Page 38 of Cursed By Fate

My heart was clenched in a fist. I saw it in the way Tristan worked his jaw, the way he sat up and shook his head like he wastrying to clear it of worse than wolfsbane. I reached for him, my hand finding his, the warmth of his touch grounding me for one fragile second.

Then it was gone again, the hope, slipping through us like water.

I couldn’t catch my breath, not with the scent of the cave and our failures clogging up the air. The restraints seared into me, a vicious reminder of how little time we had, how far we were from stopping any of it. My skin felt like it was on fire from the wolfsbane laced ropes, but nothing burned as bad as watching Ewan drag us down this path.

He circled us with madness in his eyes, confidence and lunacy entwined in a twisted dance. “How fitting that you'll both witness my ascension,” he said, smugness oozing from every word. “The rightful alpha will finally claim what Tristan was too weak to use.”

Tristan glared at him, the defiance never leaving his face. It was that look that kept me steady, that made the agony more bearable, that made me believe we still had a shot, however impossible it seemed.

The celestial stones were being arranged around us, humming with the energy of a thousand broken promises. Their power was so intense it felt like a living thing, ready to tear through the mountain and everyone in it.

Ewan moved with purpose, his followers right behind him, setting the last pieces of his betrayal into motion. My heart thudded in time with the glowing altar, every beat a taunt, a warning that we were out of options and time.

I turned to Tristan, saw the mix of determination and desperation in his eyes. He’d known this day would come, but not like this. Not while we were helpless. He gave me a look that said everything we didn’t have the breath or the words to say.I felt the same desperation surge in me, raw and unfiltered, the knowledge that we might lose it all, including each other.

The stones pulsed with a relentless rhythm, their light spilling across the chamber in blinding waves. Ewan began to chant, ancient words that cut into the air and set it ablaze.

I fought against the restraints, every movement agony, but I didn’t care. I had to do something. Anything. Tristan strained beside me, the bonds holding us too tight, too strong. It felt like the whole mountain was watching, waiting for us to crumble. The ropes seared like iron brands, but the worst pain was the silence in my father’s eyes.

Ewan's voice grew louder, more insistent, the glow of the stones matching the ferocity of his ambition. He was so sure of himself, so ready to take everything and leave us with nothing. I wouldn’t let him. Couldn’t let him.

The air buzzed with tension and magic and the sickening feeling of defeat. Tristan and I exchanged one last look, full of raw hope and the terrible knowledge of what was coming.

The chamber trembled as the stones flared, their light blistering the walls—and in that final flash, I saw it. The end. Not just of us. Of everything.

Chapter twelve

Tristan

Iwrenched against the bindings until my skin tore, rage fueling my escape. Serena, wild-eyed, fought to free herself from her restraints. The altar glowed with eerie light, celestial stones flaring as Ewan and Alaric now loomed over the ritual. The air felt alive and angry, humming with ancient energy and the acrid scent of burning herbs. The chamber, carved deep in the mountain, trembled as I finally snapped the enchanted ropes.I launched toward Serena, locking eyes with her as a silent promise passed between us. This ended now.

The room was something ancient, something meant for wolves and magic. Carved stone columns, towering and cold, lined the walls with snarling wolf faces. The moonlight cut through crystal skylights, jagged shards of silver that glinted off the floor. It was like being inside an old god’s mind. Scents of ceremonial herbs burned sharp, mixing with the heat of bodies and sweat. Celestial stones flickered like the eyes of dead stars, throwing pale colored lights across the altar. I could feel it all, humming through my skin, trying to pull me under.

My muscles burned as I forced myself to fight harder. My rage at Ewan and Alaric twisted with desperation, fueling the beast inside. The ropes glowed hot where they cut into me, some kind of shifter magic that wouldn’t fucking quit. I focused on Serena, struggling like a wild wolf against her own bindings, her eyes a mix of fury and fear. The air was charged with it, vibrating with ancient power and our refusal to break. I tore at the ropes until my arms screamed, the energy in the room flaring around us like a living thing.

