The Alpha's Curse: The Enemy Within novel Chapter 1

Sheila's point of view

My shaken legs could no longer withstand the tension charged in the room. My entire life had changed the second the words "mate" left my lips.

I gripped onto the white pillar in the courtroom for support, the knife-edged tension within the court growing brutal by the second.

Our pack warriors were behind their Alpha, Lucius Callaso, no doubt prepared to attack, just in case a fight managed to break out with the warriors from the Crescent North Pack.

My father, Lucius, was in a heated conversation with Alpha Killian about me. It was funny as hell how the confrontation a second ago about my father sending rogues to the Crescent North Pack soon changed into an intense conversation between my father, Alpha of the Silver Mist Pack, and Alpha Killian of the Crescent North Pack, my mate.

It still feels like a dream to me how my entire life changed for the worse within a minute.

It was as if the universe hated me, and the moon goddess despised me.

At that moment, he was here, Alpha Killian Reid, charging in with a troop of his warriors into our pack, with fury stalking his veins, and then, to my utter disbelief, he happened to be my fated mate.

I listened more to their conversation; neither of them was ready to take a rest. My father couldn't do better to hide his satisfaction in sending me off with the enemy.

For some reason, Killian kept refusing me, almost as if he was rejecting me. Even though I'm quite used to people's rejection, I've experienced it first-hand with my father, the infamous Lucius Callaso. Killian's rejection hurt me more than I'd like to admit. I mean, even though I just found out he was my name, we shared a bond after all.

Father and Killian looked at each other like they were a second from murdering the other, as they kept deciding my fate like I wasn't even in the room. This was about me, yet Killian had not cast a second glance on me. It sent a piercing pain to my chest.

"As you wish, Alpha Lucius, I will take her away," Killian spoke with ease, but there was something about the way he counted those words that made me cringe. It was cold and threatening.

It could almost be called a miracle that the courtroom still remained calm. Every pack in the North Central was aware of the rooted hatred between both packs. They both had the largest packs in all of the North, and my father didn't like it one bit. He was a tyrant Alpha and a beast who preyed on packs, annihilating them and stealing their lands. That was the type of Alpha my father was. And Killian was rumored to be no different.

I was forced to shake off my thoughts when Alpha Lucius was up on his feet. He smiled darkly after one last gruesome stare at me. That smile of his has haunted my every awakening.

"She is yours after all. You may take her!" He glanced at me. He never treated me like his daughter.

My years growing up within the walls of the Packhouse have been the literal definition of the term "hell!'. In that hellish state, the only thing that kept me going was finding my mate. I always heard stories from the servants about the mate bond and its undying love. I always prayed for a mate, even though deep down I knew my chances were nil. Unlike most wolves that were blessed with their wolf counterpart at sixteen, mine never came. So, it was unbelievable that I would be given a mate. My legs finally gave up, collapsing against the pillar which could no doubt feel my plight.

Killian's demeanor was cold, dominating, and even intimidating. His eyes gauged me, regarding me. I felt uncomfortable under his cold stare. The cold mask he had worn did not allow me an inkling of his true thoughts.

"Tell her to be prepared. I'll send someone to take her before dusk." Killian's gruesome eyes fell on me. Even just by staring at me, one could see the cold glacial that were aimed at my throat. How could I possibly be mated to him?

I almost gasped. I was fudging right there, yet he was ignoring me.

"That won't be necessary, she can leave with you." My father was in fact excited to send me away with him. Just like that, like a terrible nightmare, what little belongings I owned in this place that never seemed like home were bundled by the servants.

My horse was saddled for me, and my little belongings were all packed up by the servants, and I was literally shoved out by my father.

We began the ride to the Crescent North Pack, my new home. Killian was beside me, on my left was his Delta, and the other warriors trailed behind.

We rode in absolute silence on our way to the Crescent North Pack. Even when I forced myself to say something, what greeted me was a brutal silence and a murderous glare from him. So, I decided it was best to keep mute instead.

The uncomfortable silence lingered for hours as we rode past the mountains, to the other side of the North, into the capital, which I heard was under his territory. After a while, we arrived at the notorious Crescent North Pack, known for everything it stood for. We rode a few more and we arrived at a castle. It was beautiful from the outside. Like nothing that I've seen before, it was truly beautiful.

When we approached the castle, some warriors sauntered to us, bowing in respect to Killian. They took the reins of the horses, while someone helped me with my belongings.

I helped myself down, feeling everyone's curious eyes on me. There was no way anyone would have expected Killian to be arriving with his mate, who happened to be his enemy's daughter.