Cursed Mate

Chapter 1: Encounter

“Caleb, you need to be mated,” said Derek, his beta and trusted confidant. I didn’t answer and continued to stare at the gold liquid through the glass in my hand. I took a sip. The liquid burned in my throat with a relaxing touch. I felt my tension dropped a slight jot. When he didn’t hear my response, he went on. “You know that you need to find your mate to balance your physical and emotional strength-“

“I heard you Derek, Loud and Clear,” I muttered, a hint of annoyance was apparent in my voice. “What do you suggest?” It was a question which I didn’t expect an answer. I had been searching for my mate, but failed relentlessly. It was as if she didn’t exist and I came to a point where I started not to care anymore. Most Weres had an invisible connection to their mates, leading to both finding each other no matter how far they were. However, unfortunately, as for me—the strongest alpha of all North America—had yet to find his mate at the age of 30. The frustration that had been building inside me was seriously causing my emotion to be unstable, which the pack council found wary.

“I’ve heard from a reliable Intel that the Blue moon pack has been edgy in finding a mate for their daughter,” he informed, looking at me—a  look that was assessing my reaction rather than challenging me. As an alpha of subsequent generations of  strongest pack leader, no one dared to challenge me.

“Do they even have a daughter?” I asked, skeptical. The Blue moon had been the second largest and strongest pack second to us, but I hadn’t heard about their alpha having a daughter. When they came to visit our territory for an annual amicable gathering and vice versa I only saw his two sons.

“Exactly,” he replied. “Isn’t it suspicious? All this time, the Blue moon pack has a daughter and they’ve surely kept her from the spotlight only until last month that they’ve decided to discreetly announce her existence.” The information got my curiosity perk up, but I didn’t get any pull towards their territory. If my mate was there, I should be feeling an invisible thread that would want me to go there. Even I was there a few times, yet I didn’t. 

“Yes, it’s suspicious, indeed, but I don’t feel it’s her.” Derek’s little hope died from his eyes, hearing my conviction. “However, I must find out, what that old man is plotting.”

“He wouldn’t dare.”

“Better safe than never,” I said.

He nodded. “Yeah, while you’re at it, why not take a glimpse of her. I heard she’s a beauty of no comparison and only a few had a privilege to see her, but—he scratched his jaw, looking thoughtful like he was doubtful.

“But, what?” I asked, becoming impatient.

“Well, I’m not sure if it’s true, but some say, she hasn’t shifted, like not ever.”

That information alone had definitely crossed her out of the list of prospects, not that it mattered. What I needed was a strong mate and not some pretty damsel in distress.

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Calla

I didn’t like the feeling of being sheltered and treated like a princess—a weak one at that. Just because I couldn’t shift, they already labeled me as fragile and wouldn’t even allow me to train in combat. Yes, I haven’t shifted even after my sixteenth birthday, which was supposed to be the normal age our inner wolf would surface. And, what could be worse than my coming of age? Next week, I’d be turning twenty, an age any wolf shifters should be mated—a generation of tradition I didn’t want to abide. Sure thing both my older brothers did find their lovely mates and couldn’t get their eyes off them most of the time if not always. I had nothing against them falling in love at first sight—or rather mated for us Weres—but I didn’t want to just automatically fall for some stranger just because of the mate bond. Call it hopeless romantic, but I wanted to make a choice and not be forced. All my life, my family had been dictating what I should or shouldn’t do. My inner dominant self wouldn’t simply allow that. As a daughter of a pack with a succeeding Alpha lineage, I should prove to them that in spite of my inability to shift, I could still be as strong and independent as them. And, most importantly, I need no mate to protect me. As the thought past me, I made a quick turn, surprising my opponent and kicked his shin, making him kneel. Then, I swiftly jumped on him, circled my arm around his neck.