Alaric watched, smug and detached, like he already had what he wanted. The stones near the altar burned brighter, lighting him and Ewan in an otherworldly halo. They were playing with forces none of us should touch, and they thought they were winning. Ewan’s betrayal cut deepest, twisting through my rage. My most loyal beta. My brother. I wasn’t about to let him do this. I let the pain and anger flow into my body, and finally, the bindings snapped.

I didn’t stop to think. Didn’t stop to breathe. I bolted toward Serena, and we caught each other’s eyes. Her birthmark glowed bright, like it was burning through her skin. She didn’t flinch. Didn’t waver. Her determination shot through me, and I felt thespark of us together, raw and defiant. Her restraints gave way and she was by my side, and we both knew what came next.

With a furious nod, we launched ourselves into the fight. Teeth and claws instantly bared as we transformed. Instinct and rage. Ewan’s followers came at us in a rush of bodies and snarls, but I didn’t care how many of them there were. I had one goal, one single thought. I would not fucking lose this.

Serena moved like a force of nature, her wolf form sleek and deadly. We were back-to-back, a single entity of blood and fury. My alpha strength collided with her speed, each of us fueling the other. Wolves closed in, teeth bared and eyes wild, and we cut them down one by one. Ewan’s wolves. Alaric’s pack. Our enemies. Their betrayal lit a fire in me that couldn’t be contained.

We should have been outnumbered. We should have been outmatched. But it didn’t matter. This was life or death. Our lives. Their death. We tore through the first line sending them sprawling, only to meet the next wave with equal ferocity. I lost myself in it, the rawness of muscle and power, the thrill of fighting at Serena’s side.

But they kept coming. Ewan’s lackeys surged forward, regrouping, pushing harder. Even with our momentum, I could feel the pressure building, the inevitability of being overwhelmed. A flash of teeth near my throat, and I snapped back with brutal force, sending one wolf crashing into the altar. Serena was the same, a whirlwind of defiance, yet I saw the brief flash of uncertainty in her eyes.

I knew we couldn’t hold out forever. The air was too thick with it—power, tension, betrayal. And something else, too. A charge. A shift. As we fought, the room seemed to close in around us, pulling tighter like a noose. Serena and I locked eyes again, a promise that we would fight this to the end. Her birthmark lit up once more, casting an eerie glow that matched the stones.

A third wave closed in, fierce and determined, cutting us off from the exit and hemming us in. Ewan and Alaric’s followers were relentless, their loyalty absolute, their desire for us to fail all-consuming. We moved together, a wild blur of instinct and survival, but the walls felt too close. The space too small. And with each breath, each movement, I could feel it creeping up on us—the possibility that we might not make it out this time.

The altar's light grew violent and blinding, alive with energy and rage. Serena broke from my side, tearing through the chaos toward Alaric. His voice was a distant echo, trying to shape her fate with words of control. But she was more than his daughter. More than a cursed mark. This was her fate to break. She was a force, untethered and wild, rejecting every part of him that held her back. I turned to Ewan, our betrayal a living thing that breathed between us. I barely felt the first blow. My mind was full of Serena, her raw power as she fought her way across the chamber.

Then Ewan came at me again, fangs out and relentless. I met his eyes and saw nothing left of the brother I knew. His rage, his certainty, his commitment to the old ways—all of it made him savage, made him brutal. And it left him empty. He thought he could take me down, but he didn’t realize I was fighting for more than a pack’s legacy. I was fighting for her. For us. I let his next blow land, then lashed out with all the force I had. The crack of bone echoed like a gunshot as I knocked him back, and I felt the first sting of victory.

“You’ve lost it,” Ewan growled, circling me with his hackles raised. “You think this is about love, but it’s about power. You’re a fool if you think you can have both.”

“Funny,” I said, dodging his next strike. “I thought I could trust you.”

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