Chapter 2

Caden's POV

The night was serene. Just how I liked it. No howling winds or the night animals; just the calmness.The tranquility always helped me think clearly; or maybe it offered the peace that had proved hard to come by.

Denise watched me with hooded eyes as her long fingers glided over my bare chest, drawing lazy circles on my torso. My muscles flexed and rippled with her touch and my desire grew immensely.

I closed the distance and pinned her on the bed kissing her until she lay beneath me. Her erratic pulse emboldened me as our lips moved in sync and she arched her hips rubbing her front against mine encouraging me further.

I didn't want to hold back. I wanted to devour her. Ravage her. But I knew exactly what I had to do. I begrudgingly broke the kiss and nuzzled my lips in her neck heart pounding hard in my chest. My canines extended and I sank my teeth on her neck earning a soft gasp from her. And just like before I failed to mark her.

"Are you alright?" she whispered, her voice laced with concern as she noticed my distress. Her palm caressed my clenched cheek gently, a gesture meant to offer comfort but it only repulsed me.

"I'm just tired. Go to sleep," I growled through clenched teeth, my words laden with irritation. She didn't appear convinced by my dismissive response, but she chose to be silent.

I couldn't comprehend what was wrong with my wolf, and it infuriated me in a way that was impossible to explain.

I had long ago made peace with the fact that I was mateless, accepting my fate. My father, the former Alpha, and the Alphas before him had all managed to find a way to secure their Lunas and continue our bloodline. They had marked their chosen mates. So why couldn't I? Was something wrong with my wolf?

Grabbing my clothes from the armchair, I hastily pulled them on before walking away quietly. I knew she heard every move I made, but I didn't have the strength to face her distraught expression.

I needed a distraction, something to pull me away from the turmoil inside. Closing the door behind me, I hurried to my study, seeking solace in the amber depths of a bottle of brandy. I yearned for a temporary relief.

"That doesn't look good." A familiar voice broke through the silence, drawing my attention to the doorway. I glanced up to see my Beta, Logan, standing there, his expression filled with concern.

Ignoring his presence, I drowned another shot of brandy, the fiery liquid burning its way down my throat. Without warning, I smashed the empty bottle against the wall, releasing my pent-up frustration.

"If you have something to say, Logan, then say it," I snapped, my voice laced with irritation as I sauntered further into the room, arms crossed tightly over my heaving chest. "I can almost hear the argument forming in that thick skull of yours."

"You're drinking again," he murmured, his tone tinged with disappointment, as he slowly walked into the room.

"What do you want?" I asked irritably, my patience wearing thin. He watched me with disapproving eyes as I reached for another bottle, ready to numb myself further.

Before I could take a sip, he swiftly grabbed the bottle from my hands.

"I think you've had enough for tonight," he said firmly, his voice laced with determination.

My anger resurfaced like an erupting volcano, burning through me with an intensity I could barely contain. My wolf, which had remained dormant since encountering Denise, suddenly stirred within me, and I felt my aura pulsating with an uncontrollable energy. "Give me the fucking bottle, Logan. Now," I demanded, my voice laced with a dangerous edge.

"You can't—" he began, but I cut him off, my voice filled with a raw fury.

"I can do whatever the hell I want!" I growled sharply, taking purposeful steps toward him. He retreated just as I expected. "I'm the fucking Alpha. Your Alpha. And as my Beta, you're supposed to do as I tell you. Now give me the fucking brandy before I break your neck."

He inhaled sharply, his eyes filled with resignation, and nodded his head. Slowly, he extended his hand, offering me the bottle. His head was bowed, defeated. I couldn't help but let a knowing smirk form on my face as I observed his scared expression and stooped stance. He knew better than to defy me.

Just as I was about to reach for the brandy, he suddenly released his grip, and the bottle slipped from his fingers, shattering into a million pieces, the contents spilling all over the floor.

