by L M Wilson
“Well I’m not cursed to turn into a lion anymore.” He tells the others just as I round the divider. My cheeks are flaming, and I twist my hands together, waiting for one of the other two guys, who I’ve kissed, to say something.
“Cool, just have to wait until nightfall and we can check both mine and Rose’s.” Bryant smiles at me and pats the empty spot on the couch beside him.
So, we’re just going to ignore the elephant in the room. Cool.
Almost an hour passes with all of us just pottering around trying to clean up or board up windows. The sky begins to darken, and I glance up at the wooden wind-up clock hanging on the wall above the fireplace.
Sunset.
Everyone pauses as though they too sensed the time. All eyes lock onto the dark-haired wolf-shifter, curious but worried looks pass between us all. Bryant shifts from foot to foot, his nerves beginning to show. His hands clench then unclench but apart from that nothing else happens. It almost feel anticlimactic.
“I guess mine’s broken as well.” His sigh of relief is audible. Mine however is not. I thought I’d feel happy that the guys managed to achieve their goal but instead I feel sad. Sad that now there’s nothing keeping them here. Sad because that means I’ll be alone again.
But if my curse is broken as well, then I can leave too.
Excitement courses through me and I run towards the door.
“Rose wait!” Fader’s warning is too late.
Not two steps out the door and agony washes over me.
Every death I’ve ever experienced, every death that Loki Bromamere caused, and I feel it all. My body reacts, skin slicing open, bones breaking, until eventually death knocks on my door.
Rose’s Death: Fader
She’s out the door before we can warn her. Two steps and she’s on the ground screaming as her flesh rips open. Blood soaks through the clothes she’s wearing but I’m more worried about the way her back is bending almost in half. She looks like one of those creepy possessed people you see in horror movies.
Kalum runs to her side but hesitates before touching her. As though he’s afraid to touch her. I know I’m scared. I’m beyond scared, I’m fucking petrified and I’m a demi-demon.
More gashes burst across her flesh, then just as suddenly as it started, it all stops. Right before our eyes the cuts in her skin close back up, her body relaxes and slumps to the ground. Kalum doesn’t hesitate this time, just scoops her up and carries her inside.
I follow along behind him, watching as he gently places her onto the bed. Her limp lifeless form is just as beautiful as she had been in life. I’m so scared that she won’t come back that I turn on my heel and walk out the door. I can’t just sit idle while we wait to see if she’ll come back to us. I can’t just stand around and do nothing. Without saying a word to either of the guys, I just walk outside, grab the axe off the chopping block and start chopping wood.
An hour passes with me chopping wood while the others collect it and stack it against the side of the house. I feel the sweat dripping down my back, but I need to check on her. I return to the cottage, peek into her little ‘bedroom’ only to find that she’s still not moving or breathing. With a growl, I turn back around and start searching for something else to do. I spot a pile of her clothes in the corner of her bathroom, they’re covered in tiny bits of glass, so I pick them all up and head outside.
The entire time I work on getting every last miniscule piece of glass out of her clothes, I can’t stop my thoughts from racing. I need her to live. I’ve never needed anyone before, but I need her.
“Fader, I know you don’t want to hear this, but I think she might be-.” Kalum says placing his hand gently on my shoulder.
“Don’t you dare finish that fucking thought!” I growl as I walk back inside. “She’s fine. She’ll wake up in the morning and everything will be fine.” I can’t let him finish that sentence. I can’t let myself think it. Rose will be fine.
She has to be.
“Come on, let’s keep busy while we wait then.” I grumble, staring over my shoulder at the girl lying on the bed.
Nightmares: Rose
I wake up to complete silence. Fearing my hearing has gone again, I snap my fingers and breathe a sigh of relief when I hear the click.
Then panic sets in.
I’m alone.
Still cursed.
Jumping from the bed, I round the partition and begin searching my cottage. Which due to its size only takes me a minute. The guys duffle bags are gone. The blankets I loaned them are folded neatly on the side of the couch and the tools that were out last night are all stacked neatly on the breakfast bar.
“At least they finished boarding up the windows before they left.” I mumble under my breath.
I know I don’t have a right to be sad or even angry at them, but I feel like they have somehow betrayed me. They came into my life like a whirlwind, got what they wanted and then left.
Without even saying goodbye.
I pace my loungeroom. I have no idea what to do with myself. The ticking of the clock begins to grate on my nerves. Each second that passes is another without the three annoying guys in my life. Each second is another reminder of just how lonely I am without them.
At first, I cry silently in frustration, but then I pull myself together, shower and get dressed.
“Maybe they had a reason for leaving.”
I cross the room and open the front door. Peering out into the cool morning air. What I see has me stopping dead in my tracks.
The three guys are working in silence. Fader has a rope strung up between two trees, he’s hanging washing. Yeah, you heard me, actually doing the washing. Their three duffle bags are lined up beside the hand cranked washing tub, empty. Bryant is using the old-fashioned rolling machine that rings the clothes out and Kalum is passing the freshly washed clothes to Fader.