“I won.” A smirk appeared on my lips, seeing he rolled his eyeballs at my cockiness. I stood up and gave him a hand. He accepted it and smiled. My heart ached just by looking at his handsome face. Jensen was the only close friend I had and the only one who saw my potential and believed in my capability. I loved him, but the fact that he was not my mate, made a tinge knot in my heart. I knew that he’d soon find his mate, no matter how much I would stop it, as a wolf shifter, we were bound to be mated to someone. Though, unlike me, he was willing to accept his fate and didn’t want to go against it like myself.

“Your father should have seen how you fight—“

“No way,” I cut him. “He will go ballistic just knowing I trained with you secretly. He might even banish you and he won’t care if you’re the son of his beta.”

He sighed. “I don’t understand why they’re treating you like some kind of a fragile china porcelain when you can surely kick some ass. Sure you’re unearthly gorgeous and all, but you’re a warrior, Calla.” I laughed seeing the frustration appearing on his handsome face. So, handsome that I fell for him. I wanted to rake my fingers through his messy dirty blonde hair and caress his chiseled face, but instead, I gave him a bro-hug.

“Thanks for the uplift, brotha,” I said with a giggle. He returned the hug and ruffled my already messy hair. “Hey, not the hair, bruh. I’m not a puppy,” I complained.

He laughed and ruffled my hair even more. “What a cute puppy you are.”

“And, this puppy bites!” As I said it, I made a stance to attack him. “Lemme kick your ass the second time.”

“Bring it on.”

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I sneakily climbed the back wall to my room, however I saw a shadow hovering inside the guest room next to mine. I became alert. My smartwatch showed it was already past ten in the evening—Ugh, I shouldn’t have fallen asleep in the woods. Good thing Emily got it covered for me or I’d be damned if my father knew. I let out a sigh and glanced at the guest room once more. I didn’t hear about having a guest tonight, so instead of going inside my room, I stealthily slid the big glass window open. Great, it’s not locked. It must be one of the prospect mates my father had arranged, I thought, begrudgingly. The room was dimly lit and my poor humanly eyesight couldn’t see well through the dimmed surroundings. Ugh, if I only have the eyesight of a werewolf—

“Who are you?” A low, yet powerful voice asked from behind me. s**t. My plan to intimidate him could backfire since he caught me before I could even do it. I’d usually scare the s**t out of whomever my father sent to be my prospect mate before they could properly be introduced to me, but the man behind me, seemed different. I have yet to face him, yet I could sense his strong dominance inside the room. However, that wouldn’t stop me from trying. With a swift movement, I turned around and caught the man’s neck with my hand and pushed him to the wall. Despite my inability to shift, I was thankful that at least I had the strength of a werewolf. But, damn, the man was so dang tall that in spite of my tall height, I still craned my neck just to look him in the eyes though I barely could even make out his face least his eyes.

“Who I am, doesn’t matter,” I started, my voice a whisper, but didn’t hide the menace in it. “What matter most is, I want you to disappear from this place this instant. Find your mate somewhere else—” Before I could finish my sentence, I was already thrown down on the carpeted floor so fast I wasn’t able to blink my eyes. As if it wasn’t enough, the man caught both my wrists effortlessly and placed them above my head as he straddled my legs with his.

“I take no orders from no one, woman,” he said icily. The way he said the word woman was so degrading that I decided I hated him.

“Well, now I’m pissed off! Get off me! I’m pretty sure you’re not my mate and even if you are, I will never accept it!” I fumed. 

He laughed.  A taunting laugh that got me irritated more than I already was. “Well, well, well, so you are the infamous beauty of the Blue moon pack, now let me take a look at you—“

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Caleb

I got dumbstruck after I pulled her dark cap that was almost covering half her face—she was hauntingly beautiful, indeed—with her long, raven hair, ivory skin and icy-blue eyes, so light they appeared to be gray with a streak of violets in them. It was dark, but my clear werewolf vision could see how beautiful her eyes were. Those eyes who were angrily staring back at me without fear. As an alpha with an overbearing dominant aura, no one dared look me in the eye except for my close relatives and friends, but she was fearless. But, what struck me the most was the wolf in me trying to surface. It was considering the woman—no a mere human girl as its mate. Something about her eyes that brought a certain magnetic pull toward me. I couldn’t help myself from tucking a strand of hair that was sticking on her cheek. She seemed to be taken aback and blinked her eyes. Did she feel it too?

