Cursed

by Brent Miller

  “A new wolf is a walking target,” Cailean had told him. “The sudden changes in physicality are the most obvious warning sign to any hunter.”

  “So what do you want me to do about it?” Garrick had asked.

  “Just cover as much as you can for now. I’ll take you to the gym, almost make a scene of it. Everyone with any interest will know that I’m training you, and that way it will at least be believable when you don’t look like a scrawny geek anymore.”

  “Thanks.” Given that it was the closest thing to a compliment Garrick had ever received from Cailean, he chose to accept it.

  The intense training regimen involved practically every machine in the building, lasted for two hours, and took place seven days of the week. It wasn’t the intensity of the workout which bothered Garrick – because that was actually easy to handle. With his newfound strength, it took a lot more to push his limits than he’d thought. Anyway, Cailean had made the point that Garrick had to start off small, so the workout itself was a breeze. Spending two hours of his day on repetitive tasks with Cailean, though, was more difficult.

  “You’re late, Garrick,” Cailean scolded as Garrick entered the gym.

  “No, I’m on time.”

  “On time is late.”

  “Right,” Garrick sighed.

  “Early is late.”

  “Then when is on time?”

  “Whenever I say it is.”

  “But that means you can just always tell me I’m late.”

  “You’re getting it,” Cailean smirked, patting Garrick on the shoulder. Realizing that was Cailean’s idea of a joke, Garrick laughed and loosened up a bit. He was grateful that Cailean wasn’t as completely unbearable as he’d once been. Though he was a jerk to most people, he was very supportive of his pack, and he was willing to spend so much time training Garrick even though it didn’t help himself at all. It was possible that it would help protect him from hunters, but that wasn’t guaranteed, so it was really for Garrick’s benefit.

  They walked to the locker room so Cailean could change. Garrick still felt self-conscious changing in front of others, so he always made sure to change at home. That was better because in case hunters were present, they wouldn’t see his rapid change. In the mirror at home, Garrick was able to see more definition daily – results far beyond anything a human could achieve.

  He hadn’t been able to bench the bar, which was fifty pounds, before he was scratched. After two weeks with Cailean, he was already at 180 pounds. He’d also put on twenty pounds of muscle, but he was able to hide it effectively with his clothing options. Thankfully, his build was still similar, and with Cailean’s guidance concerning the amount of weight he should be lifting, he was focusing on definition rather than bulking up. Between the light workouts and the rapid healing of the wolf, Garrick was seeing his strength and endurance reach levels he hadn’t thought possible. Still, there was always room to improve. As Cailean had put it, Garrick was one of the strongest people he knew; but by far the weakest werewolf.

  “You still have to work for it,” Cailean explained as he led Garrick to the treadmill. They always started and ended with Cailean’s version of light cardio. “Not this hard forever, of course, but you have to exercise just like anyone else. We just happen to be in a bit of a different league.”

  Cailean started his treadmill and watched as Garrick started his, setting it to the maximum speed and incline. After ten minutes, Garrick could feel his legs protesting – seconds away from simply refusing to work anymore. When he was sure he couldn’t push himself anymore, he stopped the treadmill and took about thirty seconds to catch his breath. Unable to convince his body to stand, Garrick sat on the edge of the treadmill, breathing heavily. Within one minute, his legs were completely restored.

  “Better,” Cailean offered as his own treadmill slowed down. “Not good, but better.”

  Offering a hand, he helped Garrick to his feet and the pair walked to the next machine.

  Present

  Morning of the full moon

  The ringing of the bell resounded in Garrick’s ears, deafening him regardless of how hard he bit his lip. As the classroom emptied, Garrick allowed himself to heal as he rubbed his temples. Once his equilibrium had been restored, he stood and slung his backpack over his shoulder.

  Aldric had reluctantly accepted the only viable solution – changing in his basement – until they discovered a better alternative. Over the past week, Garrick and Cailean had helped Aldric clean anything that could potentially be destroyed from the basement. They’d also installed more locks on the door, but the pack was mostly depending on the stairs to contain the wolves.

