Her heart pounded in her chest as she walked towards the door, her flowing black skirt softly swishing with each step. Seeing her warped reflection in the glass, her eyes paused over the greenish bruise on her cheek. Faith heard the Alpha werewolf she injured call her assailant Hannah. It was a name she’d never forget.
Wincing as she tenderly touched her cheek, Faith was reminded of the fault in her charming abilityâit only worked on Alphas, not that Abel would ever let her forget that. This wasn’t the first time she was surprised by a shifter.
She didn’t even realize the pretty girl with auburn hair was a shapeshifter. Were her senses dulled because Hannah hadn’t completed her transition? Or was it because Faith was stunned by seeing eyes the same emerald shade as her own change to those of a shifter? They were questions she couldn’t answer.
What she did know was that she never met anyone with such green eyes before. And she knew if she told anyone they would think she was crazy, but she felt connected to her. She couldn’t get Hannah out of her head. She really didn’t care that Hannah attacked her, she deserved it. But she couldn’t help but wonder exactly who this girl was.
Faith spent her life looking for her family. She knew nothing about them except that her mother left her in the Our Lady of Faith maternity ward and never returned. As if the abandonment hadn’t been enough, the woman fought each time the state tried to terminate her rights to Faith, leaving her in a state of limbo in the foster care system.
Her mother couldn’t even be bothered to name her. Without a legal name, she was named after the hospital and the town she was born inâGalloway Township. Through the years the only thing she had that was genuinely hers was a silver pendant of a strange looking long necked bird. The social worker who handled her case told her it was left wrapped in the blanket with her. She clung to the hope the story was true and maybe it meant her mother would come back for her, but that never happened.
“Dammit, Faith! What’s taking you so long? You know better than to keep me waiting,” Abel growled from the other room.
A chill ran up her back and spurred her to move. Before she even realized what she was doing, Faith was outside the house on the small wooden porch. Rubbing her arms over the long thin black fabric of of her blouse, she considered stepping back inside to the warmth of the kitchen until she heard the soft yip of the coyote before Abel’s voice again.
“Get in here now, Faith!”
Abel’s voice shook the door and froze Faith. How did she let herself get into this situation? Why didn’t she just leave? Swallowing tears, she knew what the answer to her questions was, she loved him. But she was beginning to hate him too.
Faith didn’t think Abel would ever hurt her, but sometimes his words could slice into her worse than anything physical. It didn’t matter how many times she reminded herself it was really his animal spirit, Abel wasn’t the man she met fifteen years ago.
Ten Years Ago
“Faith? You awake?” Abel whispered into the darkness of their bedroom.
“No,” she said, “someone keeps talking.” She laughed and roll into the spot in his arm she called his nook.
“I’ve been wanting to ask you something since the day we met.”
She laughed again. “That was years ago. Why wait so long?”
“I don’t know,” Abel said. “Guess I know you well enough to know it was something you didn’t want to talk about.”
Faith didn’t answer right away. There were a lot of things she didn’t want to talk about, but if there was someone she could trust with the bullshit from her life it was him.
“What is it?” she asked, her stomach churned as she waited.
Abel shifted onto his side so both his arms were wrapped around her. She rested her head against his chest and listened to the timber of his voice as he spoke.
“When we first met you said you didn’t have a home. What did you mean by that? And why haven’t I met your family? Are you ashamed of me? Its because I’m a shifter, isn’t it?”
His hand lowered softly on her arm as he let go of her. She propped herself up on her elbow to look at him as he turned away from her.
“Are you crazy? I could never be ashamed of you,” she said then swallowed hard as she got up the courage for what she was going to say next. “You haven’t met my family because I haven’t met them either.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know them. I’ve never lived with them. I spent most of my life in and out of group homes or moving from one foster family to the next. That’s why when we first met it was so easy for me to stay with you all the time.”
He turned back towards her, his grey eyes burned so deeply she had to look away. Numb from never having a family to grow up with and knowing now that they would never appear, she didn’t have tears left.
“You don’t know anything about them?” he asked as his finger traced her cheek.
“Nothing. All I know is my mother left me at the hospital and couldn’t be bothered to give me a name. The only thing I have is this bird pendant.”
She lifted the silver charm hanging on a long chain around her neck. As he held it with the tips of his fingers he smiled. “This isn’t just any bird, its a crane. They’re all over down here. They love the water. Have you ever looked up the spiritual meaning for the crane?”
“Spiritual meaning? There’s enough crazy stuff that goes on in this town without my adding to it,” she said.
“The symbolism of the crane is to use your past as a source of strength for the present,” he said ignoring her.
“My past doesn’t give me any strength. If anything, its the opposite,” she said as she lowered her head. “I’ve been clinging to this dumb bird hoping it meant something, that maybe she’d come back for me or at least this stupid thing but nothing. She wouldn’t even sign her rights away so someone else could adopt me,” she said as a lump formed in her throat. “Why would anyone be so cruel?”
“I don’t know why people do the things they do, Faith,” he said, his voice soft. “I’m sorry you had such a hard life, but you’re with me now. I’m your family. You don’t need anyone else.”
