Chapter 31 - The curse
1814 Words
#musicvibe - Try, P!nk
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Alex POV
“This feels like one of your stupidest ideas of all time.” Joey muttered and looked around in the darkness around us.
We had left shortly after coming back from the negotiations, and I gave my father some excuse about not seeing Joey for a while, so we were going off to catch up. He seemed to buy it, even though he scrunched his face up in disagreement about us going off to get a drink. He didn’t think that being out drinking was respectable behavior for a future king, but I had blatantly refused to listen to him and was usually out with my friends at parties almost every weekend.
Except this time, we weren’t partying.
Instead, we sprinted back towards the meeting spot by the border, and when we arrived we waited nervously for king Tyson to show up.
While we waited, anxiousness threatened to take over and I started contemplating running out of there before the lycans arrived. I had no idea how Tyson was going to react, especially after the things I said to him.
All my plans of escaping this weird situation flew out the window when I saw a group of wolves coming closer. I recognized the wolf in the front as Tyson and I hoped that he wasn’t too angry.
“I’m glad you could make it.” I said.
Tyson shifted back, his clothes melting back onto his body and he glared at me. I realized that he had the note clutched in his hand. I had read it before we left and I knew what Valeria had written.
“Where’s Valeria?” He growled.
I held my hands up.
“She’s safe.” I said. “She asked me to come talk to you.”
“Why should we trust anything you say?” Tyson asked and folded his arms across his chest.
“Because I know that you’re innocent.” I said. “Valeria showed me her bite marks. She also told me that you have four vampires in custody and that one of them mentioned the name Damian Cass.”
I racked my brain, trying to remember everything Valeria had told me about what had happened since the first vampire attack.
“She told me what will happen if you two are separated during the full moon, and I really hope that I can get her out before then.” I said.
Tyson looked stunned.
“She must trust you if she told you all that.” He muttered. “Why did you call me here?”
“Valeria wanted me to tell you that you can’t accept the demands.” I said. “She’s afraid that you will do anything to get her back, but she thinks there is something else at play here, and until we know what that is, she doesn’t want you to give something away that could do some serious damage later.”
Tyson sighed.
“That sounds like Valeria.” He replied. “She’s been saying from the start that we’re missing something.”
“She is wearing custom made handcuffs that suppress both her powers and her wolf.” I said. “She is sure that she was taken for a reason, and if she’s right, I fear that my father will try to double cross you even if you give him what he wants.”
“Then what do you expect me to do?!” Tyson snapped. “She’s my mate. I can’t stand being away from her like this.”
I smiled apologetically.
“She misses you too.” I replied. “I’m really sorry about the pain my kind has caused you.”
I saw tears lining Tyson’s eyes, and he blinked rapidly to keep them from falling.
“Is she hurt?” He asked in a small voice.
I shook my head.
“I wasn’t lying when I said that my father gave her to me to train her into submission.” I said.
Tyson’s eyes widened and I quickly added.
“But I swear to you, I have no intention of hurting her. We’ve been putting up a show for my father to make him trust me and maybe reveal his plans to me, but so far he hasn’t said anything.”
Tyson nodded.
“Tell me everything you know.” He said. “If you really want to help, I need to know everything that’s going on.”
I saw the braid Valeria made wrapped tightly around his hand like a bracelet, and I saw the pain in his eyes. Even though I had questioned myself a thousand times the past few days, I knew that I was doing the right thing trying to reunite Tyson and Valeria.
I just wished that there was more I could do.
*
Valeria POV
The bedroom door burst open and Lara and I got up from the floor. Alex and Joey stopped right inside the door and stared at us in disbelief.
“What’s going on here?” Alex snapped.
“Your i***t brother broke in.” I said. “Lara saved me.”
Lara walked up to Alex and took his hand.
“We need to talk.” She said.
Alex glanced at me and I shook my head in a ‘I didn’t say anything’ kind of way.
