Cursed

by Brent Miller

  “What?” Cailean snapped. He was clearly on edge too. Chase had been just as much Cailean’s friend as Garrick’s, and Cailean was demonstrating that he didn’t know how to handle himself either. Garrick hadn’t spoken loudly enough for the others to hear him, so Cailean had probably just heard some muttering. He wasn’t even sure who he was talking to – whether it was Chase, his family, or the rest of his pack.

  “Nothing,” Garrick choked out.

  “Do you want to say something?” Hayden asked Garrick under her breath.

  “I shouldn’t,” he whispered back.

  “Just talk about a memory,” she urged. “I think it’ll help everyone.”

  He nodded. Garrick slowly stood up and walked to stand in front of the slideshow. With as much time as he spent in his head, imagining conversations and speeches, Garrick would have assumed he’d be more ready to give one. Still, though, as he tried to start talking about his friend, he lost all ability to formulate sentences from his ideas.

  “We all loved Chase,” he lamented, fighting back the tears. “He was such a great friend – right to the end. He gave his life to save mine. And he deserves so much better than this, but if this is the best we can give him, I want to spend this time celebrating Chase’s life, not dwelling on his death.

  “Chase spent hours – days – working with me and Tyler to find a cure. He’d already done this by himself, and he knew that nothing would come of it, but he was there for me to help in a quest he knew was futile. His actions speak volumes for the kind of person he was.

  “I could tell hundreds of stories of days that he brightened. He had a way of finding a silver lining in anything bad I could come up with. Even when I tried to out-negative him and counter his retorts, there was always some way he turned every situation around. I don’t know how he did it, honestly, but that pure optimism just made him see this world without any flaws. Chase was a lot of things. He was a great friend – he was funny, kind, altruistic, but if I had only one word to describe the kind of person Chase was – it would simply be ‘good.’

  “I could sit and try to find any example – any mistake he made to try to prove myself wrong – but there is just nothing. The only mistake Chase made was trusting the wrong person, and I would give anything to take his place right now. But since I can’t, I just hope that all of us will let his example sit well with us. Because this world needs more people like him.”

  The next day, Garrick stood in Aldric’s basement, looking around at the others. The rest of the pack was gathered around a table with a variety of different weapons on it. It was an assortment of knives, bows, and guns that Garrick hoped he would never have the misfortune of seeing someone wield against him. Aldric stood at the head of the table, holding a small knife in his hand. Tyler, who had never seen the basement before, looked around in awe. There was nothing particularly impressive to Garrick in the room, but Tyler was probably just excited to be part of the group now.

  “Silver,” Aldric explained, spinning the knife and holding it up for the others to see. “They use this because it temporarily stunts our healing abilities.” That was something they all knew, and Garrick thought he may have been saying it for Tyler’s benefit. Garrick had explained that to him already. At this point, Tyler knew as much as Garrick about werewolves – and maybe more. Still, a lot of it was based on myths, so it was probably best to just rebuild his knowledge from the start anyway.

  If Tyler was going to be a target for the hunters based on his knowledge, they had two options. The first was to make sure he had absolutely no knowledge, leaving the hunters with nothing they can extort from Tyler. Since Garrick had already made that plan impossible, they had to go with the second option. Arm him with enough knowledge and weaponry to fight if he had to defend himself.

  Aldric explained wolfsbane to the group, and they responded practically the exact same way Garrick had. Tyler, suddenly understanding everything that had happened with Samantha, slapped his forehead with an open hand. He turned to Garrick to explain it, but Garrick just nodded, indicating that he already knew.

  “They only use guns in three circumstances,” Aldric said. “The first is when they’re completely desperate, and you’ve gotten rid of the rest of their arms. You see, the gun isn’t incredibly effective against us, because we can typically just heal from a bullet wound.”

  “What if the bullet gets lodged?” Cailean inquired. The amount of interest he had was almost frightening. He was staring intently, desperately absorbing every word that came out of Aldric’s mouth.

