Ashes and Scales: Remember Us, Mate

Chapter 4: Cursed

MAIA

I arrived at Keir’s house with a spring in my step, excitement bubbling inside me. I couldn’t wait to tell him about the amazing day I’d had, the incredible boots I’d scored, along with the dresses from Zoraya.

I knew he’d get a kick out of hearing about everything that had happened. I knocked, a big smile on my face, ready to spill all the details. But as I did, I realized no one was home. I looked through the window, and everything was exactly as we had left it in the morning.

My mind was so preoccupied with sharing my excitement that I had no idea if I saw his car in the driveway or not. So I turned around and went to the front, but it was not there. I wondered if he was working late. He rarely stayed at work beyond his regular hours—only when there was a server crash or some other emergency. But he would have told me because he knew I always visited him after work.

Pulling out my phone, I checked the message I had sent him earlier; it had gone through but had not yet been read. I quickly dialed his number, but it went directly to voicemail. His phone was turned off now, which was even more unusual.

I went to the main house and knocked on the door. When no one answered, I pushed it open and called out to his mother, Mrs. C, who answered from somewhere upstairs.

"Mrs. C?" I called again as I approached the top of the stairs, just as she emerged from her bedroom, and I noticed her alarmed expression. Before I could say anything, she asked whether I had heard from Keir. "No, I was just going to ask you the same thing."

The worry in her eyes deepened, morphing into full-fledged panic, prompting me to quickly try to reassure her, searching for any logical explanation. "Maybe he is working late," I suggested, but even I was surprised that he had not said anything to her.

Mrs. C shook her head as she returned to her bedroom. I followed her inside and watched as she picked up her car keys. "Keir would not simply not call," she insisted. "He always calls if anything changes in his schedule. He knows I’ll worry if he doesn’t come home on time.”

I could see panic intensifying so I tried to calm her down. “Mrs. C, I’m sure there’s an explanation.” But she wasn’t listening. She began mumbling to herself, “Something’s wrong. I can feel it. My spirit has been restless all day."

Seeing her like this terrified me too, despite not thinking much of Keir's unresponsiveness a moment ago. I could not let her go to Luxor Heights, so my mind raced as I tried to figure out what to do.

I quickly mind-linked my father, telling him to come over as soon as possible. Mrs. C. had already started for the door and I called to her to wait, trying to stall her. “I’ll come with you,” I said, my worry mounting by the second.

We went outside, and my father arrived just as we were getting into the car, which brought me relief.

"Is everything OK?" he asked, and I quickly replied. “Keir’s not home from work. We can not reach him, so we are about to head to Luxor Heights to look for him." Dad's face tightened in concern as he turned to Mrs. C. “I’ll go look for Keir. You stay here.” Mrs. C. thanked Father, but she insisted on going. She said she did not want to bother my father.

However, Dad didn't have it. “It’s not safe for you, especially at night. Luxor Heights can be treacherous for humans after dark. It’s almost 7 p.m., and it’ll be dark soon.” Mrs. C looked torn. But eventually, she agreed to let my father go.

Just then, my mother arrived, and Dad asked her to stay with Mrs. C. He said the same thing to me, but there was no way I was staying behind. "I want to go with you," I said, but he stopped and turned to face me. He told me I had to stay and that I should not make him repeat what he had just told Keir's mother. I pointed out that being alone was dangerous, and that no one could touch me while he was present. I threw a huge pleading grin at him, and he could never say no to me. He knew that, too, so we didn't have to debate for long, and he let me come with him.

My dad's car engine hummed to life, and as it did, I looked up at the rearview mirror, watching Mom walk Mrs. C inside. I took a deep breath and reclined on the seat, thankful that I had arrived at Keir's house on time.

My dad was right. It was treacherous in Luxor Heights at night. Even with their deep pockets, some werewolves could not escape violence, and to make matters worse, Mrs. C had not been back to Luxor Heights in years. The last time she was there, was when she and Keir escaped with their lives. After that, she could never bring herself to set foot in that town again.

Keir’s father’s death did a number on her. It was also why she was so concerned about Keir not returning at his usual time. Even with his phone turned off, being a few hours late would not be a huge deal in some families. People would typically wait a few hours for him to arrive before panicking, but this was not the case for him because his mother was still dealing with the trauma of his father's death.

