Cursed

by Brent Miller

  “We had been.”

  “But when he didn’t go, you weren’t at all surprised?”

  “I told you, I didn’t think anything of it.”

  “I think you’re hiding something from me.”

  “Why would I?” Garrick questioned, anger starting to take the place of pain in his voice. “Chase was one of my best friends, and he’s gone. I don’t know where he is. If there was anything, absolutely anything at all that I could do to help you find him, I would. All I want is to get my friend back! There’s just nothing more I can tell you. I’m sorry.”

  A tear dropped from Garrick’s eye, and he looked down, unable to maintain eye contact any longer. He closed his eyes, wiping away the tears. His interrogator’s response was a single word.

  “Was?” Cailean asked.

  “Oh, come on!” Garrick groaned.

  “It was pretty good,” Cailean admitted. “But it wasn’t perfect. And it needs to be.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “I’m serious, Garrick. You think that if I caught it, a cop wouldn’t?”

  “Honestly, I think you’re harder to lie to than the entire justice system combined.”

  “Probably. But you have to practice harder than you play, right?”

  “Okay. I’m going to go home. I’ll practice in front of the mirror tonight, and I’ll be back at one tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good,” Cailean accepted. “Work on your word choice. You’ll get there.”

  “I know,” Garrick replied as he left. For some reason, knowing that he was becoming a good liar wasn’t actually a comforting thought.

  “Good job in there,” Hayden complimented Garrick as he walked outside of Aldric’s house. Without turning to look at him, she’d either recognized his footsteps or correctly assumed his identity. Hayden sat on the porch, leaning against the wooden post on the stair next to her. Garrick walked toward her and sat next to her on the stairs, placing a hand gently on her knee.

  “Were you waiting for me?” he asked.

  “I wanted to talk,” she indirectly answered his question.

  “Obviously,” he laughed. “What’s up?”

  “You didn’t kiss me in there,” she started, sounding confused. Rather than once again pointing out the fact that he was well aware of the validity of the sentence, he just let her finish her thought. “I wanted you to. Why didn’t you?”

  “I’ve been trying to give you space. And I didn’t want to do something that might push you away because it seemed like a good idea in the moment.

  “It might have,” she acknowledged with a quiet laugh. “I don’t know if I am okay with what happened, Garrick. I would never kiss someone else. I couldn’t.”

  “I know,” he admitted.

  “But I hate being without you.”

  “It’s just…” Garrick started. He fumbled for words, but nothing came to mind. Honesty was the hardest thing he could imagine. He couldn’t force himself to say what was on his mind, because he didn’t want to make their situation worse. Nonetheless, he was always bad at bottling up his feelings, and he didn’t want to start resenting her either. He couldn’t pretend he was the only one who’d made mistakes.

  “What?”

  “I needed you there, Hayden. I needed you with me. I was alone, and you chose to support Aldric.”

  “I –”

  “I know he’s your alpha. I know that I wasn’t right. You made the smart choice, and I’m terrified to think of what could have happened to you if you’d been with me.”

  “You think I don’t think about it? What might have happened to us? Maybe the three of us would have been enough…”

  “No. No, we still wouldn’t have been ready,” Garrick admitted, beginning to lose track of which side he was supporting. He thought she should have been there, but he was glad she hadn’t been in danger.

  “You can’t know that.”

  “I do. I do, Hayden. We had never seen hunters before; I had no idea what to look for.”

  “Garrick,” she forced herself to continue talking, although emotion was overwhelming her.

  “I know it doesn’t make what I did better,” he admitted, “but you hurt me. You walked away when I needed you.”

  “If I had been with you, you wouldn’t have fallen for her trap. Your plan would have worked,” she finally explained. Garrick felt physically ill – as if all of the air had been ripped from his lungs. He hadn’t thought about that. Technically, she wasn’t wrong. It didn’t by any means make everything that had happened her fault, but that was clearly what was weighing her down. She wasn’t having trouble forgiving him, but rather herself.

  “Hayden, don’t for one-second start blaming yourself for this, do you hear me?”

  “You just told me it was my fault,” she laughed sadly.

  “No. Our relationship had some difficulties. I messed up, but I think we both played a part in that. But what happened to Chase, you can’t blame yourself. Anyway, Samantha was already suspicious because she’d seen me in the coffee shop so often. She would have found her chance to pounce. This had nothing to do with you.”

  She was silent for a moment, processing what he’d said. Garrick could tell that it resonated with her. It wasn’t much, but it seemed to be exactly what she needed to hear. Then, her expression shifted, and she fell forward and started sobbing again.

  “I’m so sorry,” she cried. Garrick hadn’t wanted to play the victim, and his intention wasn’t to make her cry. It wasn’t her fault he’d let things get out of hand, but he was so tired of acting as though he were the only one with any part in their struggles. Loyalty meant more to him than anything, and he acknowledged that he’d broken that loyalty, but so had she. “I don’t ever want to hurt you again, Garrick. I want to be with you – by your side. You’re the person I chose. I respect you, and I trust you. I’m so sorry I didn’t show that. I’m sorry I trusted Aldric more.”

