Page 39 of Cursed Bonds: An Alpha's Destiny

“It better be,” I said, standing and turning to leave. “If it’s not, you can guarantee you’ll be hearing from me again.”

“Come back whenever you like,” Eren called as I left. “If you call ahead, I’ll make sure to have tea and cookies ready for our next visit.”

Lip curling in disgust, I shoved my way out the front door and stormed to my car. This had been pointless. I had no idea what I’d hoped to accomplish here, but at least now Eren knew that his little visit to Kirsten’s property hadn’t gone unnoticed.

As I drove, my mind wandered with memories of the last century—the death of my parents, how unprepared I’d been to take on the mantle of alpha, but, above all, how much I wished I could see my parents again. It was with only a small amount of surprise that I found myself in the parking lot of the cemetery where Mom and Dad were buried. I may have driven there unconsciously, but I was glad I was there.

Their grave was beneath an oak tree. The tree had been little more than a sapling when we’d laid them to rest a hundred years ago, and now it had grown to a towering behemoth with a broad set of branches that shaded my parents’ grave. The headstones were weathered with age and lichen. I came out here once every two or three years to clean them off, and it looked like it was that time again.

I sank to my knees in front of the headstone. “Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad. I really wish you were here and that I could talk to you in person.”

The night I’d been sworn in as alpha had been one of the worst in my life. My parents had just died. I was barely old enough to be an alpha. I had a younger sister to take care of, and no one to guide me or help me. It was no wonder I’d done something stupid when I came across Dorothy in the woods that night.

“I’m scared,” I whispered.

That opened a floodgate of emotion. Every day, I did my best to be a good alpha, to protect my home and people and do what was best for them. I could never express to anyone how scared I was that I was fucking up. Was I doing the right thing? Was I being kind enough? Did my pack believe in me? Now, with all that I’d found out about Kirsten, I was terrified of what was coming. Would I be alone forever, or could I somehow look past my hate and see what was in front of me?

“I’m scared that time is running out,” I continued, fighting back tears. “I’m going to start aging soon. I’ve spent so much time hoping for a mate, and now that time’s getting short, I’m terrified I’ll grow old and die alone. I don’t want to leave the pack without an heir. I could choose someone as successor, but that feels like failure.”

More tears stung my eyes, but I was man enough to let them fall. Anyone who said men shouldn’t cry was full of shit. Wiping my face, I tried to think of what else to say.

I chuckled. “Maybe you all can put a word in with whatever gods are up there. See if they can lift this curse?”

I spent the rest of the afternoon leaning against their tombstones, basking in the peaceful quiet of the cemetery. When it was time to leave, I kissed the tops of their headstones.

“See you guys later. I’ll be back soon to clean off your stones,” I promised. “I love you.”

Since I knew my fridge was empty, I went to Crestwood Market to grab a few things. The store was more or less deserted, which boded well for me. The last thing I wanted was to run into a pack member who wanted to discuss some trivial issue. It would have taken every bit of self-control not to snap at them.

I decided on making something simple for dinner, grabbing a box of spaghetti, a jar of pasta sauce, and a loaf of French bread. While debating in the produce section on whether or not to buy a bag of salad, my phone rang.

It was Kirsten. I nearly dropped the small handbasket in my attempt to answer.

“This is Jace.”

“Hey,” she said, sounding tired. “I need some stuff from the store, and Waylan isn’t answering his phone.”

“Oh, sure. What do you need?”

“Can you grab a gallon of milk, a bag of granola, three cans of tuna, a small pack of toilet paper, some—”

“Holy hell, am I gonna need to write all this down?”

“You’re the one who won’t let me leave my cabin,” Kirsten bit back. “This is the deal you set up.”

“I know.” I sighed. “But, sheesh, this is a lot of stuff.”

“What? Does Mr. Alpha not have enough cash to pay?”

“It’s not that,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Why are you always busting my balls?”’

“If this doesn’t work for you, I can always just drive myself up to Scottsdale to get groceries.”

I snarled before I could stop myself. The mere thought of Kirsten being near Eren had rage and fear coiling in my stomach.

“Are you growling at me?” Kirsten asked, and I winced in embarrassment.

“I could grant you access to Crestwood to shop,” I admitted. “The reason I haven’t is that shifters can smell a witch. They’ll treat you differently, and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable or out of place. The last thing I want is for you to think you’re unsafe.” I didn’t add that my pack would collectively freak out if they knew a real witch was living on our borders.

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