It’s so domesticated that I can’t think of a single thing to say right now.
Instead I lean on the doorframe and just enjoy the show in front of me. As each one of them moves their muscles contract and bulge giving me a delicious display of pure masculinity. I’m pretty sure I’m drooling but there is nothing on this earth that could possibly pull my attention away from them right now.
Well, maybe not nothing.
My stomach growls, embarrassingly loud, alerting the three worker-bees to my presence. I smile and give a small wave before turning around and heading back inside to make food. Glancing at the clock I see that I had slept well past noon.
I pull my long hair up into a bun then begin gathering the ingredients to make a lasagne from scratch when I feel a hand on my lower back. “Need a hand?” Bryant asks. With him so close to me, I can smell his scent. The closest thing I can relate his scent to is the forest first thing in the morning after a storm. That fresh earthy, intoxicating smell that makes my knees weak and my heart speed up.
I’m at a loss for words, which only gets worse when I feel his breath on the back of my neck. “I’m very good at cooking up a storm.”
A shudder runs through me. His hand finds my hip, pulling me back against him. A spark ignites in my chest, spreading out to all my limbs. The only physical evidence of this is the goose bumps forming along my arms and the back of my neck. I’m incapable of thought beyond wanting his lips and hands on me. My eyes flutter closed involuntarily, and my breathing grows shallower. His left-hand snakes around to the flat of my stomach and I moan softly.
It only takes a few seconds for the panic to set in. I’ve kissed all three of these guys within the space of a few days. The man who was tormenting me for over four hundred years is dead, leaving behind a demon who could show back up at any moment and here I am, freaking out about whether or not I want to take things further than those few extraordinary kisses.
The short answer; Hell yes!
The long answer; I’m too scared of losing one of the only friends I’ve managed to find to let anything come between us all. I can’t be with any of the
m if I’m to keep the others as friends and right now with the demon still out there, I’d feel so much better if I had three big strong men around to help keep me safe. So as much as I want to find out just how much of a storm Bryant can cook up, I’m going to have to keep things platonic from here on out.
With my mind made up, I pull away from Bryant’s arms and put some distance between us, not acknowledging the pout that forms on his full lips. He hangs around for a few more minutes but then with his shoulders slumped, he goes back outside while I finish cooking.
Dinner ends up being a quiet affair, Bryant avoids looking at me for most of the meal, which is eaten with Fader and me sitting on the couch, balancing our plates on our knees, while Bryant and Kalum eat their meal sitting on the floor with their plates on the coffee table. The guys make small talk about the upcoming fourth of July festival in town. Being stuck inside this cottage at night-time, I have no interest in such activities, so I don’t join in the conversation.
After our meal the guys wander into the kitchen, arguing good naturedly over who is going to wash, dry and put away the dishes. Seeing them bantering in my home makes my heart flutter but I remind myself once more to keep things platonic.
It doesn’t take long for everyone to turn in for the night, as the guys talk quietly, I lie in my bed, my mind racing over everything that could possibly go wrong, from the demon returning to the guys fighting over my attention. I have no idea how I’m going to keep the platonic thing up if they hang around much longer, but at the same time, I’m scared they might leave.
Sleep comes finally and with it comes a nightmare of epic proportions.
I feel as though my entire body is frozen. I can’t move. Can’t breathe. It feels like there’s a weight upon my chest that is constricting, crushing me but I can’t see anything there. I open my mouth to scream but all that comes out is a puff of air.
My heart pounds within my chest but each beat feels like it’s going to be my last.
The panic I felt over the guys all fighting over me, is nothing compared to the panic I feel as I try in vain to claw at the shadow holding me prisoner in my own mind.
Music begins to play somewhere in the background, but I can’t even lift my head to look for the source. The tune is haunting and familiar, a song I remember but can’t place where I’ve heard it before. The sounds of laughter filters in from the room beside mine and I find myself suddenly standing in front of a crowd. Three faces turn at my arrival, but their smiles fall as they see my face.
“It’s your fault!” Fader’s hypnotic eyes are full of hate, a hate so fierce I can feel it in my bones.
“If you hadn’t denied him, we’d all be free by now.” Kalum growls like the lion he is inside. As I blink back the tears, I see his body morphing, becoming the animal he loathes more than anything else in this world.
Bryant doesn’t say a word, just stares at me with eyes that burn my very soul. His face is more expressive than any words could ever be.
It’s all my fault that he’s trapped in the wolf’s form every night. If I hadn’t been the one to reject Loki and subsequently the King of Hell, The Beast himself, none of this would be happening.
I back up a step and hands grab me. Many hands attached to bodies without faces. The faceless men grip me tighter and I know without a doubt that I deserve this punishment. The pain in my limbs is nothing compared to the pain I feel in my heart, knowing I am the reason so many lives were destroyed by Loki’s hands.
The faceless men drag me across the room, pinning me to the wall. Cold steel bites into the flesh of my hands and ankles, holding me securely to the wall as I scream my protests.
Clawed hands begin tearing at the white dress I’m wearing until I’m naked, my entire body on display as the knives begin to cut away my flesh, bearing my tortured soul for all the world to see.
