Chapter 3

Klaus POV

Kade’s laughter broke the silence that had settled in the room after her declaration, but I didn’t flinch. I held her gaze, staring into her eyes. They were filled with tears and a hint of defiance.

My hand fell slowly to my side, and I took a step back without our gaze. “You’re in no position to make a deal,” I said quietly. “You're my property.”

From the corner of my eyes, I caught Kade’s glare but ignored it. It has always been like this with him, fighting to own everything together. But she was mine… my money, my idea.

“Not if you die first,” she uttered, a tear running down her cheek. “How much longer do you have? A year? I can live longer than that… long enough to mourn you and forget you ever existed. I know about the curse, everybody does.”

My stance hardened and I could sense Stave grow still too. Our curse has been from birth, way before we were even named. Papa had said it was the moon goddess’s blessing. “She always gives her toughest soldiers the biggest burden and you two are the bravest I have ever seen,” he would always say. But rumors had it that he had traded us for more powers.

Ours was a tale told to children to scare them but no one has ever seen the curse in effect, no one except Papa. The woman who birthed us ran away the second she could, so we were told. It mattered nothing to me; we had Papa and Kade had me. He kept us secluded on the third floor, away from the staff in the hope of curbing the gossip but it only made it worse.

No one has ever mentioned the curse to our faces.

No one except her

“Thread carefully, woman,” I gritted out, my fingers curled into a ball. My control was fraying. I had half the mind to walk away and let Kade handle her, but I couldn’t. Kade was unpredictable. Dangerous in ways I was too tired to clean up after.

She shrugged. “I have nothing to lose. Do as you please.”

My fingers uncurled and found their way to the back of my neck– a habit I’d never quite liked. I had to make a decision and make it fast. This meeting was already taking longer than expected, and I was certain Kalahni was already having a fit. A ghost of a smile touched my lips as I pictured her pacing the room in annoyance. She was going to get whipped for that.

“Don’t tell me you are considering her proposal?” Dever’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. He must have caught my smile and made his conclusion– as usual. “Klaus?”

I raised a hand, silencing him. “We’ve a deal. You get me the cure and Sliverclaw is yours.”

“You devils!” Dever snapped. “You can’t go back on your word! We had a deal!”

I stared at his ashen face, willing myself to feel an atom of sympathy for his predicament, but nothing sprang forth. This was business, he knew the rules. He knew how desperate I was— I’d raided two more camps after his to throw the Council off our trail.

Without a word, I stepped behind my desk, opened the bottom drawer and pulled out the sack.

“Here. Grab the money,” I ordered, dumping the sack on the desk. It made a thud as it landed. “That's the end of our deal. I held my end and as for yours… I can't say that much.”

He glared at me, his gaze shifting between my face and the sack resting on the desk. He advanced towards me, his hands balled into fists and for a minute I thought he would be foolish to try to lay them on me, but he grabbed the sack.

“You better watch your back!” he hissed, taking steps to the door. “All of you! This isn’t the last of this! I’ll move mountains to protect what’s mine!”

“Pussy,” Kade muttered as Dever stormed out.

Silence followed his exit and I stared back at my captive, her eyes still locked on the closed doors. The red welt across her chin was the only colour on her face.

“You planning to follow him?” Stave asked, his brows furrowed in annoyance. We’re thinking the same thing.

She flinched. “No.”

I eyed her suspiciously. “Then why are your eyes stuck on the exit?” I let the nagging thought at the back of my head since she appeared, bloom. “What were you doing here in the first place?”

Finally, she tore her gaze from the door. “I heard the rumors about the brothers and I just wanted to see for myself. It–it was a bet.”

Lies. A terrible one too but I nodded. I had more pressing matters to deal with, like the one waiting for me, naked– if I was allowed to dream– in my room.

“A guard will escort you out of here and to the–”

A low groan cut me off.

I whipped my head in its direction and Kade staggered towards like a man drunk, except he hadn't been drinking. His hands trembled as he reached out for me. A crackling sound filled the room as the bones around his knees and elbows popped. A silent cry formed in his mouth

“Shit,” I muttered, trying to hold grab him. “It’s started.”

“Help–” he gasped and then he rolled out of my grip, his knees slamming into the floor, arms twisted at odd angles, splitting the skin around them open. Fur covered his arms and legs halfway, leaving the rest of his flesh bare. He was stuck in between– never transforming fully. That was our curse. That was our hell.

“Do something!” I yelled, but she made no move. Her eyes were wild and focused on Kade.

I pulled myself up and reached out for her, grabbing her by the neck. “Make it stop or I'll make your next breath a painful one,” I hissed.

“I—I don’t have–” I tightened my grip. “Herbs. I–I need herbs… in the field. I can go get them.”

I released my grip and sagged against the desk. “Have a guard escort you, it will save time.”

She nodded and scurried away, leaving me alone with Kade and his anguished cries. She came back fast with a mixture. Together we got Kade to take it and he passed out immediately.

“Wait here,” I instructed as I pulled Kade onto my shoulder. I carried him to his room and tucked him in, bolting the door behind me as I left. My hands trembled as I walked away and I knew it was only a matter of time before I gave in to it.

I walked faster. I have to make sure she knows the rules. I have to make sure she can handle it on her own. No one must know…

Kalahni.

I reversed and made my way to my room, halting as I reached the entrance. The door stood slightly ajar, raising the hair at the back of my neck. Something wasn’t right.

My gaze rested on the door handle and I drew closer. The smell hit me before I could realise what was smeared over it. Blood. Fear rushed through my body, lighting it up.

“Kalahni?” I whispered, nudging the door an inch with my foot. Silence greeted me and I pushed further until I could see the entire room. The light from the bedside lamp cast a low glow on the bed which stood empty.

I moved inside just as a whimper caught my attention. My eyes fell to the floor where a pool of blood stopped just inches away from my feet and her body lay sprawled on the floor. I rushed to her, pulling her face up.

She blinked. “You came.” Her words were barely above a whisper.

I squeezed her finger lightly, searching her body for the cut.“I said I will,” I choked out, fighting the pain in my fingers. I applied pressure to the stab wound on her thigh. “Who did this? Did you see who did this?”

“I–I was waiting for you. H–he surprised me.”

He.

Anger coursed through my veins, stirring the curse and a low guttural howl escaped my lips. There was only one man foolish enough to do this.