Wolfish: Curseborne

by G. K. DeRosa

  “Sierra, I didn’t want to be the one to tell you, but the trials are starting back up again tomorrow. Hunter did his best to push them back a few days, but now Tyrien’s insisting you must compete.”

  I snorted on a laugh. I was done. I didn’t want to fight anymore. I wanted to curl up in a ball and die. Maybe Tyrien was right, and the Mystics should have stayed dead and buried. My presence had caused nothing but heartache and pain for everyone. Ransom hadn’t been by the past week, and I couldn’t blame him. I killed his mom. Even if she was a nasty bitch, she was his mother. I’d taken her life. Brutally. And I’d enjoyed it. Reveled in the crunch of her bones, the expelling of her blood, hearing her final breaths.

  Oh gods, I was a monster.

  Sierra, please let me in. We need to talk. Hunter’s voice echoed across my mind and for the hundredth time I ignored it, shoving random thoughts in his direction. I couldn’t deal with him yet. What would I say? What would he say?

  “Sierra, Tyrien said if you don’t compete, you’ll be banished from Moon Valley.”

  “So let him banish me,” I muttered.

  I should’ve kept my mouth shut because Cass took it as an invitation to chat me up some more. She tugged on the covers until I relented, revealing my puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

  She eyed me skeptically. “You’d walk away from Hunter just like that?”

  “Isn’t that what you’ve wanted all along?” I snapped.

  “No, of course not. I may not have liked Dragon Boy much in the beginning but that was before I understood the curse. What he’s done for you, without even having the ability to love you, is kinda nuts really.”

  Pain sliced across my heart and tears stung my eyes once more. I didn’t want to cry anymore. I was so tired of crying. Forcing myself to sit up, I glanced at my friend. “My grandmother cursed him, Cass. My mom is dead because of him, and my father too, likely because of Tyrien. It’s all so convoluted and effed up. How could we ever get past it?”

  “Because he’s your mate and you love him. You’ve fought for him for so long, don’t give up now.” She squeezed my hand, and her sad smile nearly had me in tears again. “Have you told him that you love him yet?”

  I shook my head, gnawing on my lower lip. I’d been in love with Hunter for years but saying the words and knowing I wouldn’t hear them back was heart wrenching.

  “Why don’t you start with that?”

  “I don’t know if I can,” I finally murmured. My mind flashed back to the cavern, to the scene that had been playing on repeat every hour of every day. My mom strapped to that chair with Walt’s claw at her neck. “I asked him to save her, Cass. I begged Hunter to save her and let me die, but he didn’t. And now she’s dead, and I’m here wishing I was.”

  “Don’t say that.”

  “It’s true. I don’t know if I can get past this.”

  Cass’s arms enveloped me, and she tugged me into her chest. Her soft curls brushed my cheeks as tears began to stream down. “You can, Sierra, and you will.”

  The crash of wood splintering spun my attention to the door—or what used to be the door. Slivers of oak littered the floor, the remains of the wooden barrier hanging on torn hinges. Hunter filled the entryway, golden orbs blazing. “I’m done waiting, Sierra. It’s been an entire week. I need to talk to you now.” His beta power crashed over me and my wolf snarled, headbutting my insides. Hunter’s wolf may have been her mate, but she wasn’t putting up with his dominant B.S.

  “I’ll just let you guys have a little talk.” Cass darted out of the room, carefully hopping over the splintered wood.

  Hunter stalked closer, and the hair on the back of my neck bristled. “You can’t shut me out like this, Sierra. I know you’re going through hell, and there’s nothing I can do to fix it, but please, let me at least try.”

  The anguish lacing his tone smothered the building anger in an icy wave. He neared the bed, and I wrapped my arms around my middle. Slowly he extended his hand, until my traitorous fingers closed around it of their own accord. His warmth seeped through my skin, and a surge of peace raced through my insides.

  He kneeled on the bed, first with one leg then the other, then crept closer on all fours. “Please, let me hold you.” Emotion tightened my throat as his eyes met mine. The storm raging in the golden abyss nearly swallowed me whole.

