Alpha’s Second Choice

Olivia watched in discontent as Jo dodged the spear that was meant to hit her.

But the biggest surprise was yet to come.

After hearing her husband call Jo ‘mate’, her doubts were confirmed.

Jo was the bride from the forbidden book. The queen’s blood boiled thinking about how ominous and cursed that little omega was. Luckily, Olivia had prepared a surprise for Jo and her little group.

Over the last few days, Von had arranged for a few of the Dark Slayer pack members to be flown to the royal kingdom as soon as possible. It was not odd to have packs attending special occasions hosted by the royal mansion. Though anyone would have noticed, their invitation was extremely rushed.

The queen had a gut feeling telling her that something fishy was going between the Alpha from Dark Slayer pack claiming Lucy as his mate and Jo becoming close to Lucy after that. Something was not right.

As Olivia watched Jo walk towards the spear, she was in heated eye contact with a strange good-looking man. Von was now standing close to the queen, observing the scene as well.

‘That’s the Alpha, my queen’, Von whispered.

‘From Dark Slayer?’

‘Yes’.

A smirk was now playing on the Queen’s pink lips. Everyone could see the encounter unfolding before their eyes.

‘Mate’, the man growled at Jo who said nothing in return.

This was even perfect. Victory was overflowing in Olivia’s body, it felt like killing two birds with one stone.

‘Jo’s the cursed bride’, the queen whispered to Von.

The noble lady’s eyes grew wide in shock and realisation. Everything made sense now. She apologetically looked at Jo. She had the worst luck in existence being the cursed bride. The infamous cursed bride who would be the Alpha king’s true mate. She was predicted to bring the fall of the werewolf kind.

*

Flashback

It was years back when Von was just a teen and innocent. She only realised now that Olivia was manipulating her from the start of the friendship. When the girls were just 17, they sneaked off from the royal school to outside of the borders. Olivia convinced Von that they needed to meet a witch to save the werewolf world. She was so lost in the manipulative words that she really believed she was saving her kind and doing something.

It was all very vague but she remembered Olivia speaking to a powerful witch on the outskirts.

‘I need you to use black magic and make the Alpha king’s true mate have an illusion of being mates with someone else’, Olivia stated without hesitating.

Von fidgeted with her hands as the chilly wind blew past them. Her gut instincts were screaming that something was not right.

The witch laughed loudly, as it was only magnified by the bare forest. ‘That is the biggest request I have received so far. It will cost you dearly’, the witch rubbed her two hands. Her fingernails were too long and curving at the tips. Von did not trust her at all but it was too late now to turn back.

‘Name it’, Olivia replied, folding her arms. She really had the balls of steel.

‘I want your wolf spirit’.

Olivia contemplated a little. ‘Fine. Swear a magic oath with me first and you can have it’.

‘Olivia, I don’t think that is saf- ‘.

‘Do it’, her stubborn friend only encouraged the witch.

‘I, Esther of the Vincemorth witch, swear this magical oath with you. I shall create an illusion for Alpha king’s true mate to feel the mate bond with someone else. Although I cannot guarantee you that the Alpha King still won’t recognise his true mate when he meets her’, the witch waited for consent.

‘Fine’.

‘Since you agreed to my conditions. With the black magic lords as my witness, I swear that if I am unsuccessful, I shall pay it with my blood and soul. Okay, your turn now’.

Olivia took a deep breath, preparing herself to lose her wolf spirits.

‘Olivia don’t’, her friend pleaded again.

‘Back off, Von. I won’t let the cursed bride swoon Dante and destroy our kind’, she replied sternly. ‘I, Olivia Avintho, from the Sand warrior Pack, hereby give you permission to take my wolf’s spirit’.

The next few moments were hell on earth as Olivia screamed as if someone was peeling off her skin. Von shivered watching her best friend in excruciating pain. The witch’s eyes were lit with a blue light as she finalised the magic oath.

Once the dreading ordeal was finally completed, Von rushed to Olivia’s side.

