to know how I made it.โIt was from a recipe book my mother used,โ I admitted as I watched him wolf down the entire meal. โI watched a chef do it, and voilaโฆโThe next moment, I was standing in the kitchen, my hands deep in a bowl of flour.I wiped flour off her cheek with the back of her wrist, my eyes narrowing at Edric, who stood stiffly beside me like the idea of cracking an egg might bring about the apocalypse.โYouโre holding it like itโs a bomb,โ I teased him, nudging his elbow as he stared down at the egg with a frown that said he was contemplating war tactics, not breakfast.โI only know how to deal with meats,โ I said and studied the egg like there was more to it than just cracking it open and pouring out the contents. โAnything more than thatโฆIโm lost. Itโs why I could hardly tell when you poisoned meโฆunless the poison was something strong.
The Cursed Alpha And His Rejected Brideย ย ย Chapter forty-one
DianaHe was mean. He might not have been the best at interpersonal relationships. He scowled like the devil and downright acted like one.That still didnโt mean I should hate him.In fact, that just prompted me to look deeper.And I was right.There he was โ the mortal that we all were. Hidden deep beneath all those layers of โmonsterโ was the alpha wolf no one wanted to see.Well, I wasnโt no one.We sat in the candle room for a while, simply enjoying the silenceโฆor being tormented by it. Each candle forced me to create a picture in my head, one that I might have been exaggeratedโฆor worse.Underexaggerated.I wanted to relate to him so badly. I wanted him to know that someone out there understood. I wanted to be that person.Not because I was trying to be kind to him for any reasonโฆbut becauseโฆhe has suffered.Edric made the twenty-two years I have lived on this earth a childโs play. He made every tear I have ever shedโฆevery night I had ever gone to bed, praying to the moon goddess
The Cursed Alpha And His Rejected Brideย ย ย Chapter forty
EdricA sigh escaped my lips, a silent acknowledgment of the inevitable. The very air in the room seemed to vibrate with the unspoken dread of what was unfolding. A mental breakdown. The fragile equilibrium I had hoped Diana had found felt like it was teetering on the precipice. If my recollections served me correctly โ and they usually did, in their own fragmented way โ this exact emotional collapse had been the catalyst for her initial illness.I desperately wanted to steer her away from that precipice, to prevent her from plunging back into that desolate state. I hated it. I couldnโt bear the thought of her tears falling because of me. It felt profoundly unnecessary.I was beginning to micromanage her every reaction, a frantic, internal calculus aimed at ensuring her happiness, or at the very least, the absence of sadness. This wasn't a habitual behavior, not a familiar pattern from my countless lives. This was different. This was herโฆand the intensity of my concern was, fran
