The Alpha's Cursed Mate

Chapter 33

Wind rushes through my wolf's coat, but there's no chill on my skin. My shoulders roll as my head dips and pulls, tearing flesh from a mature goat skeleton with my canines, feeding on meat and finding satisfaction in consuming something other than blood.

The vampirism isn't gone; it exists in this body too, but in ways much less invasive than my human form. My lungs are still, but my legs move quicker, my muscles are stronger, and my stomach can digest meat without making me sick. I never thought I would have regard for my wolf form — like my human body, it suited my biology but not my title — but now it's nearly as capable as an Alpha wolf. I could run alongside Alexei, and he wouldn't have to hold back to keep from leaving me behind.

I finish with the mountain goat and return to the place I shifted. My clothes are tattered and unwearable, so I'll return to my keep shifted and find something to cover myself with. My run down the mountain kicks up plenty of snow but only takes half the time it took me to sulk my way to the summit.

I approach the north gate with a bloody muzzle. The gatekeeper recognizes me at once and the metal portcullis draws upward. There aren't many guards wandering the courtyard — those here are positioned on the wall; they peer down for an instant then return to their business. My shifted arrival from the mountains is unusual but permissible. I carry on and find a crate of wool blankets near the inner shifting stall. Not many servants and housekeepers work this side of the keep, so I shift in the open and throw one of the blankets over my shoulders, wrapping and holding it closed from the inside.

Right when I'm ready to hurry to my chambers for proper clothes, the smell tickles my nose — the unmistakable scent of Alpha blood.

He's here.

I take the enclosed staircase leading to the surface of the fortress. I don't know what I'll say when I find Alexei, but right now, my desire to see him is greater than my fear of his blood. There's hope — an imperfect, slight amount of hope — that I can exist without being forever dominated by the God's curse, and having control as a wolf is better than having none at all.

I turn into a bright, windowed hall and find him standing at one of the many windows, gazing out at the white-roofed city. My feet cease to move. The scent of Alpha blood is blatant and difficult to function through, but the mate bond between us urges me to try.

Alexei faces me. His facial hair continues to grow past a shadowy stubble, and his hair is loose and tousled, but he looks so handsome, and I bite my bottom lip because I know what I want. My nails press into my palms; it's a fervent balance between hunger and desire, and they bleed into each other, causing confusion and irresolution. He comes to me immediately, and the blood scent saturates.

"You left without a word," he says — a mixture of emotions governs his voice. "The only person here who knew where you were was a young girl, and she said you've gone into the mountains but that you would return eventually."

"I-I didn't want to leave."

Alexei glances at the windows with his hands on his hips, and when his eyes return, I see the worry in them. "I know you're struggling, Brea, but you didn't have to run, not after leaving the temple and showing at our meeting with Gaius only to attack him."

"Alexei—"

"I need to know what is happening," he insists, "but instead you come here and for how long? Were you going to come back or did you plan on keeping me in the dark? Damn it, Brea. You can't leave after you nearly die in my arms — after you succumb to the vampirism, and I don't even know if my mate still exists."

He stews in frustration and agony, so I leap over every explanation and say, "I love you."

Alexei slips over the brink of self-control and grabs me at once, restlessly pulling me in and kissing me hard. His hands hold my head and scrunch my hair, but with his neck so close, my fangs emerge, and I shove him off.