Curse of Stone

by Nikki Lockwood

  “Stop, he’s not worth it.” Cai appeared from down the hallway and now stood in front of me.

  I couldn’t stop my wolf from surfacing. Shaking with uncontrollable anger. White filling my vision all apart from Velkan’s face with which my fist was going to pummel. I could swear there was steam coming out my ears and nose.

  Velkan’s smile taunted me. “You want to go? Bring it on.”

  Yeah, let’s fucking do this. He hadn’t won last time. My alpha had stopped it before it had even started.

  “King’s not here to protect you now,” I warned.

  “Her lips really are quite something,” Velkan said. “And the way her thighs quiver when I stroke her. When I bite her, she likes it, it makes her wet. Have you tasted her? Of course, not.”

  “Oh, fuck,” Cai said. “You’re on your own now Vee.”

  That did it. Blotches of red and white filled my vision. The smarmy look on Velkan’s face poured acid on my pain. My fist curled, and my right arm swung at him, knocking him sideways. The rocks on the walls tearing flesh from his arms. A metallic tang tantalised my senses. My wolf growled, pleased it had drawn first blood.

  Velkan sprang up and came at me. His blows came heavy and fast. I blocked hit after hit. He was fast, but not as fast as me.

  There was another blur of motion. When I raised my arm to block him, his left hands claws slashed me. I kicked him backward. He doubled over, clutching his midsection for a moment before lunging at me again. Fists landed with brute force, but mine were twice as hard.

  Searing heat poured out of me with every exaggerated breath. Trembling once more, my wolf in charge. In a blaze of fury, fur and claws, muscles stretching against my flesh, I morphed.

  Growling, I snapped my teeth. Lips pinned back. Claws ready.

  Black fur sprouted from Velkan, as he morphed. Within seconds his wolf, jet black, with a long mane, and his tail sprouted into eight, stood in front of me. Growling with teeth bared.

  Leaping into the air, we collided in a flurry of tearing, gnashing, ripping, and biting. My strength was superior to that of his. My skills in battle, also. King had taught me well, but that was only half of it. Alpha was my destined future.

  We landed with a thud on the stone floor. Velkan’s teeth had my arm. I pulled it free, tearing fur and flesh. Blood sprayed sideways. My claws moved with rapid speed returning the gesture. Biting was cowardly in battle.

  My claw met his face and sent him spiralling up into the air. Turning I gave him an extra boot with my hind legs that sent him flying further.

  His body fell hard, awkwardly, with a snapping sound. Velkan let out a whimper.

  With space now between us, I straightened my back, raised my head, and looked down my snout at Velkan. My dominance over him pouring out of me, like a power surge. He was beneath me in rank and would never beat me in combat.

  Cai and Perry jumped in between us as we charged back towards each other. My aversion for Velkan growing second by second. He was a friend but all along I knew he was a slimy little fucker. But never once did I think he would do me like this.

  I didn’t resist Cai or Perry; no way were they about to get hurt because of Velkan. I wouldn’t have that on my conscience.

  “Come on, just walk it off. You know what he’s like,” Cai said.

  Turning on all fours, I headed for the mountains. My heart twisting in pain. Jolting me forward. A full growl escaped me. The vision of Stone kissing Velkan fuelled the heat inside me.

  I needed time to process, understand, accept something I never wanted to. Hope was a fruitful thing, but the odds weren’t in Stone’s favour.

  Rain drizzled down, dampening the tips of my fur. But it was too thick to penetrate.

  With the pounding of my paws against the rich, moist earth beneath me, I ran until my muscles ached, and my anger was replaced with exhaustion. I needed to catch my breath. Pawing over to a nearby stream, my tongue lapped the water in rapid gasps. Heart hammering in my chest. The silence of the forest tranquil.

  I knew I shouldn’t have let Velkan get to me, but when it came to Stone, I couldn’t help it.

  What if she never woke up? Would it even be worth living if she, my mate, wasn’t in it? Her death would sign my own. As King had once said, he’d be more use as a pelt rug. Now I understood.

