All Chapters of The Alpha King's Mate: ZORYA'S CURSE: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The sun had long dipped below the horizon, leaving the castle bathed in the soft, amber glow of lanterns, and Lillia stood before the mirror, her silver hair cascading over her shoulders, gleaming like threads of moonlight as she watched her reflection. She was no more the fragile girl who had fallen to her death. This body was hers now. It may be foreign, yes, but it was powerful, beautiful and fierce. It was exactly what she needed. And yet… she mourned. Her fingers unconsciously trailed downward, tracing the curve of her stomach as she felt the absence of the life she had once carried, and it clawed at her heart. She thought of the baby she had never known, of her body smashed against the rocks below Clearwater Forest, of the friends who had died so she could live. Guilt and grief twisted together like a noose, her gaze turning deeper as she gritted her teeth. Yet, in that same breath, she sighed and closed her eyes. Then, quietly, she pressed her palms on the mirror, as if to

Beautiful. She breathed as her face caught the silver glow. The full moon shone brightly at its peak, but like every other full moon, the ache began. It started deep within her bones; a slow, crawling soreness that spread through her body. The dull but consistent pressure in her mind until her head began to throb. Sounds sharpened until they blurred together, scents grew overwhelming, layered atop one another until her chest tightened, and her breaths came shallow. The moonlight felt invasive, almost cruel. She never felt connected to the moon, she felt exposed, yet like every other full moon, she called it beautiful. Tonight, however, something felt… wrong. An unease crept through her, cold and insistent. A sudden sadness rose without warning, so sharp her eyes stung, and her throat constricted painfully. It was too much. Too heavy. A grief she hadn’t invited, yet one that settled deep in her chest as if it had always been waiting. Perhaps, it was a re

“It’s the Alpha’s daughter.”“Look how fragile she is. Such a pity.”“The cursed star-born child is all alone now. No more under her father’s protection. What will she do now?”The Great Hall smelled faintly of fresh earth, the kind meant for graves, and she wished it would open beneath her feet and swallow her whole.Wrapped in a grey shawl that did little to keep out the cold, she edged farther back, away from the centre of the hall, away from the stares. Her breathing was shallow, her skin too pale. Her legs trembled, not just from grief, but from the feverish weakness that had followed her since birth, clinging like a curse she could never outrun.Whispers echoed through the hall like a rising tide, pressing heavily on her chest until it was hard to breathe.She lifted her gaze. At the far end of the hall, her father’s throne loomed in silenc

“You don’t owe me anything, Maera.” Lillia smiled softly. Though the ache beneath her skin never truly faded. She reached for Kyla and Selene, taking their hands in hers, grounding herself to their warmth. Her gaze drifted over each of her maidens, lingering where once there had only been distance. “Thank you,” Lillia said quietly. “All of you. For staying. For taking care of me.” She hesitated, the next words catching in her throat. “And… please. Call me Ish—” She stopped herself immediately, then corrected gently, “Lillia.” Kyla blinked, her eyes shining brightly as if the name itself were a gift she’d been waiting to receive. She wiped her cheeks and smiled widely, her actions carefree and unguarded. “Lillia,” Kyla repeated easily, like it had always been hers to say. Selene’s lips curved, just barely. “As you wish… my—” She caught herself. “Lillia.” But Maera remained rigid, even as the room grew silent again, and all heads turned in her direction, waiting for her response.