The Alpha's Curse The Enemy Within

Chapter 13 Thirteen

Third-person’s view

Killian sauntered towards Sheila, boring an angry glare at her. It made her freeze on the spot.

Without warning, the back of his hand came into harsh impact with her cheek, and Sheila landed on the floor.

Did he...? Did her own mate just strike her?

"Get the fuck up, Sheila!" he yelled, his tone angry and his gaze fixed on her.

Sheila was shaking, tears pouring from her eyes. Even though she didn't respond, he fisted her hair and pulled her up. A cry of pain escaped her lips.

Killian looked her in the eyes as he seemed ready to strike her again, but something flashed in his eyes. He couldn't decipher what it was.

She just couldn't believe her own mate could strike her, and that too in the presence of the other woman, his lover. Deep waters gathered in Sheila's eyes, her gaze connecting with Killian's. She could see nothing in those amber crystals of his.

Thea was quickly by his side. "Killian, did you see, she slapped me?" she said, crying, holding a hand to her cheek, and her eyes having a vicious glint.

"I warned you to stay out of Thea's way."

"That lover of yours slapped me first!" Sheila was up on her feet.

"Enough! Thea is to be respected in her castle." He silenced her, "Sheila! To your chamber!" his dark glare absorbed her. "Now!"

She was dumbfounded in her position, tears cascading down her eyes, until Ria rushed to her side, taking her away.

***

Sheila's heart ached worse than ever; it was bruised, and the pain in her skull intensified the more. She fell down on her bed in tears. She couldn't stop crying.

Sheila lay on her bed in tears for a few hours, like a teenager who had just gotten her heart broken, but it felt worse than that.

Her mate, her very mate, had hit her. That was the last thing she expected from Killian, but then he did it. Her emotions were all over the place, and she could barely think straight. She closed her eyes firmly, making her mind up. something she would have done long ago. A tear rolled down her eyes one last time as she decided to leave, to save herself before the strong feelings she had for her mate slowly consumed her.

Sheila turned to Ria, who had just walked in with her dinner and some medicine for her constant headaches.

Sheila felt exhausted, physically and mentally. As soon as she was done with her meal and had taken the medicine, she fell again onto her bed, feeling weak and drowsy. It was probably the medicine at work. Sheila heard Ria leave the room, shutting the door behind her.

Before Sheila knew it, she had begun to fall asleep; her eyelids started giving way, and that's when she heard the sound of her door squeaking open and closing. She felt too weak to move or to even lift a finger.

Sheila felt the covers on her shift lightly. Someone moved into the bed and wrapped an arm around her. Before she could think twice, she dozed off.

***

Today was the moon goddess festival, only held every three auspicious years. An auspicious day indeed. And while everyone was busy preparing for the grand feast, Sheila was rather busy plotting her escape.

Tonight, the goddess was going to grant her the gift of freedom. Freedom from a mate who does not want her.

Sheila's hand fell on her left cheek, where her mate hit her with so much disdain. It didn't hurt so much anymore, but the scars that remained were unseen.

She had always dreamt and hoped to someday find her mate and in him be someone who would love and put her first, but Killian was rather the opposite of what she had in mind.

"Aah!" a soft moan escaped from her lips, jogging her out of her long reverie. She was in her chamber,

facing tall against the enormous mirror as Ria and two other helpers assisted her to put on her dress for tonight's ceremony. The dress was an uptight blue corset with long flowing ends. It indeed looked beautiful.

"I'm sorry, my Luna," yelled the taller and fairer maid as she assisted her in tightening the ropes on her gown, bowing her head slightly and crossing her fingers.

Sheila noticed just then on her wrist that there was a tattoo of two identical crescent moons facing back against each other. Sparing a quick look at Ria's wrist, she also had such a mark, and also the other maid with ginger red hair had similar markings. Now that she has thought about it, every wolf and member she has encountered within the Crescent North pack all have similar markings.

"It's okay and please don't call me Luna anymore." Sheila assured her that she responded with a courteous nod and continued with her duties, "Ria." She called for Ria's immediate attention.

"Yes, Sheila?" Ria muttered, looking up at her through the mirror with a huge smile. She seemed to be in a good mood.

Sheila held a tight smile, knowing she would miss both Ria and Brielle dearly when she escaped from the pack.

