The Curse

Two black Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat were waiting for us at the shore of Liberty City as we stepped out of the cabin cruiser.

“Welcome home, Alpha Leonidas,” a white gray haired fellow bowed as Leonidas approached him. “I believe the New moon festival ran well.”

This man was a human.

Contacts between humans and Werewolves were prohibited, but I guess Alpha Leonidas cared less about that.

“It progressed well,” Alpha Leonidas replied, holding my hand. “I brought someone back from the festival.”

I saw the old man stiffen. “Are you serious? She's your mate?”

Alpha Leonidas eyes narrowed. “That's right, Edgar. I've found a mate.”

Edgar's wrinkled face sagged. He looked at me with sadness in his eyes. “Is that so?”

Silence. The atmosphere turned gloomy, as if someone had died.

I glanced from Edgar to Alpha Leonidas. Now I was confused. “What's going on?”

“I'll tell you all about it,” Alpha Leonidas said, opening the passenger door for me. “Get in. I own a villa uphill. You'll be safe there.”

He sat beside me in the driver's seat after I got in. Then he fired the engine and drove off to the villa.

While on the drive to the Villa, Alpha Leonidas started speaking. “I'm sure you've heard about me, Kylie?”

“I've heard many things,” I replied after a pause. “They say you're a rogue wolf, cast away from the Republic because of your curse.”

“I'm not a rogue wolf,” he said, a sharp note in his tone. “That's just propaganda created by my enemies to soil my name.”

“Then your curse…”

“I was cursed by the moon goddess from the day of my birth,” Alpha Leonidas interrupted.

I became uncomfortable.

There were many speculations about what Alpha Leonidas curse was. No one knew what kind of curse he bore.

I was curious to know, so I asked. “What's your curse?”

“After we have you settled in the villa, then I'll tell you,” Leonidas said.

I remained quiet. Something was off. He kept holding off my questions as if now wasn't the right time to answer them.

The bustling city soon gave way to the countryside where Alpha Leonidas villa was built on a hill.

One thing was for certain: Alpha Leonidas was rich. His car collections ranged from Dodge Chargers models to Rolls-Royce phantom.

Alpha Leonidas held open the door for me and took my hand. “Come with me.”

Without a word from me, I followed him into the villa.

“Let's get you settled in,” Alpha Leonidas said as he led me to the master's chamber.

The master's bedroom was enormous.

It had enough space to accommodate three trucks, with a transparent glass shower cabin and a large king-sized bed with his initials on it.

We stood in the middle of the room, facing each other.

“Kylie,” Alpha Leonidas grabbed my shoulders, peering into my eyes. “You can choose to stay or leave if you wish. Do you have a family? I can take you back to them.”

I lowered my head as my face darkened. “My father sold me off to a slave merchant in order to pay his debt. He doesn't care what happens to me. I don't want to go back.”

Another silence ensued between us.

“In that case," Alpha Leonidas continued. "I'll tell you what my curse is.”

My ears were opened. He was finally going to reveal what his curse was.

Leonidas began. “My curse is the curse of death. After three years, my mate dies.”

I stiffened in raw shock.

“That's right,” Alpha Leonidas said, his eyes heavy. “It's my curse. The mate bond between my mate and I, is like a thread of death. By the third year, it snaps in twos, and my mate winds up dead.”

I was short of words. I could only gape at him, my breath held tightly in my throat.

“After the death of my first mate, I encountered my second mate, but she rejected me because of my curse. You're my third mate.”

The word I was struggling to speak landed in my mouth. “What you're trying to say is, I'll be dead in three years if I become your mate.”

“That's correct,” Alpha Leonidas responded. “Now listen, Kiley, I'm going to reject you right now."

"Why?" I asked.

He stepped away from me, letting off a sigh. "It's not my wish to drag you into this curse. Like I said earlier, you're free to live here with me. I'll protect you. You don't have to be a slave anymore.”

I hung my head as I thought about it.

If I accept him as my mate, I'll die three years from now. If he rejects me, I can stay under his protection and experience a normal life with no worries.

Yeah, the best option was to accept rejection. After all, I'll be free from Alpha Gunner.

But when I glanced up and met those dark sad eyes, I realized that Alpha Leonidas was suffering.

Every werewolf deserves a mate. Not just for political reasons, but for companionship.

Being a mateless wolf is like having a deep void that cannot be filled alone.

“I… I” I stammered as I held my chest with both hands.

My heart was racing.

Alpha Leonidas placed his finger on my lip. “There's no need. I'll do the rejection myself, okay?”

I shook my head firmly. “No, Alpha Leonidas. That's not what I meant. I–I accept you...”

Alpha Leonidas reared his head back in shock.

His eyes widened. “You what?”

“I accept you as my mate,” I repeated, my voice filled with my resolve. “I accept your curse and everything. I'll be your mate.”