  “I know. Stand up,” he instructed. She clearly didn’t want to, but he stood and gently pulled at her arm until she stood with him. Although he attempted to look into her eyes, she diverted them. Somehow, she seemed to be ashamed, convinced she was the only person who’d messed up. He hadn’t realized what was going through her head – or that she’d already started blaming herself. Hearing Garrick say he felt betrayed only gave more fuel to that fire.

  “I messed up. I know I’ve said it one hundred times, but I really thought we were friends. Still, I wasn’t clear enough. I pushed her away, Hayden, I swear that much to you. But I shouldn’t have had to. I should have seen it. And I don’t deserve it, but I want a second chance.” Tears started to grow in his eyes too as he looked at her. She still refused to look up at him, and he was afraid he’d truly lost her.

  “Oh yeah?” she sniffled quietly.

  “I’m not really sure which part you’re questioning, but yes,” Garrick laughed.

  “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

  “I had no idea this has all been on your mind for so long, Hayden. I thought you were just mad at me, so I tried giving you space. I should have been there to help you work through this.”

  “I guess we’re kinda even on that front,” she tried to smile, but was still overridden with guilt and sadness.

  “Look at me,” Garrick commanded. She refused to look up, so he placed a hand on her chin and gently lifted her head. When she saw his eyes, he smiled at her, and even through the tears, she managed to smile back.

  “We’re going to get through this. We’re going to get through everything. But from now on, we have to do it together. No matter what.”

  “I like that,” she responded. Garrick stepped back, holding her hands and admiring her in the dim light from the porch. Clearly embarrassed at the attention, Hayden smiled and looked down.

  “If you would allow it,” Garrick began. “I would like to take you out for a milkshake.”

  “Milkshakes?” she asked. Their first date had been going out and getting milkshakes at a local diner.
It was the first date Garrick had ever been on, and he hadn’t really known what to suggest, so he went with the thing he’d seen in the most movies. That cliché date had become the best night of his life.

  “Well of course. They’re a dessert similar to ice cream, but blended into a delicious drinkable form. It really is quite ingenious.”

  “Well that sounds delightful. It would be my pleasure to accompany you to this shaking of milk,” she laughed. Her eyes began to light up, and the sorrow drained away.

  “The pleasure is all mine,” Garrick told her, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing the back of it. She smiled and made an exaggerated gesture, bending one knee and waving her other hand at him. Even in her sweat pants and damp navy blue T-shirt, she looked adorable.

  “So it’s a date. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at 4?”

  “I’ll make you wait until five,” she laughed.

  “At least your brother won’t be there this time. That was intimidating.”

  “You could probably take him. Somehow I feel like you have an unfair advantage.”

  Garrick laughed, glad to see her smiling and joking with him again. Standing on the porch and holding her hands, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her. Garrick leaned forward, and she met him halfway. As she closed her eyes, Garrick kissed her gently on the forehead. Regardless of how much he wanted it, Garrick decided to save that magical moment for the recreation of their first date.

  Chapter 19

  Thirteen months ago

  Confident he wouldn’t have been able to handle a full day of mind-numbing classes, Garrick was grateful the full moon fell on a Saturday. That allowed him to sit on his bed all day and just anticipate the night to come.

  Over the past week, Hayden and Chase had repeatedly assured him things would get easier after his first change. If they were wrong, he was sure he’d lose his mind. Garrick couldn’t handle the sensory overload that came with his new curse.

  When night finally came, Garrick met the pack at the edge of the woods. He followed Aldric through the tree line as they hiked to some dark, secluded location where Aldric assured them they wouldn’t find campers. Most of the pack stripped, preparing. Knowing Garrick would be uncomfortable, Hayden pulled him to the side and took him somewhere near the others, but not within their line of sight.

  “Thanks,” he sighed.

  “Of course,” she smiled. Hayden took her shirt off and placed it in her bag, and Garrick stared at her, mesmerized. A realization pulled his attention away from her, though. They were supposed to bring bags. Even with the frequent reminders the others had given him, Garrick had forgotten his bag at home. Concerned this was an important piece of information, he started to panic.

  “Garrick,” Hayden comforted, placing her hands on his shoulders. Sensing his very apparent discomfort, she gazed into his eyes. “Calm down.” For the first time since he had met her, that didn’t work at all.

  “I don’t think that’s going to help,” he groaned. His face still facing hers, Garrick glanced at her bag in order to explain the dilemma. She just laughed and turned around.

  “Just put your clothes in here,” she offered, lifting her bag and waving it through the air. Then she set it back on the ground and took off her shorts, placing them in the bag too. Hesitant, Garrick stood, trying not to appear to be staring at her, but failing miserably. Regardless of how many times he’d seen it, her body still took his breath away. Yet, no matter how many times she’d seen his, he was embarrassed by it. Patient, she just looked back at him.

  “Want me to pose?” she joked. Garrick looked down, ashamed that his shameless staring had been detected. With a sigh, he removed his clothes and placed them in the bag as well. Garrick wondered if his internal body temperature skyrocketed near the change, because the freezing air outside had little impact on him.

