The Alpha's Cursed Mate

Chapter 6

The trip to Alpha Tophet's territory is a lonely one. As fast on his four legs as he is, Tophet jumps between groups and maintains control over the army as a whole. I remain in one of the last parties with my four men and ten of his, and I come to the conclusion that this party is constructed with the sole purpose of containing me. Unlike the others, our party is smaller and undeniably focused on my whereabouts rather than our progress to the territory. Every time I stray, one of his wolves appears to herd me back in.

Regardless, my body is in turmoil. No matter how badly I require a break, I push myself and push myself to prove that I don't need to stop. No breaking, he said in that pompous, irritating voice. Fine. I don't want to. And I'll continue driving that thought into my head until it becomes true.

Three hours into our journey, I find my vision blurring. My footwork has been sloppy for half of our time now, and the pairing of such things results in a stumble. My legs tangle and my body plows into a small snowbank, soon halted by a tree. The party gathers as I shake off the powdery snow. One of my guards comes forward. He gestures for me to get on his back — to ride the rest of the way.

It seems like a comfortable idea, an opportunity to find a moment of rest in this restless affair.

I fantasize about my bed and bath and dining table crammed with dishes. I haven't demanded so much from my wolf since I was a child racing my brother from one end of our territory to the other. Every shifter knows that a well-exercised wolf is a large aspect of our health, but as Alpha, I've needed my voice more often than my bite.

The rope around my heart tightens, and when I look in the direction of the tugging, I see Tophet's hellish, black wolf lurking in the trees. The fur around his mouth is wet and drips blood into the snow. He must have caught and eaten some small animal to vitalize himself. No, I communicate to my men and lift to indicate my ability to resume.

I plead with my wolf to show Tophet that we cannot be so easily beaten and, bless the Goddess, she does. My bones scrape against each other in protest, and I grind my teeth to weather the pain, but my wolf complies, and I breathlessly will her onward.

~•~

The trip comes to a merciful conclusion after another hour of running. The seemingly infinite forest ends and, in the distance, lies a grand, stone wall similar to the one incasing my own keep. The city must culminate on the other side of the keep then scatter outward into smaller villages and farmlands.

There is a station at the backend of the walls that surround this large fortress; here we gather, and the wolves shift and dress to enter the gates — shedding their wild nature and leaving it in the forest where it belongs. Inside the building are partitions for privacy, and I heave myself into an especially closed-off stall. My clothing was carried in the side bag of one of my guards, and he — now shifted and dressed — leaves it for me then stands protectively at the open entrance, facing the busy room.

I shift with an aching groan. The soreness and weakness of my human body are almost too much to bear, but I refuse to whine. The old Brea would cry — the princess that refused to leave her mother's womb — but this Brea would rather bleed than shed a tear.

Piece by piece, I slowly construct my outfit. The remainder of the army passes through by the time I finish, but merely looking respectful fails to make me move like a lady. My fingers grip at the bricks in an attempt to walk out of the stall as my legs tremor like a woman's four times my age. The guard peers over his shoulder and steps aside to grant my passage but quickly realizes my need for help. He slides under my arm and bears half my weight. Together we enter the main hall, and I immediately feel my stomach plummet at the sight of Tophet.