Page 30 of Cursed
Adele yelps in surprise. “What the hell, Ryland? What is going on?” Her head whips around to Garek and Zayne, running in after him. Both men are pleading with him to calm down.
Zayne has never seen his brother this out of control. He whips his head around to find Nori. “You!” He points at her. “You have to try to calm him down.”
Nori is completely petrified. She doesn’t even hear Zayne’s plea. Her eyes are glued on the Prince, waiting for what is surely going to end in her death.
Ryland snarls, glancing down at the knife in her hand. “What are you going to do with that, Norina?” He says her name with all the menace he can muster.
The color drains from her face, her heart pounds loudly in her ears. Nori is too paralyzed to reply.Her eyes move around the room. Everyone is blocking the door. She glances at the windows; she’ll never get them open in time. Nori draws in frantic gulps of air as she realizes she’s trapped.
“Nowhere to run, Norina!”
Nori lets out a small whimper and whispers to Aylin, “We can’t go back.”
“Agreed.”
Nori says solemnly, “They’ll have to kill us.”
“Agreed.” Her voice shaking with fear, Aylin cries, “Fuck, look at him! He’s gone completely feral. His eyes are red, Nori.”
Ryland’s volume steadily increases as he accuses her. “You were smart, Norina, to secure my promise not to kill you. But none of that matters now that I know—BETA MALRIK IS YOUR REAL MATE! YOU ARE A SPY FOR DRAVEN!”
Nori flinches every time he says her full name, having heard it said that same way for the last twelve years by the Alpha and Beta at Starfall. Anger pours out of him, washing over her. There’s no way she can fight him off, even with theknife, so she watches his shoulders closely, preparing for the inevitable slap or punch.
Nori can’t believe it was only a few short hours ago that he was the man who made her feel safe for the first time in years. That man is gone, replaced by something out of her nightmares.
She takes a step back, shaking her head. Her face is full of terror, tears gleaming in her eyes. “NO! You’re wrong. None of that is true! I do not work for Draven, and I am definitely not Mated to that Beta.”
Ryland takes a step forward and bellows, “BULLSHIT! You are a liar and an enemy of the Blood Moon Pack. You have somehow fabricated this Mate Bond with me, hoping to help your Alpha start another war!”
“No! No! No!” Nori shouts. Her tears sliding down her face now. “I never lied! This Mate Bond is real! I had hoped you would help me or take pity on me. Anything but send me back to Starfall.”
“THERE IS NO MATE BOND!” Ryland roars. “Enough is enough! You will gather no more information for your Alpha. You will return to Beta Malrik, your real Mate! Right now!”
Bade exerts all of his power, trying to break through Ryland’s mental wall. “Wait! Wait! Look at her. She’s not lying! She’s so freaked out that her eyes are changing back and forth between golden and amber. LOOK AT HER!”
Ryland is too lost in his rage. His wolf’s pleas sound very far away.
“What? No! YOU PROMISED!” Nori shrieks at him. Sucking in quick breaths, she’s on the verge of hysterics. Backing up again, Nori’s face is a mask of pain as she desperately tries to keep from shifting. “You cannot send me back! I will not go back!”
She straightens her shoulders and stands her ground. “You will have to KILL ME!”
Garek, Zayne, and Adele are frozen in shock from how much power Ryland is throwing through the room, afraid to approach him. They look at each other, confused, as Nori says she’d rather die than go back.
Garek pushes Adele forward and tells her to try to reach him.
Adele yells to get his attention away from Nori. “Ryland, please calm down! Listen to her! She’s not a spy. Spies wouldn’t wish death rather than go back to their leaders.”
Wide-eyed and trembling with fear, Nori doesn’t wait for him to respond. She seeks out the only possible refuge in his chambers and takes off toward the bathroom.
She’s incredibly fast, but Ryland’s Alpha Speed is far superior. He wraps his hands around her arms in three strides. She shrieks when he grabs her, dropping the knife.
Ryland roughly turns Nori around to face him, squeezing her upper arms. He yells at her with the full weight of hisAlpha Influence. “YOU WILL REJECT THIS FAKE MATE BOND, AND YOU WILL RETURN TO YOUR ALPHA! NOW!”
Nori completely breaks down. Every muscle in her body contracts from the power of the Alpha Order. Her hand flies to her chest as a searing pain rips through her. She screams, “NOOOOOOO!”
In that same moment, Bade howls loud enough to break through Ryland’s mental wall. “NO! YOU FOOL! YOU’VE KILLED HER!”
Garek, Zayne, and Adele cry out, “No! Ryland!”
