~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
~MearaScrambling backward, I don't stop until my back is pressed against a wall.The tomb is decently sized with tile walls and a natural ceiling of dirt, which seems unaffected even though I just sank through it.The air is stale and mossy smelling. Every crevice of the walls and floors are caked with dirt and fresh growth. Water drips down most of the walls, wetting my back while it feeds the flora.And from what I can see, there is no escape.My head falls into my hands. This can't be real.There is a terrible reality that echoes through my head, but I refuse to acknowledge it. This was meant to be a fun, stupid trip. The story is amusing, sounding more like fiction than reality.And yet here I am, in a tomb that can only belong to one person.Finally, I drag a reluctant gaze to the stone casket.It's perfectly untouched. The stone is still bright and polished, as if it were just put here yesterday, while the rest of the tomb decays.Magic.It sits a top a dais that is half submer
~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
~MearaI'm not sure how much time passes, but it feels like I'm running forever.Every time I look over my shoulder, I'm convinced Sire is right behind me. I imagine him reaching from the shadows, dragging me into them and back into the past, where he came from.Nothing interrupts my run except the odd fallen branch and the hideous amount of rain that falls through the canopy, drenching me.Hazel's house comes into view, and mercifully, I can see her bedroom light is on.She made it back.Rushing up her porch, I pound on her door. Glancing over my shoulder, I scan her driveway.There is nothing there except rustling trees and growing puddles. There is no sign of an ancient Alpha coming to kill me or steal me away.But if he tracked me from the tomb to my home, it's only a matter of time before he gets here.Hazel opens the door, gasping at the sight of me.I immediately charge past her and into her wonderfully warm living area. "I need you to tell me everything about Sire right now."
~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
~MearaI stare across the table, chewing on my dry toast. It's all I can manage to stomach this morning.“Sleep well?” Sire asks lightly.I blink lazily. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how odd this situation is. My mate is sitting before me, a completely stranger.“Strangely, yes," I respond quietly.It's not as if I could have left. Not only do I have no idea where I am, but Sire has made it clear that his ability to track me beyond my comprehension.“I'm glad you're eating.“You made this?” I look over the spread. I picked the lightest food possible. I want to get out of here as soon as possible.He stretches. I try not to allow my gaze to wander over his muscled arms for too long. “Of course not. My magic feels better situated in my body now.”I curl my nose up, dropping my slice of toast onto the plate. “Weird.”“If this manor does not please you, mate, then I can arrange better accommodation.” Concern flickers across his face. He seems to be expressing more emotion, alth
~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
~Meara Somebody is shaking me. For a blissful moment I'm shrouded in darkness that I don't want to escape from. The shaking only increases until I'm groaning, forcing my eyes open. A man is looming over me, only vaguely familar. The light from above him casts a halo over his face, causing it to take a few moments for me to realise I'm staring up at the man who drugged me and dragged me from my house. I yank myself up, nearly toppling off the couch I've been laid on. "What is going on?"The man steps away, saying nothing. When I look around I see I'm in a small sitting area, completely unfamilar to me. Sitting on a seat opposite to me is a man I've only ever seen through a television screen. Carran was appointed Alpha when I finished with my schooling, so it's only been recently. His father died in a tragic way, allowing his young son to take his place. I've never been convinced that Carran could be a good Alpha...And now I'm in the same room as him. "Ah, Meara right?"I gape