  Hayden walked by Garrick in the hall, brushing her hand against him and turning to give him a smile. As she continued to walk, he reached out and caught her arm, pulling her back playfully. That earned them a few eye rolls from fellow students who passed them in the halls.

  “Hey,” he greeted, pulling her close and leaning against the wall, trying to stay out of the way of other students – but not unhappy with the side-effect of being closer to Hayden.

  “Hey yourself,” she smiled.

  “What time were you planning on going over to Aldric’s tonight?” he inquired, trying to focus on important matters. He assumed she’d want to go with him, but he wanted to get there early so he could have a few minutes to spar with Aldric. They’d fought every day since training began, but Garrick hadn’t won once. He wasn’t planning on giving up until he could.

  “Well,” she teased coquettishly, grazing her finger across his chest, “I was planning on going to your house after school. Thought I’d just go with you.”

  He smiled but didn’t respond – unintentionally hesitating. Though he should have been used to her behavior near the full moon, it still threw him off guard when she was so forward. That type of behavior always instilled a split reaction in him. It was something he liked occasionally, but it was more often than not fueled by her wolf. That was something he tried to fight out of himself every day of his life, and he didn’t want to support its blatant command over her emotions.

  “If that’s alright with you,” she added. While he realized it was more than possible he’d waited too long for an answer, Garrick also knew Hayden shouldn’t have expected any different response. He decided that he was done fighting the wolf, though. Link or no link, he refused to keep fighting a losing battle – one which put the people he cared about at risk.

  “Alright,” he accepted, sealing their agreement with a kiss.

  The two of them stood in the hall for another few seconds before the bell rang again. Garrick nodded as she mumbled something about getting to class. He watched her hips sway as she walked away before he rushed off himself. Garrick slipped into class a minute late and quietly slid in a seat behind Tyler. He was thankful that the teacher didn’t make a big deal about his entry. Tyler was never that subtle, though. As soon as the teacher turned his back, Tyler turned to face Garrick with a cheesy grin.

  “It appears the honeymoon is back on, Garrick Elliott,” he whispered.

  “Yeah,” Garrick chuckled quietly. “I guess it is.”

  For a long while he had been annoyed with Tyler’s jokes about their perpetual ‘honeymoon phase,’ but after losing that closeness with her, he was pleased to have someone else noticing that things seemed right again.

  “Moving on then, what is the plan for this evening?” Tyler questioned.

  “Is this really the place to discuss that?” Garrick retorted.

  Tyler groaned – an exaggerated gesture – as he turned back around. Sinking back into his seat, he pulled out his phone and began very obviously texting under his desk.

  “What is the plan for this evening?” Garrick read after pulling out his own phone. All week, Tyler had been pressing for information about Garrick’s struggle against the wolf, and Garrick had just dodged the question. Everything he’d said about discontinuing his search for a cure was true. It was dangerous and all-e
ncompassing, and he didn’t want himself or Tyler to throw any more time away on that pointless mission. When it was so close, though, with a possible answer within his grasp, it was hard to deny.

  On the other hand, he was terrified that it wouldn’t work. If he allowed himself one more attempt and it failed him, it would be more crushing than if he simply decided that the endeavor wasn’t worth it. It might even make him feel like there should be one more try, and one more – falling into a typical gambler’s fallacy. He wasn’t sure he would ever be able to stop if he allowed himself one more chance at victory – and if he didn’t stop searching for a cure, Tyler wouldn’t back off either.

  “I’m done,” he sent back. “I’m just going to stop trying to fight it.”

  “Just like that, you’re going to surrender?”

  “I’m not giving up. I’m taking my destiny into my own hands.” That was the best way Garrick could summarize his thoughts. He could try to figure out whether or not this new idea would work, but then the answer either way would be another fate forced upon him. Instead, he was making the decision that he would be a werewolf, just like the others. He was deciding to stop fighting it.

