✔️| The Gift of a Curse

CHAPTER FIVE

Shadow, I need you to promise me that you will not step a foot outside that house. Clay’s voice echoes in my mind. His tone is filled with seriousness and concern.

Do not worry Clay, I might be reckless but I am not stupid.

Do not move, I will come and see you as soon as I finish with this meeting business.

Okay, but did Oliver or Stefan say anything to you about to me?

They just told me that I am not permitted to go near the Gamma’s house. I am not to see you until the alphas leave the territory.

Clay Holt, are you disobeying orders? Who are you and what have you done with my best friend? I ask sarcastically.

That is not even a little bit funny. He grumbles before blocking me from his mind.

I search every room in Bellamy’s house as I slowly die of boredom. Minutes turn to hours until the man of the house finally shows up. I make my way to the living room to find his eyes trying to find something, supposedly me.

“These are for you; I got them from a girl from the pack house.” He hands me a pile of clothes. He is not even surprised that I somehow left the room Oliver and Stefan locked me in. He does not give me a second look as he makes his way to the kitchen. I look through them to notice that they have been worn before. I angrily follow him and prepare to yell my lungs out.

“You do not believe I will wear something that belongs to one of your women. You imprison me in this doom house and you do not bother to at least get me some of my clothes. I mean there must be a valid reason why Stefan shamelessly stole the key to my bedroom door.” He turns around to face me with so much anger in his eyes.

“In case you have not noticed, you are a prisoner. The only reason you were not locked up in a cell is because you are Stefan’s little sister, and locking the beta’s sister would not look good in front of the alphas.”

I mentally scoff at his words, Stefan could not care less whether I lived or died let alone if I am freed or detained. There is another reason why I am here. Surprisingly, however, I do not wish to know what it is.

“If you are going to lie, at least tell a lie that I would believe.” I mutter under my breath as he turns his back to me. My words are enough to make his wolf snap.

“You have no right to talk to me like that bitch! You should know your place.” His eyes start to turn black.

That is a record Shadow. You have managed to anger all three men of the high ranks in our pack in what, three days? Accalia voice is filled with amusement.

Well, I am glad you find my misery so entertaining.

I cautiously scan the kitchen to count the exits in which I would need to escape from if Bellamy fails to tame his wolf. Fighting him is not an option because I would rather my brother know that I have a witch who is actually on my side rather than knowing that I am capable of defending myself and can probably defeat both him and Oliver in minutes.

The reason why I am so against wearing these clothes is jealousy. Ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamed about turning fourteen so I can move in into the pack house, have my own room, and learn to live independently.

To my absolute misery, my parents refused the idea the second I proposed it. They claimed that no female of a presentable family would leave her parents’ house unless it is to move into her mate’s house. I continuously kept pressuring on the subject until four years ago when I realized that my family’s beliefs do not come from faith but rather mental illness.

I admit that I can be a little frustrating at times, but that does not mean that I care what he thinks about me, I am happy with my life and the way I choose to live it.

It takes him a few minutes, but eventually Bellamy manages to calm his wolf down. His eyes say that he regrets what he said but his mouth remains closed. If you ask me he went with the better option because I would not have believed any word he would have said to me. He is just like his best friends; a liar.

I hold the clothes tight to my chest and silently make my way outside the kitchen and walk to my temporary room. I know that this is out of character for me, but I cannot risk Bellamy getting angry again, the next time he could give into his ire.

Once in the bedroom, I close the door and throw myself on the fluffy carpet by the bed. I take a second to actually analyze the room. The walls are painted light blue, and all the furniture, the bed, the door, the desk, even the frame of the mirror, is white. The color of the sheets on the bed is darker than the night sky. In addition, there is an arm chair by the window. I still have not checked out the closet, but I do not feel like I need to because I will not use since I threw the clothes Bellamy gave me on the desk.

It takes Bellamy about an hour to get into his room which is right across the hall from mine, and it takes about another two hours until I finally hear his snores.

When I finally feel like my body has taken enough soreness from lying down on the floor for so long, I get up and decide to have a long bath.

I fill the bathtub with burning water and wait for it to get a little cooler as I get undressed. I search through the drawers until a find a few bath-bombs in a glass jar. I grab one, check the water’s temperature, drop the bath-bomb, and bury myself under the hot water.

I immediately feel my muscles get freed from the tension the day caused. I debate mind-linking Clay or talking to Accalia, but I decide against it. I need some time to myself, which I happen to seek a lot lately.