  “Your body will reject it. It can just push the bullet out, given the size. Typically, while healing, the foreign object will just be forced out.” Cailean nodded, showing his understanding. His eyes were alight. Garrick assumed it was just because he was appreciative to finally have all of this new information about his enemy. He had heard about the hunters much longer than Garrick had, but even he didn’t know the first thing about them.

  “They also use guns, though, when they’ve already hit you with the silver blades. Since your healing is weakened, a gun can do much more damage.”

  That made perfect sense to Garrick. It also cleared up why Samantha had aimed a gun at him. They didn’t need to use her uncle’s crossbow when he was already too weak to heal. A gun would be faster.

  “What’s the third reason?” Tyler spoke up. He was quieter than he usually was, and Garrick got the sense that he didn’t quite feel like he belonged. Maybe he just didn’t feel safe. Aldric had that effect on others of his own kind, so it was probably even more intimidating for a human.

  “You,” Aldric responded bluntly. “Humans will die from one bullet. So, if there are any of them who want to help our kind, they can dispose of them with a gun.”

  “Perfect,” Tyler muttered under his breath.

  “In terms of ranged weapons, they will mostly use bows or crossbows,” Aldric continued. He didn’t even pause for a minute to try to give Tyler the smallest amount of reassurance. After waiting so long to explain anything to the pack, he was apparently treating this as a crash course, and he had to stay focused. That was probably for the best. Tyler had found himself in a nearly hopeless situation, so reassurance wasn’t what he needed at that time. The only thing that would help was learning how to deal with what he was up against.

  “We can heal from those wounds just as easily, of course. The wound will close mostly around the arrow, but that still leaves a large injury that can’t recover until the weapon is removed. Your options here are to fight through the pain and tear it out instantly, or wait until after the fight. If you let it heal, then remove it, you’ll be reopening a wound, and there is no point in granting them another opening.”

  Aldric didn’t have to explain it too much. Since the arrow would pierce all the way through them, their bodies wouldn’t be able to just push them out. Even if it just lodged itself, it had more mass and a larger circumference than a bullet, so it wasn’t as easy to just force out. They would have to remove an arrow before they could fully heal from the wound. And a mass of arrows could mean enough wounds that even a werewolf would succumb to the blood loss.

  “Why?” Brooke finally asked the question on everyone’s mind. There was a general understanding between all of them that the hunters just wanted all of their kind dead, but it didn’t make sense. Why not just try to corral them or something? Help them change in a safer way? Keep tabs on them and only kill the ones that were actively hurting people? Genocide was never a rational answer.

  Even Garrick, who saw himself as a monster, couldn’t understand the logic behind killing all of them. His own pack was made up of five innocent people, four of whom weren’t even twenty years old. They had issues on one night of every month, and he believed that they should be focusing on a way to keep that from hurting anyone. But did that really mean that every single one of them deserved to die?

  “They all have their reasons,” Aldric said. “Some were raised by hunters and taught that we are
all monsters. Some are extremists who believe that we are abominations, an unacceptable mixture of man and beast. Some lost families to a wolf and begin to believe that all should pay for the sins of one. Their logic behind what they do isn’t what’s important. What is important is that it is happening, and we must be prepared.”

  “What else should we know?” Hayden pitched in, trying to gather as much information as possible.

  “I’m currently working on collecting all of the information I’ve been given or have gathered in a more orderly fashion. For now, I’ve covered everything that is extremely pertinent for you all to know.”

  “So, now we get to fight?” Cailean stood, a little too excited. He slammed his fist into his other hand in a showy display.

  “Yes,” Aldric said. They had all learned how to fight off attackers, just in case of this. Aldric had taught them multiple forms of martial arts over the years, but it was always just a few defensive tactics meant to escape or de-escalate a situation. Cailean had tried to spar more often, but Aldric was rarely a part of that. Now, however, there was a clear sense of urgency, and Aldric wasn’t going to stand back. It was apparent that he intended to take a more active role in their training. Garrick knew that this meant more running and more fighting, probably every day for the foreseeable future. After what he had experienced a few days ago, he didn’t have a problem with that. He actually welcomed it.