  I finally nodded. I couldn’t fight him anymore. I was too exhausted. He wrapped his arm across my shoulders and despite my best efforts, my body sank into his, all the tension, fear, and anxiety abandoning me in one fell swoop. A soft whine escaped my clenched lips as he tucked me into his side. My head dropped to his chest, and the steady beats of his heart quelled the turmoil within. I couldn’t even stay mad at my mate. We stayed that way for a long time, so long that my lids eventually drifted closed.

  When I awoke, I was still enveloped in Hunter’s arms, both of us tucked beneath the blankets. I glanced at the clock, and a contented sigh seeped out. It had only been two hours, but it had been the best sleep I’d gotten in days.

  “Are you feeling better?” Hunter’s raspy voice surprised me, and my head popped up.

  “I am actually,” I murmured as I settled back into his chest. My shattered heart was nowhere near whole, but the gaping fracture had begun to mend only because of his presence. “Is this a mate thing?”

  “It is.”

  My finger drew lazy circles across his shirt, dipping between perfectly carved abs. I couldn’t believe how much his company had soothed my pain. “Thank you,” I whispered.

  “Please don’t thank me. After everything I’ve put you through, it’ll only make me feel worse.” His breath swirled through my hair, inciting a swell of goosebumps down my arms.

  “I think we’re even,” I muttered. “Our families have screwed us up pretty royally.”

  He kissed the top of my head and pulled me tighter into his side. “I told Tyrien the truth about us. So I fully expect some sort of backlash when the trials start tomorrow.”

  I swallowed thickly. “I can’t, Hunter. I can’t compete in the trials anymore. I just want this all to be over.”

  “I know.” His fingers danced down my arm, every nerve ending intent on his touch. “But I was thinking about it, and the only way you’ll truly be safe is if you win.”

  My head snapped back, and I sat up to gawk at him. “You can’t be serious.”

  “I’m dead serious. As high alpha, you’ll have guards, a whole team of wolves to protect you.”

  “But I don’t have a pack.”

  “You will. When you become my mate, you’ll have the strength of the entire Dragos Pack plus all the packs of Moon Valley behind you.”

  My heart swelled at the sweetness of his words, but reality threw in a sucker punch. “The same wolves that are loyal to your father.”

  “Not forever. Not if a new supreme alpha is chosen.”

  My brows slammed together. There was enough secrecy shrouding the alpha trials, but the process of choosing the supreme alpha was a complete mystery. “How?”

  “You leave that part to me. I just need you to promise you’ll stay. You trust me, right?”

  My head bounced up and down, my wolf taking control. Hunter’s hand cradled my cheek, searing me with his intense gaze. “Good, because I will do whatever it takes to make you the next high alpha.”

  A chill skittered up my spine at the intensity of his words.

  “I’m sorry I failed in keeping your mother safe, but I swear I will not fail you. You are my everything.”

  A tear slid free, tracking down my cheek, but Hunter’s thumb swept it away. His gaze bored into me, breaking through all my defenses. No one knew me like he did. I’d never felt closer to anyone in my life.

  I’d lost my mother, but I’d gained my missing half.

  He inched closer, brushing his lips against mine. Salty tears mingled with his soft kisses, and my breath caught. We still hadn’t talked about Grams. She was the two-ton witchy elephant in th
e room that we were avoiding. Before I brought her up and shattered this beautiful moment, I needed to tell him how I felt. I knew we were living on borrowed time, and this peace wouldn’t last.

  “I love you,” I blurted against his lips.

  Hunter froze, his mouth still against mine. He slowly retreated, his eyes intent on my own and arms laced around my waist. A rueful smile twisted his lips, and he released a breath. “You don’t know how much I’ve wanted to hear those words, Sierra. Or how much I’ve longed to say those very words to you. It’s just not fair.”

  My heart staggered as his pain lanced through me. “It’s okay,” I whispered. “I have enough love for both of us for now.”

