The Cursed Alpha's Omega

Chapter 3

Elle’s POV

I woke up slowly, my eyelids heavy like they were weighed down with rocks. My head was pounding, the pain sharp and steady like a drum being hit over and over again. I groaned and tried to move, but my whole body ached. I reached up to touch the back of my head, and my fingers brushed something sticky and wet. I pulled my hand away and squinted at it.

Blood.

Panic rushed through me.

I sat up quickly, but everything around me started spinning. The trees, the sky, even the grass—it all swirled like a messy painting. My stomach turned, and I squeezed my eyes shut until it stopped. When I opened them again, I took a deep breath, hoping the forest would stop moving. Then I looked around, trying to figure out where I was.

That’s when I saw her.

Mindy.

She was lying on her side just a few feet away from me. Her eyes were closed. Her skin looked pale—too pale. And there was blood. So much blood. It stained her dress, the ground beneath her, and even her hair. My heart jumped into my throat.

“No,” I whispered, crawling toward her, ignoring the pain in my head. “Mindy, please…”

I fell beside her and touched her shoulder gently. “Wake up,” I begged, my voice trembling. “Please… wake up.”

I shook her lightly, hoping she would open her eyes and tell me this was some kind of terrible prank. But she didn’t move.

I reached for her wrist and pressed my fingers against it.

Nothing.

No pulse.

No sign of life.

I leaned down and listened for breathing, but I heard only silence.

A sob broke from my lips. My hand trembled as I cupped her face. “Mindy…” I whispered. “Don’t do this. Don’t leave me.”

My tears spilled freely now. I couldn’t hold them back. I didn’t even try.

I stayed there holding her hand for a few moments, not wanting to believe what my heart already knew.

She was gone.

I didn’t hear the footsteps right away. But then I felt the ground tremble faintly beneath me. The crunch of boots on dried leaves. Loud voices approaching.

I looked up, still crying, and my breath caught.

It was the guards.

John’s guards.

They came out of the trees, weapons in their hands, eyes full of confusion and anger. They surrounded me like I was some dangerous animal.

And behind them… was John.

He stood tall, arms folded, looking straight at me. His expression was unreadable. Cold. Distant.

“What is going on here?” one of the guards shouted.

“I—I didn’t do anything,” I said quickly, my voice shaky. “I just woke up and found her like this. I swear—I didn’t hurt her.”

“Then why,” another guard growled, “are you covered in her blood?”

My eyes widened. I looked down.

My dress was soaked in red. My hands, my arms, even my legs were stained. It was everywhere. The blood had dried in some places, but it was still fresh in others.

My stomach turned.

I had held her. I had tried to help her. That’s where it came from.

Right?

But it was so much blood. Too much.

I opened my mouth to explain, to defend myself, but the words stuck. I couldn’t think straight. My head still hurt. My heart was breaking. Everything was happening too fast.

John stepped forward slowly, looking at me with cold, hard eyes.

“You killed her,” he said flatly. “Out of jealousy. Out of rage.”

“No!” I cried, crawling toward him. “Please, John, you know me. I would never hurt her. She was like a sister to me. You have to believe me!”

He didn’t move. He didn’t even blink.

“I can’t trust a killer,” he said in a voice that felt like ice.

“John—please—” I tried again, tears pouring down my face.

He raised a hand, cutting me off.

“Take her to the dungeon,” he said to the guards. “She’ll wait there until the trial.”

Before I could run or even scream again, two guards grabbed me roughly. They pulled me away from Mindy’s body and dragged me through the trees. I struggled, kicking and yelling, but they didn’t care.

They threw me into the cold dungeon beneath the packhouse. The stone floor was hard and wet. The walls were made of thick rock, and the bars on the door slammed shut with a loud clang that echoed in my ears.

It was dark.

So dark.

The only light came from a tiny window high above that let in the faintest glow of the moon.

I crawled to the corner, curled into a ball, and cried. My sobs echoed off the walls. I was all alone. Cold. Broken.

Hours passed—or maybe it was days. I lost track of time.

Then the guards came again.

They grabbed me and dragged me up to the trial circle. My legs were weak. I could barely walk, but they pulled me anyway.

When I stepped into the circle, I froze.

Everyone was there.

The entire pack.

All their eyes were on me. Some looked angry. Others disgusted. Not a single face showed kindness or pity.

“She’s a murderer,” someone whispered loud enough for everyone to hear.

“She always was strange,” another person said.

Then I saw Mindy’s mother. Her face was full of hate and grief. She pointed at me with shaking hands.

“You killed my daughter!” she shouted. “I hope you burn for it!”

“I didn’t!” I wanted to scream. But the words were trapped in my throat. My voice was gone. My heart was too heavy to speak.

The elder stepped forward and began the trial. They asked questions I couldn’t answer. They showed everyone my blood-covered clothes. They said I had motive.

John stood beside the elder. He didn’t even look at me.

And then… he gave the final sentence.

“According to the laws of the pack,” he said in a firm voice, “she is guilty of murder and will be sentenced to death.”

“No…” I whispered. “Please… please don’t do this…”

I dropped to my knees, sobbing. I reached out toward him, but he didn’t even flinch.

“Please, John… don’t let them kill me…”

He looked away.

The guards grabbed my arms again. They dragged me from the circle, past the angry stares and the cruel whispers. My legs scraped against the ground. My cries fell on deaf ears.

They took me to the edge of the forest.

The edge of the territory.

The place everyone whispered about but no one ever wanted to see. Where the trees were darker and the air colder. Where death had a voice, and it was silent.

My feet dragged across the dirt. My legs felt numb, but I didn’t fight them. What was the point? I had nothing left. Nothing to hold on to. I had already been destroyed. This was just the final blow.

My hands were tied behind my back. The rope scratched and dug into my wrists, burning my skin, but I barely felt it. My heart was too heavy, full of pain and betrayal. It felt like it was cracking into tiny pieces with every step I took.

The guards didn’t speak to me. They didn’t even look at me. Like I was already dead. Just a thing to get rid of. A task to be completed.

The moon hung in the sky, full and bright, casting a pale glow over the trees. It should have been beautiful. It used to bring me comfort. Now it only reminded me that I would never see another one.

I stopped walking when they pushed me forward. We had reached it.

The execution spot.

The ground here was hard and cold. The wind howled through the trees like it was crying for me. The leaves didn’t move, the forest didn’t breathe. It was like the world had paused… waiting for me to disappear.

I looked up at the stars, blurry through my tears. My eyes burned, and my throat was tight. I wanted to scream, but the pain in my chest wouldn’t let me.

I was going to die.

Alone.

Hated.

For something I didn’t do.

No one would remember that I gave up everything for love. That I helped John when no one else would. That I had begged my father to let him into the pack. That I had believed in him when no one else did.

All they would remember… was the lie.

That I was a murderer.

That I killed Mindy.

They would remember me as a monster. And no one would mourn me.