✔️| The Gift of a Curse

CHAPTER FOUR

I sit on one of the many huge rocks by the river. I try to enjoy the nature that is around me, but it is kind of hard to do that when it does not hold any uniqueness in it. It is not ugly, but with a body of water that is surrounded by countless trees and flowers you would expect it to be breathtaking. Thanks to Oliver’s disinterest in his territory’s appearance the trees have many broken branches, and most of the flowers have shriveled. Nevertheless, I take what I get and I enjoy the quietness while it lasts.

I keep my thoughts clear from everything whether it is good or bad. I forget Stefan, Oliver, my mother, my pack, my life, Clay, Accalia, the murders, the meeting, everything. I allow myself to recreate the things that surround me; I picture them to be as perfect as they can be. The trees stand tall, the flowers are colorful, and the river is as blue as the sky.

Sadly, my serenity is short lived; I sense movement somewhere behind me. I stay still pretending not to notice whoever is trying to sneak up on me.

Prepare to shift if things go south. I tell Accalia and instantly block her without waiting for a reply; I have to be alert.

Minutes pass before I feel someone standing right behind me. Without giving it a second thought I turn around and push the intruder into a tree with all the force I can manage.

“Hello to you too gorgeous.” I am met with a handsome young man who is smirking down at me. His accent is really thick indicating that English is not his mother tongue; I reckon he is either Spanish or French.

“Why were you sneaking up on me?” I glare at him.

“I do not mean you any harm, if that is what you are implying.” He pulls his arms up in surrender. I take a second to look at his face. He has big green eyes, a tall nose, and light pink lips. His hair is long, so his dirty blonde locks hide his right eye. He is really beautiful; his features are soft yet muscular. I let go of him and take a few steps back.

“I’m Sebastian De Martel; I’m a warrior from Le Pack Lune Noire from France.” He offers me his hand to shake. I take it as I look him in the eye.

“Shadow Prior from the Red Eclipse pack.”

“I have to say I have never met a she-wolf like you before. You are the first woman I came across who can fight. I must say, I find it intriguing.” He gives me a dirty a smirk as he looks over my body.

Shadow please just walk away; we should not talk to stranger males! Accalia pleads.

I am sorry Accalia, but you know that I will not walk away.

“So what brings such a beautiful lady like you here?” His eyes are clouded by lust. Suddenly, my mom’s and Stefan’s words about my rebellion invade my mind, and just like that a wicked smile appears on my lips.

“Well, I was escaping from the noise and chaos that being around people can bring. What about you?” I reclaim my previous spot.

“I am just waiting for my alpha to summon me; he is talking with your alpha. I actually did not want to come here. In fact, I begged Pier, my alpha to let me stay back home. However, he insisted. Since he is my best friend and my alpha, I could not say no.” Sebastian sits next me while keeping a respectful space between us.

“Best friend? Then you must be the beta of your pack.” I give him a raised eyebrow.

“Guilty.” He chuckles awkwardly as if he is embarrassed to be his best friend’s beta. Regardless, I choose to not comment on it.

As the conversation begins to encompass more profound topics, my mind drifts to unpleasant moments from the past; moments that did not affect me emotionally or mentally but for some reason stayed in my mind. They are moments that hunt me whenever I am at my weakest, moments that make me so angry that they drive me to do something repulsive.

“When I was pregnant with you, your father and I agreed to not reveal the gender until the time of birth. When I gave birth to you, we were both disappointed that you were a female. With time, we learned to love you. I cannot believe that you are paying us back for our love by spending your nights outside of your family’s home?”

“I should have made your mother miscarry you the second she told me she was pregnant. We would have freed the world from a burden that we are all obliged to bear to protect the family name.”

“You and Diamanda misinterpret my behavior towards you. You believe that I am the overprotective older brother. The truth, however, is that I have hated you both ever since you were born. You ruined my life and our family’s name.”

“If your brother was not my best friend, I would have handed you over to the rogues as a peace trophy. Although to be honest, I do not think you would mind; you would have all these different men to fuck. It would be a treat to a whore like you can ever miss.”

“What the fuck is going on here?” A yell breaks both my thoughts and the conversation. I give Sebastian a disappointed look before turning my attention to a furious Stefan.

“What are you doing here Stefan?” I glare at him. Both Sebastian and I get off the rocks we were sitting on just a second ago.

“I was helping the warriors with patrols when I heard my little sister talking to a male.” I can tell that he is itching to hit something, and I am slightly worried that it will end up being Sebastian only because it will not end up well for me.

In three large strides, Stefan is standing right before Sebastian. A hint of his wolf is evident in his eyes.

“Your business in this territory is lucid, and it does not encompass conversing with my pack’s women.” Stefan’s eyes gradually become pitch black. He roughly grabs my upper arm and starts dragging me across the woods.

“Stefan, what the bloody hell are you doing?” I yell as I scratch at his hand.