The first time I saw her lose it with Keir, he was an hour late because his car broke down and she could not reach him on his phone. I did not understand until my father explained that it was because Keir's father also never came home when he was supposed to. She never called him because she assumed it was just another late day, even when the hours were long gone, only for my father to arrive and tell her what had happened.

Recalling that, I felt a knot in my stomach, and I prayed Keir was alright and that there would be a simple explanation for his lateness. Dad asked me to help him keep an eye on the cars driving past in the direction we came, and I agreed.

•••

ZORAYA

I sighed, entering my house, and just then, the familiar sounds of the TV in the main living space reached my ears, making me instinctively tiptoe. The last thing I wanted to do was run into my cousin. Instead of talking, I wanted to go to my room and soak in the bathtub. It was the reason I stayed so late at Cian's house. I hoped to find her sleeping. However, I only took two steps before hearing a voice behind me.

"Did you forget about the scent aspect of being a werewolf?" My cousin's voice cut through my thoughts and stopped me in my tracks. I turned to see her smirking at me, and I found myself internally questioning why she was here. Or at least, I thought I wondered to myself until she replied, making me realize that I had asked aloud.

"Because your parents asked me to be here with you," she explained, her tone annoyingly matter-of-fact, as I glared at her.

“I’m not a child. I do not need to be babysat," I retorted, the irritation evident in my voice, but Tori simply shrugged.

"I understand, but your parents obviously don't. You may want to save all that energy for them."

"Whatever," I replied, dismissing her with a wave of my hand. I did not have the time or patience to deal with her right now. I should not have to deal with stress and abuse in my own home, the only place where I should be at ease. This was exactly why I dreaded returning home for the holidays. My parents, along with the rest of my family, were too much.

I began to walk up the stairs when she asked me what happened to me, saying I looked a mess. I didn't answer her question but it triggered a surge of emotion I had fought to keep down, and tears pooled in my eyes.

On the ride back, it all came back to me: the human--and I questioned everything, trying to convince myself that I was mistaken and that he could not have been a human.

I've never heard of a werewolf mating with a human. Furthermore, no human would roam so freely. What was special about him? I had so many questions, but I couldn’t ask because I didn’t want to talk about him. I just wanted to forget. But I was so confused.

"Ugh, I need a hug now." Before I knew it, my legs were carrying me back down.

“Can I help you with something?” Tori asked, and I nodded. "Could you please hug me... I had the craziest day."

"Of course, honey," she said, standing up. She pulled me into a hug, and even though I didn't want to, I sobbed. She was annoying and loud, but she was trustworthy. She had never spilled any of my secrets. "I met my mate today," I confided to her during our embrace.

“What?” she asked, drawing back, and I nodded before dropping the bomb on her. He was a disgusting, lowly human. Her vocabulary seemed to have shrunk to only one word, as she gasped and whispered, "What?" Her response exacerbated the situation, causing me to lose my cool.

“Oh, honey. I'm so sorry," she said, embracing me once more, and I confessed the one thing I had been struggling with since learning. I’m cursed. She pulled back from the hug and said that wasn’t true, but it was. Otherwise, why would I be mated to filth? No one else has ever been.

I didn't even know what I would have done if Cian had realized what was happening–if I hadn't been quick to sever the bond. He would have never wanted to touch me again. I said this to Tori, but she dismissed it as absurd, claiming that I did not choose to mate with a human and that if he was disgusted by me then, he did not deserve me in the first place. She said he was not perfect either, but I shook my head. Cian was perfect. We were both perfect, at least I thought so until that human. Now I don’t know anymore.

“Come sit down,” Tori said, and I sat down. "I will make us some vanilla cocktails," she offered, but I shook my head, already dreading the calories.

“I don’t want any. Cian's family is hosting dinner tomorrow, and I want to look flawless in my dress." Tori's expression was irritating, her eyes widening as if I had just told her I was going to starve myself for a month. She raised an eyebrow, obviously thinking I was being ridiculous.

“You really think one ice cream cocktail is going to ruin you? Zoraya, you’re a werewolf, not some fragile human.”

