Page 29 of Cursed
He’s pissed about missing lunch with Nori, but at least he sent Adele to keep her company. It’s getting late. He is seriously considering killing the thing to have a chance at making it back in time for dinner. As he moves toward the cell, heavy footsteps thud down the stairs, approaching quickly. Ryland sees a Guard making a beeline for him, holding a note in his hand.
“Prince Drakemoor,” the Guard says, “I have a note for you from another Pack, marked urgent.”
Thinking it might be a request for help against Rogue attacks, Ryland opens the note immediately.
To His Royal Highness Prince Ryland Drakemoor, Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack,
It has come to my attention that you are sheltering a she-wolf who is not from your Pack. Her name is Norina Valcrest of the Starfall Pack. She has committed several crimes, including murdering her parents, the former Alpha and Luna of Starfall, and abandoning her Mate.
She must be held accountable for her crimes. I insist that you return my Mate to me as soon as possible.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation,
Malrik Blackstone, Beta of the Starfall Pack
Ryland’s chest constricts, leaving him breathless. He reads the note again, but all he sees are the words “my Mate.” She has a Mate. She has a Mate, and it’s not him.
He slumps against the wall as his whole world shatters around him. Instantly, a torrent of emotions surges through him, engulfing him—shock, devastation, betrayal, and finally, unrelenting fury. The soul-crushing note falls to the floor as Ryland’s eyes change from chocolate brown to blood red.
He barely hears Bade through the rage boiling inside him. “No, Ryland! She is our Mate, not his!”
Ryland, no longer rational, yells at his wolf, “Bullshit! I told you! This has all been a ruse, and I fell for it so completely! She was never our Mate. She is a spy for that piece of shit, Draven, and this Mate Bond is some kind of trick, orchestrated by a witch, no doubt.”
Zayne picks up the note and draws in a harsh breath. “Son of a bitch!”
Garek rips it out of Zayne’s hands. Shaking his head, he says, “I knew there was something wrong with her! No way does she survive weeks in the woods by herself, hunted by Rogues.”
Ryland’s roar is deafening, causing Garek and Zayne to cover their ears and cower. “SHE IS A LIAR! She’s lied the entire time; I am going to kill her, and after that, I’m going to kill that fucking Alpha. He should have died long ago when he started the war that killed our mother!”
Consumed by the rage, he is no longer Ryland the Prince. He has become Ryland the Destroyer.
Bade frantically pleads with him to calm down and go talk to Nori. “Just talk to her, please, Ryland!”
Ryland brings down a wall in his mind, completely blocking out his wolf.
Startled by Ryland’s violent reactions, Zayne shouts, “No, Ryland! You can’t kill her; it will rebound on you. You have to get her to sever the Mate Bond.”
Ryland snarls at his brother. “This Mate Bond is not real! She already has a Mate, or can’t you read?” The power flowing out of Ryland knocks Zayne back several steps.
Raking his hands through his hair, Ryland can’t believe he fell for her act. Everything she’s told him is a lie; she’s manipulated him into feeling sorry for her, all to gather information for that fucking Alpha. Gods, she is good. He totally bought her story about the coffee pot. That was probably a lie, too.
He’s not sure exactly how she engineered the Mate Bond, but it doesn’t matter because she’s already Mated! He knew she was going to reject him, but to be able to deceive him so thoroughly, she must be well-trained. Ryland turns and stalks out of the dungeon, determined to end her.
Garek and Zayne look at each other with worry.
Zayne takes off, running after his brother, and yells, “Ryland, wait! You can’t kill her. Please!”
Garek follows Zayne, shouting after his Alpha. “Ryland, you have to stop!”
Trying to reason with him, begging him to calm down, both men chase after Ryland through castle and up the stairs to the North Tower. Pack members in the vicinity turn and run the other way from the waves of rage coming off the Prince.
Running up the stairs to Ryland’s rooms, Zayne asks Garek, “Is it even possible to fake a Mate Bond?”
“No. There’s no way to fake a Bond,” Garek replies. “Shit! He’s going to kill her!”
Ryland explodes through the doors to his rooms, knocking them off their hinges. When his eyes land on Nori, he freezes in place, panting and growling at the she-wolf who is Mated to another.
Nori grabs a knife and springs from her seat at the table, instantly in panic mode. She knows he has somehow figured out that she’s from Starfall.
