THE CURSED ONE

Among the crowd, a silhouette made its way toward the stage and dropped a heavy pouch filled with silver and Gold. Such wealth, only an Alpha could command. Who was this man?

With a deep and commanding voice that cut through the murmurs like a sharp steel blade, he said:

"I'll take the one they call Laura".

Traders hesitated. Called her worthless, some even called her cursed.

"Might be worthless to you, but she's mine!!",

 With a swift motion, he lifted Laura effortlessly, as if she weighed nothing.

---

They got into the car and sped off. They disappeared into the shadows. Laura was weak. But hopeful that the man who bought her won't be so hard on her. She had suffered enough, and even though she felt she was meant to suffer for life, she just wanted some time to recuperate.

The Alpha's voice brought Laura out of her thoughts.

  "You're wondering who I am. I am Damian Blake-alpha of the Bloodmoon pack. I am Your Master. And you will serve me for the rest of your life."

Damian Blake? Alpha of Bloodmoon? No, this was falling from frying pan to fire. Oh, Moon Goddess, what have I done to make you hate me so much?

---

   Bloodmoon pack and Silvermoon have never seen eye to eye. They're rivals. I've heard rumors about Alpha Damian. They say he is Cold and Calculating. A force to be reckoned with. His presence alone commands respect and demands fear.

 Even though Laura was half-conscious, her mind was still razor-sharp. She knew the Alpha didn't buy her to be a toy, but as something more. But what?

---

"You're weak. And a runt from the Silvermoon pack. I hate your pack. You will serve me as my maid. You will have to earn your place. I will give you a few days to come around, but once you do, you will start serving me with immediate effect. Do you understand?"

I swallowed hard, fear mixing with a strange hope. I nodded my head quickly as I didn't want to get on his bad side.

---

   After a few hours, we arrived at Blackmoon Pack. It was modern. Everything looked clean and expensive. We got to the Pack house.

As the Alpha stepped out of the car, I immediately followed behind.

 "She'll be watched."

He said to the broad-shouldered Beta wolf with eyes like steel. He nodded.

 The Beta's mate glanced at me with a measured look, then said to me in a commanding tone:

"You'll learn to respect us all... or suffer the consequences."

I was shown a room where I would stay till I got better. The pack doctor came to check on me and prescribed medicine. The Alpha didn't joke about my health. At first, I thought it was out of kindness, but then I remembered that I was to serve him and he wouldn't want to waste his money.

 I stayed in the room for 1week plus before I came out. I heard the maids talking that the Alpha was on a business trip and would be back by the end of next week.

---

   Drawn by the scent of freshly-baked bread and the need for normalcy, Laura ventured into the pack kitchen one morning, though she remains wary.

She meets Mara, the head cook. A no-nonsense, but warm-hearted woman who reminds her of the mother figure she longed for. Mara doesn't question her. She hands her a loaf of freshly baked bread and teases her to grow more flesh. She smiles. She likes her.

Laura also meets two lovely omegas, Gina and Lina, who see her scars but don't flinch. They share stories with Laura as they do their chores, helping her regain a sense of belonging.

   As they say, not everyone will be welcoming.

Brielle is a sharp-tongued blonde with high status among the unmated she-wolves. She makes Laura her new target. With the Alpha away, there won't be any reason not to play with a cursed stray.

 Blonde hair twisted into a ponytail, flawless skin, and a voice that could cut through glass. She leaned against the doorway, blocking Laura. Her sharp blue eyes scanned Laura as if she were a pile of dirt.

"Well, if it isn't our little luna reject," she purred.

"Blackmoon must be running a charity now."

Gina and Lina flinched at her tone.

But remained silent. They couldn't say anything. They were omegas.

Lips tight. Laura straightened up. She said nothing.

Brielle stepped closer and lowered her voice.

  "Reject. Don't get too comfortable. Just because the Alpha paid for you doesn't mean you're part of this pack. You're nothing but temporary. Runt."

She pushed her out of the way and laughed as she walked away.

