Page 49 of Cursed Beasts

“Oh, excuse me for not believing the worst in everyone. From the beginning, we have all said she was different,” I said, getting frustrated. “What if she is the one who breaks the spell? I think even if she just tries, it's better than all of her other relatives.”

“Lu, we can’t trust her, we have—”

I wasn’t ready for the transformation when it hit me, but the anger in me was amplified by the change and the last thing I remember, I was lunging at one of them.

* * *

I wokeup pressed against a wall, feeling a little disoriented. My body felt stiff and my back was on fire. The last thing I remembered was lunging at one of the guys and it felt like we must have gotten into a really rough fight.

Taking a look around, I realized I was in the same hallway that the Belladonna’s room was in. Judging by how potent her scent was, the door that I was next to was hers, and I could hear her softly singing.

“I just took a DNA test. Turns out I’m a hundred percent that bitch. Even when I’m crying crazy. Yeah, I got boy problems. That’s the human in me.”

What was she singing and were we the boy problems she was talking about?

She continued singing a little louder while I took a moment to appreciate her voice, imagining what she was doing while she sang about being a bad bitch. A smile curved on my lips, wishing I could see what she was doing.

I got up before she exited her room, feeling my entire body ache as I made my way to my room. My ribs screamed with each step I took until I got to my room, getting into the warm water quickly.

The water was scalding as the smell of salt, chamomile, lavender and bay leaf flooded my senses. Mr. Potter must have seen the fight to prepare our baths to help with our aches and pains. As much as I wanted to lie here the entire hour, I wanted to go check on the Belladonna.

My movement had improved by the time I got out of the bath, giving me better motion with fewer aches. I knew another ten or fifteen minutes would have been better, but I had this uneasy feeling about leaving her alone in the library.

I dressed quickly, deciding to put on a shirt this time before I made my way to the library. The house was quiet as I walked, making me suspicious of Aeon and Zev. Now that I was being optimistic about her helping us, I knew they were going to try and change my mind or give me a hard time because of it.

Once I stepped into the library her scent was the only one I smelled, allowing me to relax before I went to my usual spot to watch her.

“Hi,” she said, before I almost ran into her after turning a corner.

“Uh. Hi,” I said awkwardly, wondering how she came close to me without me hearing or smelling her.

“Did you need something?”

“I need help.”

We both talked at the same time, both of us smiling when we realized it.

“Go ahead,” I told her, giving her a reassuring smile.

“Um…” Her face grew red. “I need help.”

“You need help?” I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Look, I wouldn’t ask if I thought I could do it any other way.” She was looking a little irritated.

“I just don’t know how much help I can give you. I mean you are a Belladonna.” I tried to keep the contempt out of my voice but a little escaped.

“You know what, never mind.” She turned around, walking back to her table with a sway to her hips that held me mesmerized. Most of the Belladonnas that came here were thin, looking on the verge of passing out. She was all curves, a butt that begged to be bitten, with thighs and hips that would look great around me.

Once I pulled my thoughts from her body, I followed her to her table to see what she needed.

“What do you need?” I asked, as I noticed a cauldron on her table that was smoking with a white smoke smelling of myrrh, comfrey and a moonstone. It sat in front of the window, looking like it was being powered from the moonlight.

“Forget I asked,” she snapped, looking over some notes.

“Do you want my help or not? What did you expect when you asked me for help? That I would roll over and forget about everything?” I was getting annoyed too.

“Look, I know my family did this to you, but the sins of my ancestors are not my sins. I didn’t even know about you guys or that my father was leaving me here until that night.” She looked at me with some sadness in her eyes. “I’m trying, ok?”

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