My Cursed Love

Chapter 6: Cursed

-Elena-

I feel the cold air in my lungs, the dirt beneath my feet. My heart races with fear, adrenaline, and the haunting echoes of their voices. I’m running through the woods, their mocking calls echoing around me. They know their power over me. They know I won’t get far.

My foot catches in a hole, and I feel a surge of desperation as I struggle to free myself. I push on, almost feeling their breath on my neck. Then, the edge—I nearly fall over. His voice behind me is so cold it sends a shiver through my spine.

When I look back, he’s nothing but a shadow with dark eyes. I let myself fall, feeling the water catch me and pull me into its embrace. I’m drowning, and then… the warmth. Where is it coming from? I can barely open my eyes. The light is blinding. But something stands out—a redness… Are those eyes?

Red eyes?

I woke up drenched in sweat, my heart pounding violently in my chest. My breathing was erratic. I clutched my chest, as if my hand could make my breathing steady again. Fear gripped me, and my body shook uncontrollably.

I pulled my legs close, trying to make myself feel safe. They would never leave me alone. They would haunt me forever in my dreams. Tears streamed down my face, leaving hot trails on my cold skin. I sniffled, feeling utterly alone, trapped in my own memories and fears. I was never going to escape…

-Revenge-

I had just stepped out of the shower, a towel wrapped around me, when the girl reappeared on my TV screen. For over a week, news reporters had been obsessively covering the reappearance of one of the thirteen missing girls.

Elena Wilson.

Just hearing her name made my heart skip a beat. I didn’t understand why, but ever since that day I left her on the beach, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. My wolf had been restless inside me, agitated by my abandonment of her, though he remained silent. He rarely spoke, as I had always kept him suppressed, maintaining an iron grip on him. But after meeting her, I found myself the one who was out of control, and I loathed it.

“…Still, twelve girls are missing, but with Elena Wilson’s return, there may finally be some answers…”

The mention of her name pulled my attention back to the screen. The photo displayed was old. She looked nothing like the smiling, healthy girl in that picture. She was pale, with blue bruises on her arms and face, and there were likely more injuries that weren’t visible. I wondered what had happened to her but quickly pushed the thought aside and turned off the TV. Why should I care? She was just a human girl and meant nothing to me.

I dressed in black skinny jeans, a tight dark gray t-shirt, combat boots, and a leather jacket. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I saw how my white hair and red eyes stood out, something that was important to others. People feared a cursed child like me. They had either teased me, wished me dead, tried to kill me, beaten me, or fled in terror of the curse and powers I carried.

I had always thought I needed to hide who I was to avoid loneliness, but I realized that what others considered my weakness was actually my strength. Now, I wore it proudly, showing the world who I was and the power I wielded. I wanted everyone to know from a distance who I was and to tremble in fear, knowing that crossing me would lead to death or worse.

I smiled at the thought, put on my sunglasses, and left my room. People didn’t like looking into my eyes, so I kept them hidden behind dark glasses while at home. As I walked further, I could hear the house bustling with conversation and laughter. It was comforting to know that my pack was thriving, but I wasn’t one for joining in on the chatter or fun. I headed straight to my office to start on today’s alpha duties.

As I entered my office, I settled into my black leather chair behind my dark brown desk and removed my sunglasses. Here, only those with my permission entered, so I let them lie around freely. The wall behind me was entirely glass, allowing the sunlight to stream happily into the room.

Time seemed to drag on because of the boring paperwork. I began massaging my left shoulder, then my right, and rolled my head around to relieve some of the tension. God, I was wound up today. I couldn’t wait to start the training and burn off some of this energy.

Knock, knock.

I stopped rolling my head as I heard the knock on the door.

“Enter,” I said.

Rafe, my beta, walked in. He was an old friend and probably the only person I truly trusted. As he approached, I noticed he looked exhausted, with bloodshot eyes and dark circles beneath them. What on earth was going on with him? I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my chin. I wasn’t one to pry into other people’s affairs, but this was my oldest friend, and he looked awful.

“What the hell happened to you?” I asked.

Rafe looked at me, confused.

“You look like s**t,” I teased with a smile.

