The Alpha’s Cursed Mate

Aria’s POV.

To think we have all matured, to think all these cruel snide comments and jeers would have been left behind in the previous years, to think my life will turn out differently after high school ended.

That must have been the biggest jeer I've given to myself. Now, at the Wolf’s Position Academy, nothing has changed so far. I'm still the debacle omega this pack ever had.

“I can't believe she can't shift into her wolf at her age,” A voice among the crowd mocks.

Yeah, I can't believe it either. At age 22, I still haven't found my wolf. Biggest ruin of the universe. It's so pathetic.

“She's so pathetic.” Another says.

That's exactly what I said. Pathetic. I shake my head and decide not to dwell on it. Yanking the locker door open, I take out my gym wear and rush into the bathroom to change before the bell rings.

While others are comfortable changing in front of another, I'm not. Stacy and Amy make sure of that. After I'm done changing, I exit the bathroom and maneuver my way to the training center.

I hate training since I get beaten up most of the time. I do know how to fight, but only in my human form and we only wrestle in our wolf forms here. People in the pack never miss a chance to rub my “wolflessness” in.

“Aria, you're up.” The next Gamma of the pack, Jack, says. My head jerks up.

“What?” I question, my eyes wide open.

“What?” He mocks and everyone at the training field burst into laughter. My cheeks tint pink in embarrassment.

“Bu-but the Alpha said—”

“The Alpha isn't here, is he?” He countered before I could even complete my sentence.

I blink in surprise. I am not allowed to train because I do not have my wolf, the Alpha's order. I've never fought a wolf before, does he want to kill me?

“Are you going to disobey the future Gamma of your pack, Omega?” Amy spits out at my hesitation.

I look around the field, waiting for a savior, for someone to remind them that they're going against the Alpha's order.

But of course, I'm left on my own as everyone watches in anticipation. I swallow, getting up from where I sat and step forward.

Jack smirks, “I thought so too.”

He turns to Stacy and speaks loud enough so everyone can hear him, me especially.

“Stacy, baby, your turn.”

What? Stacy?? How? Why?? Do they think I have a death wish?!

“Stacy?” I ask in alarm before I can stop myself from talking.

She grins sinisterly. “Any problem?”

I shake my head. As I look head-on with my opponent, I gulp. This is a losing battle.

She is about to shift into her wolf but Jack stops her.

“Wait, Stacy. It's best you fight in your human form. I do not trust your wolf.” He declares.

She glares at him. Snapping her burning gaze to me, she eyes me and smirks.

“Sure,” shrugging, she gets into a fighting stance and I mimic hers.

She swings at me and I try to dodge but fail miserably when her fist flies into my face, bursting my lips. I clench my teeth together in pain as I palate the metallic taste of my blood.

She swings again and this time, I dodge fast. The smirk wipes off her face and a sneer replaces it.

With each swing she delivers, I manage to dodge and that only worsens her anger.

When her moves become sloppy, I charge in. The watchful eyes of the people surrounding us become prominent as everyone gasps. I send my first punch to her eyes and she groans in pain.

Baby. If she can beat someone up, she should at least be able to take in half of them. I give her no chance to get over it as I reign mine in. I punch hard and fast because I know opportunities like these come only once.

All the time she bullies and body shames me.

By now, everyone is quiet and I'm positively surprised as well. I mean, what omega can beat one of the best warriors among us? The next thing that happens shock me and left me underneath her.

She shifts into her brown wolf and bounces on me, tearing into my skin. I cry out in pain when her paws break my ribs and her teeth bite into my flesh, tearing out skin.

“Stop!” I scream, trashing and flaring out my arms. By the time someone rips her off me, I've already lost a lot of blood and am slowly losing consciousness too.

“Oh, my gods, Stacy! What have you done? Alpha isn't going to like this”, Amy’s blurry voice says with slight worry that I was sure wasn’t directed at me but the punishment they might face when the Alpha gets back.

^°^°^°

I pant as I hide above one of the trees in the forest. My ribs protest as I climb the tree, trying to get to the top, but I decide to ignore the doctor’s warning about resting and continue climbing.

Right now, my survival matters. Whether the current injuries Stacy inflicted on me from the fight at the training get healed or not, another set is about to occur if I don't hide.

“Where are you?” Amy sings out. Stacy hums a song as she twirls the knife in her pink polished manicured nails. She gasps dramatically, her fingers curl above her mouth. “Do you think she hid from us?

I suck in a breath in fright, but Bianca, another one of Stacy's minors hears it.

“Did you guys hear that?” She questions aloud.

“No, did you?” Amy implores Stacy and she shakes her head.

My heart hammers in my chest. They probably know where I am, yet they play a clueless joke. “Come on, let's get out of here now, we'll get her later.” Stacy sighs. “I'm bored already.”

I watch them exit the forest before I release my breath and climb down the tree. I'm safe for now, only they know when next I'll be cornered. I keep a sharp eye out in case one of them pops from nowhere though I know that's close to impossible.

“And where do you think you're going, pig?”

I stiffen, turning around. Standing before me is no other than Stacy with Bianca and Amy standing by her side a few steps behind her, smirking.

My eyes enlarge with fear… I spoke too soon.

Aria's POV.

One of the many reasons I love my room—although it's small and I was given the attic—it’s because of the high window that shows a solace view of the forest. I sit on the window sill and gaze ahead, I sigh in ecstasy as I watch birds chirp and fly about.

My blue orbs shift downward, I stare at the earth below me, having this insane urge to let go and end my life. I have nothing to lose anyway. I am about to let go of my hold against the window when a voice snaps me out of it.

“What the hell are you doing, omega?”

