The Alpha King's Cure:his perfect mate.

[ AURORA’S POV ]

Three sharp knocks punched through the silence of my room. I jolted, my heart hammering against my ribs. And I turned toward the door slowly.

It was the night of the full moon. The night the entire pack stayed locked away, terrified of the King’s wolf. They said his transformation was a curse of agony, that the pain turned him into a mindless, feral beast.

 I had just finished my bath, hoping to sleep through the screams, but fate had other plans.

I pulled the door open. Lucas, the King’s Beta, stood there like a statue.

"Come with me. Now," he commanded.

For a split second, I saw a flicker in his eyes. Pity? It vanished before I could be sure, replaced by a cold, professional mask. My stomach twisted. If the King’s right-hand man felt sorry for me, I was already dead.

The walk to the King’s wing felt like a march to the gallows. The stone hallway was freezing, but sweat slicked my palms. Usually, the castle hummed with life, but tonight, it was a graveyard quiet. The only sound was the heavy thud-thud of Lucas’s boots and the frantic, shallow rhythm of my breathing.

As we neared the Royal Chambers, the air grew heavy, as if it were charged with electricity. I saw the guards—double the usual amount. They stood rigid, their faces pale under their helmets. Joe, the King’s most loyal guard, caught my eye for a second. He looked away quickly, his jaw tight.

Lucas stopped at the massive oak doors. He pushed one open just a crack, but didn't move to enter.

"Go in," he muttered, his voice low. "And Aurora? Don't argue. Do exactly what he says."

I felt the blood drain from my face. "Are you... You aren't coming in?"

"No," Lucas said, staring at the floor. "He asked for you alone. Move."

He didn't wait for me to agree. He nudged me forward, and I stumbled into the darkness. The door clicked shut behind me, and the sound of the lock engaging felt like a guillotine blade dropping.

The room was swallowed in shadows, save for a single, haunting beam of silver moonlight cutting across the floor. The scent hit me immediately—musk, cedar, and the sharp, metallic tang of raw power. It was so thick I could almost taste it.

I stood frozen, my eyes glued to my own trembling toes. I could hear it now—the sound of heavy, ragged breathing coming from the corner. It wasn't human. It was deep, vibrating through the floorboards and into the soles of my feet.

Grrrrrrr…

A low, guttural growl tore through the air. My heart leaped into my throat. From the darkest corner, a figure shifted.

He moved toward me, not like a man, but like a predator stalking a wounded deer. When he stepped into the moonlight, I gasped. His skin was flushed, his muscles twitching under the surface, and his eyes—the King’s beautiful golden eyes—were gone. They