THE CURSE OF MIRA CONSTANCE

Chapter Two

The guards grabbed my arms before I could react and dragged me away.

I fought with everything I had, kicking, struggling, and screaming for them to let me go, but it was useless. Their grip never loosened.

Behind me, a familiar laugh echoed through the arena.

Sara.

I didn't have to turn around to know it was her. The satisfaction in her laughter made my blood boil.

Just give me five minutes alone with her, I thought bitterly. Five minutes would be enough to wipe that smug smile off her face forever.

Instead, I was dragged towards the darkest part of the pack grounds.

They threw me into the prison reserved for criminals sentenced to death.

The heavy iron door slammed shut behind me with a deafening clang.

My stomach dropped.

So my suspicions had been right all along.

I wasn't expected to leave this place alive.

"No..." I whispered.

Panic took over.

I rushed to the bars and shoved them with all my strength.

Nothing. I pushed harder.

The walls suddenly shook, and an unbearable burning sensation shot through my palms.

"Ah!"

I jerked back with a cry, clutching my blistering hands.

"Wolfsbane. I thought.

The entire cell had been reinforced with wolfsbane.

There was no escaping. Hours later, the cell door creaked open.

My mother stepped inside. Her face looked exhausted.

The warmth I had always searched for in her eyes vanished, leaving only coldness and disappointment.

"Child," she said softly, taking my injured hands into hers, "stop hurting yourself." I pulled away.

"Calm down, Mira. Your temper has always been your greatest weakness."

She sighed.

"You are just like your father, strong, but always ruled by anger."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

"Hurting myself?" I snapped. "Easy for you to say."

I pointed around the tiny prison.

"You were the one who had me locked in here."

Pain flashed across her face before she hid it.

"I didn't have a choice."

She straightened herself.

"Mira, you killed a member of this pack."

Her voice became firm.

"Instead of reporting what happened, you buried his body."

"You know the consequences."

"I didn't mean to!" I shouted. "I lost control!"

"That is still not an excuse."

Her words were sharp enough to cut.

"You tried to cover your mistake."

"You were about to become the leader of this pack."

"A leader takes responsibility."

"A leader protects the people before herself."

"A leader owns up to her mistakes."

Silence filled the room.

Then she delivered the blow that shattered what was left of my heart.

"We cannot afford mistakes, Mira."

"I don't think you're fit to lead."

My chest tightened.

Those words hurt far more than the burning wolfsbane.

I had expected comfort. I had expected her to tell me everything would be alright.

Instead...

She had lost faith in me.

"What... what will happen to me?" I whispered.

"Will I be set free?"

"I'll do everything I can," she answered quietly.

She turned to leave.

"Mother..."

She stopped.

"What did they mean by 'I was an abomination'?"

I swallowed.

She stood silently for several seconds.

Finally, she spoke.

"It is an ancient curse."

"A fairy witch cursed your father."

"She transformed him into something that neither wolves nor fairies would ever accept."

"An abomination."

"The enemy of both races."

I stared at her.

"Your father hid the curse after the war," she continued.

"It didn't begin showing until years later."

"He kept it secret until I discovered it."

Hope flickered inside me.

"The healer..." "Did they cure Father?"

She slowly shook her head. "The curse killed him."

Everything inside me froze.

"Does..." My voice trembled.

"Does that mean I'll die too?"

For the first time in my life, my mother looked at me with pity.

She didn't answer. She turned around.

And walked away.

That silence told me everything.

I walked back to the cell door.

Ignoring the pain, I wrapped my fingers around the bars again.

The wolfsbane burned my skin. I gritted my teeth.

"Maybe if I got angry enough, my powers would explode again; I could break free," I thought out loud.

I was still trying to think of a way out when footsteps echoed down the hallway.

"Austin!"

Relief flooded through me.

He carried a plate of food, but the worry written across his face was impossible to miss.

"Mira..."

His voice softened.

"Are you alright?" "Did they hurt you?"

I almost cried.

Seeing a familiar face felt like breathing after drowning.

"Austin..."

I smiled weakly.

"I'm so glad you're here." "How did you get inside?"

"Anthony let me in."

"He made me promise not to do anything stupid."

"Your friend?"

He ignored the question. Instead, he held up the plate.

"I brought you food." "I figured you hadn't eaten."

Only then did I realize how hungry I was.

I grabbed the plate and devoured everything within minutes.

He watched quietly before finally speaking.

"Thank you for not telling your mother that I helped bury Sebastian."

I looked at him.

"There is nothing to thank me for."

"I dragged you into this."

"It wouldn't be fair to expose you when you were only trying to help me."

He nodded slowly.

"I heard your mother came."

"What did she say?"

"The usual."

I shrugged.

"She thinks I'm unfit to lead."

Silence lingered between us.

Finally, I leant closer. "I need to get out of here."

"Can you help me?"

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"I don't know, Mira."

"Maybe you should wait." "Your mother will find a way." "She won't let you die."