His lips twitched into a grin, and he let out a small laugh. Rafe ruffled his hair, trying to make himself look more presentable. What he didn’t realize was that he was always impeccably dressed. Even when he was sleep-deprived, he managed to look sharp—his hair neatly styled to the left, blue pants paired with a dark green shirt, and a brown leather jacket. His attempt to improve his appearance only made me smile more, especially since his hair now looked charmingly tousled and a bit messy. But he still pulled it off.

“So?” I prompted.

Rafe met my gaze briefly before quickly looking away. Even he couldn’t maintain eye contact. It was said that those who looked into a cursed child’s eyes would see their worst fears. I wouldn’t know if that was true—my own eyes didn’t affect me. But since people preferred I wear sunglasses to avoid looking at the ground while speaking to me, I always complied. The pack respected me, and I didn’t need to rule them with fear, so I didn’t mind.

I reached for my sunglasses and put them on. Rafe looked up again, and this time, he didn’t look away.

“You really don’t have to,” he said, nodding toward the sunglasses.

I shrugged, pretending it didn’t matter. Rafe knew I preferred not to wear them in the office since it was one of the few places I could leave them aside.

“Just spill it,” I insisted.

Rafe sighed heavily.

“He agreed to meet you and will contact us when he’s ready,” Rafe said.

I slammed my hand onto the wooden desk, startling Rafe.

“Dammit, Rafe, we both know that the reason you look like a mess isn’t just about the alliance,” I reminded him, irritated that he was avoiding the real issue just to avoid burdening me.

It was true. I wasn’t fond of talking about feelings, but I wasn’t weak. If my beta needed my help to function properly again, he was going to get it. Rafe sighed again, this time more deeply. His eyes fell to his hands, where his thumb was nervously pressing and rubbing against his palm. He always did that when he had something difficult to discuss.

“She’s bleeding,” he said quietly.

Shit.

Rafe’s mate, Claire, was the pack’s doctor. She had discovered she was pregnant just three weeks ago. After a previous miscarriage, I knew the thought of losing the baby again was unbearable to them. Now, she was bleeding.

“f*****g hell,” I muttered, rubbing my face in frustration.

It made sense why Rafe looked so distraught. He must be worried sick. I could only imagine the agony he was going through. The last time Claire miscarried, the fear of losing her drove him nearly insane. I didn’t want him to suffer through that again.

“She doesn’t know I know,” Rafe admitted.

I stared at him in shock. No way! Was Claire keeping this from him, afraid he might react like he did last time? Claire was a genuinely good and kind person, beloved by everyone. I understood why she might want to shield him from the pain, but seeing him like this was heartbreaking.

“How did you find out?” I inquired.

“I found the pads stashed behind some old toiletries we never use,” he explained.

“Then maybe they’re old,” I said, trying to offer some reassurance, though I knew it might not help.

“Then why hide them?” he inquired, frustration evident in his voice.

I sighed. “Yeah, why hide it?”

“You need to talk to her,” I said firmly.

He shook his head. “No, I don’t.”

“You have to!” I insisted.

He shook his head again. “If she wanted me to know, then she would have to come to me. I’ll act like I don’t know anything,” he informed me, his frustration evident.

I understood his anger. Normally, they were good at communicating their troubles to each other, but this time, things were falling apart, and the result was far from pretty.

“Well, if you’re going to act like nothing’s wrong, you might want to fix your hair and do something about those dark circles under your eyes. I’m sure the women downstairs would be happy to lend you some makeup,” I teased.

“Ah, shut up!” he replied, though he couldn’t help but smile at my joke.

“So,” I said, shifting back to business, “what about the alliance?”

Rafe instantly adopted his professional demeanor, becoming all serious. That’s how I knew him best—always so dedicated and composed.

“He’s agreed to the alliance but with a few ‘demands’,” Rafe informed me.

I let out a low growl. Both Rafe and I knew that he would have demands. My pack was one of the largest, and even though this guy was powerful and unhinged, it wasn’t surprising that he would ask something of me.

“When will he contact us?” I asked.

“When he has the time,” he told me.

I clenched my fists in irritation. This guy was already getting on my nerves. Of course, he would make me wait, trying to assert his dominance. Fine, I would play along with his game for now. I knew I was the one who truly held the power. This man might be crazy, but people like me—cursed children—were feared by all. One day, I would make him regret ever trying to challenge me.