  His frown melted into a smile, and he drew me into his lap, curling me against his chest. “I don’t know what I did in this life to deserve you, but I swear to spend every day I have on this earth finding a way to break this curse. Because I will love you, Sierra. I’ll love you with my entire heart and soul as you deserve.”

  My lips crashed onto his with the desperation of a starved man. I didn’t care if Hunter was never able to love me, I’d choose him over and over again, despite everything. And before the trials recommenced tomorrow, we were going to see my grandmother.

  I’d force her to remove the curse no matter the cost.

  Hunter’s fingers wrapped around the back of my neck, deepening the kiss and diverting my attention from my thoughts to the feel of his tongue against mine. I didn’t want to think anymore. I just wanted to escape. His hands closed around my hips, and he spun me around on his lap so I straddled him. His hardness pressed against me as I settled over him, and I groaned against his mouth.

  My body rocked against it, desperate for a release after the onslaught of emotions. I wanted to forget, forget everything, even if only for a few moments. I reached between our bodies and unfastened the button on Hunter’s jeans. He hissed as my fingers grazed his arousal. “Sierra, no,” he warned.

  “Please, Hunter. I don’t care about the curse, I just want you. I need this.”

  “I don’t want that for our first time.”

  And I knew what he really meant was that he didn’t want it for my first time. But I didn’t want to wait anymore. If my mom’s death had taught me anything it was that there were no guarantees in life. Either one of us could die tomorrow.

  “Hunter, please,” I breathed against his lips.

  A muffled groan escaped his clenched jaw as I ground my hips into his. “Not fair,” he grated out.

  I reached for his zipper, dragging it down and freeing him. His lids slid shut as I closed my fingers around his wolf.

  “Sierra,” he growled, even as his hips thrusted in my palm. “We can’t risk triggering the mate bond. I. Won’t. Be. Able. To. Control. Myself.”

  “So let go.” I swept my hand back and forth and heat unfurled in my lower half, a heady mix of mine and his. My wolf whined and pawed at my insides, desperate to get out, but it was my turn. I wanted to enjoy my mate. I needed this. I needed the escape, even if only momentary. If I couldn’t have him completely, I could at least give him a much-needed release. As my strokes built up in speed, I leaned closer, nibbling at his earlobe. “Fine, Hunter, we’ll wait. But only a little longer…”

  He shuddered as I dragged my tongue down his neck, across his glistening pecs, over his abs and continued lower. And lower.

  Tugging off his jeans and tight boxer briefs, I lingered over him, taking all of him in. Excitement thrummed through my veins, and a pair of golden orbs lit up my room as I bent my head.

  I took him into my mouth, and jolts of pleasure zipped through our bond. A few moments later, Hunter bucked as a tremor raced through his body, and he came undone. His release echoed through me, inciting an unexpected explosion in my own core. I sank down on top of him as the aftershocks reverberated through our entangled forms.

  Sweat glistening on my brow, I lay my head on his chest. His heart pounded an ecstatic beat beneath my ear, and I reveled in the sound. This was it. Tonight, we’d go see Grams and the next time Hunter and I were together, we’d make love and complete the mate bond. I’d start a new family and a new pack.

  Then I’d finally get my revenge on Tyrien.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Cass peered up at me over the rim of her coffee mug. She’d spent the night, along with Vander, out in the living room, while Hunter held me through bouts of crying, numbness and inconceivably, a few moments of happiness. I couldn’t imagine going through the loss of my mom without my mate or my best friend.

  I shook my head and took another sip from my own cup. We finished off our coffees at the kitchen island while the guys spoke in hushed whispers on the couch. “I appreciate the offer, but this is something Hunter and I need to do alone. I wouldn’t even bring him if I didn’t have to.” My throat burned, still raw from too much crying. Now I had to break the news to my grandma, and it would all start again.

  “I’m so sorry, Sierra. I wish there was something I could do.”

  “I know.” I gave her my best attempt at a smile. “You’re here and that’s what counts, Cass. I’d never make it through this without you.”

  She pulled me into a hug, wrapping me tight against her lithe frame. “Well, I’ll be here when you get back.”

