The Alpha's Curse The Enemy Within

My eyes widened as | backed further away from him and his piercing stare. The golden gaze in his eyes sent a disturbing and cold chil down my spine.

"You?" | whispered breathlessly, as he kept watching me.

He smirked wickedly and his image transformed. Killian's hair changed into a long golden one that fell in place behind his ears, slipping down to his shoulders and his face changed as well.

A small gasp escaped my lungs as | was staring face to face with the man that had always crept into my thoughts. And for the first time in along while, | felt fear.

He was the stranger on the dance floor. He had somehow spelled himself to change his appearance. And now that the spell was broken, he no longer smelled like a pureblooded wolf.

He pulled away from the table, taking slow calculated steps to where | remained rooted and stopped when he was a breath away. His

eyes. The scent of rosewood invaded my nostrils and | could hear Adie’s gasp within the corner walls of my mind.

"Mate!" Her voice was stiff and laced with both shock and confusion.

Similar shock and confusion found my blue irises as her words finally registered within me.

No. No. It can't be. Killian was my mate. He was my fated mate.

His wicked smirk deepened as if reading every thought of mine.

“Adie, what's going on?" | asked mentally, panicking.

Adie was completely silent for a second. “I don't know, Sheila,” she confessed weakly, obviously still not recovered from the shock yet.

My blue eyes flashed on him as he lifted his hand to touch me, but before he could, | backed away, but his hands gripped my wrist and | felt it. The sparks that were eager to align, shot through my body, | gasped and before | could recover from whatever this was, | was

slammed against the wall, and his body pinned hard against me so that every piece of him could feel me.

“Finally, we meet, little wolf," he spoke in a deep accented voice, having his thumb trail down the outline of my jawline.

“Get off me!” | screamed and his hands grabbed my waist, digging me deeper into his body so that our noses could touch.

“I am here to claim what's mine. And you are coming with me,” he spoke, his eyes regarding my lips.

“No,” | whispered and everything from my dream came rushing in.

No, this couldn't be happening.

1 lifted my hands, bringing my magic to the surface. | attempted to use my magic on him but it didn't work.

He gripped my hands, binding them together with his behind my back. “You should know, magic doesn't work on my, darling.”

1 tried connecting to Killian. But | couldn't. Suddenly, fear crept in.

“Killian,” I muttered carelessly, and his icy golden eyes hardened, but his smirk remained.

“Ah, that peasant wolf won't make it to dawn, and the same goes for everyone with the unfortunate fate of being here tonight,” his lips moved freely against each other and his words made my eyes round as | wrestled against him in an attempt to free myself from his firm hold.

I couldn't use magic on him, so | forced Adie out, sharpening my claws. | attacked him, and he took a step back, not out of fear but his gaze held a sick interest and fascination in every fucking thing I did.

I had no idea what was going on, but nothing changed the fact that this bastard had been after my life since the second | was born, and he was responsible for the death of my parents. And right now, | had to get away from him. | used my magic and lifted a barrier between us as | raced to the door. | had to find Killian, and warn the pack of

what was about to happen.

1 jerked the door open, racing out, suddenly pausing, | sent a glance his way and he remained calmly rooted where | left him, his hands clasped behind his back and gleaming eyes watching me.

He could come after me but just didn't want to. That alone sent a shiver to my bones as | fought against whatever confusion his gaze attempted to create within me. | had to find my mate, Killian.

Killian's point of view I headed back to the castle, after looking for Sheila where | had left her with her brother, Kaiser. She wasn't there, and so was Kaiser.

1 had tried mind-linking her, but it wasn't connecting. I didn't know why, but Ryker had a strange feeling in his chest but I tried to fight it off. I'm guessing it was due to everything that | was feeling from

Sheila all morning. She had been worried, even worse, frightened about something. So, | invited Kai to come to see her, and thankfully, he did.

1 could only imagine how hard it must be for her. Not being able to see her family whenever she wanted to. The Council was still searching for Sheila, and so was the Dark Circle. Even though all the Council wants is to keep her safe as well, | agreed with Leonardo, the Council couldn't be completely trusted.

