Cursed To The Alpha

Chapter 106

'You are mine, Rose,' he declares, his breath warm against my neck, causing a delightful shiver to cascade through me. 'If any man dares to touch you or even casts a longing gaze upon you, I will tear them apart with my bare hands. Now, tell me his name.'

I gasped, struggling to regain my composure. 'You can't harm Windall!' I growl, snapping out of the enchanting trance he has me in.

'Windall?' Imogen and Janie exclaim simultaneously, their confusion evident.

'Oh, oh!' Xander chimes in, finally realising my ploy to distance myself from Warrick. 'Yes, that nice young chap,' he adds, playing along.

Janie catches on, joining the act. 'The proposal was simply... enchanting,' she offers, uncertain where this ruse would lead.

'This is going to be interesting,' Orelious muses, seemingly entertained by the unfolding drama.

Imogen stares at them in disbelief. 'Surely you don't mean Windall, the stable hand from Arcanewood?' she questions, unknowingly revealing his location.

A collective glare from the rest of us silenced her. 'What?' she exclaims, oblivious to the implications of her words.

‘He works at the Arcanewood stables?’ A mischievous smile tugs at Warrick's lips. 'So, you've been resisting our bond over a matter that can be easily resolved? I shall make it clear to him, as his head rolls, that you are mine and mine alone. Then, you won't have to worry, and we can finally be together,' he declares, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling excitement.

'Warrick, wait,' I growl, frustration mingling with my voice.

Warrick finally releases me with a smile, gently pecking my forehead before snatching a cooked fin bird from Xander's grasp. With a newfound sense of hope, he dashes off into the distance, devouring his lunch along the way.

'Where is he going?' I question with concern.

'To Sunfire Plains, to kill Windall,' Xander replies grimly.

'Stars! That’s at least a few days' travel to get there, though?' I exclaim.

‘He’s the fittest and strongest Alpha in Felderia. He probably could almost run for a couple of days without rest,’ Xander tells me.

My hand slides down my face in exasperation.

'Rose,' Imogen speaks up, her hand resting on my shoulder. 'I don't think it's wise to marry a fae, especially one so young. You should reconsider the proposal. Why not be with Warrick, your fated mate, the brooding and formidable wolf?' she suggests, her voice filled with sincerity.

I sigh heavily, my patience wearing thin. 'Imogen, please tell me you're not being serious right now,' I plead, hoping for a shred of reason from her.

She raises an eyebrow with a glint in her eyes. 'About you marrying Windall? Of course, I am,' she replies nonchalantly.

I place my hands on her shoulders momentarily before recoiling at Orelious's hiss for touching Imogen and swiftly return my hands to my sides. 'Imogen, I am well aware that Windall is far too young for me. I have no interest in him whatsoever. I was trying to find ways for Warrick to dislike me, to not want to be with me, to put space between us. I lied to him,' I groan in frustration.

'Oh...' Imogen's voice trails off as she realises the mess she has unwittingly created. 'So, what do we do now?' she asks, her eyes filled with concern.

'I have to catch up to him and convince him not to find and kill Windall,' I reply, mounting my glowhorn stag.

'Let's move,' Xander urges the group, and together we set off in pursuit of Warrick, riding our mounts as swiftly as possible towards the ever-approaching horizon.

I can see Warrick in the distance as we approach the outskirts of Sunfire Plain. Our glowhorn stags can’t keep up. I pass my reigns to Imogen and run, gaining up on Warrick.

As he sees I’m only metres behind me, he smiles, ‘I have to admit, I prefer seeing you trying to pursue me for a change,’ he grins.

‘Warrick,’ I say, trying to catch my breath as we run. ‘You know that’s not what I’m doing. You need to stop. I won’t let you harm Windall,’ I tell him.

‘You know,’ he says, purposefully increasing his speed, ‘If you shift into your wolf, you might have a chance at catching me,’ he says, teasing me.

‘I tried shifting once, I told you. It was too painful, and honestly, I don’t want to shift into my wolf form. I hate being this way as it is. Being a werewolf has ruined my life. I don’t want to be something I loathe,’ I state.

Abruptly, Warrick comes to a halt. Caught off guard, my body collides with his, creating a brilliant display of sparks between us. We stumble backward, with me ending up on top of him. A dark glint flickers in Warrick's eyes, his anger surfacing as he deftly rolls over, straddling me.

'So, you hate and loathe your own kind? My kind,' he growls, his breath growing heavy.

‘I get that sounded really bad, but that’s not what I meant. You and I, Warrick, are not the same kind. I’m human, and you’re a werewolf. Regardless that I have a tail, ears and other unfortunate tendencies,’ I explain.

‘Unfortunate?’ he growls deeper, his eyes narrowing.

Although Warrick is angry, he looks incredibly sexy above me like this, and the view of his abs is so delectable that I can’t help imagining my tongue gliding from his abs and chest and to those sumptuous lips of his. Stars, Rose! You know better, girl! Stop. Fantasising. About. Warrick. A blush crawls up my cheeks, and Warrick realises I’m a little turned on as his nostrils flare. Spells and hexes, could this situation get any worse?

Warrick's eyes smoulder with desire. 'Very well, my Rose,' he says. 'Let's see just how much you hate being a wolf and how much you loathe me, shall we?' A mischievous glint dances in his eyes as his head descends, trailing long, sensual kisses along my neck. Gasps tumble from my lips.

As he glides the tip of his nose up my neck, he yanks the top of my baggy shirt down, exposing the mounts of my breasts and kisses a trail towards them with a satisfied low growl. As his lips get closer to my breasts, I don’t even realise I’m gripping his hair and pulling his body closer to mine.

I must be dreaming. I feel like I’m on a cloud in the heavens, as though I’m being zapped with magic every time his fingers or lips find a new place to touch and explore.

Warrick's husky voice fills my ears, interrupting my blissful thoughts. ‘So, tell me again, how awful your situation is? How much you hate being a wolf and loathe these sensations that only I, as your mate, can make you feel.’

Each nip at my neck and the pressure of his body against mine causes me to moan.