  “Thank you.” I held her out to arm’s length and pinned her in my gaze. “Will Vander be staying too?”

  She shrugged nonchalantly. “Probably, I’m sure Hunter will have him permanently camped out at your place until this is all resolved.”

  “Right… I doubt I’m the only reason he’s staying.” The momentary lightheartedness felt good. Chatting with my friend about a boy was so normal and much easier than dealing with the pain inundating my insides. “I never asked you about your date.” Because everything went to hell, and my mom died.

  She slowly shook her head, a sad smile on her lips. “We can talk about it another time, Sierra. It’s not important.”

  “I really want to hear about it. Promise to tell me all the details later?”

  Her head bounced up and down, her blonde curls springing of her shoulders. Later we were scheduled to be competing in the trials, and as much as the thought made my stomach roil, I had to suck it up. If I had any hope of winning the high alpha title, I had to at least show up.

  “Are you ready?” Hunter’s warmth reached me a second before his voice did. He moved behind me, his body enveloping mine without ever touching my skin. The closer we got, the more the bond demanded to be completed. It was like a living, breathing beast that hungered for more.

  I slowly nodded. My hand reached for his, threading my fingers through his warm ones. I needed to touch him. I needed to feel his flesh against mine.

  Vander stepped around us and moved beside Cass. “If you’re not back by nine, I’ll send word to the trial coordinator. It was pure luck that your father’s out of town for the next few days.”

  “He’ll hear about it anyway. His wolves are everywhere.” His fingers tightened around my palm as he turned me toward the door. “Vander, have some of your guys keep an eye on Lucien,” he called out over his shoulder. “I don’t buy his act. Sonia was his mate after all, and it’ll only be a matter of time before he’s out for vengeance.”

  Great, as if dealing with Tyrien wasn’t bad enough. Crimson flooded my vision as my wolf’s memories bubbled to the surface. The crunch of bones reverberated across my ear drums, and a bout of nausea churned my gut. I shoved the grisly thoughts to the dark corners of my mind where I’d buried everything these days.

  “Already on it,” Vander replied. “Good luck, brother.”

  Hunter tensed for a moment before he trudged out the door, tugging me along with him. Was he as nervous as I was? Drowning in my own misery, I hadn’t stopped to consider my mate. For years he’d lived with this curse, and now, the only thing that stood between him and freedom was my grandmother.

  My stomach roiled,
acid spewing within. I may not have spent much time with Grams over the past decade, but I remembered how stubborn she was. She hadn’t seen her own daughter for over ten years because of an argument. Now Mom was dead because of my mate’s father. What were the chances I’d be able to convince her to break Hunter’s curse?

  I swallowed hard as we traipsed through the tunnel and out into the early morning light. The first rays of the blazing sun crested the hills, forcing a swirl of hope into my haggard heart. I’d make her understand, somehow. After the initial shock of losing mom, I’d find a way to break through to her. Hunter was my everything now, and if she refused to end the curse, she was condemning me to a life without love.

  I could just make out the sprawling white oak down the dirt road when a warm breeze tickled my nostrils. Hunter halted and tipped his head up, nostrils flared.

  “Wolves,” he growled.

  I inhaled deeper, taking in the earthy scent of my brethren. My heart catapulted against my chest. No, not Grams too. “Where?” My voice hitched up a few octaves. I could smell them but the fields were clear, nothing but miles of lush grass between us and the Smoky Mountains in the distance.

  “I don’t know.” Hunter’s eyes slid shut, and I knew he was searching the pack link. An endless minute later, his lids snapped open. “Must be rogues—or cloaked. I can’t find them.”

  We walked toward the tree, and I squeezed the old skeleton key in my free hand. Hunter’s gaze scanned the perimeter, but his keen sight hadn’t caught anything I’d missed. If the wolves were still here, they were hiding and doing it very well.

  Anxiety pummeled my insides as my fingers itched to drop the veil on Grams’ house. What if they’d gotten to her? What if she was still inside and injured?