Page 89 of Red's Beast

The world begins to swirl and I see the day that the two sisters arrived. They are standing in the middle of town, asking our alpha to stay and swear their alpha sent them on a search to find wolves as mates.

Though he wasn’t sure about it, he allowed them to stay.

Eventually they caused issues by being like sirens and calling males, mated and unmated, toward them. Even my poor father wasn’t left alone and I had to go to town every morning to drag him and my brother away from those witches.

Soon, they made me and Logan the objects of their desires.

I remember that day well. We were in the village area when the pack grew quiet and Natalia had stared at our alpha. Her eyes never wavered, even though his alpha command was filling the air and suffocating most of the pack.

“Do you really think that works on me?” She had asked. “Silly little wolves. You don't know who you are dealing with? I’m over eight hundred years old and won’t be brought down under a simple command.”

Mist grows thicker around us, cutting us off from everyone.

“Come with me, Lucian.”

“No,” I told her firmly. “I’m not going anywhere with you. You are insane.”

“Insane? Are you sure that is how you want to speak to me? There is no one here to help you now.”

And that is when I ran. I remember it clearly. I darted into the woods and the mist followed me through it. Sadly, I had no idea where I was even going, but then I ended up at the creek nearby.

That’s when the mist cleared and I remember dropping to my knees at the creek to get a drink of water.

And then she came.

Branches cracked off to my right and I glanced up, wishing I had lost her.

Emmeline stepped forward, a flowing cloak tied around her neck and covering her dress. “I came to offer you another deal besides the one my sister gave you.”

“What kind of deal? She never offered me anything. Natalia wanted me to become her mate and wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

She reached out her hand from underneath her cloak. “How about you become mine instead? I’m sure I’m more suitable for you.”

“You aren’t my fated mate, either. I’m supposed to be with Emily, the alpha’s daughter. It is the way of the wolves. If wecan’t find our fated mate, we mate with someone around our rank.”

Suddenly, she pulled back as Natalia came into view and I saw why Emmeline looked so scared. One moment she was there and in the next, only her cloak was left behind on the ground.

“What have you done?” I asked.

“She’s fine, but she won’t be causing problems for anyone where she is. You see, we have our own realm that we created years ago. Sometimes we go there, just the two of us to let time go by. I had to wait until the moment was right to get my revenge. I won’t be shafted again.”

“Why are you doing this?”

She only smiled. “They robbed me of my mate years ago and it is your line that ruined me. So, you will be mine.”

I scooted until my back hit the tree. Sweat dripped down my brow. “No, you can’t do this. Please.”

“Tell me how to make a mate bond with you.”

“Natalia, it can never be. It will never be fate.”

Her hand raised above her head and a white light emitted out from her palm.

“Then I curse you with what was supposed to be a gift. You will roam these woods and never escape me. You will forever be a beast and there is only one way to end it.”

The world grew dark after that as I heard her chants. “The only way to break this curse is for the caster and her bonded coven mate to die after you take your white wolf mate. Oh, Lucian, if you had only chosen me willingly, then this could have been avoided. I will grant you one simple kindness. On the night of the new moon and on the full moon, you may leave your forest home, but only once each. After that, you will belong to the woods and only I can ever set you free.”

My eyes suddenly open and I can see the woods before me, laid out like they usually are. Some of the trees look odd, as if they have been bent by something huge.

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