  “Alright,” Tyler sent.

  “Are you mad?”

  “I think you’re making a grievous mistake, and it is painful to watch, but I will support your decision.”

  “Thanks.”

  Tyler sat up in his seat and put his phone away, taking out a notepad. Garrick did the same as he tried to convince himself that the decision he had made was the right one.

  Garrick rested in his bed with Hayden lying practically on top of him. Before allowing her head to collapse onto the pillow beside him, she showered his face with kisses. When she finally settled down, he silently turned his face toward her and admired her.

  She stared intently at him. There was something hidden beneath the loving gaze, and he couldn’t figure out what she was thinking. Slowly, she leaned toward his ear, as if she was going to whisper something to him – and she licked him.

  “Oh, come on,” Garrick groaned, laughing as he wiped her saliva from his cheek.

  “You know you like it.”

  “Oddly enough,” he laughed, “I don’t.”

  She gave him a sly smirk before licking him again.

  “Okay,” he told her as he got out of bed and quickly threw on his old jeans and wrinkled t-shirt. “You have sufficiently ruined the moment.”

  He wasn’t sure if she actually felt compelled to lick him or if she was just messing with him. If it was the latter, it was working. The others started exhibiting some qualities that the wolf would near the full moon. Since they were only hours from changing, she could very well just be acting on her wolf instincts, though her cheery laughing implied otherwise.

  By the time he turned back toward her, she was already dressed and tying her hair back in a ponytail. She walked over to him and draped her arms over his shoulders. He wrapped his around her waist and held her for a minute, searching her eyes for anything that made him question her humanity. She leaned forward, her mouth inches from his, and licked his nose.

  “Alright,” he complained, “you’re done.”

  “Aww, come on,” she whined, laughing. He threw his jacket over his shoulder and walked out of the room. Catching up with him, she nuzzled her head against his arm.

  “It’s just kisses,” she defended, solidifying his belief that she was egging him on. Following him to the door, she wrapped her arms around his. If he wanted to arrive at Aldric’s house early enough for a fight, Garrick had to be on his way soon, but he decided he still had a few minutes to spend with Hayden.

  He paused, pulling her to a stop. In one swift motion, he swept her up and walked a few paces to the couch, dropped her on the cushions, and pinned her down. Holding her arms to her sides, he licked her cheeks a few times as she laughed, trying to dodge him.

  Hayden broke free and easily rolled over, tossing Garrick to the floor. She stood and offered him a hand. Laughing, he accepted her help and she pulled him to his feet.

  “Truce?” he offered.

  “Yeah,” she agreed. He held out his hand, and she took it, quickly pulling it up toward her face and licking it. “Sealed with a kiss.”

  She winked at him.

  Maybe she had been right. If he wasn’t so scared of the wolf during the entire day of the full moon, it could still be a good day.

  Garrick strolled into Aldric’s house with Hayden a step behind him. Standing tall and puffing out his chest, he marched forward with as much feigned confidence as he could muster.

  “Why are we going so early?” Hayden complained, holding Garrick’s arm.

  “I’m going to challenge Aldric to another fight.”

  “Wow,” she groaned playfully, shaking her head.

  “I’m in the basement.” Although he couldn’t see him, Garrick recognized Aldric’s voice. He had forgotten that Aldric would be able to hear anything they said from anywhere in the house.

  “You are going to get beaten so badly,” Hayden laughed.

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he teased. She leaned up and kissed him.

  “Better?” she asked with a smile.

  “A little.”

  “Do you intend to flirt until the change or did you come early to challenge me, Elliott?” Aldric inquired from downstairs – though his voice seemed to be coming from close by. Garrick turned red as he walked down the stairs.

  Standing in the middle of the wooden floor was Aldric Phoenix. In an attempt to protect as much as possible from damage, they’d removed the mats. The flooring, however, was doomed. As a clear taunt, Aldric stood in the center of the floor, perfectly still, with his eyes closed. Garrick’s instinct was to use that to his advantage, but even on nights further from the moon, Garrick hadn’t managed to surprise Aldric from that stance.

