Page 11 of Cursed Love

It’s a cheap move and I know it. But I also know she’s thinking about it. About me. About her alternatives—men like Damien, who would hand her off to careless, ruthless Alphas without a second thought. Men who see her as a commodity, not a person.

Still, I know I have to let her choose. Smothering her, forcing her hand, won’t get me anywhere. If I want her to come to me, it has to be her decision. And I’ll wait as long as it takes.

I lean back, giving her the space she needs, though every instinct in my body is screaming to keep her close. “It’s your choice, Koa. Whatever you decide, I’ll respect it.”

Koa doesn’t say anything, just looks at me as I stand, laying my rose atop the others. She brushes her fingers across where my lips met hers and I pray that at the end of the night, it’s me she chooses.

Koa

I watch Amel walk away, his broad shoulders cutting through the crowd. He doesn’t look back and I can’t decide if I’m relieved or disappointed. My fingers hover over the roses on the table—three from the Alphas Damien forced on me, and Amel’s, the one I didn’t expect.

It’s obvious which one I want to choose. My hand lingers just above Amel’s rose, my chest tightening as I trace the curve of its petals with my eyes. But then the doubts creep in. He’s mated to Valla. Two of them. And everything I’ve ever heard about Valla comes rushing back.

The stories are always the same. Ruthless. Territorial. Dangerous. Valla don’t love, not really. They dominate. They devour. They take what’s theirs and burn everything else to the ground. I’ve spent my entire life avoiding Alphas like Damien. How could I survive being mated to someone even more dangerous?

But then I think of Amelia. Her voice echoes in my mind, her words from earlier tonight clashing with everything I’ve ever believed.Valla love harder than anyone else, Koa. They’d kill for their mates. They’d die for them.She’d looked so sure, her smile so genuine. It doesn’t match the fear clawing at my throat now. I don’t know what to believe.

Before I can spiral any further, a hand wraps around my arm, pulling me to my feet. The sudden movement makes me stumble, my chair scraping against the floor, and when I look up, it’s an Alpha I recognize—one that’s come over to the house a time or two. No doubt he’s one of the men Damien chose for me.

“Dance with me,” he growls, my body submitting without my permission. His nostrils flare as my scent goes pliant, my biological need to appease this man warring with my desire to pull away.

But Damien is watching and the last thing I need is another scene. I have until the end of the night to choose anyway. Reluctantly, I let him lead me onto the dance floor, his grip too tight around my arm. My heart sinks as his hands settle on my waist, rough and possessive, and I try to focus on anything other than the way his scent makes my stomach turn.

“You smell amazing,” he murmurs. His hands tighten, pulling me closer, the heat of his breath fanning against my ear. “Doesn’t matter if you can’t have babies. We’ll get plenty of practice.”

My blood runs cold as I realize just how much Damien knows. He must have figured it out in the last year and still taunted meabout giving an Alpha children, knowing I couldn’t have any. Bile burns at the back of my throat as I try to untangle myself from the man currently holding me. He just lets out a low laugh, his fingers digging into my sides as he leans closer. His lips nibble on my earlobe, the gesture making me tense against him.

“You’ll be a good little Omega,” he whispers, his words dripping with malice, “and stay out of my way once we’re bonded. You’ll choose me over the others or there’ll be consequences.”

My mind races, every instinct screaming at me to run, but his grip is too tight, his body towering over mine, cutting off any escape. My eyes dart around the room, searching for anyone to save me but to anyone else, it looks like I’m entertaining one of my roses. Everyone else is so focused on finding their own mate that I’m left to suffer with this man.

“Gods, you must be real close to your heat too, Omega. It’ll feel good knotting your sweet little pussy over and over again as you beg for it. It’s been too fucking long since I’ve enjoyed myself.” His tongue licks my cheek as he pulls away, crushing me further against his chest. It’s all I can do not to retch at his scent filling my nose and his vile touch on my arms.

Then a sharp sound cuts through the noise. A low, feral growl reverberates through the room as I turn toward the commotion just in time to hear the scream that follows. A massive Valla looms over another Alpha as his growl deepens. Then the Valla strikes, his hand tearing into the Alpha with a viciousness that’s almost otherworldly. Blood sprays across the marble floor, staining the pristine space with crimson streaks.

Chaos erupts across the gala. Screams echo through the space as people start running, stumbling over each other as they rush to get away from the violence. It’s not uncommon for a Valla to lose their temper, but this? This is something else entirely. Theblood, the sheer savagery of it—it’s something society works so hard to keep hidden and now it’s on full display.

I can’t look away though. No doubt the newspapers tomorrow will showcase how vicious Valla are but the scene unfolding in front of me paints a very different picture. He’s protectively standing in front of an Omega curled up on the floor, her arms covering her head. The Alpha must have gone for the Omega and the Valla protected her.

It doesn’t change the scene in front of me. The blood. The raw violence. It’s too much.

Someone grabs me from behind, strong arms wrapping around my waist, and I scream, my panic flaring as I struggle against the grip. “Hey, sweet girl, I got you. I’ve got you but we need to go.” The thick scent of pine floods my senses as I go lax against Amel’s chest.

I twist in his arms, my voice trembling. “Where’s Damien?” Not that I care but I’m surprised he wasn’t the first one to snatch me away.

He doesn’t answer immediately, his eyes scanning the room as he starts to move, pulling me with him. “I don’t know. But we need to leave. Now.”

Moses

Hunter is leaning against the car, his phone a constant blur of movement in his hands. His fingers fly over the screen, his eyes darting back and forth, completely honed in on whatever he’s currently researching. He never stops working. Not really. It’s his thing—his distraction, his coping mechanism. He needs it tonight more than ever.

Hell, so do I.

The two of us said we’d wait at home. That we’d trust Amel to handle this, to bring our Omega to us when the time was right. But waiting’s never been our strong suit and the second hewalked out that door, the silence got too loud. So, here we are, leaning against the car just outside the gala, waiting,hoping.

I don’t say anything, just watch him out of the corner of my eye, the glow from his screen reflecting off his glasses. He looks calm, like he always does, but I know better. He’s just as on edge as I am. Maybe worse. Because this isn’t just another night, another job, another deal. And every second that passes without knowing who Amel’s bringing home feels like a lifetime.

My foot taps against the pavement, a nervous tic I can’t quite shake, and my eyes keep darting toward the entrance, scanning the flow of people coming and going. Every time the doors open, my breath catches, hoping—knowing—that any second now, he’ll walk out with her. But there’s doubt too. What if he doesn’t? What if the wait doesn’t end tonight? What if she—

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