Ruthless Alpha, and his Curvy Saint-Chapter 28

Angel’s POV

They gave me a horse.

I stared at the beautiful chestnut mare, hardly believing my luck. After everything I’d endured - the beatings, the starvation, the degradation - I’d expected to walk. To stumble along behind the group like the burden I clearly was - like I’d done with the slave traders.

But someone had brought me a horse. A gentle-looking mare with kind eyes and a glossy coat.

"She’s yours for the journey," one of the warriors said gruffly, not quite meeting my eyes. "Name’s Maple. She’s well-tempered."

"Thank you," I whispered, genuinely grateful.

Mounting was difficult in my torn dress, even with Uriel’s oversized coat wrapped around me. My muscles protested every movement, still sore from days of abuse. But eventually, I managed to settle into the saddle, and the relief of sitting instead of walking nearly made me weep.

As the group organized itself for travel, I found myself naturally drifting toward the high priestess, Sheena. She sat tall and elegant on a black horse, her silver robes billowing slightly in the morning breeze.

She glanced at me as I positioned my horse beside hers, her expression unreadable.

"How are you faring?" she asked once we’d started moving.

The question surprised me. No one ever asked how I was faring.

"I’m... managing," I said carefully. "Thank you for asking."

"The journey will be long. Several more days at least." She studied me with those sharp, knowing eyes. "If you need anything - herbs for pain, someone to talk to - you let me know."

"Actually..." I hesitated, then forced the words out. "The Alpha said if I behave, he’ll let me go when we reach Black Wolf territory. Is that... is that really possible? Can he just release me from the mate bond?"

Sheena was quiet for a moment, considering. "I can dissolve a mate bond," she said finally. "It’s complicated magic, and not without risk. But it can be done."

Hope flared in my chest. "So he’s telling the truth?"

"If there are no dire consequences, yes, I can break the bond." Her voice took on a warning tone. "But if the consequences would be severe - if breaking the bond would cause harm to either of you - then there’s nothing I can do. The Moon Goddess’s will cannot be easily undone."

The hope dimmed slightly, but it was still there. Still possible.

"Thank you," I said softly.

I looked ahead, scanning the group. The devil Alpha rode at the front with his closest warriors - Gareth, Kade, and a few others whose names I didn’t know. They looked formidable, even from behind, their bodies relaxed but alert, hands never far from their weapons.

The remaining warriors had scattered themselves throughout the group, creating a protective formation around the travelers.

I searched for Uriel among them, expecting to see him near the front or perhaps in the middle.

He was nowhere.

My heart sank.

I risked a glance backward, craning my neck to see the rear of our procession.

There.

Uriel rode on a magnificent black horse, positioned near the back. And beside him, sharing a single horse, were Lyra and Sera, the beautiful travelers.

Even from this distance, I could see Lyra leaning toward him, her dark hair cascading over one shoulder as she said something that made her sister giggle.

I snapped my gaze forward, my cheeks burning.

Don’t look. Don’t torture yourself.

The last thing I needed was Uriel catching me staring, realizing I had feelings for him when he clearly had no interest in someone like me.

That would be the ultimate humiliation.

We continued riding in silence, the steady clip-clop of hooves creating a rhythmic soundtrack. The sun climbed higher, warming the air, and despite everything, I found myself almost enjoying the ride.

Almost.

We stopped twice to water the horses. Both times, I remained firmly by Sheena’s side, helping her with whatever small tasks she assigned me, studiously avoiding looking toward the back of the group.

I didn’t want to see Uriel with those girls.

Didn’t want to watch him smile at them the way he’d smiled at me last night.

Didn’t want to confirm what I already knew - that I’d been a momentary distraction, quickly forgotten when prettier options presented themselves.

But I could still hear them. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Laughter carried on the wind - high, feminine giggles followed by deeper masculine chuckles.

Again and again and again.

What could possibly be that funny?

My hands tightened on Maple’s reins.

More laughter. Lyra’s voice, bright and flirtatious. Sera’s answering giggle. And underneath it all, a male’s warm laugh - one that I suspected to be Uriel’s.

Anger started building in my chest, hot and bitter.

If I’d been laughing that loudly, that frequently, someone would have told me to shut up. Would have glared at me and made it clear my voice was unwelcome, that I was making too much noise, that I should know my place.

But because it was coming from slender, beautiful girls - girls who fit the ideal of what women should be - nobody said a word.

Nobody cared.

The unfairness of it burned.

Enough.

Enough feeling sorry for myself. Enough wallowing in self-pity. Enough accepting that this was just how things were.

I needed to do something.

I turned to Sheena, my decision made. "Do you know of any herbs that could help me lose weight?"

Sheena’s eyebrows rose slightly. She studied me for a long moment before answering. "I know a few. Though I should warn you - they might or might not work. Some people are naturally big and cannot lose weight no matter what they do. Others gained weight at some point in their lives, which means losing it is more achievable."

She paused, then asked gently, "How long have you been... this size?"

The question hit harder than it should have.

"Since I was a baby," I admitted, my voice cracking slightly. "Does that mean there’s no hope for me?"

Please say no. Please say there’s a chance.

"Don’t jump to conclusions," Sheena said firmly. "Every body is different. What works for one person might not work for another, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try." She gave me a small, encouraging smile. "When we make camp tonight, we’ll search for the herbs you need."

"Thank you." The relief in my voice was embarrassing, but I couldn’t help it. "Thank you so much."

"Don’t thank me yet. We haven’t found anything."

But the hope was there now.

Maybe I could change. Maybe I could become the kind of woman men like Uriel actually wanted.

Maybe I didn’t have to stay like this forever.