Bride of the Cursed Alpha (Auren and Lucien)

Chapter 167

3:28 PM d

Chapter 167

Chapter 167

Matt POV

The ceremony of my ascension as the Alpha of the Everflame pack was short but significant. I stood before the pack as the Shaman carried the ritual.

He was surprised to see me taking over, but he smiled and said, "I'm so happy that you are taking over as the Alpha of the Everflame pack, Matt. Alpha Magnus loved you a lot."

口

The mention of his name brought back so many childhood memories that a lump formed in my throat. I swallowed it as I gave him my hand. He sliced it with a knife and allowed my blood to drop in a sacred bowl in front of Veles's statute. Once the bowl was half-filled, he asked every pack member in the clearing to add their drop of blood to it. When finally every pack member did it, the Shaman offered it to Veles. As the blood dropped on his feet, and disappeared in the ground below, connection with the pack members slammed into my chest. It felt heavy, like I was weighed down with a thousand responsibilities deep inside.

The Shaman raised my hand which was already healed, and said, "Your new Alpha, Alpha Matt!"

The crowd started cheering for me. My parents watched me with pride in their eyes. And I knew that from today onward, I would concentrate on what was ahead of me instead of dwelling in the stupid, ugly past.

My parents left soon after. Though Tulip was with me for the ceremony, I asked her to leave because I wanted to focus on my pack's business. Being Alpha was what I had to do. Over the next few months, I did my job well. I handled everything efficiently. But handling relationships? That was another story.

Girls constantly threw themselves at me, admiring my status, my looks, my power. It was thrilling. They wanted me, and I think I wanted them. There was a new girl every night I was alone-brief moments of escape from a feeling that I wasn't able to escape. Was it loneliness? Ah no! I couldn't be lonely. There were so many things to do.

Sex had become a great distraction from my pack business. It was tiring to be an Alpha. There was so much to do all the time. Yet, there were answers I was searching for, always. But what were the questions?

7

years later.

in others, it had dragged on endlessly. My pack had flourished under my regime. Alpha Lucien had generously donated to us and

seemed to be moving around me, but I felt like I was stuck. Like I was on autopilot, trapped in a loop that I couldn't break. I had everything I had ever imagined. Tulip finished college and joined

was beautiful, charming, and everyone loved her. She was the perfect partner for an Alpha, the kind of girl every pack member expected me to settle with. Easy to talk to, always smiling, always eager to please. After she had come to my pack, I had stopped my dalliances. Tulip made me laugh, made me

toward the forest. In the morning I had trained the new pups. With a whiskey glass in my hand, I took a deep sigh as I tilted my head up and closed my eyes. Tulip had taken

you

"Nothing" I replied absentmindedly.

you. You have

I want to go for a run in the forest. Torben wants it." Veles, my bear was really pushing me to break free.

ask you something?" she said in a

a frown pulling at my

her lips as a pale blush formed on her cherks. "I know this will sound

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3:28 PM J

Chapter 167

stands?"

forehead as I narrowed my eyes on

ever since we were

liking the

you to ask me to marry

marry me, Matt?" she asked in a hopeful

knew her well. My Beta, Seth, often

me. 'No, refuse

violently, leaving me breathless. Like I betrayed myself, like I was suffocating. Yet this was the right thing to

All he said was a big 'no'. I couldn't. It wasn't right. I could have asked her to give me time. But on the inside,