Page 44 of Cursed Beasts

“You think she is going to make it all better?” My voice raised.

“No, I’m thinking we need to try a different approach—”

“Do you think taking her to my bed would make it better, too? Maybe if I seduce her she would give us what we want.” I stood up pushing my chair back so forcefully that it fell. “You think that would help us?”

“You are taking what I’m saying the wrong way, that is not what I mean,” he snapped at me. “Would it kill you to be nice or maybe just ignore her, instead of assuming the worst.”

“What do you think that would get us? She’s up to something, I know it. We have been doing this for too long for her family to magically just want to break the spell,” I yelled.

“Talk to her, maybe that would change your mind and if you feel like she is still trying to manipulate us then torment her all you want, but if there is a chance that she might set us free then why are you so against it?” He looked irritated. “Give her a chance to prove herself. Or are you too afraid of what happens when the spell breaks?”

“What would I have to be afraid of? Do you think I enjoyed seeing my pack crumble away?” I huffed in annoyance. “You think I enjoy seeing you stuck here with us when you could have passed on?”

“All I’m asking is that you talk to her. She’s been in the library for the past week.” Mr. Potter used his authoritative voice, the one he used to use on us when we were all young.

We stared at each other, waiting for the other to break eye contact, but it was no use. I didn’t know if it was because he was a ghost, but he didn’t back down from my glare.

I growled, losing my appetite, stomping away from the dining area.

“Don’t let your stubbornness or hatred keep us here,” Mr. Potter said as I left the room.

I wanted to snarl at him, pounce on him, to make him submit to me, but it was no use. I ran to my room, needing some space. Throwing my door open, I stood at the entrance of the room, hating everything this room stood for, everything that I had lost and everything I pined for.

My anger bubbled up almost to the surface, suffocating me with its need to overwhelm me, slamming me back into a memory.

“Please, help me,” she cried into her hands.

I didn’t know what to say to her.

“Zev, please, I know it was stupid,” she pleaded with me. “Just tell me what you want, and I’ll do it.”

“Why should I?” I growled. “You obviously were only thinking of yourself, so why should I do anything else but take care of my pack?”

“It was supposed to be something casual. You know, have fun before they expected me to do something that was promised by our parents,” she cried into her hands.

I hated to see her cry, but I was still angry that she was so careless. Running my hand over my face, over my beard, I looked out at the clearing.

“I didn’t expect to fall in love either,” she said.

Her confession still felt like a stab to the heart. After all that I had done for her, we still paid the price. This room was all for her. I don’t know why I kept up with it, or why I still fixed it up.

Growling, I stalked to the closet, pushing the wall opened to reveal a small room full of weapons. I grabbed my war hammer off the wall, swinging at the first piece of furniture I came up to. Her voice saying—please help me—played repeatedly in my mind as I destroyed everything I had made for my pack and her.

Today was supposed to be about giving thanks to the gods and goddesses. As a pack, we usually celebrated with a huge lunch after we gave our offering for healthy mating’s, and honoring the sun for a fruitful harvest.

My heart hurt for a pack that I no longer had. The loneliness consumed me.

“Zev.” Someone called out to me.

I ignored it, hoping they would leave me alone, destroying everything that I could.

“Zev!” They shouted.

My hammer hit a small table, obliterating it before I looked at the room. I had left nothing standing; the room was in dismay.

“Are you ok?”

I looked up, seeing Aeon in the doorway looking at the room in shock. He scanned the room, looking angrier the more he took in the room. Guilt seeped in when I realized he had helped me build a few of these pieces.

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