I jolt, turning my head at the sudden intruder, it's Clara, the pack's head of maid. I quickly left the window to stand in front of her. What the hell am I thinking?

“Noth— I just sat there.” I point lamely at the window, avoiding her burning gaze.

She sizes me up before shaking her head. “You should have done that a long time ago, not now.” Tears trickle down my eyes at her harsh words.

“We have to prepare for Alpha's Charles birthday,” she said coldly without any regard for the tears dropping from my eyes.

“Okay”, I said in response.

She turns and walks away but stops at the door when she sees that I'm still standing at where I am.

“Well? Hurry up, omega. We don't have all day!” She snaps.

I march up to her, following behind as she leads us to the kitchen.

^°^°^°

The blast of loud music threatens my eardrums. I sigh, standing at the waiter's table, I'm not one for parties and crowds, but as the lowest omega of the pack, I'm on serving duty.

“Hey, omega!” The Beta’s voice calls out to me.

I leave where I am at the bar stand and hurriedly trudge over to the Beta. “Sir?”

“Eyes down, pup!” He growls. I shift my eyes down and swallow in fear.

“Get me more alcohol.” He hiss.

I collapse on the soft grass, heaving as I do so. I am only outside because Clara gave me a 20-minute break, another omega taking over.

I emit again, looking at the clear stars which are not covered by the foams of clouds.

A tear rolls down my cheek, then another. All of a sudden, I am overwhelmed, tired of living, tired of this pack, tired of my bullies, tired of everything. I just want to be a normal wolf.

In the midst of my adversity, I hear a crash from the party, I choose to ignore it since the party has taken a wild turn. The blasting music is turned off and all I hear are screams.

I spring up to my feet, running in the direction of the screams, and I freeze in shock. There's an invasion going on, I watch as pack members scramble around, trying to find a shield. While some shift into their wolves trying to protect themselves.

I am about to jump in and try to help some pack members to hide, but I stop. Why should I? They never helped me whenever I needed them.

Alpha Charles wails as someone wraps their large hand around his throat.

With the aura emitting from him, I'll say he's someone from a high position. If I want to survive this, I better run. Shifting on my toes, I sprint out of the field towards the forest.

On my way, I bump into someone who seems to be seeking shelter as well. I fall on my butt from the impact, scrambling up to my feet, I am quick to apologize.

“I'm sorry, are you—” Despite the turmoil going on in the pack, my body always remembers its tormentors. Goosebumps appear on my body as I glance up in fright, already regretting this direction.

I manage to avoid her all day, but luck is never on my side. “Stacy?”

The panic wipes off her face and contorts into a sardonic smile when she sees it's me. I curse under my breath.

“Well, look who it is...” she scrutinizes me and snickers. “Were you planning to run away?” She takes a step closer and I take one backwards. The snicker shifts into a glower, “You’re a naive little fool and I hate you so much.”

My eyes spring open at her brazen demeanor, she has never been this straightforward. “What?” She crackles, “Don't look so surprised.”

Staying alone with her right now is dangerous, the sinister look she has in her eyes is frightening.

I dart my eyes around anxiously, searching for an escape route.

Stacy strikes me down to the ground, abruptly. I gape at her from where I lay on the ground, shocked. I have no time to process what she's about to do before she lunges at me.

“Get off me!” I yell, terrified.

She circles her palms around my neck, blocking my airway. “I want you to die, Aria.”

I gaze into her malicious eyes as I struggle to free myself from her, but she's stronger than I am and pressed harder against my neck.

“Sta..cy please.” Blood rushes to my face as I struggle to speak and wrestle against her.

“Die!!!”, she kept repeating over and over.

My chest tightens, I let out shallow breaths. My hands move to lay limply by my side as my legs stop moving. My eyes begin to blur, tears slowly dripping down the sides of my eyes.

When my eyelids start to shut, I see a flash of something black ramming into Stacy and throwing her off of me. I sat upright, wheezing. Slapping my hand on my chest as more tears roll down my eyes.

I cough into the ground, spitting as I do so. My ears ring as I swallow much-needed air.

I can't believe I wished to die a few minutes ago.

With my orbs still blurry from the moisture flowing out of them, I peek up at who that is.

The huge black wolf standing above a groaning Stacy morphs into a man and shifts his focus to me. I suck in a breath.

I do not need my wolf to know that the man standing before me is my mate.

I disregard his nakedness and stare into his gray eyes. A sudden jolt of spark plunges through me as I look into his eyes. The moon’s light molds his eyes into a bright twinkling gray.

For a moment, I forget my predicament and connect with the endless looping pools of his.

“Fucking bitch!”

Stacy's outburst swoops me out of my reverie, I switch my focus from the man standing uncladded before me to Stacy who swipes up on her feet and runs away.

“Get her.” My mate orders a man who I didn’t even notice was there all along. I gape up at him in amazement as it finally hits me.

I just found my mate!

It is like he realizes what he's doing and he schools his emotions to a blank one. He shifts on his feet, ready to flounce away.

I fly up in alarm, wondering why he isn't acknowledging the bond we share. “Wait.”

He stops, his back facing me but I take that as an opportunity to go on. What comes out of my mouth next isn't what I planned on saying.

“What's happening?” I ask stupidly.

What do you think it's happening for Pete's sake, Aria? He offers nothing and takes a step forward, but I stop him again.

“Take me with you!” I blurt out.

This time, he twirls around and gazes at me apathetically. “What?” His deep, raspy voice asks.

“Take me with you.” I repeat more firmly this time.

I have no idea what I am doing, but I would rather go with my mate, whoever he is, wherever he is going than stay in this downtrodden pack and get killed. I peek up at him with determination swirling in my blue globes.

“Take me with you,” I say again.