The Alpha's Curse The Enemy Within

Killian's point of view

| stirred on the bed, inhaling deeply. | was forced to push my eyes open as the sweet scent of my mate invaded

my nostrils and heightened my senses.

| moaned into the softest brown hair that tickled my face. | had to choke back a laugh at the ravenous woman

besideand the manner in which her long natural curls were scattered on the bed. She was sleeping next to

me, with a hand of hers on my chest, and her head next to mine. She was beautiful.

| couldn't help but take a few moments to relish the sweet feeling of having my mate back again in my arms. |

took my sweet tscanning her flawless figure. Her perfect thick brows, her rosy cheeks, and her irresistible

lips. | fought the urge to kiss her awake, she was sleeping peacefully and the dark circles around the skin of her

eyes toldshe hadn't been resting well.

She was still naked on the bed, with only the silk sheets, covering the lower half of her body while her exposed

sight was makinghard already.

| closed my eyes, remembering the blissful moment not too long ago. | smiled at the way her body recognized

and reacted to my touch and kisses, her sweet moans, and the manner in which her lips took my nout. |

loved it. | wanted to experience it all again. It was a feeling that would never grow old, and | was incapable of

having enough of her. Never.

| inhaled deeply, pulling my eyes open at the sound of Sheila's spiked heartbeat. Her heart was pounding hard,

blasting in my ears. She was still sleeping, but the peacefulness that once covered her features was gone. Her

face looked like she was having a terrible nightmare, one that frightened her.

"Sheila," | reached out to her, trying to pull her awake. But she wasn't waking up. Her body was vibrating

intensely. | tried to get her awake but she wasn't responding, suddenly the dim torches glowing in the room

began to burn out of control. The flames near the window torched the draperies and a bigger fire broke out.

Something was wrong with her. Whatever dream she was having was intensifying her emotions and was causing

this. I held her in my arms, as her hold ontightened. Sheila's claws extended, digging deep into my skin. |

could feel crimson fluid rush down my body. But I didn't mind, my priority was to pull her awake.

| connected to her through our mate bond. "Sheila, pull out of this," | whispered through the mind link, also

connecting to Adie, her wolf. "Wake up Sheila," | shook her gently, and her long lashes pushed apart. Sheila's

eyes were glowing bright blue before their glow died and it becits electric tender blue, and her claws

retracted.

I sighed in relief, | didn't even realize | had held my breath. Sheila's blue eyes enlarged as she frantically

scanned the chamber and the fire that had almost consumed the corners, journeying to us.

She pulled apart from me, muttering a short chant, and in an instant, the fire in the chamber died off. Her

affrighted blue eyes fell on her nails which were covered in my blood. Her heart rate spiked even more.

"It's alright," | spoke through the mind link, trying to calm her down.

Sheila's eyes welled up with tears. "lI am sorry, Killian. | am sorry. | didn't mean to hurt you—" she rushed on.

I pulled her in my arms, trying to soothe her. "Shh, Sheila don't," | didn't like to see her cry, much less because of

something like this. But something was wrong. Her emotions were unsteady and all | could feel from her was fear

and panic. | didn't know what had her like this but | knew a simple bad dream was incapable of terrifying my

mate.

| waited till she had calmed down a little, her hands were around my neck and her face was buried in the crook

of my neck.

"Love, tellwhat happened. What dream did you have?" | asked her, and she pulled back to stare into my

eyes.

| could see the tears that attempted to gather again, but she fought them off. "Oh Killian, | don't want to talk

about it, please don't makeremember it," she said as a lone tear escaped her eyes.

"Shh, don't cry. Just forget about it. It's just a dream," | said, brushing away the tears that stained her cheeks

with my padded thumb. "You are fine here,"

We remained fixed on the bed for a second, and Sheila stayed a few more minutes in my arms.

"I'm glad you are back," | whispered to her, sweeping back the natural curls of her soft hair.

She held ontotighter, inhaling my scent. too,"

After a while, she pulled out of my arms and fixed the burnt mess in the chamber, returning it to its previous

state. We got dressed and | pulled out the brooch | had taken from Thea's chamber as well as her strand of hair.

"What's that?" Sheila asked as | placed the items on the table, moving to her side to help her tie the ropes of her

dress.

"Something that could helpget answers," | replied, getting down to help her with her boots.

"Is that why you were in Thea's chamber earlier, did you get that from her?" She asked without showing any

anger in her voice and gaze.

| nodded. "I want to find out something about Thea," | told her.

Sheila's eyes remained fixed onas she pulled her lips to say something but a knock cat the door.

| pulled it open to find Mason standing there. "I couldn't connect with you, it's tfor the meeting," he uttered,

shifting his gaze pastto Sheila.

His eyes widened a little bit, before lowering his head to her.

I moved back to Sheila. "I have a meeting now. Get srest, and | will see you soon," | kissed her, shoved the

items on the table into my pocket, exiting my chamber with Mason.

He informedthe warriors had gathered at the court already. | had asked them to. | was going to discuss the

pack's strategy and defenses should Lucius plan to attack. | got word that he was sighted in the West. He had

many allies there, so | knew he was gathering enforcement to make an attack, and the pack needed to be ready

when that happened. | had to protect Sheila.

| told Mason I'd meet him in the Court, u had to see Valerie briefly. | stopped by Valerie's spell room and knocked

on her door. She opened it right away, offeringin.

"Did you manage to find anything?" She asked as we walked to the wooden table in the room which had several

objects and witch's journals on it. It seemed like she was in the middle of something.

"I don't know if this would work but it's Thea's, and looked uniquely old. Like an antique," | showed her Thea's

brooch, handing it to her. "And a strand of her hair," | also handed it over to her.

Valerie scrutinized the brooch, carefully.

"Would it work?" | asked, folding my arms.

"It just might. But we'll have to wait and find out," cher voice as she stalked to the far end of the room,

securely placing Thea's brooch and a strand of her hair.

"How long would it last," | asked her.

"An hour at most if the spell works, but if it doesn't work then the brooch you brought isn't really hers," Valerie

said, and | swallowed sair.

"I really hope it works," | said. | went through a lot to get that. And besides, | was eager to get rid of this feeling

in my chest, about Thea.

"Why the sudden interest in wanting to know about Thea?" Valerie's purple eyes were onas she asked,

pulling out a journal from her wooden shelf.

"As | said, | just realized that there's a lot about that woman that | don't know. | just want to be sure Valerie," |

replied and she nodded.

"I never liked her, nor trusted her either. So | guess it won't hurt to know about her," she voiced, sighing. "I will

get on the spell now. Hopefully, we will be able to find out about her ancestry, precisely her parents’. With that,

we can find out more about wherever she cfrom,"

"Thank you," I smiled, "I will leave you to it," | told her before exiting her spell room to allow her to work her

magic.

x

I headed for my office. | couldn't wait. | prayed to the goddess, and Valerie can find out something about Thea.