My fists clenched instinctively as a surge of anger coursed through my veins. I could feel my breathing becoming shallow and rapid as I struggled to contain my boiling emotions. "You son of a bitch! I'm going to kill you!" I seethed, lunging forward, aiming for his face. My blow connected squarely with his nose, but he didn't retaliate or even flinch.

He raised his arms in surrender and took a step back, his voice barely above a whisper. "Easy, easy," he breathed out, his hand gently rubbing the spot I had struck. "Please, Caden, sit down. Let's talk. You can take your anger out on me later."

"Don't you dare tell me what to do! You're my fucking Beta, and I—" I started, my voice filled with rage.

"Calm down. I'm not here as your Beta right now. I'm here as your best friend," he interrupted, his voice calm and steady. "And as your best friend, I have to tell you that you're being ridiculous."

Slowly, I unclenched my fists and rubbed the back of my head in frustration. With a heavy sigh, I reluctantly slumped back into my seat, attempting to regain control over my emotions. Logan mirrored my actions, settling down across from me, his large hands resting calmly on the table.

I can't mark her," I managed to say, my voice heavy with frustration and despair. Logan understood exactly who and what I was talking about without me needing to explain. He was the only person who knew about my struggle to mark Denise. "I thought that two months away from her would make my wolf restless and the need to claim her overwhelming, but I couldn't," I confessed, my voice filled with self-doubt. "What kind of an Alpha am I if I can't..."

"It's okay, Cade. You're still an Alpha, and a damn good one," Logan interrupted, his voice calm and reassuring. I envied his unflappable nature. Even in the midst of chaos, he remained composed, and I often wished I could emulate his steadfastness. "Everything will be okay. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"But it's been months of one failure after another," I protested, my frown deepening. "You know she can't be officially recognized as my Luna without my mark, and you know what that means to the rest of the Pack. My position as Alpha.."

"You will mark her," Logan insisted, cutting me off. "Just give it a little more time."

I stared at him, searching for any hint of doubt or concern in his eyes, but all I found was unwavering belief. It was as if he saw something in me that I couldn't see in myself.

My eyes clenched shut, and for a fleeting moment, I allowed myself to believe him. He had been fallible in the past, but on rare occasions, he proved to be right. I desperately hoped this was one of those precious instances.

Deep down, however, an unsettling intuition whispered that it wouldn't work. Eleven agonizing months had passed, and my wolf remained reluctant to claim Denise as our mate. I knew it would be a daunting task for him to accept her since she wasn't our fated mate, but we had been left with no choice.

As the reigning Alpha, with dominion over all packs in our region, it was expected that I would be the epitome of strength, much like my ancestors before me.

They had painstakingly built the Crimson Pride Pack into one of the mightiest forces in the universe. The Alpha lineage I descended from was renowned for their ferocity, resilience, and unwavering dedication to their packs.

Yet, few knew the harrowing secret that shrouded the Alpha bloodline—a secret buried deep within our family's history. All Alphas in our lineage were cursed—they were destined to remain mateless.

The tale behind this curse was one of tragic heartache. It was said that one of the founding Alphas, driven by his belief that his mate was too feeble to rule by his side, callously rejected her.

The sheer weight of this rejection proved too much for her fragile heart, and she succumbed to the pain, meeting an untimely demise. Enraged by this act of cruelty, the Moon Goddess unleashed a curse that would afflict the Alpha bloodline for all eternity.

The curse decreed that Alpha males would forever be denied the solace of a mate.

For decades, the Alphas struggled to secure mates, and in order to safeguard their legacy and protect their packs, the council devised a solution. She-wolves who had been rejected by their mates or had tragically lost them were chosen to become the Lunas of these cursed Alphas, ensuring the continuation of the bloodline. Denise, too, had been selected for me, her own mate having fallen victim to rogue attacks not long ago.

I had accepted Denise as my mate because it was the only logical course of action, the duty thrust upon me by circumstance. But what I couldn't fathom was why my wolf, my primal essence, could not mark her as our own.

The absence of this mark gnawed at my spirit, a constant reminder of our cursed existence.