CHAPTER 3

ELIRA

My eyes snap open, and I jump out of bed with a loud gasp. The memories of the nightmare I just had still cling to me like a second skin, causing fear to absorb the energy in me, and sweat to drip down my back.

I look down at my bare skin. Hold up! Why am I naked?

Mom will have a fit if she walks in here right now and finds that I slept without any clothes on.

Speaking of, I need to go help her with breakfast before she comes knocking and yelling. I march over to the closet and fling the door open. Shock pushes me back a single step.

None of the clothes in here belong to me. I hate the color brown, and all the clothes lined up here are arranged in different shades of it.

Is Mom upset with me and trying to punish me for something?

I shake my head slowly, trying to make sense of the scenario. My eyes flit over the room then, my whole room looks different. Poor. Unhealthy.

Everything seems to have been stripped down and bared, like she was marking a low rank for some stray wolf or something.

My fingers push through my hair as frustration mixes with my confusion and causes the start of a headache to form.

What the hell is going on?!

I spin around as my door is shoved open with a force that sends waves of shock spiraling through my marrows.

“Who are you?“

The brown-eyed girl in front of me has on a brown dress, and she glares at me like I might be on the brink of madness.

“You're awake.“ Someone else joins her at the door.

I glare at them both. “Obviously. What are you doing in my house?“

Both girls exchange a look. “This isn't your house anymore than it's ours,” the second girl that walked in states.

I study them both. Girl A wears a brown dress that stops just beneath her knees with huge pockets on either side of her, she has huge brown eyes and a small roundish face that looks so innocent when paired with her tiny pink lips.

Girl B is taller than the petite Girl A. She has a beautiful figure and blue eyes that sparkle so bright it could hurt to stare at. Her auburn curls sit atop her head in a sleek ponytail - the only similarity between both girls, and her dress is a straight cut body fitting piece that stops mid-thigh.

“Are you going to say something, or do you just enjoy staring at people in all your naked glory?“

I grab a sheet off the bed immediately and cover myself, shame washing over me in thick streams.

“If this isn't my house, then where am I?“

They exchange another look. “You really don't remember?“ Girl A asks, her voice soft and pitiful.

I nod. “I was going to meet my Mom in the kitchen for breakfast, but this closet is filled with strange clothes.“ I throw a thumb over my shoulder in the direction of said closet. “And this room? It looks strange. Mom does stuff like this when she's mad at me, but right now, I can't think of why she would be.“

Both pairs of eyes fall on my throat, and they heave heavy sighs. “Clean up and get dressed. We'll give you all the details later.“ Girl B walks away immediately after speaking.

“The bathroom's that way,” Girl A provides and points to the door beside the closet. “And you might want to hurry; the Alpha is running low on patience. You don't want to see him angry, trust me.“

I nod and grab a small dress from the rack, then hurry into the bathroom. The space is small but clean and loaded with all the necessary equipment for getting washed up.

I grab the new toothbrush and make my way over to the sink, but then I pause and stare at my naked frame in the mirror.

My eyes are swollen and red-rimmed. Like I have spent a lot of time crying. I look at the crumpled sheets I dumped on the bathroom floor, and it looks dry.

What was I crying about? I shake my head and wash my mouth, then turn around to head into the shower stall, but something catches my eyes, and I spin back around.

My mouth gapes. On my neck is a huge wolf mark. A mark that can only be gotten from being claimed by an Alpha.

On cue images swarm my mind, my screams, my tears, my mother burning at the makeshift pyre. I can't stop the memories from flooding me. One after the other, they flit through my skull, binding me in pain and causing the mark on my skin to throb.

I fall to the ground, palms wrapped around my head as I struggle to contain the terror that eats at me.

A familiar face comes into view. Kael Storm. All black haired glory, piercing hazel eyes sparking with fury and cold intensity, lean muscular build towering over me as his arm snakes around my waist and pulls me in roughly.

The curse. The doom. The marking. The darkness.

All of it commingles in powerful waves that become too difficult to bear. More tears free fall down my face, sobs rack my chest, and breathing becomes too much of a luxurious activity for me to handle.

A voice booms in my head. Enraged. Unrelenting. Dark.

“You thought you could withstand the darkness? This is just the beginning of your torment. Welcome to hell, Elira.“

I push back at the darkness that forces its way into my mind, but I'm no match for it. It floods my senses and kills every inhibition I have.

“Declaring war against the Alpha of Rage-Claw was your first mistake. Defending your mother was the second, but you want to know what the most unforgivable mistake was?“ The same voice echoes in my mind.

“Cursing the man who already embodies a curse.“