  Cautiously, Garrick circled around Aldric, stepping as lightly as possible. As Aldric had taught them, he remained silent, giving Aldric no indication of his location. Hayden stood off to the side, and the stairs protested as Cailean climbed down them. Cailean had clearly found out what was happening and decided to enjoy watching Garrick get beat up and humiliated. From the corner of his eye, Garrick could see Cailean smirking, fully confident that his father would make a fool of Garrick. He was going to be seriously disappointed.

  As the creaking of the stairs faded, Garrick ducked down and faked a punch, pulling it back before it reached Aldric. Sensing the motion, Aldric dropped his hand and drove right through the air where Garrick’s hand would have been. Unprepared for the lack of contact, Aldric stumbled forward. Rising into the attack, Garrick landed an uppercut to Aldric’s jaw. Since he was fighting someone stronger than himself, Garrick didn’t hold anything back, and his punch was enough to launch Aldric off the ground and a few feet away.

  If he gave Aldric a second of leeway, he knew the old man would turn the fight around, so Garrick ran and threw a kick to his ribs. Aldric’s eyes shot open as he caught Garrick’s foot and pulled it to the side, throwing off Garrick’s balance. Jumping to his feet as Garrick fell, Aldric threw a scoop kick, narrowly missing Garrick as he rolled over his back shoulder and bounced back to his feet.

  Before Garrick could react, Aldric connected a punch to his ribs, shattering at least one. Biting down the pain, Garrick weaved under Aldric’s follow-up. He countered with a hook punch, but Aldric moved his head back just enough to avoid contact.

  Garrick caught Aldric’s next punch with one hand and twisted his wrist, stepping in and putting pressure on Aldric’s elbow with the other hand. With minimal reaction to the lock, Aldric used the fact that Garrick dropped his hands to punch him in the face with his free hand. Surprised, Garrick released his opponent, holding his broken nose as he stumbled back.

  Aldric tackled Garrick, but he relied too much on the thought that Garrick was stunned, so Garrick was able to surprise him and spin as they fell, landing on top of the larger man. With all hi
s weight, he pinned Aldric as Cailean, who had been silent before, began counting. In an attempt to inhibit Aldric’s movement, Garrick pinned both of his arms to the ground. He’d also positioned himself high enough to avoid any kicks, so he seemed to be in a powerful position.

  Then, Aldric bucked his hips, knocking Garrick off balance. Caught off guard as Aldric rolled over, Garrick was sent tumbling over, and he slammed his head onto the floor. Aldric was able to pin him easily after that, and it took a few more seconds for Garrick’s head to stop swimming.

  “You’re getting better,” Aldric offered, pride clear in his voice.

  “I’m not good enough yet,” Garrick countered, rising as Aldric released him.

  “The day you believe you are, Elliott, is the day your overconfidence kills you.”

  Hayden paced near the front door, alternating between checking her phone and glancing out the window as she bit her nails. With only about an hour left before the change, there was still no sign of Brooke, and the tension in the room was palpable.

  Sitting on the couch, Cailean tried to play calm – but Garrick knew him too well to believe his act. His face betrayed his worry as he too repeatedly checked his phone. Inside, Garrick knew he was reacting the same was Hayden was.

  Even Aldric was visibly uneasy as he stood in the corner of the room. He was their leader, and he typically played the role of assuring everyone everything was under control. In that moment, though, he wasn’t even making an attempt to hide his own concern.

  Garrick walked up behind Hayden and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. Leaning back into his arms, she tried to relax. It was clear that she wasn’t able to, though, because she still held her phone in one hand and chewed on the fingernails of the other.

  “Where is she?” she asked, as if assuming he actually would have an answer. Knowing the question wasn’t actually directed at him, Garrick stayed silent. Admitting that he was clueless had no way of making the situation any better at all.

  “Garrick,” she cried, trying to contain the tears. “Why isn’t she texting back?”