Page 15 of The Alpha's Cursed Queen

Mary doesn’t look very convinced. “That’s what you think. You’re so convinced everybody hates you because of your lack of a wolf spirit that you keep forgetting there are people like you who have gone on to mate with other shifters. It’s not a life sentence. You can still be happy. Maybe Darian will understand.”

I wet my lips, giving her a small, humorless smile. “Do you think I should make myself vulnerable in front of him? A man I just met twice? Why? So that when he says something nasty to me, I can face rejection like a champ? I don’t have it in me to be constantly rejected by everyone, Mary. I am a person. I want to be loved, just like everybody else. I know I never will be, but a part of me wants that. A stupid, delusional part of me. I won’t put myself in a situation where somebody can break my heart. I can’t. And everyone does hate me. I’m not imagining the insults that are thrown at me, or the beatings I face when I’m ambushed at random times. Those bruises are not in my head.”

Mary falls silent, and she lowers her gaze.

I don’t expect her to understand. How could she? She has only seen the abuse doled out on me. She has never suffered it. And Mary is ever the optimist.

But I can sense that perhaps my words were a little harsh for the gentle-hearted healer. I force a smile on my face. “As I already told you, Darian is linked to the royal family, which means I can never take the risk of telling him what I am. I don’t know how he’ll react. Besides, one kiss doesn’t mean I’m now bound to tell him everything. I pissed him off, and he kissed me to prove some imaginary point. Story over.” I take a deep breath before continuing. “The truth is, Mary, I’m planning to leave the pack now that I’m going to be of age. I want to go live in a human city. I just want a peaceful life where I don’t have to worry about being attacked or insulted every day. I’ll never see Darian again. So, rather than him, I’d rather focus on getting away from here.”

My friends shoulder’s droop. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I also know that staying in this place would be harmful to you. You deserve a better life, Alice. When do you plan to go?”

I sigh. “After the mating gathering. I looked into how I can leave the pack. It’s a clear process. I don’t have to do much, just go to the registry to strike off my name. The administrative department of the pack will handle the rest. It has to be approved by the royal family, I guess, but they won’t care, especially since I don’t have a wolf spirit. I read at the library today that if you don’t have a wolf spirit, the royal family doesn’t stop you from leaving the kingdom.”

“What about me? Will I be able to see you?”

“All the time.” I walk around the table to embrace her. “You can see me whenever you want.”

As Mary hugs me back, I sigh quietly. Mary has always been a romantic at heart. Of course she’s going to read more into my meeting with Darian than what is really there. All this fuss overa forced kiss. The man may be attractive, but that doesn’t mean I’ve fallen head over heels for him. It would be better if he stayed as far away from me as physically possible.

*****

I never do anything for my birthday, but Mary has the day off, too, and she still wants to go shopping for a dress and shoes. I’m not discouraging her because I do need a dress if I have to attend the mating gathering. I already have a handicap; the last thing I need to do is add to it.

I get to our meeting spot early, and after checking my watch, I decide I have time to stop by the pack library. I’ve always played off the superstitions about the lake, but now that Darian has confirmed the story, I want to check it for myself.

The pack library does not carry a lot of information about witches, but I do find some basics that all of us are aware of. There were once dark witches and white witches. Centuries ago, the white witches discovered that their dark counterparts had been planning something against the royal family. Nowhere does it say what the dark witches had in mind, but it was bad enough for the white witches to launch an all-out war. Like their names suggest, the dark witches were considered to be linked to darkness and evil and the white witches with goodness and purity. It didn’t help that the white witches were gifted with only healing magic, whereas the dark witches had battle magic.

The war was waged in different parts of the world, and when the shifters allied themselves with the white witches, the dark witches began to be wiped out. One of the battles was located at the lake. And while there is no mention of whether the resultingcorpses were burned or not, there is no doubt that combat did take place there.

I know my kind avoids the lake, but I’ve always felt drawn to it. I go there a lot, and it always feels peaceful to me. I have a sense of belonging there. It sounds silly now that I know there really may be bodies of dark witches in that water.

One thing about witches that my kind finds very unnerving is that their bodies don’t decompose. That is another reason why witches are burned, not buried. Imagine a poor human digging a hole and coming across a dead witch who looks like she’s sleeping!

Morbid curiosity takes hold of me. If there are truly witches under the lake’s surface, their bodies should still be intact.

Common sense tells me not to, but I really want to see if this myth is true. Do the bodies of dead witches decompose or stay as they were?

I decide to check it out in the afternoon while it’s still light out. It’ll feel less terrifying that way. Or maybe I could be smart and not go stirring the waters.

I laugh quietly at my own joke.

Checking the time, I head out to meet Mary. Let’s get this dress shopping done.

*****

I always shop at thrift stores. Nice clothes and cheap as dirt.

Mary comes from a loaded family. She moved into my apartment building after a fight with her parents about her independence,but she still gets an allowance from her parents. She’s used to shopping at fancy places that cater to the wealthier class.

Unlike me, Mary also enjoys the process of shopping. My feet are throbbing by the time we’ve finalized the purchase of my new shoes.

“Let’s get a purse to match!” my friend says excitedly.

I turn around to face her, putting my hand on her shoulder, my expression grim. “Mary, you know I love you, don’t you?”

She nods happily.

“Then, know I say this with all the love in my heart, and more: if I have to go to another store with you, I’m going to kill myself.”

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