You Are Cursed

As Thane jumped into the cold ground, he landed on four feet. He transformed into a huge black wolf with eyes like the scarlet sun. His iron gray claws extended from his large black paws. His long black fur swayed as the air grazed upon his body. His ears were pointed forward while he listened to the sound of his surroundings. He could not let any single sound slip. He could hear his pack's movement and the smell of their scent was proof that they were just behind him.

"Your Majesty, do you think we need more men?" Alex asked, using the mind link.

"I don't think so. But I need you to go east and stand by. Someone might escape from that direction." Thane ordered.

Alex howled as he ran on the east side of the forest, followed by four werewolves while eight from their pack stayed with Thane, including one of their lead warriors, Marcus.

Thane stopped running when a sudden gust of wind blew towards their position. His long black snout cringed, following the scent he had smelled brought by the wind. The wolf's expression changed; rage mirrored his eyes when a sickening, sweet metallic scent lingered in the air. It was the smell of Elisia's blood.

As he followed the scent of the princess' blood, Thane remembered the night he first experienced the curse of Desideres.

He woke up in the middle of the night, bathing in his own sweat. He felt the dryness in his throat, so he got out of the bed to quench his thirst. For some reason, the water didn't help. He wasn't satisfied after drinking almost a gallon of water.

He decided to come to the kitchen to drink some more, but he was still thirsty. The dryness of his throat was making his breathing ragged. He couldn't understand what was happening to him.

He gripped his chest when it tightened and closed his eyes when it became blurry. Tiny droplets of sweat formed on his forehead. The cold breeze coming from the opened window made his hair raise. He turned to look at the night sky and saw the moon slowly covered by dark clouds.

"Your Majesty! What are you doing here? Do you need anything? Why didn't you call the servants?"

Thane gulped when he heard a woman's voice. It was Mia. She was wearing a white satin long nightgown with a laced robe on top of it. He could smell the strong scent of her perfume, and he never liked it.

But as Mia got closer to him, his thirst became stronger. And he knew it wasn't just a thirst anymore, but a craving. He wanted her blood, her flesh, and her heart.

Mia noticed that he was feeling uncomfortable. He wasn't moving and was just staring at the woman walking toward him.

"Your Majesty, are you alright? You look pale." Mia said, worried.

She looked at him from head to toe. He was a total mess. He was half naked, and the droplets of sweat sparkled in the moonlight as it ran through his body.

Mia stood in front of him, staring directly into his eyes. She didn't utter a word, but he could hear the sound of her heartbeat. Although the craving and temptation grew deep within him, he tried his best to control his hunger.

While Mia would not let him go that easily, she slowly raised her hand to reach and touch his face. But before she could feel his cheek with her palm, Thane grabbed her wrist.

"Did I give you permission to touch me?" He yelled.

Mia was shocked by the tone of his voice. He never shouted at her. She was his secretary for a long time, and she never once made a mistake with her work. She took care of everything for him. From meals, clothes, and even his perfume were all decided by Mia. Thane knew she had feelings for him, but he could never return her affection.

"I-I'm sorry. I was worried." She said.

"Try touching me again, and you're dead!" He yelled again before leaving Mia dumbfounded.

Thane ran outside the castle, looking for a way to appease his hunger. He wasn't thirsty for water. He was craving for blood. He had a strong urge to kill and a desire to eat someone.

He ran to the woods, searching and hunting for something he could eat. His stomach crumbled, and the longer he tried to control his hunger, the more his craving grew.

He heard a branch break and saw an old man standing before him. He wasn't moving and just stared at him. His clothes were all black, and he had a patch on his left eye. Thane couldn't control himself anymore and was ready to attack the old man, but like thunder, he was already in front of him.

Thane's eyes widened when he realised that something had been injected into his neck. Before he could utter a word, he felt dizzy, and his vision went blurry before falling unconscious.

He woke up in a cave after, and the craving was gone. He massaged his temple while trying to remember what had happened to him. But the last thing he remembered was getting an injection with the old man.

"Do not worry. You are alive and still in Versipellis."

It was the old man from the woods. Thane saw him sitting on a rock, staring at the bonfire while eating grilled fish.

"W-Who are you? Where am I?" Thane asked.

"We are in a cave inside the Black Forest. I saw you, and I know you needed help, so I brought you here."

"You said you knew I needed help? Do you know what happened to me?"

The old man turned his gaze on him. "You are cursed, Your Majesty."

Thane was surprised because the old man knew who he was and knew about the curse.

"What do you know about the curse?" He frowned.

The old man stared at him with a wicked smile on his face.