“You,” I breathed in her neck, “could be my mate.”

“N-no f*****g way!” She screamed and for a minute, just a brief moment, I saw her eyes glowed purple and her canine elongated, but disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Did she just go wolf on me? I thought she couldn’t shift.

“You can shift.” I voiced out my thought. She looked more taken aback than ever, but instead of  contradicting what I said, she took me by surprise by agilely pulling her wrists from my grasp when I got distracted and tackled me. She easily threw me off her, but when she aimed to kick me, I swiftly pulled her ankle. However, instead of losing her balance, she was able to keep her stance and jumped over me. I got impressed by her combat skill, yet she was no match for me. It was fun to spar with her, but it had to end. I didn’t want to hurt her. With one swift movement, I caught her waist and threw her on the bed and placed my body weight on her. “Stop struggling, woman,” I commanded.

“Stop calling me woman! I have a goddamn name!” she hissed and tried to punch me, but thanks to my quick reflex I was able to dodge it. What a feisty little thing… A smile crept in my lips.

“Then, how should I call you?”

Before she could answer, the door burst open and the alpha of the Blue moon pack rushed inside, behind him were other people I’ve met earlier.

“What the hell has happened here?” He asked, his voice domineering, seeking immediate answer, but I have been one not to be intimidated easily by just anyone, even if it was an alpha of a strong pack. I brought my gaze back at her and caught her uneasiness. She was looking at me like she was trying to assess what I would say. A smirk appeared on my lips as I finally realized what she’d been trying to do all along.

“Alpha John,” I greeted the alpha as soon as I stood up and offered a hand to help her, but the vixen ignored it and proudly got up on her own.

“I see you’ve already met my beautiful daughter, Alpha Caleb,” said Alpha John, his perceptive eyes went from mine to his daughter.

“Indeed,” I agreed. “But, why does a beautiful daughter of an alpha have to be kept hidden?” I examined his reaction, but he was keen in keeping his expression neutral. Well, as expected of an alpha of too many decades, I thought inwardly.

“How about we continue this conversation over a drink?” he asked.

“That’s an offer I wouldn’t decline.”

Alpha John motioned for the curious spectators to go back to their respective posts and led me out of the room.

“Dad, wait!”

Both Alpha John and I turned around to look at her. She appeared to be worried about something as she gazed at her father. As I stared at her, now that the lights were on, the wolf in me growled. Her beauty was beyond comparable and not only had my wolf wanted her as my mate, but myself as well. The pull I’d felt toward her before was short and quick, but enough for me to know she was the one. Her being human must be the reason why I couldn’t sense her from afar, but when we made contact, it activated a connection between us no matter how small it was.

“Go back to your room, Calla. I will talk to you alone later,” replied Alpha John and turned around. I glanced at her just in time to see the hurt in her eyes and something in me wanted to console her, but that could wait, I thought.

=====

Calla

I aimlessly paced around my room, anxious and worried about what my father and that man were talking about behind my back.

“You could be my mate.”

I harshly shook my head remembering what he said. Impossible! I didn’t feel anything—well, that brief, sudden pull toward him wasn’t it, right? Jensen once said; “You’d know the instant your eyes meet.” That was probably just an attraction. It should be normal since he was very handsome. And, those gorgeous amber eyes—they appeared to look through your soul—ugh! Why would I even think about him? Wait, did my father just call him Alpha Caleb? s**t! Is he that Caleb Hunter of the strongest pack in all of North America?! Now, I’ll be damned. Panic got to me. I hastily reached for my phone in my jeans pocket and speed dialed Jensen’s number.

