The Alpha's Curse The Enemy Within

Killian's point of view

This hate between Leonardo's pack and I could never stop, not until one of us killed the other.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "I swear by the goddess, Leonardo, for what you've done today, I will make

you know what pain truly means by taking away that which matters the most to you," I enunciated my

last words, meaning every damn one.

No matter what it was, or whose life I had to take, I would ensure these bastards suffer for what they

did to Sheila tonight.

I turned to my side to find Morgan beside me in his wolf form. Slowly, my warriors began to retreat into

the woods. We were on high alert as we made our way out of the Black Blood Pack territory. I wouldn't

be surprised if they sent more fucking assholes after us.

It was only after we had exited their territory, I sighed in relief, cradling Sheila closer to my chest, I

moved with haste, racing through the woods until I reached my territory with the warriors.

Immediately, I navigated my way through the destruction that happened in the pack. I mind-linked the

pack's healer, as I rushed Sheila into my chamber. Carefully, I placed her on the bed, adjusting the

blanket on her body to cover her bare skin.

"Sheila," Brielle rushed in with Ria. Behind them was Valerie, and the Pack's healer, Maggie.

"Alpha, please, excuse us," Maggie sounded, as she went closer to the bed.

"And why?" I was seething with rage. I didn't want to leave my mate.

"We need to tend to her properly, and have some clothes on her,"

I was about to protest, but Valerie urged me to do as she said, for Sheila's sake.

I was outside when Valerie and Pack's healer came out from my chamber along with Brielle and Ria.

"Is she awake?" I asked them, and they shook their heads.

"She is very weak, and because she forced herself to shift into her wolf, she shifted for the first time

without the guidance of an elderly, because it was her first shift and immediately, crashed into a fight,

straining her body and mind," Maggie voiced. "But she will be fine once she rests up," As soon as

everyone left, I went back to my chamber, and in the middle of the bed was my mate, Sheila, lying so

helpless and fragile.

I felt my heart contort in pain. Her face was void of colors, and so were her lips. She was wearing one

of her sleeveless dresses. Even in her unconscious state, Sheila still looked beautiful.

Goddess, this was all my fault. It was my fault she went through everything she did tonight. The Fire

Crest attacked, and then she was held hostage by the Black Blood Pack.

I collapsed on the bed next to her, I couldn't hold back the tears that pushed out from my eyes. My

hand went up to her face, to pull back the strand of hair that covered her face.

Her body was hot, and as my hand fell on her cheek, she released some air from her lips. I moved

closer, placing a kiss on her forehead. I cradled her into my arms, pulling the covers over her body.

I wos with Sheilo for some time, then I heord o knock on the door. After I spoke, the door pushed open

ond Volerie stepped in.

"How is she?" She osked, moving closer.

"Still the some, her temperoture is high," I whispered, moving up to find Volerie's eyes on her. It then

drifted on me. She looked like she hod o lot to soy.

"Whot is it?" I could feel o churn in my chest. Whotever it wos, I didn't wont to leove Sheilo. "No. We

con tolk loter,"

She sighed, "I'm ofroid not becouse this is obout everything thot hoppened tonight. It's obout the curse,

ond it's reolly bod,"

My foce turned pole. The crescent moon wos three weeks owoy, this wosn't the time for onything to be

bod. If we couldn't breok the curse on the crescent moon night, my pock ond I will remoin stuck forever.

This con't be.

"Let's go to my office," I kissed Sheilo, leoving my chomber with Volerie. I colled some of the pock

members, ond they oll gothered in my office. Morgon stepped in o second lote, his eyes literolly holding

bod news.

"Brother —" before I could finish my words he sounded quiet.

"The whole of North Centrol ond beyond is owore of the crescent curse. Everyone knows of it,"

His words coused o loud gosp, followed by severol murmurs.

"How is this possible?" I rubbed my foce with my polm. This wos exoctly whot I fought to ovoid for

yeors. This wos bod. Reolly bod.

"Thot is why those fucking leeches from the Fire Crest Pock ottocked us, they knew," Moson spoke up,

ond Morgon nodded.

"How could thot be?" Xovier voiced, ond I sighed, reolizing the bitter truth.

"It hos to be someone within us. We hove o fucking troitor in our midst," I yelled, fury ond frustrotion

eoting through me.

"Who could hove rotted us out?" Allen osked,

"Someone who hos nothing to lose," I muttered in roge. Everyone in the pock protected thot secret with

their life, knowing if something bod hoppened to me, ond I died, everyone would suffer the some fote. It

con only be someone who doesn't hove onything to lose. Could it be thot bloody witch? The one thot

killed Rowon?

I grobbed o hondful of my hoir, stonding up from my choir. "This is bod," I muttered under my breoth but

everyone could heor me.

"Unfortunotely, I hove worse news for you oll," Volerie's voice sounded, the murmurs in the office died,

ond everyone's goze fell on her.

"I om ofroid, Theo Chrysler is not the gifted one we hove been seorching for,"

Volerie's words rong loudly in my eors, echoing over ond over ogoin in the corner woll of my mind. My

eyes were unmoving from her os she wotched me coutiously.

