Bride of the Cursed Alpha (Auren and Lucien)

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Auren POV

The morning air was cool as I hurried through the pack house, balancing a tray of breakfast plates. The faint smell of caramel and freshly brewed coffee wafted through the halls, but it did little to soothe the anxiety brewing in my chest. Today was my birthday—my eighteenth-the day I would smell my mate who would take me away from this cursed life. Life as an orphan omega in our pack was riddled with hardships and misery.

"Do you plan on making me wait all morning, Auren?" Maris's sharp voice cut through my thoughts like a whip as I entered the dining room.

Maris was Alpha Bram's betrothed. He was thirty-three years old and still unmated. Maris was twenty-seven and daughter of the Alpha of Iron Pine pack. They had met each other in the annual mating ball about a year ago.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, bowing my head. Her dark, carefully fashioned curls shimmered in the sunlight filtering through the wide windows of the dining hall, and her perfectly manicured nails tapped against the table impatiently. Everyone knew Maris would be the Luna soon. She carried herself like it, with a sharp tongue and a sharper glare.

She narrowed her eyes at the tray in my hands. "Where's my almond latte? I specifically asked for it."

"It's coming, Maris-" I stopped myself, flinching. "I'll get it right away."

Her lips curved into a cruel sneer. "See that you do. I'd hate to have to speak to Bram about your incompetence." I didn't know why was it that she hated me so much. It was like she was always finding an excuse to punish me.

The other maids, already standing around the table, exchanged knowing looks. One of them, a tall brunette named Reya, a sycophant, shot me a glare. "Honestly, Auren, you should be more careful. Lady Maris has enough to deal with without you messing up her morning."

"Right," chimed in another maid, Hyra, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "She's practically running this pack already. You should be grateful she even lets you serve her."

keep my hands from trembling. "Yes, of

"And don't call me Maris like we're equals. It's Luna Maris to you." Her words were laced with venom, and the maids chuckled. My cheeks burned, but I didn't argue. She wasn't a Luna, but she liked others to

hurt about how they all loved to humiliate me for no reason. And no one remembered my birthday. Usually everyone got a

braid. My face looked paler than usual and my expression was weary. It was a known fact that we got our wolves at sixteen and smelled our mates as soon

another day," I whispered to myself. "Keep

didn't feel like just another day. The air felt charged.

retreated to the laundry room to catch my breath. That's when it hit me —a scent

'Mate.'

pulling me out of the laundry room and down the hall. My feet moved on their own, guided by an invisible thread. The scent made my chest tighten, pulling me as if it had wrapped around me. Down the quiet hallway, the smell grew stronger, drowning out everything else

our mate!' Siena said enthusiastically. 'Go fast.

as I stepped outside onto the training grounds. Warriors trained in the morning light. My eyes scanned the crowd, searching

Alpha Bram Reed.

The world around me faded as

stood at the center of the field, towering over the others with graceful confidence. His dark hair was slightly tousled, and his sharp features were set in a look of concentration as he demonstrated a fighting move. The sunlight caught the sweat on his

when I saw recognition in his eyes. This was it. My mate. My Alpha. He was going to pull me out of my wretched

He was so beautiful and strong that every girl in the Crimson Howl pack had a crush on him. All I wanted was to reach him and fall into his arms as he wrapped them around me. 'Mate,' I whispered, my

he behaving so coldly? Didn't

stiffened, and his warm, amber eyes turned cold. The flicker of recognition in his gaze was quickly replaced by a harsh disappointment and anger. It cut deep and so I

him!' Siena urged. When I took a few more steps toward him, Maris came into my peripheral

elbowing me roughly, nudging past

at her and beamed as if I wasn't even there. He opened his arms for Maris who rushed to him and