Page 25 of Wounded Mate
“But I got away. I ate the chicken. I didn’t die. And months later, when next I tried to shift, I couldn’t. At least not fully. I haven’t been fully human ever since, and no pack will accept me as I am. I’ve tried.”
Tears well in my eyes. I’m so sad for him. I stroke his fur and listen.
“I thought maybe the other mongrel, Andras, might understand my plight. Perhaps I could have a friend. And if his mate was open enough to accept him as he is, then maybe he would accept me as well. Two friends. A tiny pack. I would be no burden. I’d earn my keep. I want that. A place to belong. People to love. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. I’ve risked my life, such as it is, to get it.”
Bela stills as if he’s worn himself out in the telling of his tragic tale.
My heart breaks for him. I’m reeling from his story, curled as tightly into his body as I can press myself. I smooth my hand gently down the fur of his back and watch his face. His sorrowful expression brings out the sorrow in me as well.
“You’ve had a very hard time, haven’t you?” I press a kiss to his bristled cheek. “I’m so sorry.”
I thought…well, I thought maybe he would stay here.
With me.
But I see now that he cannot. He’d never be comfortable in Pest. It’s a big city, bustling with people and supernaturals alike. No place to hide here. No place for a misfit to fit in without becoming a lonely hermit in the process.
But in Varad, a small mountain village, he could be himself with an enormous forest to explore. He could be with Andras and Bowie. He could be accepted for who he is.
My heart is sinking. I’ve never left Pest. I couldn’t before, but maybe…
“Bela?”
“Hmm?”
“I might know someone who could help you with the curse.”
Cautiously, he brightens. “Really? Who?”
How should I explain?
From the beginning, I suppose. “I’m not wholly unfamiliar with curses myself. Incubi have lived under a curse for centuries, since an old feud between our kind and the fae culminated in tying us to the land of our birth. All this was before my time, but as a result, I’ve lived here in Pest my whole life. I couldn’t leave before. And I’ve never had anywhere else to go.
“But my friend Dominus, you haven’t met him yet, but this brothel belongs to him, and he’s long been our main benefactor and protector. We aren’t blood, but he is my family, you see? Some years ago, he found his mate, a fae changeling called Sebastian, who took it upon himself to tackle the curse on us since birth. In short, Sebastian has become somewhat of a specialty curse breaker. Perhaps he can break yours too?”
Bela’s face lights with hope. Impossibly, he looks even more handsome. He whispers, “A curse breaker,” with awe in his voice.
“Yes.”
“I hadn’t thought it possible. And he’s here? In Pest?”
“Well, nothere, here. They live in the hills to the east now, in a farmhouse. But it’s not far. We could go there. I can take you.”
“I’ll have to shift and go as the wolf. I can’t travel as I am. It’s too conspicuous.”
One look at his perky, tufted ears tells me that’s the truth. “A hat, maybe?”
He shakes his head. “It’s not just my ears. It’s the fur on my neck. My tail is difficult to hide, even stuffed into pants. My back paws. I don’t really walk like a normal human with the way my legs are shaped.”
“Wolf it is. I shall be proud to have you at my side. We’ll look regal. A young gentleman and his noble canine companion. No one will know we are both in disguise.”
A tentative smile lifts his lips. “You really think your friend would help me?”
“I’m sure he would try. He’s a lovely fellow. Gentle-hearted and sweet. But feisty in the bedroom. Perfect for Dominus.”
Bela cocks an eyebrow.
I chuckle. “Don’t worry, I don’t know fromexperience, but the walls are thin. They lived here for a bit. They are…creative and enthusiastic lovers.”