“If only you had heeded my warnings my beautiful flower.”
I wake up drenched in sweat, clutching the sheet as though it alone can protect me from my nightmares.
Nothing about the dream is fiction. I’ve not been entirely honest with anyone.
For I am the Beast’s Rose.
The girl who denied the devil and lived to tell the tale. The girl who was destined to rule all of hell at The Beast’s side, but I chose to deny him. I chose to live a cursed life.
Even when I knew the consequences for the curse I took on, I still chose to deny him what he wanted.
Loki Bromamere was merely a tool, a vessel used to try to lure me back into the clutches of the Beast himself.
I can’t ever let the guys find out that the very demon we let loose on this world, was cursed just like me. Cursed to remain within Loki’s body, only able to be set free once his host was dead. If I tell them, they’ll just feel guilty for every person the demon kills or corrupts. They’ll be like me if I tell them.
Knowing there’s no other way, I climb out of bed and gather my clothes for the day. A simple outfit of jeans and a plain blue t-shirt. My day has only just begun but it’s not going to get better from here. Not when I have to push away the only three people who have ever shown me an ounce of compassion. Not when I have to send them packing.
Even if it is to save their lives.
Love’s Curse: Rose
When I get out of the bathroom after my shower, I’m surprised to find the place empty. With a frown marring my forehead, I search all around the cottage, both inside and out. Everything from the guys is still here. Their sleeping gear is covering most of the lounge room, their clothes, their duffle bags, everything is exactly where they had left it the night before.
The only thing out of place is a note, written by a surprisingly neat hand.
I told you love was a weakness.
Meet me at our home before nightfall or they die.
It is signed simply with a B.
I don’t even stop to think about it. I had decided this morning to make them leave, to keep them safe and now I realise that it didn’t matter. I have put them in danger and there’s only one way to get them out of it.
I walk to the back of the cottage, grabbing the shovel that leans against the side of the cottage as I pass by. The grass is soft and spongy beneath my feet, the trees surrounding my cottage are filled with brightly coloured birds, chirping, and singing happily, but I don’t have the time to enjoy the beauty around me.
I cross to the stone marker and begin to dig. “I’m sorry Hunter. I never wished to disturb your resting place, but I have need of the weapon that took your life. I believe this may be the only way out of this hell, and hopefully I might be able to do some good before I die after all.”
The long walk through the woods is creepier than usual but I use my speed to cross the vast distance in minutes.
My feet stumble as I get my first glimpse of the town. Devil’s Glade is a sweet little town with only a few hundred residents but due to the upcoming fourth of July festival, the town is brimming with tourists. I can feel the excitement in the air. The heady rush of everyone’s anticipation for the fireworks to come.
The last festival I attended was one of those new year’s celebrations where the entire town stays up all night and brings in the new year with friends and family. I always enjoyed watching the couples as they kissed their way into the new year. The year I was cursed is the last year that I saw a celebration. It seems fitting that the last few days I have left are the ones where this land celebrates its freedom.
A few stray tears fall down my face as I walk towards the centre of town. I knew I’d be back here one day, just never thought I’d be doing it because of love.
I pause at the end of the driveway. The castle hasn’t changed despite the centuries that have passed. It’s still a huge looming structure that seems out of place in such a small town.
I don’t think I’ll be coming back from this. I’m fairly sure that I’ll be walking to my death.
My hope died the second they were taken. How can three guys mean so much to me
in such a short amount of time?
You don’t have to do this. I argue with myself.
My heart aches for the future I’ll never have.
I could live out my eternal life as the right hand of The Beast.
As the Queen of Hell.
Cause you know, that is every girl’s fantasy.
With that sarcasm coating the tip of my tongue, I begin making my way up the long driveway. Before I even make it halfway, the huge doors open and out walks one of the most gorgeous men I have ever seen. Shoulder length blonde hair covers eyes that are the colour of the ocean at midnight and a body that looks like it’s been made to seduce women. Trust the devil to choose a pretty boy as his new host.
“Cutting it a bit close aren’t you Rose?” He glances at the darkening sky. The bright blues are just starting to be tinged with the final rays of the sun.
“Let them go free and break their curses and I’ll come of my own free will.”
“Love is a weakness. I did tell you that from the beginning Rose.”
I turn to face the owner of the voice that has haunted my nightmares. “I know Beast, but it was worth it. Even if it was fleeting.”
“Are you here to stay, or will you be returning to your cell come nightfall?”
“I’ll stay, as long as you release those boys and remove their curses. Warriors like them should not be shackled by the curses of another’s jealousy.”
“Very well. You will not see them again.”
“Would you give me a few days to say my goodbyes?” I wipe away the tears from my cheeks. I’m not confident that he will do as I ask but at least if I get to say goodbye then I will be able to see for myself that they are okay. At least that’s the impression I’m trying to give off. I know he won’t let them go willingly; I just need to buy some time for what I have planned.
“No.” He laughs.
“Then at least give me the mirror. So that I might see their release with my own eyes.”