Bride of the Cursed Alpha (Auren and Lucien)

Chapter 236

Summer POV

The week had dragged on

lessly. The days were filled with activities, but the nights… the nights were unbearable. I felt alone. Laura was becoming all the more frustrated by her situation and by something I simply couldn’t understand. It was like she was taking out her anger on me. Her rashes had settled down but the swelling on her face hadn’t reduced. It looked like her lips were stung by a bee repeatedly, and she had got fillers in her cheeks.

One day when I went to visit her, I heard her talking

to her father on the phone. I halted in my tracks on the side of the door of her room.

“Daddy, I hate it here. This place has all sorts of infections. The forests don’t suit me. I feel like I will never get out of the hospital!” she cried.

Since she was on the speaker–phone, I could hear the conversation.

“What the hell, Laura!” he shouted. “I’m struggling over here and you can’t fucking do one small thing. Besides, you aren’t even doing anything. It’s

Summer who is there in the trials on your behalf!”

She started crying. “Daddy, I am constantly unwell. And I hate Summer. She has started thinking that she is me. The organizers have given her a room to stay. Like a big room. It is bigger than mine. They have provided her with clothes and everything else. Now she answers me back. I’m afraid that the Alphas like her more than ever. With me out of the contest, it’s like I’m out of sight, out of mind. And… and… I feel Summer is taking advantage of the situation. What if she gets hitched by an Alpha, and I am simply thrown out?”

“Shut the fuck up!” he shouted. “How does it matter that she is being provided with luxury? It is temporary and it is for your success. You make sure that you have Summer in place. Keep an eye on her, and keep reminding her that she is nothing but a fucking maid!” Morelli continued, “Things out here have gone out of hand. I don’t know how but authorities are after me. Someone has tipped them off about our internal businesses. My casino was taken down, and now my brothels are getting busted. Do you even know the kind of trouble I am in? So stick to your fucking task! We need this wolf alliance now more than ever. Keep Summer in check. Use her. This is the most crucial time. I am trying to keep business alive here and you can’t fucking manage one

simple thing?”

“What?” Laura cried. “What are you saying? Our casino? Brothels? How is it possible daddy? Who is behind it?”

A chill ran down my spine, and I stifled a gasp. Morelli’s empire was going down? Whoa! Who was behind it? Who had the guts to go after him? Whoever the person was, was my hero. I silently prayed for his safety and success. And I don’t know why I felt thrilled to hear this information. If he got destroyed, I

would be free.

“I don’t know!” Morelli said. “But my people are finding the perpetrators. I’ll soon come to know. In the meanwhile, just hold on over there, okay?”

“Y–yes daddy,” Laura said in a shaky voice and disconnected the call. I peeped inside only to find her shaking. Blood had drained from her face. I walked in. She snapped her eyes to me. “You!” she hissed.

I gulped down my fear, my excitement. “How are you?” I asked.

“Can’t you see, bitch?” she waved her hand over her face. “What is the next trial about?”

They’ll be announcing it tomorrow.

“Make sure that you win, okay! I heard that you were last for the Nesting trials.”

I lowered my face, blushing hard when I recalled what Bradley did.

“Listen you bitch!” Laura said. “Don’t make yourself comfortable with all the luxury around you. It is temporary and once the trials are over, I will be the Luna of one of the Alphas, not you, okay?”

I raised an eyebrow, anger replacing my fear. “Oh, don’t worry, Laura. I’m well aware of how temporary everything is, including you. At least, unlike you. I don’t need to rely on anyone’s position to feel important. I’ve earned my place here.”

Her eyes narrowed, and I could feel the tension thickening in the air.

“And just so you know,” I added, “I’m not here for your approval or anyone else’s. And unlike you, I don’t need to be anyone’s second choice. When the

trials are over, you can have all the Alphas you want in your life! Because of me”

Her smugness faltered. Before she could speak another word, i spun sharply and stormed out of the room. I didn’t want anymore of her bitterne Tas already feeling depressed as such. I had been missing Brad every moment, even though I had told myself I wouldn’t get attached, it wasn’t supposed in be like this. I was supposed to be focused on the trials, on my future, but all I could think about was him. His eyes. His touch. The way he made like i was the only woman in the world.

(dot.

Every time I woke up, his absence seemed to amplify. I couldn’t help but feel lost, empty. My room felt larger without him in it, and I didn’t understand why it bothered me so much. Was I just lonely? Was it just the bond between us? I wanted to scream at myself for feeling this way, for letting my thoughts drift to him so often.

During the day, the organizers had arranged for the contestants to tour the pack. I should have been excited, but I wasn’t. All I could do was look around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Brad. But he was nowhere to be found. My heart sank each time. I tried to focus on the things around me the history of the pack, the beautiful scenery–but nothing could hold my attention. My thoughts always returned to him.

“What’s wrong, Summer?” Tammy asked one afternoon when she noticed how down I was.

“I don’t know. I’m just… tired, I guess,” I said, trying to shrug it off.noveldrama

Tammy gave me a concerned look. “You’re missing him, aren’t you?”

I stared at her, unsure of how to answer. I didn’t want to admit it, not even to myself. But there it was, the truth I couldn’t derry. “Missing whom?” I said. my cheeks heating up. Surely she didn’t notice my feelings for him. Or did Bradley tell her about us? God, that would be so embarrassing. She would think of me as a gold digger.

Tammy chuckled, understanding more than I wanted her to. “Don’t worry. He’ll be back soon. And when he does, you’ll be glad to see him.”

I scratched my forehead and looked away. “I don’t know who you are talking about,” I blurted and marched away to where all the contestants were.

Tammy barked a laugh, but I refused to acknowledge it.

The days had turned into a blur of practice and social events, and every evening felt emptier than the last. I kept waiting for something, anything, to make me feel whole again. But nothing did. Daisy would often stare daggers at me, but I wasn’t bothered. She could go to hell for all I cared.

By Friday, my exhaustion had caught up with me. I barely slept, tossing and turning in bed, trying to calm the ache that seemed to grow inside of me the longer Brad stayed away. What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I just focus on the trials like everyone else? Why was he the only thought that could occupy my mind? I tried my best to shake my stupid thoughts, to engage in activities like going to the hospital and helping children or reading them stories, but nothing helped me. I had lost my appetite. Sometimes, I think Tammy looked at me with worry in her eyes. She even invited me to go to her house, but I chose to remain in my room, which was opposite to Brad’s. At least, this way I was closer to him.

As the night wore on, I lay there, staring at the ceiling, wishing for him to come back. Wishing for his touch, his warmth. The room felt too cold. I was caught in a storm of confusion and longing, and I didn’t know how to make it stop. Tears welled in my eyes. I was planning on escaping. That’s what I had to focus, and not on Brad. But why was it that the idea of escaping and going away from him was painful, unthinkable?

“Please God, stop this. I will descend into insanity if you continue this with me.” Yes, I blamed God for my situation.

Then, at midnight, the knock on my door came.

市

AD

Comment