“I know what I am,” I snapped, not wanting to hear her misguided logic. "But I am not immune to sugar, which will make my body retain water and become bloated. What if the bloating causes the dress to fit incorrectly, and Cian thinks I am puffy, embarrassing him in front of his family?" I explained even though I knew she wouldn’t get it, and she stared at me, dumbstruck, her mouth slightly open as if she couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth. She had no clue, and I sighed, feeling a little bad for her.

“I’ll have my special sparkling water with a splash of lime. I want to look perfect tomorrow.”

At last, she said, "Understood," and she left the room. I reached for the remote, found something to watch that was calming, and changed the channel. I had to start calming myself down if I wanted to sleep peacefully tonight.

Only a few selected programs were allowed before bed. Anything else could disrupt my carefully planned routine, and I was not going to let that happen. Not with all that had already happened.

Tori returned moments later and handed me the sparkling water. She looked at me expectantly, clearly waiting for me to continue with my earlier revelation and I took a sip and told her everything that happened.

“Are you sure he was human? It doesn’t make sense for a human to just be walking around in broad daylight undetected, let alone working for the Diakos.”

“I’m sure. He wasn’t a wolf. His scent was human, and he had no wolf presence at all.”

“Is he a new employee?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask,” I admitted. “I just rejected him.”

“Just rejected?” She asked, disbelief evident in her tone, and I confirmed I did just reject him.

“You didn’t expose him?” She pressed, and I exclaimed no.

“I was devastated that he was my mate, and all I wanted was to get away. It didn’t even register that he shouldn’t have been there at the time. When it finally did, I asked Cian to fire him.” I could feel myself shaking as I finished speaking, the trauma of the encounter resurfacing, and Tori reached out and took my hand.

“It’s alright,” she said softly. “But you should tell your parents when they get back.”

I pulled my hand back, the thought of explaining everything making my stomach churn. “How am I supposed to explain what I was doing with Cian there?” I asked and she said what if they’re up to something bad? "I mean, why else would they have a human in their midst?”

“They’re not up to anything bad. They’re wonderful people. Maybe they didn’t realize he was human.”

“How could they not smell a human?”

She asked and that did it. I thought this conversation would help me relax, but it only made me feel more stressed. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I stood up. “I need to go to bed. I’m already freaking out—I don’t need you making it worse.”

•••

MAIA

We arrived at the Diakos Building, also known as the DK Towers. As we approached the entrance, I felt a knot form in my stomach. The grandeur of the place was overwhelming, and I could only imagine how nice it would be to work here—if you were not constantly afraid of being discovered.

We entered the lobby, and my gaze was immediately drawn to the vastness of the space. We headed to the reception desk, where a woman sat behind a sleek counter. My father greeted her first, then asked for Keir, giving his last name and occupation. The woman looked up briefly before returning to her screen, her fingers quickly tapping on the keyboard.

“The IT department is closed,” she said after a moment, her tone indifferent. “There’s no one on that floor as far as I know, but I’ll try to call him.” I held my breath as she dialed his number and seconds passed in what seemed like an eternity before she shook her head. “There’s no answer.”

The dread I had been pushing to the back of my mind suddenly rushed forward. My father asked if we could go up to check, but the woman shook her head again. “I’m afraid you’re not allowed up there. All the codes have been logged out for the day.”

My eyes widened as she spoke, and the realization hit me hard: there was really no one up there. I tried to keep calm, but the panic was starting to claw at me.

“Have you seen him at all today?” I asked with desperation seeping into my voice, and the woman barely glanced at me.

“I don’t know. Hundreds of employees work in this building. I don’t take note of their faces.” Of course, she wouldn’t. We knew that, but the panic was making us grasp at straws.

She turned back to whatever she was doing, clearly uninterested in helping us any further and my father and I exchanged glances, our feet heavy as we turned to leave.

“What are we going to do?” I asked, and then an idea struck me. “Maybe we should check the parking lot for his car. That would give us a clue as to whether he made it here at all today.” We spun back around to ask the woman, but she didn’t even bother looking up as she muttered, “I don’t know where he parks.”

However, just as the hopelessness was about to swallow me whole, a voice called out from our left. We both turned, and my heart skipped a beat as I saw a young man in a uniform like Keir’s, approaching us. He asked us who we were looking for, and my father and I rushed up to him.

My father told him, and the guy knew exactly who Kier was, but his next words hit us like a punch in the gut.

“Keir doesn't work here anymore. I was informed this morning to take over his responsibilities."