Alpha Wolf (Darkmore Penitentiary, #2)

by Caroline Peckham

This book is dedicated to all the readers who think it’s okay to find psychos attractive. It is NOT okay for you to fanatasise about hot, sweaty men choking someone out. It is definitely, definitely NOT okay to bite your lip while reading about a shirtless, crazy guy with abs cut from stone getting stabby. Being stabby is NEVER okay. It’s also NOT okay to rationalise the minds of the guys in this book because they have dark and twisted pasts, even when their little sad backstory brings a tear to your eye – especially then!

A man who was supposed to be my enemy had given me that tattoo. He'd shown me that I could take the pain of my past and turn it into something beautiful, powerful, unstoppable.

So a man who had lived through just as much agony as I had taught me how to take my pain and turn it into strength.”

Moon cursed.

There wasn’t much left in my head to snap, but something sure as fuck did.

Sin Wilder - or Whitney Northfield

I mean sure, everyone knew the story of what had happened to the last person to try and force the stars to change their mind on fate and I did not want to take the Darius Acrux route. I shuddered at the mere thought of what had happened to him and I wondered if he was up there somewhere thinking the sacrifice he'd made had been worth it.

Anyway, I was looking to make a bargain to break a bond so maybe my situation was completely different to what Darius Acrux had been attempting. I certainly wasn't going to die to get it done though.

The bearer of the curse will be marked by a flower – the symbolism of which is most likely pertaining to the crime of the bearer* - and they will suffer through nightmares and visions of their darkest memories. With these visions comes intense pain, described as a sharp and agonising burn which travels through the veins and can cause loss of vision and strength. It is unknown exactly what makes the flower grow, but in all recorded cases of the mark covering the entirety of the curse bearer’s body, an excruciating death occurs where they bleed from every orifice in their body. A bleeding which no healer can stem.

A moon-gifted Fae may curse their lover for their wrong-doings and have them face the wrath of the moon in penance for their crimes against them. There are only a few recorded cases of the lovers mark and all resulted in death. It is unknown what breaks this curse, but two opposing theories have risen between scientists. The first, that the curse could be broken by righting the wrongs of the lovers’ relationship, similar to the familial moon curse, while others maintain that matters of the heart are so fierce, that a lovers mark will always result in death no matter what the curse bearer does to counteract their crimes.

I’d only ever taken a real interest in it a few years back when the Vega princesses had been vying to take the throne from the Celestial Heirs. Total fucking shit show, but the press had lapped it up and the stories that had come out had been more riveting than prime time television. No one could have predicted the way that would turn out. Glad I was in here when everyone started dying.

"Any man lucky enough to be blessed by the stars to have you as their mate should be praising their fortune and holding onto you as tightly as they can. You're one in a million, Rosa, you shine brighter than any star and you burn with more heat too. If I was blessed with a mate even half as beautiful and fierce and strong as you then I would wrap my arms around her and never let go. I'd give anything to have a girl like you, little pup."

"You're something special, Rosa," he murmured, the rage in him calming as he ran his fingers down the side of my cheek and my heart leapt out of rhythm. "I've never met a single soul with even half as much fire in their heart as burns in yours. You're wild and captivating and freer than anyone in this place has any right to be. And I promise to get you out of here too. Whatever it takes."

"Nah, wild girl, I don't think so. I've done enough bad shit, good shit and damn outrageous shit in my lifetime to figure out that there's a difference between what's easy and what's worthwhile. And you, sweetheart, are the most worthwhile Fae I've met during my entire incarceration and maybe even before that too. I don't want a sex fest with a pack of Wolves, I want the undivided attention of the Alpha, and all the time you keep looking at me like that, I'm not taking my gaze off of you."

"My own, personal obsession. My drug of choice, the answer to all of my desires rolled up into one little, Faetalian ball of danger. I think you might be my downfall, wild girl. But I think I like the idea of that too."

And I was dragged down into a sleep full of my past, returning to face the man who’d raised me as a monster. My personal nightmare. Benjamin Acrux.

The words Horny for the Horn were painted beneath it in rainbow coloured lettering and I had to wonder what Caleb Altair would have thought of it if he'd seen it and laughed louder before I could stop myself.

“I ache for you in the dark and pine for you in the light. There’s no moment day or night that I don’t want you. It’s more than desire, I think it’s even more than love. Fuck, Rosalie, if you weren’t an Oscura, if there was some other way-”

And so long as I was Rosalie's beast, I didn't want to hide it. I'd gladly spill the blood of her enemies again and again until there was no creature left on earth who'd dare touch her.

"I love you, Rosa. I love you in all the ways I thought I shouldn't and I'm sick of being afraid of that. I'm sick of wanting you and not having you. Of needing you and not owning you. I meant it when I said I wanted to run away to a desert island with you. But I'd stay in Darkmore for the rest of my life if this was the only place where you were too."