He slipped his fingers behind her neck and pulled her head down to him. Slowly his lips moved against hers, and she relaxed back into his nook. As long as he loved her, she wouldn’t need anyone else in the world.
Present Day
“If Abel wants to, he can find me,” Faith said to herself as she headed into the woods.
She didn’t care if he went after her or not, she needed to get away. Even if it was just a few minutes. Since his pack had been captured by the Kapok Council, he changed again. Gone was the Abel she knew and clung to believing he still was, in his place was someone else. Someone she didn’t want to know.
Wrapping her arms around herself as she walked, she picked up her pace hoping to get her blood moving to warm her. Leaving the house on a cool night wasn’t the smartest thing she ever did, but at least the full moon shone through the thick trees and onto the forest floor. She had to count her blessings somewhere.
Seeing a path up ahead between the trees, she followed it wondering where it would lead. The dead grass was worn away to the dry sandy dirt below. The further she got from Abel, the slower her breath came and the tension left her body as she relaxed. She wasn’t shaking anymore and her heart didn’t ache as much. Taking in a deep breath, she felt calmer.
The path straightened as the moon slipped behind a cloud, making it harder to see. A woman with long black hair in a glowing white dress appeared down the path. She looked towards Faith, then turned around as if she heard something before running forward and disappearing into the trees. Without thinking Faith followed her, weaving between the trees, but she couldn’t keep up. The moon came out and lit the forest again and Faith found the path through the trees.
As she stepped back onto the path the woman appeared again, this time a little closer. She looked at Faith, then behind her again,
before running. Faith couldn’t tell if she was running out of fear or if she was playing a game with someone, but she needed to find out.
“Wait!” Faith called out as she reached the trees the woman disappeared into. The woods were too dark and thick for Faith to see and she wasn’t crazy enough to keep chasing her. The last thing she needed was to get lost, it didn’t matter how curious she was. As it slowly dawned on Faith that the woman might be a ghost, she turned around to look in the direction the woman kept turning towards and noticed a large clearing through the trees.
Snaking her way through into the clearing she looked up at the bright moon lighting the area. As she stepped towards the middle of the clearing the woman in white appeared again and smiled at her. Faith didn’t know what to think or expect. As a witch she should know something about the dead or even how to communicate with a ghost, but Faith wasn’t an ordinary witch. Magic and witchcraft meant nothing to her. She only became a witch for Abel.
Seven Years Ago
“Faith, I’m telling you,” Abel said, “with those eyes you must come from witch blood.”
“No, you’re nuts. The green eyes thing is just superstition, like red hair. And I don’t have red hair.”
“Just humor me. You don’t know anything about your family, don’t you think if you tried this out it could be a connection to them? Maybe a little hint into who you really are?”
Faith sighed. He always knew exactly what to say to get her to do things she didn’t want to. Despite Abel filling the spot of her family and always being there for her, it wasn’t enough. She desperately wanted to know something about her ancestors and the mother who abandoned her.
Flipping the silver crane around her fingers, she nodded slowly. “Fine, what do you want to do? Dunk me in water and see if I drown? Or light me on fire and see if I burn?”
“Very funny,” he said. “This isn’t the witch trials. You just need to focus and tell me what cards I’m holding up.”
Abel held out an ordinary deck of playing cards with a red swirl backing and handed them to her. Flipping through she didn’t notice anything odd, the cards felt normal. She held them up to the light and couldn’t see through them, and none of them looked any different from the other when the back of the card faced her.
After she handed the deck back to Abel he shuffled the cards and randomly picked one.
“Go on, concentrate on the card and tell me what you see,” he said.
She shook her head, sighed and rolled her eyes. “Fine…five of spades,” she said as she shrugged, not having a clue why she even chose that card.
“That’s it!” Abel said then turned the card around to face her.
He continued this through half the deck with Faith naming the card each time.
“That’s incredible! See, I knew you had it in you!”
Faith shook her head. “You’re bullshitting me. There’s no way I got them all right.”
“Think of all the things you can learn! Witches can communicate with the dead, they can affect the weather, and even communicate with animals. I bet you can learn charming.”
“What are you talking about? Are you getting me a kettle and a broom?”
“I’m serious, Faith. This is huge! I know some people. I bet they can teach you how to charm.” Abel paced the room. “Did I ever tell you about the crane curse? Maybe that’s what that crane around your neck is about. I remember reading once that in Leeds Point there was a crane curse going back hundreds of years. It had something to do with charming.” Abel continued excitedly. “I always thought it was a fairy tale or folklore like the Jersey Devil in these parts, but maybe there’s some truth to it. I’ll have to look it up. You know there’s a bit of truth in everything.”
Present Day
Faith looked at the woman smiling at her. She seemed more visible now, almost human. Her clothing were solid now too and Faith could see she wasn’t wearing a dress, she was in a white cotton nightgown.
As she stepped towards her the woman put her hand up towards Faith as if telling her to stop. Thinking about the teachings she underwent with Abel, the thing she learned most about witchcraft was that nothing ever worked unless she believed and concentrated on it.