I took a deep breath, fighting off Ryker's growing discomfort. It was affecting me as | felt fear starting to creep in every second | searched for Sheila and couldn't find her. It was odd | couldn't connect to her, not through the link nor our bond. Fuck. That was worrisome.

1 ran my fingers through my hair, moving faster to the grand hall where everyone was having fun, and getting the most out of the night. | glanced through the crowd, searching for my mate. I couldn't find her. But | found Brielle and Allen in a corner. They seemed to be

in a serious conversation. Well, Brielle was doing more of the talking while Allen looked like he would burst from so much elation at any second.

1 hated to intrude, but this was urgent.

“Brielle, have you seen Sheila?" | went to them, gaining their attention. She shook her head, while Allen's eyes scanned around.

“She hasn't been here since you both left,” Allen's eyes moved from the crowd to me, and I blinked confusingly.

“What do you mean?" | asked.

“Sheila left with you a few minutes ago,” | heard Morgan's voice from behind. He walked closer to us, his deep green eyes heavily on my face which showed confusion.

“What are you all saying? | had left Sheila outside with Kaiser and

when | came back to fetch her, she wasn't there,” | explained, ignoring whatever was going on with Ryker.

“Brother, we saw her a few minutes ago. She returned from outside and was searching for you. And you came to us, and left with her,” Morgan placed the silver cup in his hand. "Where did you leave her?" “I didn't, because | haven't seen her, nor any of you from minutes ago. It's impossible | had left with her,” I had begun to lose all the control | had as the terrible feeling in my chest grew more. “That's not me, whoever Sheila had left with wasn't me. Oh, goddess! Sheila is in danger!” “If it wasn't you from a few minutes ago with Sheila, then who the fuck was that?” Allen muttered.

“Something's wrong with her. | can't connect with her. We need to find her,” | left the hall in a frenzy, unfastening the buttons on my leather jacket. Allen, Morgan, and Brielle were behind me as we left

the grand hall, stepping into the darkness. | was about to head to the direction where Sheila had left with that imposter when there was an unexpected explosion within the castle grounds that shook the earth and buildings, sending everyone flying. The night's air was filled with smoke and the stench of burning chaos and deaths.

“What the hell was that?" Morgan yelled, coughing into the chaos that had broken free around as the blasting music died instantly, and the crowd in the grand hall came rushing out.

“Jax, Nate!" | yelled through the mind link, connecting to the warriors that were patrolling around the pack but nothing came. I couldn't feel them, I couldn't connect with them. I tried mind-linking a few warriors but nothing. It was like every connection with my people had been broken.

Just then, the destructive sounds of several explosions filled the air, and smoke and deaths settled around.

“This is an attack!” | growled loudly, informing everyone, hearing several growls and screams from every corner of the pack. We've been infiltrated. The Pack's army had dispersed around the pack. | rushed outside the Castle gates and the entire pack was in ruins.

Destruction and blood everywhere.

“Alpha,” | was mind-linked by Xavier.

“Talk to me, Xavier. What's happening?” I rushed.

“We are being attacked. The warriors at the borders are dead, and | can't find Jax,” he drew in a quick breath. From the way he was talking, he seemed injured. “They are an army of witches and vampires. They bear the mark of the black dragon...

“What?” The black dragon. | froze. Fuck. They were from the Dark Circle. Oh goddess, Sheila.

I had to get to Sheila. | started searching for the castle doors in a

hurry, searching for Sheila. I could still get a whiff of her scent. | followed it and it led me to my office.

I reached for the doorknob and jerked it open. She wasn't there, and instead, | was greeted by the messy state of my office. It was in ruins.

Sheila had been here. Her scent was everywhere, and so was another's. But she was gone.

No. No. The ground beneath me rocked and trembled angrily.

“Sheila!” | screamed her name with my powers radiating off my body like a tsunami hitting the place and causing destruction.