All Chapters of The Cursed Alpha and His Wolfless Mate: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

I had heard stories… stories of brothers betraying brothers; of blood ties turning sour; of shared wombs becoming shared graves. But I never thought it’d happen to me. Not for once did I think that! Not with Drake. We used to play under the moon when we were pups… just the two of us, chasing fireflies and pretending to be warriors. He’d always let me win when we sparred, even though I knew he was stronger than me back then. “Why did you let me win today?,” I'd often ask him. “Because you needed it more than I did,” he would casually taunt me with that. We used to hide under our father's table, watching him conduct council meetings, whispering and giggling while the elders argued over borders and treaties. “Father is not as ruthless as I expect him to be,” he'd whisper to me, looking disappointed. I remember the time he took the blame when I broke our mother's favorite vase. He was whipped for it. Five strokes. And he never told a soul it was me. Not even once. “Why did you

Tabitha opened the door just a crack and peeked out like she was hiding from ghosts. When she was sure it was me, and that I was alone, she opened it wider and stepped aside to let me in. She didn’t say a word at first. She just turned and walked to the edge of her bed, sat down, and held her elbows like she was cold.I frowned. “You came back earlier than you said you would. What happened over there?”She said nothing, and still not looking at me. I was getting really frustrated. I desperately wanted to know what happened, and, considering Tabitha wasn't one that was used to bottling things up, that made me even more curious.I closed the door gently behind me, dragged the chair beside her bed and sat. “Tabitha, talk to me. You’ve been quiet since you got back. You don't have to be afraid to tell me.”“I'm not afraid!,” she snapped.“Then prove it by speaking up,” I said, hopeful she would accept the ‘challenge.’She sniffed, then finally looked up. “I left because Kaidon… he forced

The second time Loraine walked into my cell, she was holding a tray of food… some dry bread, a bowl of watery stew, and a cup of what smelled like herbs and bitterness.“Hey,” she said. I could tell she didn't know what to say.I didn’t even look at her. I had my back turned, sitting on the cold, hard floor with my arms around my knees. My body ached in places I didn’t even know existed, and my heart… my heart was broken in a thousand different ways. I was grateful she cared about me, but spending time with anyone today was the last thing I wanted.“I brought you food,” she said softly.“I’m not hungry,” I mumbled. I wasn't even sure she heard me.“Lila… you haven’t eaten since yesterday. You need to eat something or…”“I said I’m not hungry, Loraine.” I didn’t mean to snap, but I was tired. Tired of the cell. Tired of being used. Tired of being lied against. Tired of being blamed for things I knew nothing about. Tired of Kaidon. And maybe… just tired of being alive. Death was beginni

“You said what?” Alpha Kris’s voice was low, dangerous, but I didn’t flinch.I leaned closer, the corners of my lips twitching with the barest hint of a smile. “I said help me become the next Alpha of Moonstone. Help me overthrow Kaidon, and you’ll get your revenge. It’s a win-win.”His green eyes flared with fury. He stood abruptly, knocking the wooden chair he’d been sitting on to the ground. “You’re sick in the head,” he growled. “You’re trying to use what happened to my sister for your twisted ambition?”“No, Kris, I’m trying to use what Kaidon did to her,” I said calmly, brushing dust off my coat. “I’m giving you a way to destroy him. You should be thanking me.”He stalked toward me, fists clenched, veins popping along his arms. “You think I don’t see through you? You don’t give a damn about Tabitha. All you care about is that damned throne.”“You’re right.” I didn’t bother pretending. “I don’t care about Tabitha. She’s just a pawn. But that doesn’t change what Kaidon did to her.

I stood on the raised wooden platform, bound in chains that bit into my wrists and ankles, my breath coming in shaky gasps. The cold wind lashed against my skin, but it was nothing compared to the heaviness in my chest. I was going to die. My eyes darted around the sea of faces watching me, waiting… some curious, others indifferent, and a few smiling cruelly like they'd waited all their lives to see me fall.I didn’t care about them.I only cared about him.And he… he stood there, a few feet away, dressed in black like death himself, eyes as cold as a frozen lake. Alpha Kaidon. The man I once thought might care about me… even just a little. Now he was my judge, my executioner.“Do you have anything to say?,” he asked again.“I didn’t poison your food,” I said. My voice was hoarse, but I forced myself to speak clearly. “And I didn’t try to escape because I’m guilty. I kicked the guard because… because he tried to rape me!”There were gasps, whispers, a sudden rustling of robes and armo