Chapter 5. Broken curse

Will these hot werewolves save me from my curse, or are they too busy fighting for me? If they could share... maybe they could make me forget what I've become...or maybe they won't want to share their mate. My thoughts went wild. I needed to escape from my mind. I needed fresh air. So I grabbed my jacket and headed downstairs. I exited my building and found the parking lot empty as usual, except for my car. I sat down on the drivers seat and closed the door behind me. A few seconds later, I heard a car horn honking in front of my car. I looked up to see my driver looking at me through the rearview mirror.

"Sorry, but I forgot my gloves in the backseat." I said and got up to search for my gloves. I searched my pockets and realized I had left it somewhere upstairs.

"Here you go," I handed him my gloves and he smiled. Then he drove away. I sighed and turned around heading to find my way to the bar. I pulled my hair out of my face and tied it in a ponytail. I wore my coat and put on my glasses. As I was putting them on I suddenly caught a glimpse of something moving through the darkness between the buildings, near my apartment. I stopped short and looked at the place where the movement had appeared. I stared at it, trying to focus on its features. It was a wolf...or perhaps a dog. I don't know. It kept getting closer to the building and disappeared into the shadows again. I shivered involuntarily and walked on.

I reached the bar and entered it without even knocking. The bartender was wiping the bar counter and the customers were either having fun or ordering alcoholic beverages. The bartender gave me an annoyed glare and motioned me to take a seat at the stool next to him. I smiled at him and he shook his head slightly before he resumed cleaning. I ordered a beer and sat down waiting for my order. I was about to open my drink when I heard a familiar voice say, "You here again, Emma?"

I looked up and saw Ryan sitting across from me. I froze on my spot as he came closer to me and placed the paper bag on the table. He sat down and gave me a friendly smile.

"I knew I should have waited for you instead of meeting you here."

I didn't know what to say to him. We were silent for a while. Ryan just stared at me and I avoided his gaze. Ryan was wearing the same suit which I'd seen before in our previous meetings. He seemed different. He looked more tired than usual, and the circles under his eyes were darker and bigger than the last time. I wondered why he was here, in my bar.

"Um..how are you doing Ryan? Are you alright?" I asked awkwardly. I knew he wasn't alright. He had that haunted expression on his face which I've never seen before.

Ryan didn't answer my question and looked at me with this sad smile on his lips.

"Is there something wrong? Are you okay?" I asked again.

Ryan sighed. "I'm fine," he said in a hushed tone.

"What happened?"

"Nothing." Ryan replied with a small frown on his face. "Emma, can I ask you something?"

"Uh yeah sure," I replied hesitantly. I leaned forward a bit and watched as he took the bag from the table and started rummaging through it. I raised my eyebrows and asked, "what did you bring me?" I didn't mean to sound rude but it slipped out anyway. Ryan just shook his head and put the bag away.

"Do you have any idea what happened to you?"

"No," I answered honestly.

"Are you lying?" Ryan accused.

"How would I lie to you?! I told you nothing happened!" I exclaimed. I stood up and crossed my arms over my chest defensively. He stood up with me and glared at me.

"Look, I don't want you to think that what I'M doing is hurting you. I just want to help you. Is that such a big crime? Does it mean that I can't help you anymore if I want to? Do you want to get out of my life? I'm sorry, I understand if that's what you want. I'll leave you alone. I'll find another way to reach out to you. Okay?" he said softly. His voice sounded hurt.

He then left the bar without saying anything else. I didn't understand why he felt so guilty. Maybe it had to do with the kiss he had given me after we had slept together. I don't know. I don't care. I was angry with him for giving me false hope and making me believe that we were still connected. I was angry that he had lied to me. I was angry that I was the only one who couldn't move on from him. I was angry at myself. For letting him hurt me like he has. For believing him when he told me he was innocent, and for giving him a second chance. I couldn't believe that he had lied to me. That he would cheat on me just for me to accept him. How could I forgive him for that? For breaking my heart like this. I hated it. I hated feeling this pain. I hated being mad at him. I wanted to scream.

the Ahpla break my curse by giving me back my humanity

Chapter One

There's a knock on my door.

My eyes are still glued to the TV screen; I have no desire to open them. But, I have to wake up now. Because tomorrow is the day when everything begins again: the ceremony. It's the ceremony in which Ahlahna and her family will offer their blood sacrifice to the gods. I have already agreed to meet her parents at the hospital to talk about everything I'm going to lose after the ceremony.

Ahlahna's parents came and got her a while ago. She was asleep when they carried her out. Her mother had to stay with her all night to watch over her. I stayed awake the entire night, wondering whether she will come home safe. And now, I wish she wouldn't. Because now I'm not ready to lose her, or to go through the pain of losing her again...if she comes back alive, that is.

The door opens. I hear footsteps walking down the hallway. My sister, Ahlahna, enters my room and goes straight toward the bed. She sits down on the edge of it, pulls the blanket over herself and lays down. I look at her lying down and I feel my stomach sinking.

"Why didn't you wait for me to come downstairs first?" she asks quietly.

"Oh..." I reply. I don't know what to say. What am I supposed to tell her? What am I supposed to do? Shouldn't she have asked me first? Why hasn't she asked me?

She doesn't say anything else. I sigh deeply. This is the part where I need to tell her the truth. I need her to realize that she must not trust him. But, how can I possibly tell her? Or can she even remember? And if she can't remember, does it mean that she never loved him? That I never really loved him either? It all seems so hopeless right now. And yet, I want to try. I need to tell her now.

I sit there staring blankly at her.

Finally I whisper, "Honey...you're not going to believe this..."

She turns her head slightly and looks at me.

"I'm sorry...but...he's back."

A silence falls between us. My heart beats faster. It feels like a hammer's thump. A hammer. I know what it sounds like. I remember hearing the sound once when I was little. When my father and I were living in New York City. We'd always lived in a tiny apartment which was situated in a row of houses along Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn.