Healed by the Cursed

CHAPTER THREE

The moon was high, casting a pale, ghostly light over the forest as Aria walked through the woods. Her heart pounded in her chest as she followed the man who had come to fetch her. The urgency in his voice was enough to push her beyond her doubts and fears.

Whatever was happening, Kade needed her—whether she was ready or not.

As they moved deeper into the forest, the trees seemed to close in around them. The stillness suffocated them, and the air grew colder. Every snap of a twig underfoot jolted Aria's spine. She knew she was in unfamiliar territory. But the pack was in danger, and Kade was nowhere to be found. This was her moment to prove that she wasn’t just the fragile woman everyone thought she was.

The man led her to a clearing, where a circle of dark stones marked the entrance to an ancient ritual site. The air hummed with magic—dark, twisted magic that sent shivers down her spine.

“This is where it happened,” the man said, his voice barely above a whisper. The Bloodstone. It’s been compromised.”

Aria walked forward, her heart sinking as she noticed the jagged cracks in the stone that had once gleamed with an ethereal light. Now, the fractures pulsed with an unnatural dark energy, like veins of shadow spreading across the surface.

“What happened here?” Aria asked, her voice wavering despite her best efforts to remain cool.

The man hesitated before speaking. “We don’t know, but whatever breached the Bloodstone… it’s more powerful than anything we’ve faced before.”

Suddenly, Aria felt a cold gust of wind sweep through the clearing, and she heard a voice in her mind—a whisper, low and menacing.

You don’t belong here.

She froze, her body going rigid as the voice echoed in her ears. The surrounding darkness seemed to pulse with life, like a predator circling its prey. She could feel the weight of the curse pressing in on her, and for the first time, she realized how much danger she was truly in.

The man stepped closer to her, his face pale with fear. “We need to leave. This place is cursed.”

But Aria stood frozen, her eyes locked on the Bloodstone. She sensed its strength beckoning to her—an ancient, dreadful energy tied to her very existence. Though she had always known she was unusual, she had not grasped the whole degree of her link to the magic running through the pack.

"I can feel it," she said softly. The magic—it's drawing me in.

The man said, "Don't pay attention to it." “Whatever it is, it’s trying to control you.”

But Aria couldn’t tear her gaze away. She reached out a trembling hand toward the bloodstone, drawn by an invisible force. The moment her fingers brushed against its cracked surface, a surge of energy shot through her. Pain lanced through her chest, and she gasped, falling to her knees.

The vision came to her then—the truth of the curse that had been placed on the pack so many years ago. She saw the ancient ritual, the blood sacrifice, and the twisted spell that had bound the pack’s fate to the Bloodstone. And at the heart of it all, she saw Kade—a young, innocent boy who had been chosen as the vessel for the curse.

Aria's mind raced as she realised the connection between the curse and Alpha. Kade is the key to breaking it.

But the vision didn’t stop there. She saw a figure—a dark, shadowy silhouette-standing over Kade, its eyes glowing with malevolent power. The figure was familiar, but Aria couldn’t place it.

Suddenly, the vision shattered, and she was back in the clearing, gasping for breath. Her heart raced, and her skin tingled with the remnants of the dark magic she had just encountered.

The man who had been guiding her stepped forward, his eyes wide with fear and awe. “You’ve seen it, haven’t you?” he asked. The curse. The figure…”

Aria nodded, still shaken by the vision. “I saw him. The one who’s behind all of this.”

The man’s face twisted in fear. “That’s him. He has been quietly manipulating the pack from the shadows. His name is Darian, and he’s been plotting for years to take control of the pack.”

Aria’s mind raced as she tried to make sense of what she had just learnt. Darian—she didn’t remember the name, but the person she had seen in her vision seemed to haunt the borders of her mind. There was something extremely intimate about the link, but she couldn’t place it.

“We need to stop him,” she continued, her voice shaking but filled with conviction. “Kade needs to know what I’ve seen.”

But the man shook his head. “It’s too late." Darian was already making his move. The Bloodstone is only the start.

As they hurried back to the packing house, Aria’s thoughts raced with the possibilities of what she had learnt. Darian was the one behind the curse, and he had been manipulating the pack for years. But what did that mean for Kade? What was his part in all of this?

She couldn't help but think the curse had something more about Kade's link to it yet unknown. She had to know, and she had to stop Darian before it was too late.

When they got to the packhouse, the tension was obvious. Whispering among themselves as the Bloodstone's evil aura permeated the air, the other pack members were on edge. Aria felt suffocated by the sensation of danger and was aware they were short on time.

Aria stood alone in the corridor, her mind a tangled wreck, as the guy exited to notify the others. She could not accomplish the task by herself. She wanted Kade, but he was absent.

Then, as though on cue, the door to the Alpha's quarters creaked open. Kade stood there, his face pallid and strained, his eyes tormented. Though it was obvious something had changed, his presence was still strong. He was vulnerable now, not the untouchable Alpha; Aria had to be the one to rescue him.

"Kade," she whispered softly but urgently. I understand what is going on. I know what you’ve been hiding.”

Stepping into the corridor, his face was inscrutable. What do you mean?

I am aware of the curse. And I know who is behind it.

His eyes grew darker, and Aria could read the shame and dread in his appearance. "You should not have witnessed that. "You’re not ready."“I don’t care,” she said, her voice firm. I have to assist you. You cannot accomplish the task by yourself.

For a time, Kade gazed at her with something resembling pity. But then, a flare of something stronger went between them—something wordless, something that linked them beyond words.

"You are correct," he answered softly. You are correct. Time is running short.

And just like that, the struggle for the pack's survival turned into their common conflict.