All Chapters of Cursed Alpha’s Second Chance Bride: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

Serena POV"Drink this before your hands shake off your wrists," Maren says, stepping into my bedroom with a steaming porcelain cup resting on a silver tray.I do not move from the edge of my mattress. My packed leather bag sits by the heavy wooden door, completely untouched, exactly where I left it when the sun was still hidden behind the dark horizon. The sharp, dominant scent of pine and rain-slicked earth from the approaching Blackthorn convoy still lingers heavily on the morning breeze, cutting straight through the open window. My wolf claws at the inside of my ribs, half-shifted and snarling under my skin. The double wound of my family’s sudden betrayal and Ethan’s spineless exit last night burns through my bloodstream like pure acid. I have not slept a single second."I hated what Mother and Father did to you," Maren says softly, her voice dripping with a practiced, gentle sweetness as she sets the tray down on my vanity. "I could barely breathe all night thinking about it. I j

Serena POV"He didn't touch it, did he?" Maren’s voice purrs from the shadows near my bed, sweet as honey and sharp as glass.I do not answer her right away. I step into my assigned quarters, closing the heavy oak door behind me before turning to face my sister. The lingering scent of seared meat and mountain herbs from the tray I left outside Kael’s study still sits on my skin. In my past life, I would have thrown a screaming tantrum, smashed the dishes against the wall, and cursed Kael’s name until my lungs bled.This time, I walk calmly to the vanity. My hands do not shake. My posture does not break."Alpha Kael is a busy man," I say, my voice smooth and flat. "He eats when he pleases."Maren glides off the edge of the mattress, her silk gown whispering against the floorboards. She circles me like a vulture, her eyes wide with false, sisterly concern while her sweet chamomile scent fills the quiet room."You actually cooked for him?" Maren asks, letting out a soft, mocking laugh. "

Serena POV"He didn't even let her touch the handle of his door," a young female wolf whispers near the hall pillar. "He locked himself in the isolation vault just to get away from her scent."I do not stop walking. I keep my chin high, my boots clicking softly against the stone floor of the outer corridor."She brought him food last night like a desperate servant," another voice sneers from behind a carved archway. "He left it outside to go cold. He hates her."The words sting like sharp thorns, but I do not let my expression crack. In my past life, I would have screamed at them. I would have smashed the stone vases, cried in my room, and demanded that my father take me back.This time, my pulse remains slow and steady. My wolf bristles beneath my skin, baring her teeth at the insult, but I force her down. Let them talk. Let the entire Blackthorn pack believe their Alpha despises his new arranged bride."Good morning, Serena," Maren's voice purrs as she steps out from the side galler

Kael POV"She is standing in the center of the lobby, Alpha," Marcus says, holding the tablet in front of my desk while the video feed plays on a loop. "The pack elders are demanding her arrest."I do not look up from the leather ledger on my desk, though my hand freezes over the open page."Let the council handle the clinic," I say, my voice flat, devoid of a single drop of warmth. "It is not my concern.""They are revoking her license, sir," Marcus adds quietly, his voice cautious. "Elder Thomas claims she betrayed the pack."My human face remains an unreadable block of ice, but inside my chest, my wolf-spirit violently thrashes against my ribs.Liars! the beast roars through our mental link, his dark, feral aura flaring so hot it singes my lungs. They are trapping her! She didn't leak those files! Maren touched the system! Go to her now! Tear Elder Thomas's throat out before they put their filthy hands on our mate!"Silence," I force the command through my teeth, my jaw clenching s