Page 28 of Cursed By Fate

We settled back into the candle's glow, the world narrowing to the fragile pages before us. The words were dense and tangled, but Serena's focus was unwavering. She was a puzzle of contradictions—sharp and soft, daring and guarded. I was losing myself to the pull of her, the mystery that she was.

Her scent wound around me—wild honey and moonlight—leaving me breathless.

“What is it?” she asked, sensing my distraction.

“Nothing,” I lied, my voice betraying me. “Everything.”

Our eyes met, and I saw the flicker of understanding in hers. It was terrifying and thrilling, this thing growing between us.

As we read on, the room closed in, the air thick with the revelation: The stones could break her curse, but at a price. The cost was too great, too unthinkable. I struggled to breathe, the weight of it pressing down.

“The pack—” I started, my words tangled with emotion. “Serena, I can't—”

The sudden noise outside shattered the moment. Footsteps. Voices. I leapt to my feet, heart pounding.

“Someone's there,” Serena said, urgency in her eyes. We moved quickly, hiding the manuscript back in its place.

The hallway was empty when we opened the door, but I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, of someone knowing what we were trying to uncover. Is someone already on to us? Is it too late to hide what we’ve found? The risk was growing, and with it, the choices I wasn't sure I was ready to make.

I left the library with the chill of unanswered questions clinging to my skin. The shadows in the compound seemed darker, every corner concealing a potential threat. Serena's worried expression haunted me, her eyes reflecting the doubts I'd tried to push aside. But the unease gnawed too deeply, andmy wolf demanded answers. I slipped through the halls, silent as the tension that wound itself around my heart. Each step toward Ewan's quarters was a betrayal in itself, a path I couldn't turn back from.

The night was quiet, the kind of quiet that spoke of watchful eyes and unspoken intentions. My instincts pulled me forward, warning me that time was short, that the danger was too close to ignore.

Serena's parting words echoed in my mind, a mixture of concern and challenge. I couldn't tell her what I suspected—not until I knew for sure. But leaving her alone in the compound made my gut twist with doubt.

Ewan's quarters were tucked in the far wing, away from the others. His absence was like an accusation, as if he'd known I'd come looking. The door creaked as I pushed it open, a sound that seemed to amplify the treachery I was about to uncover.

My eyes swept the room, noting the signs of his recent departure. A jacket thrown carelessly on the chair. Boots missing from their usual place. It felt wrong to invade his space, but my resolve hardened. I needed to know. I began searching, my movements quick and methodical. Each drawer and hidden corner was a new lead or a dead end. Guilt gnawed at me, but the drive to uncover the truth was stronger.

Under the mattress, I found it—a leather pouch, worn and inconspicuous. My pulse quickened, and I opened it with hands that trembled despite my efforts to stay calm. The contents spilled into my lap, damning in their clarity.

Letters.

They were marked with the seal of Silver Ridge, Alaric Sterling's mark unmistakable even in the dim light. I picked them up one by one, reading the words that confirmed my worst fears.

Ewan.

Alaric.

Their names linked by plans to overthrow me and take control of the stones. The correspondence detailed everything—the ambushes, the strategies, even Serena's role in their twisted game.

Once we have the stones, we'll no longer need either of them.

The final sentence seared itself into my mind, a brutal truth I couldn't escape. I felt something break inside me, a fracture that ran deeper than any wound I'd ever taken.

How long had he been planning this? How had I been so blind?

The footsteps came suddenly, jolting me into action. They were quick and purposeful, heading straight for the room. Panic surged, and I shoved the letters back into the pouch, replacing it with shaking hands.

I slipped into the shadows just as the door swung open. Ewan entered, his expression tight and wary. Mud clung to his boots, and the scent of Silver Ridge tainted the air around him. I watched him from my hiding place, the betrayal cutting into me with every breath he took. This was the wolf I'd trusted with my life, and he'd sold me out to our worst enemy.

My heart pounded with the need to confront him, but the timing wasn't right. Not yet. Not until I had a plan that wouldn't put Serena or the pack in more danger. Ewan moved through the room, his actions too precise, too controlled. Did he know I'd been here? Was he already aware of how close I'd come to unraveling his secrets?

I held my ground, silent and still, as he sniffed around the room. The urge to reveal myself, to force the truth out of him, burned in my chest. But I waited. I needed him to believe I hadn't figured it out yet.

When he finally turned away, leaving the door ajar, I slipped out behind him. The hallway swallowed me in shadows, butmy path was clear now. I couldn't let Ewan's betrayal destroy everything I'd fought to protect.

Even if it meant tearing my own heart out in the process. I looked down at the mark on my shoulder. It pulsed—bright, angry, alive. A reminder that fate doesn’t wait for anyone. And neither would I.

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