  I missed him. No way would he have stood by and allowed the taunting of a mate between two wolves. Whether we could be friends after this, remained to be seen. In one respect he was right, it was her choice, but deep down she had to know it was me.

  For the second time in my life, tears streamed from my eyes. The fur on my face moistened. The loss of King was beyond comprehension. Alpha, father, friend, and mentor, but he was so much more than those titles. A hard lump balled in my throat, catching all sounds.

  My brother, and pack mate, Dassies, had taken off. King’s death had rocked him in ways only I knew.

  Twenty something years ago, King found Dassies starving, alone and afraid, wandering the streets of New Orleans. His mother had been a werewolf, but his father was a voodoo priest. And because a voodoo priest could take many forms, their union had been forbidden.

  When Dassies turned three years old, he began transforming between species. His parents, failing to hide their son from prying eyes, were executed.

  It was King that gave him a home, a family, somewhere to belong. Now he was gone, and all because of dark magic. I knew it would be too much for Dassies. He would be reliving the loss of his parents all over again.

  Once Stone was healed, and mine, I would take her with me, and track him down. Even if he didn’t want to come home, we would make our own home, some place new. Cai and Tiff would come, they were pack, our pack.

  The grief inside me too much. I planted my front paws, sat on my rear, snout to the sky, throat straightened, and howled until I couldn’t howl anymore.

  73

  A few hours later, I returned. A kerfuffle of voices was coming from the grand hall. One drowning all the others out.

  “I was in the area, heard of King’s passing, came to pay my respects, and here you are causing trouble within your own,” The fierce, loud male voice said.

  Grayson.

  Velkan’s alpha and father.

  The only wolf in existence that had been turned not born. He was a lone wolf who betrayed no weakness of emotions or strength. Very few times had he graced the area with his presence. Even the other alphas, King and Ivor, were cautious of his wrath. Not tolerant of behaviour that went against our natures, and each other. And he was to be feared. More wolf than man, and the largest of our kind.

  I walked in half expecting to have my own ear chewed off. Grayson held Velkan by the scruff, not hurting him, but asserting his dominance. His eyes, those not of a man, but wolf. One blue, one brown. Flickers of gold in both. He stared at me.

  “I hear my son has been interfering with mating. Is that true, Jamie?” he asked.

  The biceps on him holding Velkan off the ground, like mounds of steel, with veins popping out. Brute strength and muscle. No weakness. Just how I remembered him.

  “No, it’s not like that,” I lied. I wasn’t about to tattle on Velkan. That would be too easy, and spineless. I could handle my own problems, and Velkan.

  Legs like tree trunks. Tall, at least seven foot in human form, long sandy blonde hair, and a face with a permanent hard line, Grayson’s presence dominated the entire room. He was not someone to tussle with.

  “Then what is it like?”

  “Velkan didn’t mean anything by it, I’m sure. Just a bit of banter between den mates.” I lied, again.

  “That’s not what I heard,” he said, lowering Velkan. “But if I hear of this again, I won’t be so lenient. Now straighten yourself up.”

  He turned to me. “I’m sorry to hear about King. He was a good man, good alpha. I’m sure his life won’t have been lost in vain. Go to your mate, Jamie, and make sure you remember your alpha’s sacrifice.”

  I had
n’t thought about it like that. Cora had been protecting Stone when she’d lost her life, then King. Fuck. Pain stabbed my heart.

  “Velkan,” Grayson commanded in a tone that demanded obedience.

  Velkan bowed his head. “Jamie, I’m sorry for interfering, when she wakes, I will make my withdrawal of intentions clear.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “I don’t need any favours. But thank you,” I said, gritting my teeth in acceptance of his forced apology. That was what a great alpha would do, it’s what King would’ve wanted me to do.

  “How long are you here for Dad?” Velkan asked.

  “The den needs two alphas at all times. Ivor is not enough to control all the ranks. I shall stay until a new alpha has been appointed. But I have a feeling that won’t be too far away.”

  Damn, with Grayson in the den things would change. He was a no-nonsense alpha. Didn’t think he had ever smiled. Only Cathwulf didn’t walk on eggshells when he was here, but everyone else did.