“Fine.” He said. “Joey, stay here. I’ll be right back.”
Alex and Lara left, and as soon the door closed, I couldn’t stop myself from asking.
“How did it go?” I whispered.
Joey shrugged.
“We met with King Tyson after the first meeting. Alex managed to slip him the note.” He replied.
“How is he?” I asked softly.
He shook his head.
“I’m not going to pretend that I understand that whole mate thing.” He muttered. “But Tyson didn’t look good, like he hadn’t slept since you were taken. Alex told him that he was going to try to get you out of here before the full moon to keep you both from being in pain, but we don’t really have a plan for how that is supposed to happen, do we?”
I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.
“No, we don’t.” I whispered.
We looked up when Alex and Lara came back inside and closed the door.
“Alright, Lara is in.” Alex said.
I folded my arms and glared at him.
“You don’t think that you’re a bit too trusting here?” I grumbled. “If any of them turn on us, you’re dead and I’m screwed.”
“We can’t end this war on our own.” Alex replied. “I know you’re deep into uncharted territory, but this is my home. I know who to trust here. You just have to trust me. Have I let you down this far?”
I opened my mouth to protest, but I couldn’t argue with him. I knew that he was right, but I hated the vulnerable situation I was in.
“Fine.” I muttered. “Did Tyson give you anything useful?”
“He confirmed everything you’ve told me this far.” Alex said. “And he said that he and the whole army is just a call away if we need it. Other than that, he couldn’t really think of a reason behind my father’s demands. He gave me his number, but I think we shouldn’t use it unless there’s an emergency.”
I nodded.
“You’re right.” I said. “So do we have a plan to get me out of here? I would really love to be back home before the full moon.”
“Actually, I think the full moon is the perfect opportunity.” Lara said.
We all looked at her in confusion.
“Explain.” Joey said.
“The castle is locked down and everyone leaves.” Lara said. “Maybe we can sneak you out while everyone is… preoccupied.”
I frowned.
“What are you talking about?” I asked. “Why is the castle locked down? And what could everyone possibly be preoccupied with?”
I glanced at Alex, who shook his head.
“I’ve already thought about that.” He replied. “It’s too dangerous.”
“It’s dangerous if she stays here too.” Lara hissed. “Jamie came here looking for her. He’s not going to give up until he gets her. What do you think he will do on the full moon?”
I looked from one to the other, trying to decipher the look of worry on their faces.
“Alright, rewind here.” I said. “What’s going on?”
“How much do you know about the curse on the royal family?” Joey asked.
I frowned.
“My Gamma mentioned something about a curse.” I said. “But I can’t remember if he said in what way. They didn’t really seem to think that it was real.”
“Oh it’s real alright.” Joey scoffed.
“So what happens on the full moon?” I asked.
“Every full moon from the day we turn eighteen, we turn into vicious beasts on the full moon night.” Alex explained. “They roam the castle on that night, attacking anyone they can reach. They started turning on each other when completely locked in, so my father started sending animals, humans and sometimes vampires who had committed gruesome crimes into the castle on the full moon. It’s safe to say that no one has ever survived a night in the castle.”
I stared at him.
“And you can’t stop it?” I asked.
Lara shook her head with a sad look on her face.
“That’s the curse.” She said. “We’re forced to sit back and watch the actions of the monsters without any way of stopping them.”
“What makes you think that I will survive a night in the castle then?” I deadpanned. “I’m the most human I’ve been in decades and you’re telling me that no one has survived the full moon in the castle.”
“Which is why we need to get you out before then.” Alex replied.
“How?” I asked. “The full moon is in four days.”
“And Tyson needs to clear Cambridge of all werewolves and lycans in the next two days.” Joey chimed in. “Or he will hurt you.”
My eyes widened and my heart clenched in my chest.
“Unbelievable.” I muttered and slumped down on the sofa. “You might as well start writing my obituary, because it’s only a matter of time before I’m dead.”
- Writer
