Page 95 of Cursed Beasts

Lucien lifted himself up to look at me with an expression that looked unsure. He pulled out of me and walked out of the room like I was nothing.

“Lucien!” I called out to him feeling like he had just used me and took a part of me with him.

Aeon watched Lucien leaving before looking back at me and I couldn’t take his pitiful expression. I rolled on to my side and cried myself to sleep, thinking this couldn’t possibly get worse.

38

AEON

Ihad woken up alone the past few weeks, but tonight, I was laying on Lucien’s chest as a low rumble sounded through the sky. I didn’t dare move, missing the feel of him, the closeness we used to have and just missing waking up with someone.

The thought of Katarina made me want to get up and go to her. The past few days had been heavy with emotion in the air. After Lucien had fucked her senseless, he stormed off at the sound of the clock, leaving her on the bed in shambles.

She curled into herself, and every whimper made my heart bleed for her. As much as I wanted to console her to tell her everything was going to be alright, the urge to shift was too high. I needed to leave before my wolf took control and as much as I wanted to figure out if her touch caused me to be thrown back into consciousness, it wasn’t worth the risk.

I kissed her forehead before I left, walking out into the early morning, waiting for the shift that seemed to take longer than usual.

The next two days, Lucien was even more broody and Kitten wanted nothing to do with me. Zev was a whole other story.

I hadn’t seen him in his human form, and I was starting to worry that he would never come back. There was a reason the curse allowed us to be human for an hour a day. If left in our wolf’s form for too long, we would get lost in the beast and soon succumb to only our beast's instincts. Our minds would get lost forever.

Since Zev was already more beast than man, his risk was even higher. I needed to go talk to him even if he stayed in his wolf form. We couldn’t risk him being lost forever, even though Lucien might not see it now. We needed each other now more than ever.

I slowly got up when I felt Lucien tighten his hold on me.

“Did I fuck up beyond repair?” His hoarse voice was full of sadness.

“No, you haven’t, but you need to get yourself together and talk to her,” I said, looking up at him.

He looked even worse today. Under his eyes were dark patches, his complexion was gray, and he looked so tired. Being away from Katarina was really taking a toll on him. He needed to spend a whole day with her, but I didn’t know how his beast would react to her or if he even knew she was his mate. It was too dangerous to find out and I wouldn’t want to risk her safety.

“When he called her his wife it keeps playing on repeat in my head,” he said, closing his eyes like he could hear it right now.

“You know there is more to the story,” I said, running my hands over his abs. “You saw her face.”

“And I could have killed him from that alone. I just wished she had told me, before we mated,” he grumbled.

“You mated her without permission,” I said, keeping my anger in check. He took that choice away, and it wasn’t fair to her.

He sighed like he knew I was right.

“I don’t know what happened.” He looked at me. “One minute I was lost in pleasure and then my wolf surged forward. He saw her neck, he wanted her, and that was it. He pushed me to mate with her.”

I had seen his wolf a lot when we were together with her, but I didn’t think his wolf would override Lucien.

“She’s the one we’ve been waiting for because the moment we bonded with her, everything in the world felt right.” His lip trembled. “I feel like I’m home with her.”

I had to look away at the roaring jealousy coursing through me. I had always wanted a mate since I was younger. The love all my parents had for each other was remarkable. When we lost my father in the last war, my mother had clung on to my papa and I was so glad for multiple mates.

When they promised us to a Belladonna for the purpose of a stupid treaty, I did my duty of nodding and saying all the right things, but she would never be my mate. A part of me loathed Zev’s father, deciding my future for me, but I knew this was his last effort to prevent war between the coven and the pack.

I still hated that I had to give up any chance I had to find my person or persons. Looking down at Lucien, I had always feared he was mine. It scared me because, after the treaty was signed, I always thought I wouldn’t ever have a mate. But what if he really wasn't ever mine?

“I think she might be all of ours,” he said, looking lost in thought.

My jealousy subsided. I think he was right. When the three of us were together, it felt right. She felt like it was always supposed to be with us.

“You know Zev will never accept her,” I said, deciding it was best to be truthful as I sat up.

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