“Shut up and keep walking.” I huff as I try to keep up with his large steps. I can break free from his grasp, but I cannot let him know that I have been training. In addition, fighting with him is pointless; his head is as thick as a rock. I truly pity the she-wolf who will end up being his mate.

Based on my knowledge of my brother, he is either dragging me to his house or our family’ house. The last thing he would do is tarnish the Prior name. A part of me hopes he is taking me to his house because I have never been inside it before and I am curious how my diabolical brother decorates his home.

When he inherited the beta title once he turned eighteen and he moved out of our family house into his own. I, on the other hand am stuck to live with my mum until I find my mate. Although I doubt I will ever be able to escape that house since everyone thinks my mate will reject me. Although to be fair, Stefan does not stay at his house; he stays in our family’s house claiming that he needs to monitor my actions.

To my dismay, Bellamy’s house starts to appear from within the trees. In spite of my disappointment, a part of my curiosity still remains because I have never been to Bellamy’s house either. I find my curiosity, however, not worth what I will have to endure once I see both Oliver leaning on the front door and Bellamy sitting on the steps of the front porch.

“You cannot allow any of us to live in peace, can you?” Oliver repeats what his best friend told me earlier today.

“Apparently not.” I mutter knowing that what is to will be highly repugnant. The three men drag me inside the house.

“So, what am I doing here?” I look around the house as Bellamy closes the front door. Bellamy sits on one of his couches in the living room, Oliver stands beside me, and Stefan leans against the wall right next to the book shelf. You are going to stay in this house until the meeting is over and the alphas return to their territories.” Oliver states casually as if he is saying that the sun is shining outside.

In less than a second, the blood boils in my veins.

“What is that supposed to mean? Are you seriously going to lock me in this house as if I am some kind of criminal?!”

“That is exactly what we are going to do.” Stefan stares coldly at me. As I stare back into his eyes all I feel is one emotion: hatred. I hate his beliefs, I hate everything he has done in the past, I hate him for sharing my blood, I hate who he is, and something tells me that the feeling is mutual.

“You cannot do this!” I make sure to display my furiousness.

“Actually we can.” Oliver moves away from me, grabs a chair from the dining table that is next to the living room, and sits down on it.

“As your alpha I order you to do as you are ordered.”

“Can I at least know why I am being locked up like a pet?” I try to use the approach of calmness rather than anger.

“You are here because we cannot afford you damaging the reputation we worked so hard to build by your indiscretions.” Bellamy speaks for the first time.

Perhaps this will teach you to stop this sinister hobby of yours. Accalia joins team assholes.

Not now Accalia! I block her. I do not need to have a quarrel with my wolf too. From the way things are looking, she is going to be my only company in the coming days.

“If you think I am just going to sit here and wait for you to let me out of my cage, then you are mistaken.” I know full well that there is nothing I can say or do that will persuade them to have a change of heart, but that does not mean I cannot get under their skin.

Sadly my plan backfires because for the second time in less than twenty four hours I get thrown against a wall.

“Well, then we will have to do this the hard way, won’t we?” Oliver’s lips whisper against my ear. His breath against my skin causes butterflies to erupt in my stomach, and they are not the good kind.

I lean back away from him to see his eyes pitch black. His wolf is surfacing.

“You will remain in this building until I permit you to leave.” He uses his alpha voice.

When an alpha uses his alpha voice to command a member of his pack to do as specific thing, then they will do it even if it is done unwillingly. Luckily, though, you can resist it if you happen to have a witch as a best friend. Moreover, my friend hates these three men as much as I do.

Oliver grabs me by my hair, and pulls me across the house as if I am a worthless mop. When we reach a certain guest room, Oliver drags me into it.

“You have wasted enough of my time.” He mumbles as he lets go of my hair and heads for the bedroom’s door. I collapse to the floor from the speed of his movement. Stefan walks up to me and kneels down so he can be at my level. His hand holds mine and he suddenly yanks my key bracelet off my wrist. He gives me a dirty smirk and walks away.

I do not bother to look up as I hear them lock me in the room.

Shadow…

Not now Accalia!

I just wanted to point out that you can always sneak out of the house. She blurts out before I can block her.

Because one, I cannot risk anyone, beside Clay, knowing that I had a witch cast a spell on me to protect me from my alpha’s orders, and two, there is no telling what Stefan will do when he learns that no one can command me down to do anything; I can end up locked up for real. However, I do not see the harm in breaking the lock.

I spend the next few hours in the kitchen eating all of Bellamy’s food as I try and fail to mind link Clay. When I start to feel catastrophic from being in the same room for too long, I start to explore the house only to end up in the kitchen once again.

Accalia, are you there?

Where else would I be? She immediately replies back. At times like these, I feel like the only person who would ever be able to tolerant me wholly is my wolf. After all, she is an essential part of me.

Can we agree that this is depressing?

Yes Shadow, we can. I feel suffocated. Still, I choose to look at the bright side.

What bright side? I ask with a scuff.

All this can be the beginning to the change we desperately need.