The Curse of the Alpha

~Meara “Here.”Groaning, I dump my pack against a nearby tree, stretching my stiff back.“Here?” I look around the clearing. Seems a lot less impressive than what I envisaged in my head.My friend glances over her shoulder from where she is rifling in her bag.“What did you expect?”“Something more than a random clearing…A marker, maybe?” I kick at the dirt, expecting fairy dust or something of similar affect to float up from the ground.See, when your friend tells you about an ancient curse keeping an Alpha entombed alive underground from centuries ago, you expect more magic.Hazel herself has partial witch genetics, which is why I agreed to accompany her on this tiresome hike.The story is compelling. The Alpha beneath our feet is encompassed in a unique spell. He was placed there during a war between two Pack's, considered too dangerous to continue living, but impossible to kill.Well, that's if the story is true, anyway.“It took years for my father to find it. He wants to keep a

~MearaThe stairs spiral up to surface level.I emerge through a hatch door entirely exposed to the outside world, which means magic recently revealed it. Immediately I slam the door behind me and take off running.Darkness smothers the area, cut only by streams of moonlight that dapple the forest floor through the forest canopy.I could go back and look for Hazel, but I have no idea where I am.Thankfully going down the hill is far quicker than going up it. Usually I would take my time picking down the uneven path, but I practically fly down, desperate to put as much distance between myself and my mate.At some point I slip, stumbling down onto my knees.I knock my left knee and scrape my hands, but as quick as I can manage, I’m back up and running. Eventually I make it to the foot of the hill and to a marker I recognise. From there, I weave through the forest and to a road I’ve travelled on many times. Bending over, I brace my hands on my knees, raking in breath after breath.I’m

~MearaReluctantly, I follow Sire inside.The place really is beautiful in a haunting, unsettling kind of way.The architecture is from another time, and yet everything appears to have been built recently. When I step inside, plush rugs soften my feet, warm tones guiding me through the great hall.I note the furniture I pass by, finally seeing some hints of age."This place is dusty..." I note."It's been abandoned for centuries, apparently,” Sire says with a shrug.He pauses, looking around at the vaulted ceilings, decorative furniture and wide windows. Something flickers in his eyes as he relives memories that must have felt like yesterday for him.Hurt, pain. I can tell he’s feeling it all."How does it look so good?" There’s not a hint of peeling paint, of faded furnishings. Everything is vibrant and lively, but it doesn’t feel lived in. It feels vacant and chilling.Sire sighs through his nose. "Magic.""You told me you needed magic to walk again, to regain your strength,” I reme

~MearaCase has been my boyfriend for quite a few years now.In the beginning everything was good. It was my first experience with love, so I didn't become aware of difficulties until later in our relationship.When he cheated on me, I didn't think I would be able to get through it. After a few months we bumped back into each other, and stupidly I decided to forgive him.Now that I've found my mate, how I feel about that decision has suddenly changed drastically.Now, my mate faces down my boyfriend.“Holy fuck, who are you?” Case questions, clearly horrified at the man before him.I don't blame him for being terrified. Sire towers over him, and the expression on his face suggests he hasn't opened the door to greet Case.“Case…what are you doing here?” I ask frantically.He's not meant to be here. We are meant to meet up for lunch tomorrow. Usually he is good at giving me space...sometimes too good. And now, he's here, confused as to why there is a tall, intimidating man lingering in

~MearaI stare at the food before me, arms folded over my chest.“You can eat, you know," Carran exclaims, piling his plate full of breakfast foods right in front of me.I have been subjected to a night here against my will. At this point I'm so desperate to get out of here that I will hear this man out. He clearly won't let me go otherwise.“I’m ready to go home," I grumble, pushing the plate away.Thankfully I told Sire I needed the day, so hopefully he hasn't noticed my absence. Knowing he is out there, capable of being chaotic and unpredictable while I'm gone makes me want to get out of here even more.“Home as in your cabin, or home with him?” Carran questions."I don't like that you know where I live," I tell him sharply. He is my Alpha, and such a tone would usually be severely frowned upon, but I think this situation warrants it.Carran leans forward. “Where is Sire staying?”“I don’t know. I'm not your spy anyways," I bite back.Carran's lack of magic is widely documented, so