The Alpha's curse Mate

The sky above Black Hollow was a curtain of thick, brooding clouds. Rain threatened to fall, but the air held back, heavy and dense, as if the earth itself was waiting. On the edge of town, where the forest loomed like a dark secret, Aurora Hayes stepped off the old bus with her single, battered suitcase.

She wasn't supposed to be here.

"Last stop, Miss. You sure about this place?" the bus driver grumbled, peering at her over his shoulder. "Not much goes on in Black Hollow. Not much you want to find, either."

Aurora met his wary gaze with a small, tight smile. "That's exactly why I'm here."

He shook his head and slammed the door shut. The engine groaned as the bus sputtered to life, pulling away in a cloud of dust. As the sound of its departure faded, silence wrapped around her like a blanket. Black Hollow was quiet-too quiet.

Aurora tightened her grip on the suitcase's handle and turned toward the main road, her boots crunching on gravel. The town was small, almost forgotten, a single street lined with aged buildings that seemed to lean into each other for support. Windows reflected her presence like watchful eyes.

Her chest felt tight. Coming here wasn't her first choice, but the strange dreams-the wolves, the shadows-had grown stronger. Every night, the forest called to her. A whisper in her mind, pulling her like a puppet toward this unknown place. And in the waking hours, the letter she'd found hidden among her late grandmother's belongings haunted her like a ghost.

Black Hollow.

The answers you seek are there.

It had been unsigned, but Aurora knew there was no turning back.

She stopped in front of an old diner. Its sign, "Holly's Place," swayed in the wind. Hunger gnawed at her stomach, but so did something else-an unease she couldn't explain. Aurora glanced toward the forest at the edge of town. The dark canopy of trees seemed to ripple as though alive.

Her heart gave a strange lurch. Someone was watching her.

Aurora turned sharply, her eyes scanning the quiet street. Nothing. No movement, no figures. Still, the feeling crawled along her skin, a shiver she couldn't shake.

You're being paranoid.

Forcing herself to move, she pushed open the door of the diner. A bell chimed softly, and the smell of coffee and fried food enveloped her.

The few patrons inside turned to stare. Their gazes were hard, guarded, as if strangers rarely walked through their door. Aurora offered a faint smile, trying not to let their scrutiny unnerve her. She made her way to the counter, where a woman with gray hair and a warm smile stepped forward.

"New face around here." The woman's voice was calm but carried an undertone of curiosity. "What brings you to Black Hollow?"

"Passing through," Aurora lied smoothly. "Looking for a quiet place to stay for a bit."

The woman's eyes narrowed just slightly, as if she didn't quite believe her. "Quiet's the word for this place, all right." She reached under the counter and handed Aurora a menu. "Holly's the name. You want something to eat, sweetheart?"

"Coffee. And maybe a sandwich." Aurora set her suitcase down beside her stool. "Know of any place I could rent a room for cheap?"

Holly leaned against the counter. "Well, there's an old boarding house on Willow Street. Miss Jensen runs it. Bit noisy, but she'll take you in. Not much else in the way of options."

Aurora nodded, filing the information away. She glanced toward the window, where the forest remained a shadow in the distance. Holly caught her gaze and followed it with a sharp look of her own.

"You don't want to go there," Holly said, her voice soft but firm.

Aurora turned back, frowning. "What do you mean?"

"The forest." Holly's smile dimmed. "It's not a place for wandering. The locals know better than to step foot there, especially at night."

Before Aurora could respond, the bell above the door rang, and the air in the dinner seemed to shift. A heavy stillness settled over the room, and Aurora felt it immediately.

She didn't even have to look to know someone had entered. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, and her pulse quickened. She turned slowly, and her breath caught in her throat.

A man stood in the doorway, tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in dark jeans and a black jacket. He carried himself with the kind of confidence that came naturally to someone who knew they were powerful. But it wasn't his presence alone that unsettled her, it was his eyes.

Deep, piercing, and impossibly golden, they locked onto hers like a tether. For a moment, Aurora couldn't move, couldn't breathe.

The man's gaze swept over her, lingering just long enough to make her heart stutter. Then, without a word, he strode to the farthest booth in the diner and sat down.

"Who is that?" Aurora whispered, turning back to Holly.

The older woman's expression had turned wary. "That's Declan Blackwood."

"Blackwood?" The name tugged at something in Aurora's memory, though she couldn't place it.

"Trust me, honey." Holly's voice was low. "You don't want to get mixed up with him."

Aurora risked another glance. Declan sat perfectly still, staring out the window, but there was an energy about him something dark and untamed. He looked like someone who belonged to the forest itself.

She turned back to her coffee, trying to ignore the feeling in her chest, a pull as strong and unrelenting as her dreams. But deep down, she knew.