Unconsciously, my mind drifts to various things- all old- Even though I have visited these topics uncountable times; they are still as troubling as they were when they first consumed my every notion.

There is something about this meeting that is forcing me to hold on to hope. What that hope is and why I need to hold on to it is something I have not figured out yet. I am, however, trying to look at it from a positive perspective. I would like to believe that it will eventually earn me my redemption, but I am scared that this flare of hope will end up burning me. Despite the way I act, I am not as strong as I let on, so I do not believe I would mentally survive it.

When I start to have a headache from the speed of my thoughts, I get out of the bathtub and dry myself.

A few minutes later, I get out of the bathroom all clothed to yelp in surprise.

“Clay, what the bloody hell are you doing? You almost gave me a heart attack.” I whisper-yell at my stupid best friend who sits on the outside edge of the window.

I did not mean to scare you, but I told you I will come to see you.

“Well, you did not say you will sneak up on me like that!” I make my way to the window so I can make eye contact with him.

I cannot get inside; the gamma will be able to catch my scent if I do.

“That’s smart.” I smirk at him. I pass through the window and sit beside him.

Are you okay?

“Yes, it is just… it has been a while since I felt this lonely.” I get closer to Clay and lean my head on his shoulder, and he wraps his arm around my waist to grant me some comfort.

You are not alone, not as long as I am here.

“I know, what I meant is being trapped in these four walls makes you feel lonely, and it is different from the one you feel when it is relevant to people.” My best friend does not say anything; he only nods his head before we fall into a comfortable silence.

“So what is going on in the outside world?” I cut the silence but I do not move away from Clay.

So far, eleven alphas have arrived. They are staying at the second pack house. The rest are expected to arrive in the next couple of days.

I scoff at the mention of the second pack house. That house caused a lot of teens to go against Oliver. If I had been the person I was four years ago, I would have been one of them. A couple of years ago, Oliver announced that he will be building a second pack house because he noticed that the current pack house at the time was getting too crowded.

The news was so exciting that many members from the pack helped built it. When everyone prepared to move in into the new built building, Oliver declared that he has reconsidered his last declaration. He decided that it would be best to keep the second pack house empty in case the Red Eclipse pack has any guests. Suffice to say, Oliver struggled to make his people believe any word he said for months after that.

“I have every confidence in the world that he is showered with pride right now seeing as that useless house is finally being used, and for the same cause that he wanted.” I spat with hatred.

Please do not disrespect the alpha in the gamma’s house. You will be only adding up to my nerves. This is the second time I disobey a direct order from the alpha.

“What do you mean?”

Well, Alpha Oliver ordered me to not even mind link you during your stay here. He wants you completely isolated. Luckily, you are not the only one who is capable of disobeying their alpha’s orders.

It had taken me months to convince Clay to get a spell that is similar to mine, and I could tell that even when he agreed to go through with it, he is still not fond of the idea. I have a feeling, though, that right now he is glad that he did it.

“That bastard, I swear my loathing for that man increases every time I hear his name.” Even Accalia gets a little agitated at the idea of being forced into isolation.

Shadow, anger will not fix or solve anything. If anything it will drive you to do something reckless and you could end up in an actual cell.

“You are not the first person to tell me that today. Thus, it will inevitably happen.” I mutter as I move my head from his shoulder. His arm, however does not move from its place around me.

Who told you that? He pulls away from me and looks me in the eye.

’’Who is the angry one now?” I smirk at him.

It takes a few soothing words and hugs, but eventually Clay’s muscles relax.

I swear you are having a bad influence on me.

“But, you still love me, and let’s be honest, you are glad you are friends with someone like me; you get to relinquish your obedient mask when you are with me.” I mentally smirk to myself knowing that I am right.

Cocky much?

“Like I said, you still love me.”

Sadly, you are correct. He takes a look around the house before his attention returns to me.

This is why I will visit you again as soon as I can. For now, I have to go; I cannot risk anyone seeing me here since everyone knows you are detained here. He gives me a soft kiss on the forehead before he jumps down soundlessly.

I take a few moments to register what Clay said. If the whole pack knows that I am here, and even worse, why I am here, then I will face real hell when I get out of this house.

God, I hate both Oliver and my asshole brother.

I hate to say this, but at this moment, I agree. Accalia’s tone is conflicted. She does not loathe her alpha, she respects him actually, but she still hates what he has done to her, and let me tell you she is not the only one. I just hope I can stay here for the time being without losing the remaining piece of my sanity.