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CHAPTER 14 - OCTAVIA
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A Dark Curse CHAPTER 15 - EZRA
If I had stayed in that house a moment longer, I would have done something I’d soon regret. Seeing him walk in behind her, like a pet on a leash, had almost been enough for me to lose control. Almost. I’d sensed the bond as soon as they’d walked through the door. It had been unmistakable. The sense of…belonging. The pull. The magnetic feeling that you had found that one person to call home. The only saving grace for Octavia and the little fox she calls a friend was that I hadn’t felt the Mate Bond emanating from her. And, either she was a spectacular actress, or she really hadn’t known her childhood best friend had been in love with her forever. I chalk it up to the latter. Octavia doesn’t seem like the type to be able to control her emotions that well. She is nothing like Elora. Which is both a very good, and very bad, thing. I need to get away. Not even twenty minutes and already she’s forced me out. Her presence is alarmingly heavy, a magnet I can’t resist. And that’s
A Dark Curse CHAPTER 16 - OCTAVIA
Restless, I sleep for about three hours before deciding it’s too strange. This is my room but…not. When I look out the window, it’s not the Georgia trees and gravel drive of my home I see. As kind as it is to at least make an effort to make me feel more comfortable, it only ended up pissing me off in the end. How dare he try to pretend that this is anything more than it is? It doesn’t matter if the Prince turns this entire house into my family home or plants southern trees in a northern forest—it can’t conceal the truth. The more I think about it, the angrier I become. If he thinks I’m just some pampered princess who would accept any act of kindness…well, then he wasn’t the brilliant strategist everyone claims he is. War is one thing. A woman is an entirely different problem. When the knock comes in the morning, I’m already up and dressed. Forgoing my usual comfort clothes, I know I have to make a statement this morning. Red usually is my best color, but today, it makes me look e
A Dark Curse CHAPTER 17 - TRISTAN
I wake up with an uneasy feeling, trapped inside my small, dimly lit room. The walls seem to close in on me, and I can't shake the restlessness that gnaws at my insides. Octavia—the Princess I've been assigned to protect—constantly occupies my thoughts. She's the reason I'm stuck in this suffocating house, my every move tethered to her. I swing my legs out of bed and stand up, the weight of my duty pressing down on me. I haven't slept well, my mind too preoccupied with Octavia. I've been tasked with being her constant companion during her stay in this territory, to ensure her safety and cater to her every need. But there's more to it—a burning desire that stirs my heart, a maddening mix of longing and frustration. Every moment spent away from Octavia feels like an eternity, and the mere thought of her smile or the musical lilt of her laughter fills me with an ache that refuses to subside. It's a yearning that I dare not speak aloud, for my place in her life is defined by duty, not
A Dark Curse CHAPTER 18 - OCTAVIA
The next morning, I set my own alarm. I’m not sure if the previous morning’s late wake-up call had been on purpose or not, but I know I don’t want to be late again. Ezra isn’t concerned about my welfare as long as I’m still breathing, but my stomach would beg to differ. Even now, as I quickly shut my phone’s blaring alarm off and hurry to get dressed, it grumbles at me to move faster. By the time I’ve braided my hair and tugged on some leggings and a sweatshirt, I’m practically starving. I can hear Ezra already in the dining hall, his trusty sidekick breathing evenly beside him. Whether they hear me coming down the steps or not, they make no move to greet me. I find them exactly where I knew they’d be; Ezra seated at the head of the table, another manila folder in front of him, with Dominic standing near the door. He gives me a slight nod as I pass him, heading to the chair furthest from the Alpha as possible. “Seems you’ve finally realized your phone has an alarm on it,” Ezra comm
A Dark Curse CHAPTER 19 - OCTAVIA
The entire grove goes deadly quiet. Ezra dips between the wooden slats of the fence, stalking straight toward us before we even have a chance to bolt. All eyes are on us, teeth bared and claws extended. The hair rises along my arms at the animosity surrounding us. Clearly, we’re not welcome. “What the hell are you doing here?” Ezra snarls. He looks about ready to kill both of us, those eyes turning to a molten blaze. Behind him, I see Madalynn step out from the crowd. She looks concerned, which tells me I probably should be as well. “I wanted to see where you went every day,” I reply as evenly as possible. I cross my arms to hide my shaking hands. Ezra says nothing. The air is charged with tension as we stare each other down. But I’m not backing down. I’m not a prisoner—or, at least I’m not supposed to be. If I’m to marry their Alpha, that would make me Luna. And Lunas can do whatever the hell they want to do. I think. “Dominic,” Ezra barks. His trusty lapdog detaches himself fro
A Dark Curse CHAPTER 20 - EZRA
My heart still races from the exhilaration of the fight, pounding against my chest as I watch Octavia flee. From me. I watch her wolf disappear beneath the overgrown brush, the ebony fur rippling as she ran. Her little pet shoots me a dark look, baring his teeth before bounding after her. He shifts mid-air, his lithe fox form slipping beneath the brush. I let them go. Dominic would be hot on their heels soon enough. And where else would they go? They had nowhere to run where I couldn’t find them. The Wyres around me howl and bark in raucous celebration, their cheers mingling with the wild forest winds. They have no idea what I’d just done besides put a Shifter bitch in her place. But I know. A throat being cleared pulls me away from the tree line. Madalynn’s dark eyebrows rise, golden eyes flicking between me and where Octavia had disappeared. She’s been by my side for about as long as Dominic has, our bond forged by the same unforgiving world. “You know that will set you
A Dark Curse CHAPTER 21 - OCTAVIA
Tossing my ruined sweatshirt aside, I grab a hoodie, slipping it over my head. The house is quiet, but I can hear Tristan out in the guest house. He’s pacing, mumbling under his breath, nearly as stressed as I am. Guilt pricks at my heart, knowing it’s my fault he’s here. That it’s my fault he’s as much a prisoner as I am. I slip downstairs, heading through the house to the back door in the kitchen. It leads out onto the back patio, a small, cement area surrounded by brush. There’s a circular fire pit dug into the ground with black iron chairs laid out around it. Wood is stacked along the back of the house by the door, ready to burn. Walking past all of that, I pad softly toward the guest house. Tristan hears me coming, the door opening before I can even knock. It’s not a large building; basically the size of a large shed. The outside metal slats are white, with small windows cut out of the sides. Over his shoulder, I can see only two rooms—the main living space with another door l
A Dark Curse Chapter 22 - OCTAVIA
The next morning, I make sure I’m at the breakfast table before Ezra arrives. After leaving Tristan, I wasn’t able to sleep. Dominic had returned to the house hours later, but he mostly stayed outside, at the front of the house and far away from me. Before the sun had even begun to peek over the horizon, I shower and dress, scrubbing Tristan’s scent from my skin. But it’s no use. Even now, I can still smell him. Tristan is right—Ezra is most certainly going to kill us once he finds out. Trying to ignore the butterflies in my gut, I focus on making breakfast. The eggs sizzle in the pan as I add in bits of cheese and sausage I’d found. Flipping the omelets over, I add some tomatoes and pepper, the scent of the food filling the room. The coffeemaker whirs, pouring a large cup just for me. When everything is done, I take my plate and cup to the dining room. Setting everything on the table, I go to the windows, throwing them wide open. And then I wait. It isn’t long before I hear the
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