  Back in Velkan’s bedroom, the low-volume hum of the spiders was constant. I sat in the chair beside Stone and stared at her face. Every curve, freckle, and scar imprinted in my mind. The curve on her defined nose, rolling over the tip down to her soft pink lips, that I wanted to kiss. But even that couldn’t distract me from the condition of her body.

  A rancid smell had started to emit from the open wounds on her back. Cathwulf examined them earlier, but no infection was apparent. Kamila had cleaned the dried blood from Stone’s face and body, except around the wounds. They were to be left untouched. Even without the blood, I couldn’t sit idly by, watching as the poison moved like a slithering black snake beneath her flesh.

  I rolled my head back, stretching. Fuck. Millions of tiny eyes were watching me.

  My ears picked up on a faint sound, above the humming, it was footsteps, coming down the hallway. Glancing back over my shoulder towards the doorway, Cai appeared.

  “The sun has started setting,” he said, and disappeared back into the hallway.

  Great. Those winged bastards will be back soon.

  Within an hour, Cathwulf and Velkan joined me. Iktok, Zaire and Balam had returned, and there had been no sign of Radu.

  Iktok stared down at Stone, not fazed by the thousands upon thousands of spiders that lined the walls and ceiling – none of them were. He scooped up her hand into his and closed his eyes. “What age is she?”

  “Twenty-seven,” I said.

  Iktok opened his eyes, and whispered, “Sune.”

  Sune, who the hell is... My eyes shifted to the wall behind Iktok. The spiders were twitching.

  “They are here,” Iktok said.

  The temperature in the room chilled. My breath puffed out like a chimney. I shivered, as a cold streak ran down my back.

  A squawking scream came from the hallway. I spun around to the doorway, but nothing was there. A putrid odour swept into the room. I held my nose closed with my fingers. It was vile, like that of a dead, decaying, and rotting corpse, with a hint of fish and sweaty socks. My stomach churned, like a slow tormenting sickly round and round and round. I pursed my lips together. Get it together man.

  A tall black figure appeared in the doorway. Its head, not visible, hidden by the door frame. As it bent low and walked into the room, the figure removed its cloak.

  I had no words. My eyes fixed on the figure.

  It had a long slim black body, six arms and six hands with long razor-sharp fingernails. Six horns protruded from its back, all different sized ones that curved upward, with chains hanging between them. Around its neck hung a string of different sized goblets, some with embellishments carved into them. It had one head, but I was unsure of how many faces it had. Its head was a white masked face with pitch black eyes. On the side of its head, was another white masked face. Then on top of its head, were four more white masked faces, all positioned on a slant, facing different directions. I didn’t know where to look. It’s chest, covered in sheer black material, with each protruding rib visible, had a fiery orange orb glowing within.

  Iktok approached the creature and made a sound like a gurgling throat noise. The figure made a similar sound back to him. They continued to communicate, then Iktok pointed to Stone, and made several more sounds. The figure tilted its head and glided towards the bed. I stepped closer, apprehensive. It placed a hand on her back, examining her wounds. Then made that horrible, gurgled sound again. Iktok nodded.

  “She wants the demon as payment,” Iktok said.

  “We might need her to barter,” Cathwulf said.

  “Radu does not make deals. He is ruthless, greedy and upon all else, will not stop until he gets what he wants sparing no lives of those who stand in his way.”

  “Yes.” I piped up. “Tell her we agree.”

  Ruth was of no further use. But there was one thing that had been bugging me. If Stone was her target, why then did she do that to Gran, her own sister?

  Cathwulf narrowed her eyes at me in contempt. She turned back to Iktok. “Yes, she can have the demon.”

  “Good. Now, it is best, you leave.”

  74

  “Why does he want her?” I asked.

  Behind the bars that held her, Ruth’s black eyes pierced mine. Letting out a hiss before she rushed the bars.

  I jumped backwards, my heart thumping.

  A dark smile creased her face. Tongue licking her top lip. “My you are a handsome one. Come closer.”

  I ignored it. She was jiving me.

  “You’re lucky I’m not allowed to come in there, otherwise I’d rip your fucking head off.”

