Kamrynn’s POV
Alpha Draven’s arms stayed firm around me, his grip a subtle reminder of the power he wielded. He leaned back in his chair, his voice dropping to a low, ominous tone as he began his story.
“There was once an Alpha,” he started, his voice steady but laced with an edge that made the air feel colder. “He ruled a Pack burdened by misfortune. The land they lived on was unyielding, the crops sparse, and the hunters returned empty-handed more often than not. Disease and hunger crept through the territory like a shadow, and the Pack’s numbers dwindled year after year.”
I felt his breath graze my ear as he continued. “This Alpha was not the sharpest of men, but his heart was kind. He wanted nothing more than to see his people thrive. He sought solutions-alliances, trade agreements, even begging neighboring Packs for aid. But the more he tried, the more the world seemed to conspire against him. His people suffered, and he suffered with them.”
I swallowed hard, the weight of the story pressing against my chest.
“And then,” Draven said, his voice dropping to a whisper, “things took a turn for the worse. A harsh winter descended upon them, cruel and unrelenting. They lost what little food they had, and the wolves began to die. It was then that the Alpha knew-if he did not act, his people would perish. Desperation clouded his mind and drove him to extremes.”
He paused, as if savoring the tension in the air. “The Alpha heard whispers of a powerful sorceress who lived in the mountains-a being of great magic, feared and respected by all who knew of her. He decided he would bring her to his Pack, no matter the cost. So, he led a group of warriors to her secluded home, kidnapped her, and dragged her to his den.”
My breath hitched. “He kidnapped a sorceress?” I asked, horrified.
Draven smirked, his fingers tracing idle patterns along my arm. “Indeed, little bird. He begged and threatened her to use her magic to save his people. The sorceress, clever as she was, saw his desperation and agreed to help-on one condition. She would not solve his problems directly but would teach him the art of sorcery, the ways of dark magic. He agreed without hesitation.”
“And… did it work?” I asked, hesitant but drawn in despite myself.
Draven nodded, his sharp eyes gleaming. “It did. The Alpha used the forbidden knowledge to conjure abundance for his Pack. Their lands flourished, their hunters succeeded, and their people thrived once more. The Alpha became a hero, revered by his Pack for his newfound strength and wisdom.”
A shadow passed over Draven’s face as his voice turned grim. “But power, my dear Kamrynn, always comes with a price. The Alpha, now consumed by his own magic, made a mistake. He fell in love with the sorceress. He refused to let her go, keeping her as a prisoner, though he showered her with affection and riches.”
I felt a chill run down my spine. “Did she… did she love him back?”
Draven’s laughter was cold, devoid of humor. “No, little bird. Her heart was not his to claim. She despised him for what he had done. She tried to escape many times, but her attempts always ended in failure. One night, during her final bid for freedom, the Alpha found her and tried to stop her.”
The room felt smaller, the air thicker, as Draven’s words dropped like stones. “In his desperation to keep her, a struggle ensued. She slipped, fell, and struck her head on the edge of a rock. The sorceress died in his arms, her blood staining his hands. He wept over her lifeless body, cursing himself for what he had done.”
I shivered, unable to look away as he continued.
“But the sorceress had the last word, even in death,” Draven said, his voice now a deadly whisper. “With her final breath, she uttered a curse-one that would plague him and his descendants for eternity. And till this day, his descendants suffer from her dreadful curse.”
I couldn’t decide if I was more intrigued or terrified by the story Draven had just told me. The room seemed heavier, his words lingering in the air like a dark shadow. I tried to process it all-the desperation, the betrayal, the curse. It didn’t feel real, but the way he spoke, with that calm yet menacing certainty, sent chills down my spine.
Draven tilted his head slightly, his sharp eyes watching me like a hawk. “Well, little bird?” he asked, his voice silky smooth. “Who do you think the Alpha in the story is?”
I blinked, trying to steady my thoughts. My mind raced, connecting the pieces. “You,” I said, my voice more certain than I felt. “The Alpha in the story is you. And the curse… I don’t know. I can’t guess what it might be, but it’s clear it’s something horrible.”
A slow smile spread across his face, the corners of his mouth twitching as if he was genuinely amused. He chuckled, low and deep. “Wrong, little bird, but an interesting guess.”
My heart sank. “If it’s not you, then who?”
He leaned back slightly, a dark gleam in his eyes as he answered. “The Alpha in the story was my great, great grandfather, Corvis Amethyst.”
I froze, the name striking something primal within me. Before I could respond, he continued, his voice dropping into an almost reverent tone.
“And the curse?” he said, leaning closer, his breath warm against my face. “The curse is very real, Kamrynn. Every child born from Corvis’s line is destined to die a gruesome and agonizing death the moment they reach the age of forty. Corvis himself was the first victim, followed by every descendant after him.”
The words hit me like a blow, and I gasped, my eyes widening. “What?” I whispered.
Draven’s smile faded, replaced by a solemn, almost wistful expression. “Yes, little bird. My family has lived under this curse for generations. It’s why we are forced to marry early, to have children while we can. Fated mates are irrelevant when survival is on the line. The curse is our greatest weakness and our most closely guarded secret.”
I couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out. “You mean… you’re cursed too?”
Draven’s gaze darkened, his voice steady but heavy with unspoken pain. “Indeed. My time is running out, Kamrynn. And I will not allow my legacy to crumble because of some long-dead sorceress’s vengeance.”
I stared at him, unable to hide my shock. For all his power, for all his control, Alpha Draven was fighting against a fate he couldn’t escape. And for the first time, I saw something behind the mask of smugness and malice: desperation.