The Cursed Killer

Elira

The hall instantly erupted into utter chaos, a storm of panicked gasps and angry snarls. My heart slammed violently against my ribs as the frantic woman’s words fiercely echoed: Alpha Kael’s father, brutally murdered.

I watched Kael instantly stride toward her, his broad frame cutting through the frantic crowd like a sharp blade. “What did you just say to me?” he demanded, his voice a low, terrifying growl that made my inner wolf flinch hard.

The woman, a servant with wild, frightened eyes, trembled as she met his gaze. “The Alpha... he’s in a pool of blood, my lord. In his chambers. He’s dead.”

Kael’s powerful face immediately hardened, his eyes flashing a dangerous gold. Without speaking another word, he quickly bolted out of the hall, the pack surging after him like a powerful tide. I knew I absolutely shouldn’t follow—servants don’t belong in such intense chaos—but my bare feet moved anyway, strongly drawn by the mate bond’s insistent pull, by the intense need to know exactly what’s happened.

I weaved quickly through the frantic crowd, my patched tunic catching on a noble’s sleeve as I urgently pushed toward the king’s chambers.

The heavy air grew intensely thick and ominous as we reached the room. The door hung partially open, and the overwhelming smell hit me first—blood, sharp and coppery. Kael’s father lay lifelessly on his bed, his throat brutally slashed, eyes wide and completely lifeless. A knife glinted wickedly on the stone floor beside him, tragically stained red.

My stomach violently lurched, and I instinctively pressed a hand to my mouth, suppressing a gasp.

Kael stepped forward, his broad shoulders instantly rigid with tension. “Torin!” he bellowed, calling loudly for his beta.

Torin, scarred and grim-faced, appeared instantly at his side. “What the hell happened here, Torin?” Kael demanded, his strong voice shaking noticeably with sheer rage.

Torin shook his head sadly, his eyes quickly scanning the gruesome room. “No one saw anything, Alpha. The guards were all at the ceremony. He was completely alone.”

I stood completely frozen, my inner wolf whining in my chest. The mate bond tugged fiercely, urgently urging me closer to Kael, but I forced myself to stay far back, a low-ranking servant among powerful nobles.

Then I instantly felt eyes heavily fixed on me—sharp, intensely venomous eyes.

Liora stood near the bed, her white gown ominously glowing in the torchlight. She delicately picked up the knife, her slender fingers gentle, like she was simply handling a precious jewel. Her gaze instantly locked directly onto mine, and a slow, incredibly cruel smile slowly curled her lips.

“You,” Liora said, her voice loud and clear enough to completely silence the entire room. “You did this crime, Elira. You viciously killed the Alpha.”

My breath instantly stopped completely. The pack turned sharply, their eyes intensely boring into me. “What?” I choked out, my voice barely audible above the ringing in my ears. “I didn’t—how could I possibly do that?”

Liora holds up the bloodied knife, her wicked smile sharpening further. “Your scent is everywhere on this blade,” she lies, stepping closer to me. “This is absolute proof. You’re the cursed one, aren’t you? The marked killer.”

“That’s absolutely impossible!” I immediately said, my hands shaking violently. “I’ve never touched that weapon! I wasn’t even near this room!”

“Oh, but you definitely were here,” another voice instantly cut in. Mara, my betrayer of a friend, stepped forward, her eyes glinting with pure malice. “I clearly saw you, Elira. Sneaking quickly out of the king’s chambers right before the ceremony began. You truly thought no one noticed your escape.”

My heart instantly sinks. “That is a complete lie!” I snapped, turning desperately to the pack crowd. “I only brought the king’s ceremonial robes earlier, exactly as I was told to do. I left them on his table quickly and walked right out. I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Liar!” a voice suddenly shrieks. My stepmother, Veyra, harshly pushes through the pack, her face twisted with pure disgust. She storms directly toward me, her hand flying quickly before I can possibly react. The slap fiercely stings my cheek, hot and incredibly sharp, and I stumble back, my vision badly blurring.

“You’re a complete disgrace to this pack,” Veyra spits, pointing a trembling finger right at me. “A cursed wretch who simply doesn’t deserve to breathe our pure air. Even if the pack could overlook your scar, this—this proves you’re a genuine monster!”

I clutch my stinging cheek, hot tears burning my eyes. “What have I ever truly done to you people?” I whisper, my voice desperately breaking now. “Why won’t anyone ever believe the truth?”

No one speaks a single word to defend me. The pack just stares, their faces a horrifying mix of absolute fear and deep contempt. My inner wolf howls loudly, the mate bond pulsing intensely painfully, and I look desperately at Kael, begging for something—anything—to show he truly believes I’m innocent.

But his face is an absolute mask of cold fury. He steps directly toward me, his eyes blazing a terrifying gold, and violently grabs my arm, roughly dragging me forward. I cry out, my bare feet painfully scraping the stone floor. “Why?” he snarls, his voice low and incredibly dangerous. “Why would you possibly do this heinous thing?”

“I didn’t do it!” I sob desperately, hot tears spilling down my cheeks. “Alpha Kael, please, I swear on my life I didn’t touch him!”

He violently yanks me harder, his grip immediately bruising. “Don’t you dare say my name again,” he growls with hatred. “You’re nothing but a cursed slave who foolishly thought she could be my mate.” His cruel words cut even deeper than the brutal slap, savagely slicing through the bond that ties us together.

“I didn’t ask for this mate bond!” I cry out, my voice completely raw now. “I didn’t ask for any of this horrible life! Just listen to my side of the story!”

He shoves me violently to the floor, and I hit the cold stone hard, sharp pain instantly shooting through my knees. He looms over me menacingly, his large hand raised like he might strike again. “Guards!” he roars, his voice shaking the entire room. “Chain her up! Lock her instantly in the cells. No food, no water, until she fully confesses to her crime!”

I stare desperately up at him, my chest heaving uncontrollably, tears intensely streaming down my face. “Alpha Kael, please,” I whisper the plea, but he instantly turns away from me, his broad back completely rigid with finality.

The pack silently watches the whole exchange, their eyes cold, intensely judging my every move. No one speaks a single word to defend me. No one truly cares about my innocence.

Rough, powerful hands grab me, violently lifting me off the cold floor. The guards’ grips are absolutely merciless, their claws digging painfully into my arms as they forcefully drag me toward the door. I desperately twist, looking back quickly, and catch Liora’s cold gaze. She stands right beside Veyra, their faces lit with identical, cruel smirks, their eyes gleaming with total triumph.