Alpha Knight’s Cursed Mate

KNIGHT “Where are you taking that?” Aspen was pushing the tray cart in the hallway. Kaleb told me that Kailin and Nirvana didn’t join them over dinner.

I also had to go to the office to catch up with work and missed dinner.

“Alpha.” She smiled. Aspen was still in college but lost her parents at a young age. I took her in and gave her a job while I paid for her college tuition. She was a little bit shy, but she was a good person. “Kailin asked me to bring food for her.”

“Why can’t she take her own food?”

“She asked me to take wine, too.”

“Huh. Well, next time, tell her to go to the dining room and have dinner there. Don’t you have school tomorrow?”

“I have, alpha, but she doesn’t ask for favors often, so I’m good.”

“Let me do that. I’m going there, anyway.”

“It’s okay, alpha. It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s all right. Go to your room and study.”

“If you say so. Thanks.”

I pushed the cart towards Kailin’s door and knocked. The door opened wide. Kailin didn’t expect to see me with the tray cart.

“Really? Why didn’t you go to dining to eat?”

“I asked a favor, and I’m kinda exhausted. It won’t happen again.”

“Take your food.” I pushed it inside her room.

“Why won’t you join us? I’m actually having dinner with Vana.”

“I missed dinner, too. Where is she?”

Kailin smiled. “So you came here to see me or her?”

“You both didn’t go down.”

“She’s still adjusting. Give her time, and you should be with her, not drowning yourself with work.” Kailin was not just my cousin. Since I was a kid, she and McKaye were like my own siblings. When my parents died, Uncle Lennox became my second father.

“Go knock on her door.” I got in her room.

I went to her sitting area. The tray had main, side dishes, dessert, and even appetizers. I also saw some sandwiches, salad, and bread.

“I’m not that hungry, but I could use some wine. I need to-” Nirvana, in her pajamas, hugging a book, halted midway. “Alpha.”

Kailin chortled.

“I missed dinner.” I stood up, grabbed a plate, put a little of something from the tray, and gave it to her.

“Thanks.” She was hesitant but took the plate I offered.

“I can get my food, cousin.” Kailin grabbed the extra plate and helped herself, joining Nirvana on the sofa.

I got my dinner while Kailin poured wine into the glasses.

“I have a stash of glass in my cabinet.” She went to get a glass for herself.

“What are you reading, Nirvana?”

“Kailin’s book about werewolves.” She began eating. “It’s funny you missed to mention about mating.”

I almost choked on my steak as I met her gaze.

Kailin coughed, laughed, and shrugged. “It’s not for me to tell, cuz.”

“So, that’s why you’ve been cutting off Kailin and dodging my questions because it involved getting a chunk of my neck?” She was really pissed, her face flushing.

“It’s not my intention to keep it from you, but when you’re ready, then we’ll talk about it.”

“So that involves biting, huh? Marking me?” She made a face.

“You can mark him, too.” Kailin smiled suggestively as if it was that simple.

“Kailin,” I warned her through our link.

“Oh, no, no, no. That doesn’t work for me anymore. When you two pause and share a weird look, I know you’re communicating with each other. I thought we should set some ground rules here. I’m new to this world, but I want honesty.” She demanded.

“So you’d be honest to me, too?” I challenged her.

“Of course. I’d been honest with you from the start. Well, except for that thing that happened back in my apartment. I was just so mad and shocked and overwhelmed.”

“Are you still talking to your ex?” I had to know. I deserved to know. She was mine, after all.

“We exchanged texts today.”

I absorbed that new information for a moment before a low growl erupted from my throat.

“You wanted me to be honest. This is me being 100% honest with you. I expect you to do the same not just because you’re the alpha, but as-” She swallowed hard. “As my. Whatever we are.”

“You should stop talking to your ex,” I told her blatantly.

“I hope he won’t text or call me again because I already told him I moved to California and started a new life.”

“Good. What else do you want to know?”

“Just pretend I’m not around.” Kailin stood up, went to bed with her plate, and put the AirPods on.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

“I don’t wanna get bitten.”

“That’s not possible. You have to wear my mark. I’m sure you went through the explanation.” I put my empty plate on the tray and grabbed the glass of wine.

“I guess it’s really a part of you being an alpha werewolf to ward off other werewolves-”

“Yes,” I replied quickly so she knew this was serious. “The mating process wouldn’t be complete without markings.”

“I read in the book that male werewolf can refuse the mark from his mates.”

“If you’re worried, I won’t wear your mark. You can mark me.”

She scoffed. “I won’t bite you.”

“You will have to if you want your curse lifted. Zarah and Alexander are working hard to find the cure or spell to break it. But she had a theory. Just a theory because nothing had happened like this before.”

“What’s the theory?”

“It sounds absurd, but maybe a one true love kiss can break the curse.”

She put her plate down and laughed- one big belly laugh without the care who could hear her or I might scold her. “I’m not sleeping beauty, alpha.”

“Will you stop calling me alpha?”

“It just sounds fun because it suits you. You’re a scary big bad wolf who barks orders around here.”

I breathed through my nose and emptied the glass. “This is a serious matter, Nirvana.”

“You should call me Vana then.”

When I didn’t reply, she rolled her eyes. “Okay, Knight. You win.”

“It’s not about winning, Nirvana. We’re mates. You already accepted our fates to be together.”

“It’s not easy for me. I need a job while I’m here. I can’t just depend on the food around here. I need to be productive with my life.”

“I’m not stopping you. You do whatever you want, but you can’t leave my property alone.”

“Wow. I’m a prisoner now. Excellent!”

I sighed exasperatingly. “You’re really a piece of work, aren’t you? What do you want? Let’s hear it.”

“I want some privacy- a breathing room. I don’t need someone to take care of my things. I love to have some time alone to myself. I like sketching, drawing, and painting. I want a job even in the winery or in the testing room. And don’t control me.”

I knew we were going to have these issues. She was an independent woman, but I needed her to trust me.

“What else?”

“I wanna know you if I’m gonna be stuck with you.”

“Now that you mentioned that. Sometimes, I attend parties, and I want you by my side. And I have-”

“We’re not there yet.” She cut me off.

I breathed through my nose. “Don’t get used to interrupting me when I’m talking. What do you mean?”

“I won’t just have sex with you to complete the mating.”

I laughed silently. “Agree. Maybe we should go out on a date.”

“That’s not funny.”

“It is if you think I’m so neanderthal and barbaric, forcing myself on you. Remember this, Blakely Nirvana. We have all the time in the world to get to know each other, and I ought to keep my promise to your grandfather. I would never hurt you.”

“Very well then. All I have to do is make you fall in love with me, Alpha Knight, so you can kiss me, break the curse, bite me, and then I bite you back. Yay!”

Fuck me now.