  “Brooke and Hayden,” he said as he motioned his head to one of the mats he’d set up. Throughout their training, Aldric had expelled any notion that the two of them should always spar due to their gender. They had all given each other significant amounts of bruises, and hunters wouldn’t attempt to keep any societal standard. Anyway, Garrick knew for a fact that both of them could outmatch him in an instant. The only reason Aldric paired them up this time, Garrick assumed, was because their fighting skills as humans were relatively equally matched. He guessed that meant he was with Cailean. At least it would force him to push himself. Pairing the best up with the worst had always been Aldric’s way of training Garrick. Garrick had always preferred working with Chase, but maybe that was because his friend had taken it easy on him.

  “Tyler, you’re with Cailean,” he directed as he pointed to another mat.

  “What?” Cailean groaned, deflated.

  “He’s the farthest behind,” Aldric explained. That was an understatement. “And I trust you the most to be able to hold back. I want you to teach him everything you know. And try not to kill him.”

  Tyler was visibly terrified, and Cailean looked annoyed, but the two of them marched over to where Aldric had told them to go. It made sense to put the two of them together. Cailean wouldn’t take any pity on Tyler, but he was also the best at channeling his strength, and he would be able to stop himself from doing any serious damage. Cailean punched Tyler in the stomach the second they stopped at the mat. Tyler doubled over and fell to his knees.

  “Lesson one,” he said over Tyler’s fit of coughing. “Always keep your guard up.”

  Whatever could be said about Cailean, Garrick couldn’t deny that he was a good teacher. He’d always pushed Garrick, but never beyond what he knew he could handle. Even when Garrick himself wasn’t sure he was able to push anymore. He would even hold back when they sparred, practically every time Garrick could remember, and pretend that he wasn’t.

  “What about me?” Garrick asked, concerned that he already knew the answer.

  “We all know you’re the weakest wolf, Elliott” Aldric started. That was a great way to start the sentence.

  Thanks for the confidence boost, Garrick thought.

  “And you’re probably the worst fighter here. Excluding your friend, of course.”

  Cruel, he thought, feeling deflated. But fair.

  “You, Elliott, get me.”

  Garrick sighed, his fears confirmed. Trying to avoid displaying his general fear or concern, he stood tall and met Aldric on the mat. The two of them stood, facing each other, as the other pairs were already fighting behind them. Aldric smirked, searching Garrick’s eyes for any sign of his first action.

  “When do we start?” Garrick asked. Aldric smirked, opening his mouth for an answer, but Garrick threw a left hook, trying to take advantage of the element of surprise to get the first hit. He had never actually fought him before, but he was still intimidated. He thought if he could get a hit in, he’d impress Aldric – even if it was the only hit he landed.

  Aldric weaved backward, avoiding the attack. Garrick hadn’t planned a follow-up, and he wasn’t prepared when Aldric drove his open palm into his chest, knocking him back. Garrick stumbled backward, barely able to maintain his balance. He rushed in again, throwing a fake to Aldric’s face and a punch to his ribs. Aldric didn’t flinch at all from the fake, apparently able to see through Garrick’s ruse. Aldric caught the punch, twisted Garrick’s arm around, and kicked him toward the wall all in one smooth motion. Garrick’s face slammed against the wall. He was almost positive he had broken his nose, but he just turned back around and wiped the blood with the back of his hand. He refused to go down that easily. He was determined to become stronger, and this was just the first step.

  He ran back to Aldric and threw a few more punches, all of which Aldric easily deflected. He brought his knee toward Aldric’s stomach, and the man just stepped to the side and swept his leg under the one that Garrick was standing on. Garrick fell back, slamming his head into the mat as he landed. He jumped to his feet and faced Aldric again.

