All Chapters of Cult of the Crescent Curse: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Chapter — Seanna I felt sick. Not metaphorically. Not dramatically. Physically, genuinely sick. Like if I moved too fast—or breathed too deep—I might actually throw up right there in the middle of my own gym. God. It had come out all wrong. Every word. Every sentence. Every look on his face replayed in my head on a brutal, endless loop. I should have explained better. I should have softened it. I should have— I turned on my heel and rushed for the bathroom, shoving the door shut behind me before anyone could stop me. The second the lock clicked, the tears came. Hot. Immediate. Unstoppable. I braced both hands against the cool tile wall, trying—failing—to keep it together. My chest hitched hard, breath coming in sharp, uneven pulls that made my ribs ache. “G

Seanna’s POV I don’t know why. Maybe because in the back of my mind there was this small voice saying this would be the only chance I ever had to hold his hand. Maybe because the second our fingers fully threaded together, something inside my chest—something that had been tight and panicked for days—finally loosened just a little. But I definitely didn’t let go. And neither did he. We stood there in the parking lot like two complete idiots, hands locked together beside my jeep while early morning traffic hummed faintly in the distance. I cleared my throat and gently tugged. “…we’re going to look suspicious just standing here.” His mouth twitched faintly. “Let them be suspicious. I’ve got nothing to hide.”

Chapter — Seanna The road stretched out in front of me in long, quiet miles. I drove on autopilot. My hands rested on the steering wheel, my eyes on the road, but my mind was somewhere else entirely. It kept replaying the moment. Taydyn’s face. The way his eyes widened when I grabbed his shirt. The way his body had gone completely still when I kissed him. My stomach twisted. “I didn’t mean to do that…” I murmured to myself. But that wasn’t exactly true. It had just… happened. The memory of his lips still lingered against mine, warm and steady and impossible to forget. I pressed my lips together as if that might erase the feeling. It didn’t. If anything, it made it worse. I groaned softly and leaned my head back against the seat for a moment before forcing myself to focus on the road again.

Seanna POV Dinner began the way all uncomfortable dinners do. With too much food. Too many expectations. And entirely too many people pretending everything was perfectly normal. The table was packed with dishes my mother had clearly been preparing for half the day—roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, a giant bowl of salad, and three different desserts waiting patiently on the counter. James sat across from me while my parents flanked the ends of the table like silent overseers of the entire event. Autumn sat beside me. Eli across from her. Everyone smiled. Everyone waited. And my mother immediately took control. “Seanna,” she said sharply, “ask James what he would like to drink.” I blinked at her. “He can tell me himself,” I said calmly. “Water is fine,” James said politely.

Taydyn’s Pov ———————— The drive back to the Crescent pack clinic felt longer than the hour it had taken to get here. Terrence sat in the back with me, slumped against the seat. He looked terrible. Pale. Sweating. But somehow still conscious. “You know,” he muttered weakly, “this is not how I pictured my day going.” I snorted despite myself. “Oh yeah?” “Yeah. I figured if I ever got poisoned it’d be by bad takeout. That Chinese/Texmex place you always made us go on Game nights?” I smiled at him remembering “Juan-Tons” “That’s it! The one with the dumplings of death!” I could feel how much he was trying to stay calm- but him reminiscing on the past suddenly made my skin crawl. Bella glanced back nervously from the passenger seat. “Terrence… maybe save the jokes.” “Nah,” he said hoarsely. “If I stop joking that’s when you should panic.” We pulled into the Crescent clinic minutes later. Karissa was already out of the Hummer before it fully stopped.