“Hey.” Just hearing his voice made my heart race. I really wished he was my mate so I wouldn’t have to be forced to be mated to someone I’d no idea about.

“Hey,” I said.

“What’s up?” he asked, his voice still husky. I guessed I just woke him up from his slumber.

“Um, I think I might be mated to an alpha,” I said through gritted teeth. As much as I despised the idea of being mated to a stranger, still I wouldn’t be able to break it. What’s bound to happen, bound to happen… That was what my father would often say. If Caleb really was my mate, then it would mean, I’d be forced to join his pack. The thought gave me a conflicted feeling. I’d been so eager to free myself from the discrimination of my pack, yet at the same time I didn’t want to be away from Jensen—the only person who sincerely cares about me.

“What do you mean by might be mated? You’re not sure?” he asked, his voice seemed fully awake now.

“Well, I’m not sure. I did feel something, but it was so brief that I couldn’t confirm if it was real. I should ask my brothers since they’re both mated.” Before he could answer, a knock on my door disrupted our conversation.

“Calla.”

“That’s my dad. Talk to you again tomorrow!” I clicked the end button without waiting for his response and hurriedly opened the door.

“May I come in?” he asked. His expression was one I couldn’t fathom. He’d always wear that poker face whenever he’d talk to his subordinates and unfortunately I wasn’t an exception to that.

“Of course,” I said. My father went to sit on an empty chair in front of my dresser. He motioned for me to sit as well.

“Alpha Caleb is here as a prospect mate for you,” he informed as soon as I was seated. When I tried to speak, he raised his hand to stop me. He went on, “He isn’t someone you could scare off, Calla.”

“You knew.” I wasn’t even surprised. My father wasn’t someone you could fool easily, but I did wonder why he let me do as I pleased without confronting me.

“If you could scare them that easily then they weren’t a match for you,” he said, like he knew what I was thinking.

“Dad, he isn’t my mate.”

“Are you sure?” he eyed me surreptitiously. I suddenly couldn’t meet his eyes. There was something about how my father would look at me and get me to tell the truth. It must be part of him being an alpha. When he saw the hesitation in my eyes, he continued, “Why don’t you give it a try?” It wasn’t a question, but more of a command.

“Is it really necessary to be mated? Couldn’t I choose who to love?”

“Like who? Jensen?”

My cheeks turned beet red. I just realized nothing could pass my father’s keen eyes.

“A real mate would protect you till death and wouldn’t abandon you, Calla.”

“And you think it’s Caleb Hunter?” I asked. My eyes couldn’t hide the defiance in them.

“Believe me, it’s for your own good, dear.” For the first time, I could see the stresses and strains of life in his face—like he aged tremendously. I sighed and nodded. No matter how I argue, it would still be a lost cause. My father would still have the final say. All I could do was to make Caleb Hunter realized I wasn’t his mate. After my father left the room, I once again crept into the guest room.

“Can’t wait for tomorrow to see me again, mate?”

A gasp escaped my mouth hearing his husky voice close to my ear. I could feel he sniffed my nape and a tingling sensation crawled uninvitingly through my skin. How could I have not noticed his movements? Feeling conscious all of a sudden, I pulled myself as far away as I could from him, but my eyes almost bulged out from their sockets when I finally see he was half naked. Although, the lights were off, but the moon’s brightness illuminated some part of the room through the glass door. It glistened on his torso, emphasizing his bulging abs and massive arms. I swallowed hard and blinked my eyes. He was gorgeous and sexy as f*ck, I’d give him that.

“Did I pass your taste?” he asked in his seductive tone and glided toward me. His smirk was even gorgeous. What the—! I nervously backed away. For the first time in my life, I felt scared and cornered.

“D-on’t come near me!” I stuttered. Get a grip, Calla! “I want to ta—” Before I could finish my sentence, he already cornered me. I didn’t notice that my back already hit the wall.

“You’re my mate, Calla. Don’t fight it.”

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