  Garrick threw another punch, and Aldric leaned back, avoiding the blow. When he came forward, he brought his fist full force into Garrick’s stomach.

  Aldric fought very defensively. He was an expert at avoiding getting hit, as well as using Garrick’s own momentum as a weapon. Garrick had hoped that meant that he wasn’t as strong as he looked. As Aldric connect that punch, however, Garrick realized that was not the case.

  Garrick flew across the room and hit his back against the wall. His head slammed into the wall, and the world went dark.

  After what was probably not more than a few seconds, Aldric was reaching a hand out to help him up. He couldn’t see straight. He tried to accept Aldric’s hand, but he ended up reaching out to the air.

  Aldric grabbed Garrick’s arm and pulled him to his feet. Garrick could feel his body repairing from what was obviously a concussion. He leaned against the wall and waited for his breathing to slow down and for his double vision to return to normal.

  He noticed that the others were still sparring. Hayden and Brooke were employing everything Cailean had taught them to try to get the best of each other. They ducked, weaved, and dodged, each landing a few good hits on their opponent.

  Tyler looked beaten up. He was panting heavily, but he didn’t stop. Cailean, of course, didn’t have a single mark on him. But Garrick saw Cailean stumble backward a step when Tyler landed a hit to his jaw. Cailean, seeing that Garrick was defeated, apparently decided it was time for his own fight to end as well. Tyler ran toward his opponent, but Cailean stepped to the side and pushed Tyler against the wall. Dazed, Tyler stumbled back, and Cailean caught him in a headlock.

  Aldric stood in front of Garrick as he watched the others – completely silent as he watched them all fight, judging their skills. Garrick assumed the only thing which could possibly be running through Aldric’s mind at that moment was how much work he had to do. Even Cailean, as good as he was, was nowhere near Aldric’s fighting skill. If he was right, and the hunters grew up believing they had to kill werewolves, they would be training for their entire lives. Aldric was trying to whip a group of people together in a month – if they even had that long. There was no guarantee the rest of the hunters would wait until the next full moon to come after them, given that they had the option of wolfsbane.

  Garrick, however, took his focus off of the fighting in front of him. He turned his full attention to Aldric. Lesson one, he thought, remembering what Cailean had taught him. Always keep your guard up
.

  He wrapped his arm around Aldric’s neck and tucked his hand into the crook of his elbow, making sure his hands weren’t available for Aldric to grab.

  Before any feelings of pride could make their way to Garrick’s mind, he was flying through the air. Aldric had slipped from the hold as he flipped Garrick over his head. Garrick’s back slammed against the ground, since they were no longer on the mat, and his breath was knocked out of him. So much for that plan.

  “Nice try,” Aldric commended. Garrick, disappointed, just gasped for air. He definitely had a long way to go.

  Chapter 13

  Fourteen months ago

  Garrick was leaning his back against the wall, trying to look as if he were occupied. He held his phone, occasionally tapping random buttons. It was only 11:43, and he had 17 minutes left of lunch. He didn’t feel up to sitting with Tyler. He could barely keep himself together already, and Garrick was someone that would much rather be alone when upset. As much as he loved spending time with his best friend, he knew he couldn’t hide his emotions, and Tyler would try to cheer him up. Garrick wasn’t quite ready for that.

  He stood by the gym, hidden behind the building, where he could be alone. No one was supposed to be that far from the cafeteria at lunch, but he had snuck around the security guards. They didn’t usually ask for hall passes from people who looked like they had a reason to be wandering around.

  So Garrick tried his best to keep himself busy. Aside from just hoping to appear busy and avoid looking like the miserable wreck he was, he assumed that finding a distraction would actually help him a bit. It had only been a few days since his break up with Hayden, and he was still completely torn up about it. Well, break-up wasn’t the right word. He hoped. He had only seen her once, and she was with Cailean, during those past few days – and that just served to make him feel even worse. Garrick wanted to trust her, but it didn’t look good, and he wasn’t going to allow himself to be made a fool.