Page 11 of Cursed By Fate

“Serena!” she shouted, her voice cutting through the dark like a beacon.

I stepped out from my hiding place, my chest tight with emotion. “Lila!”

She ran toward me, and we collided in a tangle of arms and laughter and breathless words. It felt good to have someone here with me, to know that I wasn’t alone in this. It felt right, the way nothing else had for so long.

“Where the hell have you been, Serena?” Lila's voice was a mixture of relief and frustration, her eyes searching mine for answers. “The pack was in chaos, trying to figure out who took you and where you went.”

I took a deep breath, steadying myself before replying, “It was the Stormvale pack in the mountains. I managed to escape, butI need to get out of here. I can’t let them, or my father, find me. I had to get out, Lila. I couldn't stay there anymore. My father... he was suffocating me with his warnings and secrets. I needed to find the truth about my curse.”

She pulled back just enough to look at me, her eyes bright with questions. “I always knew you’d get out,” she said, her voice full of admiration and something else, something that sounded a lot like worry.

“Not for long if I keep running into people,” I said, trying to sound braver than I felt.

She punched me lightly on the shoulder. “It’s a good thing I found you first, then.” Her eyes darted around the forest, scanning for any signs of danger. “They’ll be following you, Serena. When they find out you’re gone—”

“They won’t,” I said, cutting her off. I wanted to believe it, to let myself think I’d gotten away for good. “Not if I can help it.”

She nodded, her expression fierce and determined. “Then we have to move. It’s not safe here.”

I knew she was right, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Not yet. Not without knowing how much she knew. I watched her, waiting for her to say more, hoping she had answers I didn’t. “What about the curse?” I asked, my voice tight with urgency. “Did you find anything?”

Her eyes met mine, and I could see it all there before she even spoke. The truth. The lies. The tangled web I was caught in.

“Serena,” she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “There’s so much you don’t know.”

I pulled her into a hug, my heart swelling with gratitude and love. She’d done it. She’d really done it.

She clung to me for a long moment before pulling back, her face serious. “Your father is keeping things from you,” she said, her tone low and urgent. “Things he doesn’t want you to find out.”

I felt a sharp pang of anger, hot and bright and familiar. “He’s been doing that my whole life,” I said, trying to keep the bitterness out of my voice. “What’s he hiding now?”

Lila took a deep breath, and her expression was a mix of fear and resolve. “Some sort of stones,” she said. “He’s been trying to get them.”

The stones. The forbidden ones. My father’s obsession, the source of his secrets—and now, maybe, my only answer.

“Why?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

“The curse,” she said. “He thinks it’s the only way to break it.”

I laughed, a harsh and bitter sound. “And what does he plan to do with me in the meantime?”

She frowned. “He’s scared, Serena. He doesn’t want to lose you.”

I didn’t buy it. Not for a second. “He’s keeping me in the dark so he can have it all for himself. Has he even been looking for me? He’s probably relieved I’m gone, not his burden anymore.”

Her silence was answer enough.

“Where are the stones?” I asked. I had to know, even if it meant tearing the truth out of my father’s cold, dead hands.

“The Stormvale pack,” Lila said. “He thinks they still have them. I found some old letters—”

“What else did you find?” I asked, cutting her off.

Her eyes softened. “Something about the mark,” she said, nodding toward my wrist. “There was a page missing, but...”

“But what?”

“One line stuck with me,” Lila whispered. “The celestial bond must be broken where it was made—within the stone heart of the wolf’s mountain.” She reached out and gave my shoulder a squeeze. “I think your father’s more scared than you are.”

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