Chapter Five – My Cursed Life

Stavros’s POV 

Zephyrus targeted Thanos with his poisonous sword. “I won’t spare you or your king if you curse my beta. Leave Aromania right now.” Thanos chuckled, the malicious sound echoing around as he stepped backward. Were they leaving our kingdom?

Relief washed over me to see Zephyrus’s threat working. 

However, my relief was short-lived. Thanos took out a small metal canister and went towards Drakos. In a split second, Thanos used his pocketknife to make a tiny slit on Drakos’ wrist and collected his blood in the canister. 

“What’s the holdup? Why aren’t you cursing the Beta? I want my revenge, Thanos,” yelled the dragon king.

Instead of replying, Thanos approached me with an evil smile on his face. I looked around for help, only to see my companions busy fighting the dragons who had arrived. 

Eight of them surrounded Zephyrus and he single-handedly fought them all. There was no one to help me out. I had to fend for myself against the sly shaman and fight his evil plans. They couldn’t come true. 

“Stay away or I’ll rip you apart!” I snarled at him, but he chuckled instead. 

“It’s of no use, wolf. I’m immortal.” His devilish laughter echoed in my head and I panicked. I glanced around to seek Zephyrus’s help. He was a blessed wolf and the only one who could help me now. 

A prick on my arm brought me to my senses, and I looked at my arm in horror. The evil shaman had injected something into my bloodstream! 

“What the f*ck did you inject?” I grabbed his neck when my glance fell upon the canister in his hands. It was empty. My head swooned and Thanos escaped my grip. Realization dawned on me finally. He had injected Drakos’ blood into my body. 

A streak of lightning cut across the sky, and within minutes, we were bathed in total darkness. Thunder boomed and all the birds screeched around us. 

What was happening? 

My mind swirled like a hurricane and my body felt drained. I fell to the ground with a thud while Thanos and King Gavriil’s chuckles echoed in the air. They knew what was happening to me. 

“By the powers vested in me, I curse you to turn into a Grypwolf, a dragon-wolf, a hybrid creature whom your fated mate will hate!” cried the shaman, chanting spells and encircling me, locking his dark eyes with mine. I was powerless to fight his curse. 

All the fighting ceased around me and there was an eerie silence. 

They knew it was too late to save me. The blood was already in my system, turning me into a Grypwolf. 

“Yes, just like you killed my heir, and ended my dynasty, you cannot mate and produce an offspring. Thanos, curse him so that he dies alone with no heir or mate to call his own!” yelled King Gavriil in a state of frenzy. 

Zephyrus and the others stepped forward to save me, but Thanos blocked their paths by using his sorcery skills. 

“I curse you, Beta Stavros, to turn into a Grypwolf every time you mate with your fated one. Even if she accepts you, she will die giving birth to your heir. Also, your heir will die the moment he is born.” 

My mind went into a state of shock. I couldn’t believe someone could be so cruel. I watched the victorious look on King Gavriil’s face as he walked away with his son in his arms. 

The wind swirled around me, blinding everything around me. Everything blackened out and I felt myself falling into a deep endless, pit. I could see a hazy figure disappearing into the pit. It was Thanos, but I couldn’t stop him. I couldn’t beg him to take back his curse. My innocent mate Hazel’s face flashed across my mind. I had waited patiently for her for the last two years. How would I ever face her? Now I couldn’t accept her in my cursed life. I didn’t want her to face the consequences.

I couldn’t let her die. 

The darkness overpowered me, and I felt myself losing consciousness. 

After three days, I woke up in my room in the castle. Although I wanted to believe it was a nightmare, I knew it wasn’t. Thankfully, Zephyrus and the others hadn’t uttered a word about it to anyone in the castle. 

I extracted a promise from Zephyrus and Leandros to not inform Hazel at all about the curses. Life went on and they stuck to their words. I had almost forgotten about the curse until Hera announced Hazel’s plan of arriving here for me.

I immediately panicked, not knowing how to ward her off me. “I’m sure the curse was a hoax. You haven’t shifted into a Grypwolf even once, Stav,” said Leandros. 

Zephyrus shook his head, his eyebrows drawn together as he watched me. “These shamans are powerful. Their curses work. Stav will turn into a Grypwolf only in Hazel’s presence when he wants to claim her.” 

My heart constricted with fear. No, I couldn’t afford to accept Hazel as my mate. I couldn’t claim her.

“I won’t claim her. I won’t accept her in my life!” My throat felt choked with emotions I couldn’t fathom. It was as if someone was throttling me to death. I struggled to breathe and Zephyrus stroked my back, to ease the knot in my throat. 

“Don’t rush it, Stav. We’ll think of a solution.” I shook my head vehemently, knowing there were no solutions available. 

“There are none.” Isaak sat beside me to comfort me. 

“There is a way, bro. Please take back your promise and let me seek Constantine, the royal wizard’s help,” suggested Isaak. 

I panicked and grabbed his hand to stop him. “No one can help me. Let’s seek Thanos and beg him for a remedy.” 

Zephyrus stood up with a sigh. “Thanos is evil. He’ll never agree to help you. I think Isaak is right. Constantine is the only one who can help us.” 

However, two days later, we found Constantine's lifeless body lying in his house in a pool of blood. Someone had killed him before he could help us. The cops concluded it was suicide since they found a suicide note as well. However, we could detect foul play. Why would Constantine commit suicide? He had no motive at all. 

“I think this is King Gavriil or Thanos’s handiwork. They know how powerful Constantine was,” said Zephyrus. 

“But how did they kill him if he was so powerful?” asked Leandros. 

“Maybe someone informed the enemy about Constantine’s weakness. His senses weaken at daybreak. For five minutes, as the first rays hit the earth, his vision weakens. He’s almost blind for five minutes. It will be child’s play to kill him then,” said Zephyrus. 

My immediate suspicion was on Damon. He was the only one who was unaffected by my curse. Not once did he comfort me. I knew he liked Hazel, but I didn’t take it seriously. Maybe I was mistaken, but right now I couldn’t stop myself from suspecting Damon. 

“Who could have done it? I’ll find out,” said Isaak. 

Obviously, he couldn’t and the matter was forgotten. As the day of Hazel’s arrival neared, I was forced to consider rejecting our fated bond. It was the only way out. 

I tried my best to keep myself busy, but on the day of her arrival, it was impossible to keep myself calm. 

I could sense her presence as she neared the castle. I couldn’t show her my wretched face in case I shifted into a Grypwolf or Wolgan in her presence. Therefore, it was best to stay away from her. I kept myself engaged in the fighting arena, but she sought me out. 

I knew she was watching me from the doorway, and I couldn’t stop the dragon inside me. Even my wolf, Vyros, couldn’t control the dragon from surfacing every time. I fought more like a dragon than an ordinary shifter. Yet Hazel remained unaffected by my aggressiveness. The love and hope she nurtured in her heart for me sparkled in her eyes, and I struggled to restrain myself. My fate, my helplessness, angered me. Why couldn’t I unite with my mate like all shifters did? Why couldn’t I have a family of my own? 

I struggled to give in to the temptation and accept her as my mate, but the Grypwolf inside me resisted the urge. Vyros was as upset as I was. He turned aggressive, and it showed on my face. 

I could see the hurt look on Hazel’s face every time we reacted, and I wanted to confess the real reason to her. But something held me back. It was the fear of her life. I couldn’t let her die. I was not capable of her. 

The only way out was by rejecting her. 

And I went ahead with it with a heavy heart! 

End of Flashback