  Trying not to return his gaze to Hayden, Garrick watched as the moon climbed into the sky. Hayden screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Her screams filled him with pain, and he wanted to help in any way he could, but there was nothing he could do. Garrick just watched as she became the wolf he’d seen a month before.

  Garrick took a few steps back, but then he himself pitched forward and dropped to the ground. He had never felt such excruciating pain in his life. Agony tore through his body as each bone individually broke, and he felt as though every pain receptor fired as his body changed shape. Within a few seconds, he was unconscious.

  Garrick woke up lying on the ground. Unable to remember where he was, he looked around the area, surprised to see trees. As he stirred more, leaving his half-asleep state, he started to remember why he was there. He couldn’t recall a single event from the night after Hayden had pulled him away from the others, though. The night had passed as quickly as a sound sleep.

  Hayden walked up to him, holding his clothes in her hands. She handed them to him and he groaned as he stood to put them on. He had expected more aching in his muscles, but he didn’t actually feel any fatigue whatsoever. Before he could ask Hayden if that was normal, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked.

  “I’m okay,” he acknowledged, surprised by how amazing he felt. The incessant ringing in his ears which had been there the previous day had vanished. His sense of smell wasn’t bombarded with individual components of his surroundings, and his sight had stabilized, so the sunlight all around him wasn’t as blinding.

  “I can still hear too well,” he complained. Garrick wondered if he was the first person to ever experience that problem. If not, it was definitely a rare issue.

  “Well,” she hesitated. “That is always going to happen. Our senses get better closer to the full moon. It’s never going to be as bad as it was before, though.”

  “Yeah,” Garrick accepted. After thinking for a moment, he added, “I think I could actually learn to like this.” It was just enough enhancement without the terrible side effects. He could hear Hayden’s heart beating if he focused all of his effort on it, but as soon as he stopped trying, it faded away.

  “I hope so,” she consoled with a sad smile. Hayden’s eyes were still downcast and filled with guilt.

  “Hey,” he told her, holding her face gently in his hands. “This isn’t your fault. I remember what happened. You saved me.”

  “I know,” she admitted. “But I wish I had just told you. If I hadn’t hidden anything from you, you wouldn’t have been out here.”

  “And I should have trusted you,” he responded. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t try to turn this around, Garrick Elliott.”

  “Alright, then how about we compromise. We were both horrible people, and from now on, we don’t lie to each other or hide things ever again. And, in return, we both trust each other completely.”

  “Sounds easy enough,” she laughed. He was happy that he brought the smile back to her face. She kissed him and took his hand, pulling him away as she said, “Come on, we should find the others.”

  Present

  20 Days Until the Full Moon

  Garrick sat on the couch, his feet up on the coffee table as he thumbed through yet another book. He wasn’t fully invested, though, because his conversations with Aldric had convinced him that he was fighting a futile battle. Still, he skimmed through the book, looking for any mention of controlling the wolf. A knock on the door resounded thunderously throughout the house, and Garrick jumped to his feet. His mom had worked a late shift, so he was trying to keep the noise to a minimum. The person at the door clearly had no regard for that wish.

  As he opened the door, his heart nearly exploded. Even with all his preparation, he couldn’t have possibly been ready for the two uniformed police officers standing on his doorstep. Garrick tried to play off his panic as confusion mixed with a bit of annoyance.

  “Hello officers,” he whispered. “Are you looking for my mom?”

  “No, actually,” one of them answered, not matching Garrick’s volume level. He h
ad already known that much, but it was best to ask. Though his main goal was to throw off suspicion, it also gave him a moment to hope he was wrong about their intention. “We’re here for you.”

  “Okay,” Garrick responded, confusion clear both on his face and in his voice as he elongated the word. “How can I help you?”

  “We’d like to ask you a few questions.”

  “My Mom is sleeping right now, can we step outside?”

  “I think this conversation would be better to have at the station.”

  “I’m sorry,” Garrick hesitated. “Have I done something wrong?”

  “I’m not sure yet.”

  Garrick’s mom opened her bedroom door and walked toward them, yawning and stretching. When she saw the officers, her demeanor changed completely as she walked up to Garrick and nudged him out of the way. Glaring at the officers, she stood between them and her son.

  “Is there a problem officers?”

  “No, Detective,” the other policeman answered. “We just have a few questions for your son.”

  “I handled that.”

  “With all due respect, I’m not sure you’re the best for the job. There’s a reason we don’t interrogate family.”

  “This isn’t an interrogation,” she snapped. “He’s not a suspect of anything. And there are no grounds for arrest.”

  “I apologize. You’re right. We just have a few questions, and we would like to ask them in a… different environment.”

  “My son told me what he knows. This is my case, and I want him out of it.”

  “Actually, Detective Elliott, it isn’t. In light of the discovered text messages, the chief decided that you had a conflict of interest.” Garrick was surprised to hear that. Those were found days ago – why would they only be bringing it up then? Unless the investigation was taking a turn for the worse.

  “You’re off the case, and Detective Langston would like to speak with Garrick back at the station.”

  “Is my son under arrest?”

  “No.”

  “Then I’m going to have to ask you to leave my property, and leave my son alone.”