Page 36 of Cursed Love

“What happened? Are you okay?” Her voice is sharp, protective, but there’s already a hint of excitement there. She knows me too well.

I hesitate for a second before diving in. “It’s... it’s my heat. It came early, and, uh, I’m with a pack now. There’s the St. Clair brothers. And Amel, my—uh—Alpha.” There’s a spike of pride that rolls through the bond and I look up to see Amel smiling at me. I’ve never called someone mine before, not to anyone that matters, and now I’ve put a public claim out there. It feels nice.

There’s a pause, and then Ameliasqueals. Loud enough that I wince, pulling the phone slightly away from my ear. “Koa! Oh my god! You’re telling me you got through your heat with not one, not two, butthreeinsanely hot mates? I’ve seen pictures of the St. Clair pack. Girl, spill. How was it?”

I groan, heat flushing up my neck and into my cheeks. “I amnottalking about that, Amelia. And especially not right now. They’re all in the living room.”

“Fine, fine,” she says, clearly disappointed but not pushing. “But holy shit, Koa. Valla? And an Alpha? You’ve got yourself a dream team, girl. Just like me!”

“Yeah, well, dream team or not, it’s been... a lot,” I admit, glancing around the room. Hunter is practically asleep again, his arms still draped around me, while Amel and Moses are talking quietly on the couch, obviously trying not to eavesdrop but I know they’re hearing every word.

“I’m so happy for you,” Amelia says, her voice softer now. “Seriously. You deserve this. All of it. And weneedto meet up. I need all the details you’re too embarrassed to say now.”

I can’t help but laugh, a genuine smile breaking across my face. “Fine. Soon.”

“Soon,” she agrees, her tone firm before she hangs up.

I drop the phone into my lap, letting out a small sigh of relief. Talking to her always feels like a weight off my chest. But when Iglance up, my stomach flips. Amel and Moses are both watching me, their expressions soft, their smiles wide.

“What?” I ask, frowning as I shift on Hunter’s lap.

Amel leans forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “You’re glowing,” he says simply, his voice low and warm.

“Absolutely radiant,” Moses adds, his grin widening. “You should call Amelia more often if this is the effect she has on you.”

I scoff, shaking my head as I try to fight the heat crawling up my face. “You’re both ridiculous.”

The day drags in the most blissful way. Between naps and lazy cuddles, I let myself sink into the comfort of being surrounded by them. But as the hours slip by, a restless energy begins to bubble beneath my skin, a craving for movement and distraction.

I untangle myself from the nest we’ve built on the couch, slipping free of Hunter’s loose grip. He lets out a sleepy grunt but doesn’t wake. Moses glances at me from the armchair, one brow raised, but I wave him off with a small smile. “Just grabbing a snack,” I whisper. He nods, already leaning back with his eyes closed again.

The kitchen is quiet when I step in, but Amel is leaning against the counter, his arms crossed and an amused smile tugging at his lips as he watches me. “Couldn’t sit still anymore?” he teases.

I shrug, opening the fridge and peering inside. “Something like that. I needed to move and I’m starving again.”

Amel chuckles, stepping closer as I close the fridge door, a bag of sliced fruit in my hand. Before I can even take a bite, he opens his arms, silently inviting me in. There’s no hesitation—I walk straight into his embrace, the tension I didn’t realize I was carrying melting away as his arms wrap around me.

“How are you feeling about all this?” he asks, his voice softer now, his chin resting lightly on the top of my head.

I let out a sigh, my fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. “Still confused,” I admit. “I want this—Gods, I want this. But at the same time, it feels like I’m giving up so much. Public outings, date nights, being able to just... exist like everyone else. Valla aren’t accepted the same way.”

His arms tighten around me, his chest rising and falling with a deep breath. “I know,” he says quietly. “It’s not fair and it shouldn’t be that way. But just because things look different for us doesn’t mean you have to give up those things.”

I tilt my head back, meeting his gaze. “It doesn’t?”

Amel’s smile softens, his fingers brushing a stray curl from my face. “No. It might not happen around here, but we’ll take you places. We’ll show you the world if that’s what you want. Date nights might look different, but they’ll happen. The little things? We’ll do all of them, Koa. I promise you.”

I blink up at him, the weight in my chest easing with every word. “You mean that?”

“Every word,” he says firmly, leaning down to press a kiss to my forehead. “This is your life too, sweet girl. And we’ll make sure you get everything you deserve and more.”

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I blink them away, letting out a shaky laugh. “I just… I just want to be loved without expectations,” I whisper, the words tumbling out before I can stop them. My throat tightens as I admit it, my heart pounding in the silence that follows.

Amel doesn’t hesitate as his smile widens. “Oh, sweet girl. I think we can manage that.”

And then his lips are on mine, stealing the breath from my lungs. The kiss is nothing like the ones we’ve shared before—it’s deeper, heavier, a spark of something real searing through me. My entire body melts into him and when his tonguebrushes over my lower lip, I feel the bond thrumming between us. I gasp against his mouth as the sensation sinks into my bones, wrapping itself around my heart. Amel groans low in his throat, his hands cupping my face as if I’m something precious, something breakable.

He pulls back just enough to look at me, his thumb brushing over my cheek as his forehead rests against mine. “You feel that? That’s us, Koa. That’s the bond. No expectations, no conditions. Just you, exactly as you are.”

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