25 ↣ Cursed

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𝔹𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕐𝕠𝕦 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕...

𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒! Thanks for reading 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐏𝐇𝐀'𝐒 𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐃 first of all ✩✩✩✩✩! I hope you are enjoying it. Not that I differentiate between my readers but shootout to - @Samaru, @Redjinkx_91, @Daoistu3YANJ, and @Amy_Prentice for voting for my book - or say, donating the Power stones. It means ALOT! As a writer on an online platform, I have always dedicated my chapters to my reader. It's a usual habit one mine so that the readers know I truly appreciate them.

I love reading reader's comments - it keeps me hyped. But unfortunately, I am playing it blind here. It would be awesome if you guys drop a comment, or vote for my book. Its not a demand, but a sincere request.

Rest assured, I would try my best to keep you smitten to my book.

I write because I love it - only heaven knows how many fictional lovers I have. So, keep on reading the book and I hope you find yours one in this too!

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∾ 𝔼𝕡𝕚𝕤𝕠𝕕𝕖 𝟚𝟝: ℂ𝕦𝕣𝕤𝕖𝕕 ∾

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"𝐈 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 talk with my parents, Ty. They are hiding something, I am certain of it. Something odd happened today with me - it was like I possessed magic too powerful. It was unnatural, at least for a mermaid. I have seen King Theodore exercise his power, I have witnessed your powers but this - it wasn't that of a mermaid. I don't know what it was...." Esmeray says.

Triton looks at her with a serious expression on his face, contemplating the words she had revealed to him. More than anything, he wanted his mate home, back where she belonged. By his side.

But a prophecy can't be ignored - if your fate has been written, it would unravel the way it is.

Esmeray's life was on the line - and he didn't approve of it a bit. He needed her to live, even an eternity was not enough for him to spend with her. And now, that he couldn't see her every single second - he was weak, he was vulnerable. Everything a King shouldn't be.

"I will look into it, Ray. But promise that you will take care of yourself, and try to contact me more. I wish I would have marked you, then I would be able to mind-link with you. Support you. I have failed you as a mate, Ray," Triton says. His words break Esmeray's heart.

How wrong he was - she was the failure out of both of them. She never deserved someone as remarkable as him.

"Ty, don't ever think that. We are imperfect - but that doesn't mean that we aren't meant for each other. Goddess Selene made us mates for a reason, a purpose. Love is never easy, but don't ever give up on it. I love you with every cell of my being - it is I who have failed you. No matter what, I would find my way home to you," she said.

"I love you too, my Ray. You maybe be the Queen of the Sea, but you will forever be the Queen of my heart. You can never fail me, never. Remember that, Ray. I will always wait for you, always stand by your side, and always be there to raise you up when you fall," Triton replies.

They stare at each other - every time they saw each other's eyes, they just fell in love all over again. The mate bond might have bought them together, but it is only them who made them be in love.

"I must go now, my duty calls for me," Triton says. But he made no move to leave, as he just stared at his mate through the portal. How much he wished he could just remove the mirror wall in between and run to her.

Esmeray smiled and nodded her head. She knew that if the portal didn't close Triton won't go away. Knowing that the Merfolk needed their king now more than ever, he couldn't afford to waste his precious time and energy. She then, summoned her energy to close down the portal.

Sighing, with a heavy heart she swam away - back to the beach.

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𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃 the De Luca house, she was met by Martin at the doorstep. The doctor looked pale, worried. He rushed towards Esmeray as soon as he saw him.

"Why are your clothes soaked? Forget about it, you need to come with me right now. The Alpha needs you," he said with a shaken voice.

Esmeray was puzzled - what happened to Lucian? She had not known about what happened to the other pack members, her sole purpose after the fight was ensuring that Ben survived. No one informed her about the Alpha's health - she had just thought that he was at the borders with others.

"Sure, but how am I to help him?" she asked. Everyone had seen what she did during the fight - perhaps even Lucian did. He might need her magic to strengthen the defenses, but she didn't think that it would be of any use - she knew her magic, but she didn't know of its use.

Healing was something she did even as a mermaid, so she had no trouble doing it.

They ran to the pack house, Martin continuously asking her to hurry. She knew in her gut that something was terribly wrong. The pack members were collected at the ground floor of the packhouse as Esmeray rushed in after Martin, and the cries of a woman could be heard.

What was going on?

"Follow me," Martin said.

He led her through the staircase and to the door - it looked unfamiliar, but its grandeur couldn't be mistaken. They were on the Alpha's floor.

As soon as she entered the room though, the strong smell of medicines hit her. It was unusually warm here - and the appearance of serious-looking Raphael, Regina, and Nathan didn't calm her nerves. But when her eyes landed on the figure on the bed, she knew why she was summoned.

A pale-looking Lucian lay on the bed, with sweat covering every inch of his body. He looked dangerously ill - it was like life was being sucked out of him bit by bit.

She ran towards him, her heart thumping wildly with fear and worry. What had she done - the mighty Alpha was suffering because of her!

They didn't need to tell her what to do - she was already on it. The heat didn't trouble her, neither did the coldness of Lucian's hand when she touched it. He was dying, and she couldn't let it be the case.

There was very little energy left inside of her - but she had to try.

Calling upon her magic, she started transferring a part of her energy to Lucian. She tried to search for Lucian's wolf - yet all she found was darkness. The Alpha's connection wasn't like the others before him that she had healed - he had sucked her into darkness.

Snapped away from reality, she found herself standing in a cold, dark arena. There was no one around her. Maybe she was in Lucian's mind.

"Alpha Lucian?" she called out.

The magic flickered - indicating that the connection with Lucian was breaking. He was slipping away. She had to find him. She had to find his wolf.

"Alph-" she said, but before she could complete her sentence the scenery changed.

The pack ground surrounded her, so did the members - whose face she couldn't recognize. This was the Ignis pack for sure, but why did it feel different?

"I curse you - you bastard child!" the sound of an angry woman was heard.

She turned to the scene behind her, a woman lying on the ground with blood oozing from her stomach. The woman was rather young, perhaps in her late twenties, with brown hair and red eyes. There was no doubt in her mind that the woman was a maleficis, even though this was just a vision, perhaps a memory - she could feel that woman's power. Or felt the power Lucian was feeling at that moment.

A man stood next to her, with his tall and heavy built, green eyes and brown hair. Lucian looked similar to him - perhaps the man was his father. She suddenly remembered Lucian telling her about what conspired between his parents.

She was in fact living one of Lucian's memory.

Lucian stood beside his father, crying hysterically. Even though he was very young, a child, you can see him growing up to be devilishly handsome. Her heart broke - even though his mother called him cruel words, he cried for her. His mother never deserved him.

The members of pack stood behind their Alpha, their position alert - if the maleficis was to attack they would shield their Alpha and his child. The heaviness in the air was overbearing, the wind screaming of terror which was to unfold. Waves could be heard crashing against the rocks.

The Ignis pack was in the clutches of horror and alarm.

"I curse you, Lucian Rexton! Like you ruined my life with my mate, my magic will ruin yours with your mate! You will never be able to find her - even if she would stand in front of you, she will be out of your reach! She will find another man, you - you will never be worthy of her. Never get to spend your time with her. Your mate bond will puzzle you both. You shall die alone as you deserve," her words echoed in the air.

Magic erupted from her body, a black aura surrounding Lucian. The child cried, not knowing what was happening. And suddenly, it entered his body - the curse was placed on Lucian.

His mother had just refused him the greatest gift one could have.

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