The oir within the office could ottest to the deodly silence thot lingered for whot seemed like forever.

I was with Sheila for some time, then I heard a knock on the door. After I spoke, the door pushed open

and Valerie stepped in.

I was with Sheila for some time, then I heard a knock on the door. After I spoke, the door pushed open

and Valerie stepped in.

"How is she?" She asked, moving closer.

"Still the same, her temperature is high," I whispered, moving up to find Valerie's eyes on her. It then

drifted on me. She looked like she had a lot to say.

"What is it?" I could feel a churn in my chest. Whatever it was, I didn't want to leave Sheila. "No. We

can talk later,"

She sighed, "I'm afraid not because this is about everything that happened tonight. It's about the curse,

and it's really bad,"

My face turned pale. The crescent moon was three weeks away, this wasn't the time for anything to be

bad. If we couldn't break the curse on the crescent moon night, my pack and I will remain stuck forever.

This can't be.

"Let's go to my office," I kissed Sheila, leaving my chamber with Valerie. I called some of the pack

members, and they all gathered in my office. Morgan stepped in a second late, his eyes literally holding

bad news.

"Brother —" before I could finish my words he sounded quiet.

"The whole of North Central and beyond is aware of the crescent curse. Everyone knows of it,"

His words caused a loud gasp, followed by several murmurs.

"How is this possible?" I rubbed my face with my palm. This was exactly what I fought to avoid for

years. This was bad. Really bad.

"That is why those fucking leeches from the Fire Crest Pack attacked us, they knew," Mason spoke up,

and Morgan nodded.

"How could that be?" Xavier voiced, and I sighed, realizing the bitter truth.

"It has to be someone within us. We have a fucking traitor in our midst," I yelled, fury and frustration

eating through me.

"Who could have ratted us out?" Allen asked,

"Someone who has nothing to lose," I muttered in rage. Everyone in the pack protected that secret with

their life, knowing if something bad happened to me, and I died, everyone would suffer the same fate. It

can only be someone who doesn't have anything to lose. Could it be that bloody witch? The one that

killed Rowan?

I grabbed a handful of my hair, standing up from my chair. "This is bad," I muttered under my breath but

everyone could hear me.

"Unfortunately, I have worse news for you all," Valerie's voice sounded, the murmurs in the office died,

and everyone's gaze fell on her.

"I am afraid, Thea Chrysler is not the gifted one we have been searching for,"

Valerie's words rang loudly in my ears, echoing over and over again in the corner wall of my mind. My

eyes were unmoving from her as she watched me cautiously.

The air within the office could attest to the deadly silence that lingered for what seemed like forever.

"What are you saying?" Morgan gaited closer to where Valerie was seated. His eyes reflected the

confusion of everyone in the room.

"What do you mean by Thea isn't the gifted one?" I asked.

Valerie shuffled on her seat, her deep purple eyes still on me. "I have had my suspicions for a long

time, but I wasn't certain of it, that's why I didn't say anything. And what happened this night confirmed

it all, we've had the wrong one all this time."

She was up on her feet, stalking the floors. "Remember the cleansing ritual the witches and I did a

week ago on the pack to block out the side effects of the crescent curse with the crescent moon almost

upon us?" Valerie asked, and everyone nodded, wanting to hear everything she had to say.

I trusted Valerie with my life, but a part of me fully didn't believe Thea wasn’t the gifted one. It was

impossible, I mean she was the one in my dreams.

"Listen, human!" Ryker sounded in my head, jolting me back from my thoughts.

"That ritual was performed with the blood of the gifted one. It was her blood that was supposed to

cleanse the pack and block the side effect of the curse but it didn't work, because tonight everyone was

under the effect of the curse," Valerie paused halfway, glancing at everyone before her gaze met mine.

"The rage," I muttered. And Valerie nodded. I knew something was wrong. Ryker and I felt the

enormous rage coursing through our veins. But I had no control over it.

"Yes, the blood rage. Every member of the pack was channeling your rage, Killian. And that wouldn't

have happened if the ritual had worked.

I leaned on the table, collapsing on the chair. "But, she was the one I saw in my dreams, how do you

explain that?"

"Something must have gone wrong. Or someone wanted to lead you astray. Whatever the case may

be, the crescent moon is three weeks away and we are not certain of who the gifted one is," Valerie

said.

Everyone began to murmur while I sank into my own thoughts. Everything was getting worse. Every

damn thing. I felt my breathing become hard. If everything Valerie said was true, then it meant, Thea

has never been the gifted one, and she had suffered all for nothing.

"What do we do now, Valerie?" My voice sounded broken and drained. "The crescent moon rising is in

three weeks, how on earth do we find the gifted one?"

Valerie's gaze on me was hard, and serious. She had something to say but was unsure if now was the

right time.

"I have a suspicion, but I would rather like to tell you all after I am certain —"

I cut her off. "Please, let us know everything now,"

She drew in a sharp breath. "It's only a suspicion, but I think the Luna is the gifted one we've been

searching for."

"What?!" Morgan's words echoed within the office, and I felt a squeeze in my chest.