  “Come play with me little wolf.”

  Oh, I wanted to play, with her head, as a football, and kick it straight into the fire. But we’d agreed to let Ruth be payment for the services of that thing that came to help Stone. Perhaps a demon was a delicacy to them. My stomach churned at the notion. While I was all for sinking my fangs into Ruth and ripping her limb from limb, eating her was an entirely different dish.

  “If he is yours as you say. Why did you escape?”

  “So many questions. What incentive do I have to answer you?”

  I stepped forward, just out of her reach. Narrowing my eyes. A fire roared in my belly. “Because she is blood. Do you have no loyalty to your own family? She doesn’t want him. Can’t you see that.”

  “It is not what she wants that counts, he will make her want him, because he wants her. Tell me, has she called out his name in her sleep yet?”

  I tried not to visually respond and give anything away. I bit the inside of my mouth and paused before answering her. “What if she has?”

  Ruth hissed and spat. Her fingers tightened around the bars. “He is mine,” she roared in fury.

  I stepped back. As she thrashed a sparkling jewel caught my eye. Hung around her neck. I knew that necklace. It was Gran’s. Oh, fuck. It was a precious family stone, one that Gran never took off.

  Hues of pink and orange glinted off the light of the gem. One of a kind emerald cut sapphire that wasn’t like any gem I’d seen before. I had to get it for Stone.

  “How do we stop him?” I asked.

  “You can’t. He seeks the one. A healer.”

  “Are you?”

  “No,” she snapped. “I am not. But he kept me until he sensed a new healer, I wasn’t going to sit by and be discarded while he replaced me.”

  I waited in silence.

  “He took me, took my heart. Two years ago, he imprisoned me, changed me to this. My heart no longer that which he sought. I love him so much, and he loves me too, I know he does. I can’t lose him,” she ranted.

  “Then why Claire?”

  She didn’t answer. Her eyes closed. Head bowed.

  “Ruth?”

  “It wasn’t Claire, it was her, the girl.”

  Stone. My heart ached. “How do I stop him? What’s his weakness?”

  Her eyes jolted open. I knew I had to play the game. Let her think she’d get what she wanted.

  “
Help me,” I urged. “Help me stop him, and he can be yours once again.” Stepping forward, towards her. I narrowed my eyes. Waiting in earnest for her response.

  Her mouth opened, then shut. “No, no, no, you lie,” she said shaking her head.

  “Ruth, look at me. I am telling you the truth. Help me and I’ll help you.”

  “He wants her heart, take her heart before he does.”

  “You mean, get her to fall in love.”

  “No,” she spat. “If she has no heart, he cannot take it.”

  My mind raced. No fucking way was I about to cut out Stone’s heart. Not in a million years.

  “It is the only way,” Ruth added.

  It couldn’t be. There had to be another way. If I took her heart, she would die. Life without Stone… Oh god. I shuddered. My heart sunk. Icy tingles prickled my skin. My wolf growling, and snapping, wanting out. She had to be lying.

  “There is one more thing,” she said. “Come closer.”

  I didn’t.

  “Claire will die. My poison, there is no cure.” Ruth’s face hardened. “And the girl. They won’t live through the night.”

  She cackled. Spitting and hissing.

  White spots filled my visions. Claws scraped through my flesh.

  I stepped forward to the cell door, turned the key, and looked at Ruth. “Go, you’re free. We had a deal.”

  She paused for a moment, then shuffled towards me. My hand whipped out, ripped the necklace from her neck, and shoved her backwards before she even knew what hit her.

  Locking the door fast. I rushed backwards as she charged the door. Hitting it with brute impact. Ruth cursed and hissed at me. Black ooze ran from the flesh on her head. Vowing revenge and using derogative names that meant nothing. Water off a wolf’s back.

  I turned away. In my hands, Gran’s necklace. The chain broken, but I’d fix that, and return it to Gran or Stone. Whichever woke first.

  “Well done, Jay, you got the filth to talk.” Cathwulf appeared from the shadows.

  “I’m not cutting out Stone’s heart,” I said.