"You really believe that?" I laughed bitterly.

"The elders want my head." "I don't think she'll be able to stop them." "I never asked for any of this." Tears filled my eyes.

"I'm counting on you." He smiled gently.

"Always."

"I'll find a way."

"But until then," he said, pointing a finger at me.

"Don't do anything reckless." "I will try," I smiled.

A strange sound woke me in the middle of the night.

I opened my eyes immediately.

Someone was outside my window.

That was impossible.

Nobody came here at that hour.

"Whoever you are," I called, trying to sound brave, "surrender yourself."

"I have a gun."

Complete silence. My heart pounded.

"Should I scream? No, I disagree with that idea."

"What if it was Austin?" I would only be putting him in danger "I thought.

"Austin?" I whispered.

"Is that you?"

"Lower your voice," he whispered back.

"You'll wake the entire pack."

Relief washed over me.

"I brought the keys."

"Let's get you out."

He hurried to unlock the cell.

The moment his fingers touched the wolfsbane-coated lock, smoke rose from his skin.

He winced.

"Hurry," he muttered.

"We don't have much time."

"Anthony will notice his keys are missing," He complained.

"He gave them to you?" I inquired.

Austin gave a nervous laugh.

"I stole them."

Before I could answer,

Rattle, Footsteps.

Someone was coming. Austin quickly shut the cell gate.

Both of us dropped flat onto the hidden corner of the wall.

"Who's there?"

A guard's voice echoed.

He sniffed the air. I immediately masked my scent.

Austin did the same. The guard searched the hallway.

Then he noticed the open cell.

"Oh, no..." He ran.

I knew exactly what he was doing.

He was alerting the entire pack.

"Run!" I shouted.

We sprinted in opposite directions.

Austin disappeared west; I ran east.

"Vina..."

I pleaded. "Please come out."

Nothing.

I could feel my wolf hiding deep inside me.

Ashamed and afraid. She refused to answer.

The sounds of pursuing wolves grew louder.

They were gaining on me.

I reached the bridge. Without thinking, I jumped.

A powerful hand caught me before I could land.

I crashed hard onto the ground.

Sharp claws tore across my face; pain exploded through my skin.

Blood trickled down my cheek before I could recover, and thick ropes wrapped around my wrists.

The wolfsbane woven into them burnt like fire.

A familiar voice chuckled above me.

"I've been waiting for this."

I looked up.

Phillipe.

"I've been dying to return the favour."

"Good to see you again, Mira."

"Phillipe!"

I kicked wildly.

"Let me go, you psycho!"

He pinned my legs down.

"Keep struggling, I dare you."

"You should consider yourself lucky."

"If Luna hadn't ordered me to bring you back alive."

"I would've slit your throat right here."

He grabbed my jaw so tightly that tears filled my eyes.

"Bite me."

I spat in his face. His smile vanished.

The slap echoed through the forest.

Without another word, he lifted me over his shoulder and carried me back the entire journey.

I prayed to the moon goddess, not for myself or anything.

"Don't let them discover he helped me," I muttered.

When we returned to the pack, they tied me to a tree.

The beating didn't stop until darkness swallowed me.

When I finally woke, I was back inside my cell.

This time, wolfsbane ropes bound my wrists to a chair.

Every tiny movement burned. Outside the prison, whispers spread through the pack.

"Why is she still alive?"

"They should've executed her already."

The next evening, one of Mother's guards arrived.

"The trial is tomorrow."

That was all he said before leaving.

The next morning, ice-cold water crashed over me.

I gasped awake. Before I could even catch my breath, guards dragged me towards the arena.

Every pair of eyes followed me. Mother had already sat on Alpha's throne.

The four elders stood beside her, along with the most respected members of the pack.

Elder John stepped forward.

"Members of the pack..."

"I welcome you to the trial of Mira Constance, daughter of Alpha Richard and Luna Kayana."

His voice echoed across the silent arena.

"Mira, you are accused of murdering a member of this pack."

"You buried his body."

"You concealed the truth."

"You hid the fairy curse that threatens every member of this pack."

"You attempted to escape justice."

He looked directly into my eyes.

"How do you plead?"

I looked towards my mother.

She gave me a small nod, a silent instruction.

I lowered my head.

"I plead guilty."

"I apologize for everything I have done."

"I accept whatever punishment the pack decides." John nodded.

"Luna Kayana shall pass judgment."

My mother slowly stood. She refused to meet my eyes.

Every second stretched painfully.

Finally... she spoke.

"Mira..."

"After careful deliberation..."

"The elders and I have reached our decision."

She paused, looking at my face. My heart stopped.

"You are hereby sentenced to death."

"You shall be executed tomorrow."

Everything around me disappeared.

The voices. The crowd. The world.

I stared at my mother in disbelief. She finally looked at me.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her lips trembled.

"I'm sorry, my child..." "Please forgive me."

Then she turned and walked away.

Leaving me broken and waiting for death.