Page 84 of Red's Beast

Lillian

My jaw drops open as I hear the beast's words.

So, this is the woman that cursed him. I take her in, and I admit she has some alluring qualities. Her hair is long and dark brown. Almond-shaped eyes look at me. Overall, she's very attractive, and I can see why the wolves of his time were after her, but it probably had something to do with her magic more so than her looks.

"I guess I should officially introduce myself. Natalia Rose Bardot of the Blue Moon coven." She looks at Grandmother scathingly. "And you are a nuisance."

Samson, who has been silent this whole time, finally speaks up. "Wait, if you're not Alana, then where is she?"

Natalia laughs manically, as if it's the funniest thing she's ever heard. "Dead and in the ground years ago, shortly after giving birth to Corbin. Her body wasn’t strong enough to deliver a child that has witch blood in him."

"This can't be." Confusion swarms my mind. Alana's been dead all these years, and no one noticed the difference. What does she mean by witch blood?

"Oh, honey, how naïve you are. You all are fools and couldn't even detect she was different. Of course, this is not how things were supposed to turn out.” She cuts her eyes toward the beast with a smirk. “You were supposed to be either dead or with me, as you should have been years ago.”

Everything clicked into place. "That's why Nigel couldn't call you back from the brink of death."

She lets out a huff. "No, he wasn't the true leader of the pack, and I wasn't Alana."

I take a step closer, as I try to find the words, but the beast steps in front of me, blocking my path.

Don't get any closer. She's dangerous and will murder anyone.

As our gazes meet, I realize what I should have seen all along. "It was you. You murdered the people in the village. All the disappearances, the missing people, and those who died. It has always been you."

Now you know, my dear Lily. Nigel helped her because he thought she was his mate and she used him.

She cackles loudly as she realizes the beast is speaking to me in my mind. "Yes, it has, and he took the blame for it all, but all he did was try to protect the village. Silly of the pack to not realize who their savior was."

"I'm so sorry, beast." Tears roll down my face as I fall to my knees beside him. "I should have believed you."

Natalia paces forward and squats down a few feet in front of us. "How very touching, but yes, you should have listened, but now it's too late. He will be cursed to roam the woods forever, as I intended, unable to be free from that hideous beast's form unless he changed his mind about us. You, on the other hand, if you had mated to Corbin, then it would have truly come full circle. Without you, he can’t free himself of the curse without me and I’d keep you away from him.”

"Why would you want to keep fated mates apart?”

The beast nudges into my mind through our bond.

Now that she has revealed herself, I can speak up. Corbin is her descendent. My only hope is for you to...

She blasts him with magic, and the link goes quiet before he can tell me what I'm supposed to do. "For shame, beasty, you shouldn't be revealing the secrets of your curse."

"The white wolf is the key," I blurt out, and she eyes me.

"Smart girl, but do you know what else is required for the curse to end?"

She sends black magic tendrils across the land and the pack members all run in terror back to their houses. Then she turns her attention to us. "Now, to deal with him before he spoils everything."

The black tendrils creeping from her hands wrap around him and throw him back into the woods.

"No!" I scream out.

"Now, it's just you and me, little red. Whatever will you do without your big bad wolf now?"

I take a step as more black tendrils slowly ooze out of her hands. Glancing around, I notice Grandmother is still here, staring at the witch with an icy gaze. "Natalia, you will not harm my granddaughter."

"Harm her? No, that is not what I want, but I will ensure that the beast never breaks his curse."

Stopping in my tracks, I wonder why she is so bent on him never being free. She seems to notice I've moved, and her tendrils creep their way toward me.

---