Taking a deep breath, she summoned up her courage and spoke. “I’m Faith. Who are you?”
The woman smiled again. Her lips didn’t move but Faith heard her speak.
“I’m Miranda.”
A twig snapped in the surrounding forest and Miranda quickly changed into a white crane and flew up towards the sky before disappearing. Faith’s heart pounded in her chest as she watch the bird spread its wings across the night sky before fading into a passing cloud.
“You need to be more careful. You know the Council is looking for you,” Erich said as he stepped into the clearing, the moon reflecting off his naked body.
Faith forced herself to look away. She had a hard enough time being around him when he was dressed, it made her hate begin a human because of it. Erich was almost ten years younger than her, the last thing she wanted to do was act like a cougar.
“I needed some fresh air. If I get caught, I get caught. The Council are the good guys, they’re not going to hurt me. Besides, why is the Council after me? I came to them.”
“This is more complicated than you realize,” he said as he approached her.
“You have no idea what complicated is,” she said as she thought about begin in love with Abel yet despising him at the same time.
Faith continued to look into the sky wishing he would go away. Something about him made her feel weak and helpless, and although she’d never admit it, she liked it. Knowing that he was strong and would protect her made her feel safe and confident, but she’d never let him know that. Wrapping her arms around herself she rubbed her arms noticing the cold air again.
“Let’s get you home.”
“I can get home by myself. I don’t need your help.”
“Fine, suit yourself,” he said as he turned back towards the wooded area he stepped out of. He slowly sprouted dark brown fur, his body bulked up and widened furthered as he changed into a grizzly bear.
As he entered the woods, Faith realized she had no idea how to get back. She wasn’t sure if she could find the path again and even if she did she got so turned around from chasing Miranda that she wasn’t sure which way to go.
“Crap, wait! Erich!” she called out after him before running towards the forest.
With his eyes glowing, the large bear peeked his head out of the woods and studied her. Having lived with Abel for so long, the habits of shifters remaining in animal form with their glowing eyes didn’t bother her. What did was when they looked at her cocky like the bear did now. If it was daylight she’d tell him to go to hell and she’d wander the woods until she found the house. She didn’t have a choice though at night.
“I don’t know how to get back.”
The bear snorted at her and re-entered the clearing. Gently bumping her with his side she climbed on the massive animal and clutched his fur between white knuckles as he trotted into the forest.
His fur was softer and thicker than she imagined. Wrapping her arms as best she could around his tremendous neck, she rode as he weaved his way through the trees. As she bounced along, Faith couldn’t help but think how absurd it was that she was riding on top of such a dangerous animal. If Abel knew…
She let go and fell hard onto her side on the ground. As her temple hit the exposed root of a large pine tree, everything went black.
“Faith, wake up. Faith?”
She thought she was blinking but she couldn’t see anything. Was she awake? Asleep? She heard Erich’s voice calling her, felt the heat from his hand against her cheek, and the cold of the Pine Barrens floor, but something wasn’t right.
A blinding light cut through the darkness, and made Faith wince before Miranda the woman in white appeared. Faith felt Erich pick her up but what she was looking at didn’t change as her mind seemed to have di
sconnected from the rest of her body. Miranda smiled softly at her then began speaking but her lips didn’t move.
“Its ok, you’re fine but I really wanted to talk to you,” Miranda said. “I need your help. You have to find my son and give him something from me.”
Faith struggled to speak but words wouldn’t come out.
“Use your mind, Faith. Here we don’t speak like you’re used to. Just think the words you want to say to me.”
Her head pulsed with a shooting pain started at her temples and throbbed into the back of her neck. Faith pushed past that and focused on Miranda and thought her words to her.
“How am I supposed to find your son? I’m supposed to be in hiding.”
Faith’s head spun. She didn’t know if this was real or a dream but she didn’t remember her dreams ever being so vivid before. Why did she have to help this woman? Couldn’t she find someone else to help? Faith had enough problems of her own. She didn’t need to add even more to it.
“I know who your family is, Faith. Come back to the clearing tomorrow night, while the moon is still full and I’ll tell you more.”
Miranda disappeared and Faith gasped as she finally opened her eyes and found herself in Erich’s arms.
“Put me down!” she said as she pushed against his strong chest.
Gently setting her down on her feet, Faith stumbled but he caught her. “You hit your head pretty hard. Why’d you let go?” he asked.
“I can’t smell like you. If I let you take me home like that Abel would smell you all over me. How do I explain that? He’s a very jealous man.”
“Abel is barely a man anymore,” Erich grunted. “You deserve better.”
“You don’t know what I deserve. Abel’s a good person. He was there for me when I needed someone the most. I can’t leave him, I love him.”
“I know Abel. I remember him years ago and I know him now. He isn’t the same man he once was and you need to accept that. What you love is nothing but a memory.”
“How dare you!” she said before slapping his cheek and stumbling. Erich caught her again and helped her regain her balance. She felt small and safe with him, which only infuriated her more.
Resisting The Alpha (Werebear Shifter Romance) (The Crane Curse) Page 3