"That mark... on your wrist, what is it?" Sheila asked curiously, pointing at Ria's wrist.

"Oh, this. It's the mark of the pack. It symbolizes the pack and binds us all together. Basically, anyone who is a member of the pack has this imprinted on his or her wrist. " She giggled, then continued stroking my hair.

Just as she had thought, every member of the pack had it, further firming her decision that she did not belong here.

She shook from her thoughts. "Where is Kilian?" She couldn't help but wonder if he was still glued to that spawn of satan's side as always, or maybe he was busy attending to the arriving guests from various packs.

Ria replied, "He is at the feast attending to all the gathered wolves and alphas." she passed, "And Thea is also with him," she added carefully, cautiously informing Sheila of what she should be expecting.

Sheila fought back the tears about to form.

She thought to herself, "Just a few more hours and you're out." Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

"Okay. That's enough! You all can leave first. I'll be joining the feast soon." Sheila lay, smiling as they all nodded, exiting the chamber and leaving her alone with her plan.

She wasn't planning on leaving with anything. This was meant to be as discreet as possible, so no extra belongings, just herself only.

Soon, Sheila snuck downstairs in a blue woolen cloak, avoiding everything that moved in sight. Her hasty steps echoed loudly on the floor.

She had been planning this escape for many days, so she had made herself accustomed to the shifting of the patrolling warriors in and outside of the castle. This was a lot simpler than expected, since almost everyone was distracted by the ceremony.

After weaving her way through, soon enough she was out of the castle, running into the woods with only the glowing moonlight tailing above her.

***

Killian stalked the floors, moving around the guests. His eyes were scanning through everyone.

"Where's Mate?" His wolf, Ryker, growled, tired of waiting till he was near his mate. Something they both shared. As for his Mate and Luna, she was supposed to be down already. His eyes rummaged all around for her but instead found Thea accompanied by Rowan, one of the very best and most trusted pack warriors, and behind them was Jax.

Thea approached Killian in a glowing red corset gown with a graceful smile and stood next to him.

"Thea," Killian called out to her, placing a kiss on her lips.

She responded with her usual smile pasted on her face.

"Where is Sheila?" Killian turned to Jax.

He shook his head, "I haven't seen Luna yet."

Thea's smile immediately turned to a scowl. "Clearly, she had many important things to do other than the feast. She is utterly unreliable and useless." She spoke calmly, but her sharp words only pissed off his wolf, Ryker.

Killian quickly mind-linked Allen to go look around and find Sheila. Even though Ryker was protesting

he abandoned the feast in search of Sheila. He shook against it.

"Allen?" Killian called his attention through the mind link, waiting for his response, which came rather quicker than expected.

"Yes, Alpha," Allen said through the mind link.

"Do you know where Sheila is?" Killian questioned him through the mind link.

"No, Alpha," Allen replied, and after a moment, he added, "Ria said she thought Luna joined you hours ago. She also doesn't know where she may be."

A growl erupted from Killian's, causing Thea and a few of the guests to stare at him with questioning gazes and murmurs. He instantly sent them all death stares, silencing them.

"Allen, find her!" Killian ordered through the mind link, clenching his fist.

Where the hell is Sheila?!

"You drove my mate away," Ryker said, which irritated him even more.

"Relax, Killian, everyone can tell you're angry at something," Thea whispered into his ear with an unwavering smile plastered on her face.

Ryker growled in his mind, and it took Killian every ounce of control not to snap at her. All that mattered was finding Sheila.

***

Sheila carefully navigated her way through the guards that remained in the castle, as she ran as fast as she could, her cloak trailing behind her. She had an unsettling feeling crawling in the pit of her stomach.

Although she had made it out of the castle where her mate and his rotten lover dwelled, she couldn't help but feel like she was being followed and watched closely by unseen eyes.

Sheila flung her head backwards but failed to see her stalker. It was dark and at night, which served as great camouflage for her devious stalker. She couldn't see them. She ran, heading for the forest.

"She is headed for the forest. Didn't she know about all the terrors that lay in wait in the dark forest?" Sheila's stalkers whispered to themselves, somewhat surprised by her foolish actions.

"Hopefully she doesn't make it out of this forest alive. If she is out of his way, that would make my plans much simpler to achieve." A wicked grin formed on the lips of Sheila's stalker as they thought.

Soon enough, they finally exploded into a dangerous laughter.