‘One more thing’, a panting Olivia grabbed the witch’s attention again. ‘Since I don’t have a witch anymore. I want you to do one more thing for me. Can you poison someone with magic?’.

Von shuddered thinking about all of the horrible memories. She refused to acknowledge she had any hand in the royal princess being poisoned. Even though, she could have alerted the King about what Olivia had done. She was too scared of what extent Olivia could go to.

So, Von remained silent.

Everyone sang praises to Olivia when she found the miraculous antidote for the princess. She claimed she had great knowledge of herbs because she was interested in medicine. Everyone seemed to have brought the idea. After all, Olivia was this sweet and bubbly girl. No one had ever seen her raise her voice or become angry.

No one except Von, of course.

Over the years, she watched her best friend become the royal family’s favourite and eventually marry the Alpha King.

It was horrible to witness it all, despite knowing the truth. She knew what they did was unethical and punishable by the werewolf law. Afterall, the forbidden book did have a way to remove the curse but Olivia had already ripped the page off. The book which was only meant to be unsealed on the king’s 18th Birthday, already tapered by her friend.

Von really could do nothing but watch. If Jo really was the cursed bride, it probably meant Alpha Jayden was under the illusion from that witch. It was amazing how strong black magics were.

She was more surprised as to how Olivia planned everything out. From organising this ball to having Jayden have this encounter with Jo. How smart was the queen? Extremely.

This is why Von knew better than to open her mouth.

*

‘You are mistaken, I am not your mate’, Jo clenched her hands.

‘But you are. This scent, pull. Its so much stronger than what I felt with Lucy. My wolf must have been mistaken last time. But you are definitely mine’, Jayden took a few steps towards her.

Don stepped in front of Jo, stopping Jayden’s approach with his hand in the air. ‘Guards, scan this place. Someone was just attacked’.

‘Who are you?’, Jayden growled realising a strange man was shielding his mate from him. His own bloody mate! There was no denying it this time.

‘ It doesn’t matter who I am. Jolene was just attacked right now. I need to take her somewhere safe’, Don replied as he turned to Jo and checked if she was alright.

Caleb and Lucy joined in as well checking in on Jo.

‘Are you okay?’, Lucy asked worriedly.

Jayden watched in amazement. Lucy was definitely not his mate, he no longer could sniff any of the sweet scent on her. But with Jo, the pull was undeniably there. How did he not sense it for so many years?

Caleb eyed Jayden angrily as if he wanted to pounce and kill him on the spot. ‘Did you have a hand in this attack?’.

Jayden just scuffed, ignoring Caleb.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

‘With all due respect, Alpha Jayden, under the werewolf law, you are required to answer when a higher-ranked wolf is asking you something’, patience was wavering in Caleb’s voice.

‘Why would I try to kill my own mate? I just arrived because I was sent the royal invite at the last moment’, Jayden answered a little annoyed.

Olivia quickly intervened on cue. ‘Caleb, I sent out the invite to Dark Slayer Pack. He is a special guest because I have heard his pack was extremely hospitable to the royal visitors’.

‘Yeah, hospitable alright, throwing them in the dungeons’, Caleb snickered.

Jo sighed at the ruckus going on, all she wanted to do was quietly exit this ball and go to bed. She had her true scent under the full mask again. However, she eased off a little realising the attacker was not Belial. She could not feel his aura at all.

But then it made her wonder who had thrown the spear at her? Did she already have enemies inside the royal kingdom as well?

‘Oh my god, the royal ball’, Gina’s squeaky voice rang drawing everyone’s attention. She was not alone, however. The whole entourage had arrived. Linda, Tilly and even Evelyn. Why were Gina and all of her sisters here as well?

It was too much for one day.

‘Don, can I leave please?’, she tiredly requested.

‘I will escort you back’, he offered as he exchanged a few words with Caleb.

Jayden still watched Jo’s every move as she was ushered outside by another man. It killed him to see anyone even near Jolene. But this wasn’t his pack and he was easily outranked by other werewolves here. He would just have to wait for a good time. And when that came, he would return to his pack with Jolene by his side. His true mate…