Feeling defeated, Laura ran to her room. Tears in her eyes. Memories of Silvermoon's betrayal clamped like iron shackles on her. She kept her voice softer and raised her walls higher.

The next day, the kitchen staff offered her kind words. But she politely and quietly left them behind.

---

 After Brielle's taunts and vicious reminders that she is still seen as a curse even in the Blackmoon pack, Laura folds. Her shell hardens. She speaks less. She tells herself to forget about peace, not to even hope for it.

     Refusing to fall apart, she tends to her wounds and forces her healing, quietly volunteering for chores no one wants. She keeps to the corners of the pack house. Unnoticed. Unseen.

Seeking solace, she decides to take a walk in the gardens, where she finds a small girl sitting alone by a wilted flowerbed.

     Her wide silver eyes look up at Laura, alert and broken with an ancient look a child shouldn't have. Looking up at Laura with a haunting familiarity.

Words didn't need to be said-two broken souls discarded by those meant to protect them, recognizing each other in silence.

After a silent conversation, the girl stood up and ran away, as if she had just seen a ghost.

"Who was that child?"

Laura thought aloud.

---

A week had passed after she met the little girl.

Laura's scars began to fade. Leaving yellowish and purple marks. Though the physical wounds were healing, the emotional wounds were mending very slowly.

  Thanks to her new friends, Gina and Lina, she walked straighter, spoke out now, and did her chores with quiet efficiency.

Vast. That would be the perfect word to describe the pack house. Laura learned the pack house wasn't this big. It was rebuilt by Alpha Damian 2 years after he took over from the previous Alpha. They talked about how rich and handsome he was. Even though Laura was healing, she couldn't even deny the fact that the Alpha was handsome. But cold.

The pack house was filled with rooms she hadn't explored yet. Lucky for her, she was assigned to cleaning the rooms upstairs, Tall doors and dust that wrapped around the air like a blanket.

An old wooden door was slightly open.

She pushed the door open and gasped. Books. A lot of them. Hundreds of them. From the floor to the ceiling shelves. The air was filled with the scent of ink and old parchment paper. Leather gives a warm feeling.

She heard sounds

She traced them. Then she saw her. The girl from the gardens. She looked closely and noticed she was trying to read the words, but all that came out were weird sounds.

   The child was curled in a corner, a massive book open between her legs. The child noticed Laura, and her silver eyes flickered, assessing her. She wasn't scared.

  Hesitantly, Laura walked up to her, knelt beside her, leaving a respectful space between them enough not to startle her. She told the child.

"I didn't expect to see you here."

Silence. Silver eyes stared at Laura.

 The girl closed the book slowly and tilted her head, oddlan y old soul. Laura noted.

Laura glanced at the book"Tale of Moon-born Wolves".

  "I loved that book, especially the one about the wolf who talked to the stars," Laura whispered.

The girl blinked.

Laura smiled," I always felt it was unfair that the stars only answered when she was alone..as if they didn't want anyone to know they cared."

Still no response. But the girls' gaze softened.

"You know, when I was your age, I tried talking to the stars, but I only received a scolding and a sore throat."She quietly laughed.

The girl smiled the tiniest smile.

It encouraged Laura.

"And once I thought I could live in the stables forever, I stole a loaf of bread and hid there. I forgot to bring water, so I ended up drinking horse water. I smelled like hay for a week."

The girl giggled. A soft laugh that made her face light up, and Laura's heart swelled.

"Much better," she added," you look even more beautiful when you laugh. Like the stars might talk to you."

The girl pulled a small, carefully preserved flower from her pocket and gave it to Laura.

  "For me?"

The girl nodded once and showed Laura a picture of a silent guardian wolf protecting a little cub.

"I'll look out for you, too." The girl didn't speak but scooted closer to Laura and rested her head against Laura's shoulders.

The two souls found comfort in each other. They stayed silent until it was interrupted by a loud bang and a growl.

"HOW DARE YOU!!"