Chapter Eleven – The Prophecy's Curse
Hunter's POV
The sound of shattering wood echoed through the room as the table crashed against the stone wall. Papers flew everywhere, ink staining the floor, but I didn't care.
My chest rose and fell with unrestrained anger, my muscles tensed, fists clenched.
This couldn't be happening.
The woman I had been searching for—the girl who had once saved me, the only person who had ever looked at me without fear—was not only my mate.
She was also my enemy.
The prophecy had sealed our fates before we had even known each other's names.
One must kill.
Or be killed.
Kieran, my Beta, stood behind me, silent. His usual calm presence was unwavering, but I could feel his unease.
He knew better than to speak when I was like this.
I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly, trying to regain control. But no matter how much I tried to shove the thought away, it clawed at my mind relentlessly.
Zara Nightshade.
After eleven years of searching, after thinking she was gone forever, I had finally found her.
And she was the one person destined to end me.
The door swung open.
Selene.
She walked in without hesitation, heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. Her long crimson dress hugged her frame, brown eyes narrowing as they landed on me.
"Why did you bring her here?" she demanded, skipping all formalities.
I didn't answer.
Selene had always been sharp. Ruthless. Relentless. She had grown up beside me, always believing she would be my mate, always thinking she could claim what was never meant to be hers.
She took another step forward. "You know what she is, don't you?"
I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to stay composed. "Leave, Selene."
She scoffed. "Not until you answer me." She walked closer, tilting her head slightly. "She's cursed, Hunter. You know that. She's a danger to—"
"She is mine."
The words left my mouth before I could stop them.
Selene stilled.
Her eyes darkened, the smirk on her lips faltering. "Yours?" she echoed, voice quieter now.
I clenched my jaw. "You wouldn't understand."
Her lips parted slightly before she quickly masked her reaction, laughing bitterly. "I see. And here I thought you were searching for the girl who saved you all those years ago. I thought you wanted to thank her."
She tilted her head, eyes flashing with something unreadable. "But it seems I was wrong."
I turned away, staring at the flickering flames in the fireplace.
The truth was, I had spent years looking for her.
Not because I owed her a debt.
Not because I had needed to repay her.
But because she had been the only light in the darkness I was drowning in.
And now that I had found her…
Now that I had learned who she really was…
I could no longer tell if she had saved me—
Or if she was destined to destroy me.
Selene took another step closer, her voice softer this time. "You know the full moon is approaching."
I tensed.
"I will be your mate by then, Hunter," she continued, reaching out to touch my arm.
I caught her wrist before she could.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"You are not my mate," I said coldly, my grip tightening just enough to make my point clear. "You were never meant to be."
Selene's lips parted, but I wasn't finished.
"And you never will be."
Then, without another word, I shoved her hand away and took a step back.
A flicker of anger crossed her face, but she quickly masked it with a knowing smirk. "You think you have a choice in this?" she whispered. "You think the Elders will allow you to be with someone like her?"
I didn't answer.
She exhaled sharply before turning toward the door. But before she left, she glanced over her shoulder, her golden eyes gleaming with something sinister.
"If I can't have you, Hunter," she murmured, "then no one will."
---
The moment Selene was gone, I turned back to Kieran.
He had remained silent during the exchange, but I could feel the questions burning inside him.
I exhaled, rubbing my temple. "Make sure Zara is comfortable."
Kieran frowned. "Comfortable?"
I met his gaze. "She is not to be harmed. Nothing is to happen to her while she is here. Do you understand?"
A moment of hesitation.
Then, a nod. "Yes, Alpha."
He turned to leave, but before he could step out, I added, "And Kieran—"
He paused.
"Not a word about the prophecy."
Kieran's expression remained unreadable, but I knew him well enough to sense his concern.
He had been with me through everything—through war, through bloodshed, through loss.
And now, he would be by my side as I faced the greatest battle of my life.
A battle against fate itself.
Once Kieran left, the room fell into silence.
I walked toward the window, resting a hand against the cold glass as I gazed out at the darkened forest beyond.
She was here.
Zara.
The girl I had once known.
The woman who was now my mate.
The enemy I was destined to kill.
A deep growl rumbled inside me, and then, he spoke.
My wolf.
"You can't fight it, Hunter," his voice slithered through my mind like smoke. "You know what must be done. She is our mate but rules are rules"
I clenched my fists.
"You must kill her."
I shut my eyes, inhaling slowly.
"She is mine," I whispered.
"She is your death," my wolf snarled. "The prophecy must be carried out."
I forced my wolf voice away, tightening my grip against the window frame.
No.
I had spent my entire life fighting against my fate.
I had fought my beast, my rage, my curse.
And I would fight this too.
I would not kill her.
Not now.
Not ever.
But then a single thought crept into my mind, chilling me to my core.
If I didn't kill her—
Then one day, she would kill me.
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