Page 43 of Cursed Beasts

Iwoke up with a jolt, still feeling the caress of a hand on my face. The warmth felt like it lingered on my face, leaving me with a sense of longing that felt like a stab to the heart.

Did I just dream?

It had been so long since I had dreamed of anything that I had forgotten the feeling. I tried grasping for the dream before it left me, even though I didn’t know who or what I had dreamt of.

I rolled onto my back when I realized I was inside the castle. Sitting up quickly, I smelled the Belladonna, realizing I was right in front of her door. She was moving around her room, and I knew it was only a matter of time before she opened the door, seeing me there.

Getting myself up quickly, I bolted to the stairs, hoping she didn’t see me take off running. The last thing I needed was for her to find me lingering by her door.

It seemed my wolf craved to be near her, settling for being as close to her as he could. His actions were making me question myself, wondering what the hell he thought he was doing. She was our enemy. Her family was our enemy.

I knew I was in denial, but if I ignored it, maybe he would give up his pursuit of her. Judging by where I had woken up today, it looked like that wasn’t the case. I huffed in annoyance at his actions. Never had we been so divided on our thoughts of a Belladonna.

The castle was quiet enough that I knew Aeon and Lucien were still outside. As much as I wanted a bath, the food that Mr. Potter left out smelled too enticing.

Making my way to the dining room, I turned the corner and saw a big piece of meat on a white platter. The smell made my mouth water, and I grabbed myself a plate to serve myself. The meat was tender, the potatoes looked incredible and so did the carrots.

Grabbing a roll out of a basket, I took my plate to the end of the table, expecting to eat alone.

“I was wondering if you were going to eat today?” Mr. Potter passed right by me, setting cookies on the table. “Today is Lithia.”

“I haven’t been hungry,” I shrugged. “Is it already the solstice?”

“You haven’t been hungry. Is that because you’ve been too busy tormenting the Belladonna?” He was snippy. “And yes, another midsummer.”

Mr. Potter sounded tired, not that I could blame him. Another year had gone by, and we were all still stuck here. He looked at me with an indecipherable expression that I knew meant he was feeling protective of the Belladonna. I felt like a pup, hating the feeling, but I respected Mr. Potter too much to do anything rash.

“Who said anything about tormenting her?” I asked, as calmly as I could.

Mr. Potter gave me a look that I knew all too well. I wasn’t fooling anyone.

“Did she come crying to you?” I asked, continuing to eat.

“No, she didn’t, but it came up in a conversation I had with her,” he replied, looking like he was ready to give me a piece of his mind.

“Do you have conversations with her? Since when do you care about the Belladonnas?” Irritation made me eat faster.

“Katarina is different. She isn’t this angry girl, but yes, she is full of herself.” He sounded frustrated too. “But she’s trying to break the spell.”

My eyes snapped up to him, looking for any sign he was lying.

“I’m sure this is just an angle she is playing.” I continued to eat.

Mr. Potter sighed.

“What if it’s not?”

I clenched my jaw, considering the possibility that she might actually try to break the curse.

But why now?

“It’s suspicious that suddenly they would try to break the spell.”

“I will agree with you on that, but that’s why I said she was different. We argued and she mentioned her father had just dropped her off here. She had no idea she was being left here or why,” he said, looking thoughtful.

“It’s suspicious, and I would be an idiot to even contemplate the idea that she is doing this out of the goodness of her heart.” My anger grew in me. “They cursed us here for who knows how long, and I’m just supposed to trust her?”

“No, I’m not saying that, I think—”

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