Sunshine

Theo's POV

Most female shifters would have thrown themselves at me as soon as I let those words out of my mouth. “You'll be my breeder.”

The little pumpkin looked at me as if I had grown another head on my shoulders. Her already large blue eyes widened even more, and her mouth, which had caused my dick to twitch the first time I laid my eyes on her, opened.

I almost let out a curse as the thought of her full, rosy lips wrapped around my length infiltrated my mind.

My wolf panted with excitement.

Even though I had told myself that I just needed someone to have my pup, I found myself instantly drawn to the female—and to my surprise, my wolf was too.

Other than my wolf's thirst for blood and dominance, he had never been interested in anything, let alone another female.

That was why, as soon as I set my eyes on Destiny, with her dark curly hair in an updo that sent rings of curls down her face, my nose immediately took in her scent. My wolf perked up, wagging his tail at her expense; I knew I couldn't let some random person have her.

My wolf found her interesting… I did too.

“W-what?” she finally said as my words sank into her mind.

“Get in the car.” The heat from the sun sent sweat down my back.

“You must be out of your mind if you think I'm having pups for you,” she seethed, her nose flaring and her hands fisted.

Normally, my wolf would be agitated by her stance. I would automatically snap or growl at anyone who dared to talk back to me, but for some reason, I found her refreshing.

“Then I guess I'm out of my mind, sunshine. Now get in the damn car.”

She didn't move.

My jaw was ticking. My wolf was starting to get irritated that she wasn't obeying us and wasn't submitting to us. I let out a low growl, which would normally send whoever was at the receiving end of it panicking and hurrying to do my bidding.

But she… she only raised a brow. Her hands folded over her chest again, and her breasts pushed up. The round, soft molds made my hands itch to touch them, to caress.

My wolf yapped.

Down, boy. Don't be pathetic.

I put my hands in my pockets. Amidst her defensive stance, I could smell fear and… arousal emanating from her. I smirked. Good.

I took several steps forward. “You will do everything I say, everything I want. Because you're mine now. Whether you like it or not.”

I was inches away from her now. It was probably not a good idea to get this close to her because I noticed everything.

The way her heart picked up speed, the strong scent of her arousal, the blue ring around her iris, her sharp intake of breath, and the slight widening of her eyes told me she knew I was as aroused by her as she was by me.

It was immediately replaced by something else, something that looked dangerously close to hate.

Her lush lips formed a firm line, and I let my eyes rest there, seemingly entranced by them.

“I am not an object you can simply own. I am not yours.” She let out the last sentence slowly. That only seemed to intensify my wolf's irritation.

Before I could utter a word, she turned around, stomping away.

To say I was flabbergasted was an understatement. Even though I enjoyed the view of her ass cheeks as they wiggled in that obnoxious little white dress she wore, I couldn't stand that she was walking away from me.

Who does this female think she is?

As if on instinct, a growl escaped my lips, and with large steps, I was in front of her, blocking her path.

“Move,” she said through gritted teeth as she looked up at me, blue orbs colliding with gray.

I only smirked in response before swiftly bending to take her off her feet. My shoulder blade dug into her stomach, her ass in the air as she kicked her feet, letting out little yelps as her fists pounded on my back.

“Let me down, you asshole!” Vibrations ran from her body to mine as she yelled.

“Surely, you didn't think you were going to walk away from me and that I would let you, did you?” I rasped as I tightened my hold on her thighs, my fingers dangerously close to her ass. Her soft skin made my fingers burn, and I fought the urge to let my hands roam.

She stopped kicking. “Surely you didn't think I'd follow you without putting up a fight, did you?” She snapped back.

I headed to the open car and threw her into the front passenger seat with a grunt. I was rewarded with a glare; her stunning blue eyes looked like they wanted to shoot lasers into my head.

“Don't ever try to walk away from me again, or you'll regret it, sunshine.”

“I won't walk away next time. I'll run.”

****

We got to my territory a little after midnight when most of my pack was asleep. I had ordered one of my enforcers to show Destiny to her room.

“You're in the Mercury Pack, my territory. Don't think you can escape from me.”

She raised her chin in response as if to say, “challenge accepted.”

That night, the curse that had ravaged my soul at least three times every month took charge.

Pain burned in my body from the inside out as I writhed in agony. My veins pulsed with lava as dots clouded my vision and sweat gleamed on my body.

This was my punishment. The witch had said this would happen for five years.

I was in a cave, a cloth in my mouth as I let out an aching groan.

No one knew of this. No one knew I was cursed. The witch had made it that way. Made it so that I wasn't able to tell anyone.

It was a good thing no one knew. I was the strongest shifter, the strongest alpha. A weakness like this could be used against me and my pack.

The pain charged through me, sending my body to the ground. My fangs threatened to elongate while the veins on my arms turned darker, as if instead of blood, hot dark liquid pulsed through them.

For what felt like an eternity, the pain rendered me helpless.

Until it stopped.

I lay there, chest heaving as I let out heavy breaths, my vision clearing.

The only way the witch had said I could break the curse was if someone I loved also loved me back. Not only that, the person had to confess to it.

Then, and only then would the curse be broken.

That was a problem because I had never loved anyone. I was incapable of something as measly as that.

If I couldn't break the curse in the fifth year, I would die.

I struggled to sit up, my breath becoming even.

This was the fourth year.