The Alphas Cursed Mate

The Girl

Cam

I couldn’t sleep, my mind kept returning to the mysterious girl in the woods. Going into the garage, I stripped down and placed my belongings in the locker. Shifting was second nature to me, I hardly felt the pain of my bones breaking anymore. I stepped out of the garage and made my way south.

“Im coming down.” I warned over mind-link.

“Got it.” Travis responded.

I ran through the hills and passed the clearing, ducking under branches as I entered the forest. I only slowed as I got closer to the cabin. I sniffed the air. I could smell Dustin and Travis towards the entrance, but nothing else. I crouched as I walked, careful not to make any noise.

“Cam.” Travis greeted me with a nod.

I returned the gesture. “Anything?”

“No, we haven’t seen or heard her, or anyone for that matter.” Replied Dustin.

“Dustin, you can go back. I can take your shift.”

“No, that’s okay. I wouldn’t be able to sleep anyways.”

I glanced over at Travis, who shook his head as well. I nodded. Apparently, this girl had us all feeling out of sorts. I found a place near them and laid down on my stomach, the snow crunching beneath my weight and clumping into my fur. We all watched the little cabin, whose smoke continued to breathe into the clear, night sky. There was no noise other than a gentle breeze whipping through the tree branches. The snow glittered against the ground as the stars and moon cast light from above.

An hour had passed when the screaming started. My ears perked up at the sudden noise. It was a painful sound, one filled with sorrow and agony that immediately made me feel anger towards whatever was causing it.

“Is she okay? What’s going on?” Travis called to both of us over mind-link, his voice sharp and rigid. All of us were standing now, still taking cover behind the trees.

“Nobody went in or came out. Let’s give it a minute and see what happens. It could be a trick.” I responded, though I doubted anyone could fake the painful sound.

The screaming lasted for ten seconds and then stopped. We waited, cautiously eyeing the cabin for movement. Suddenly, the front door crashed open and a small figure fell onto the snow.

We didn’t move a muscle, worried of interfering with the scene playing out before us. She didn’t say anything, only sobbed into her hands. After a few minutes of her laying there in the snow, she lifted onto her knees and looked up towards the sky. The moon peered on her brightly from above.

She was breathtaking, with high cheek bones and soft features. Her dark hair cascaded down to her waist in gentle waves that blew with the breeze. Her petite frame shook as the cold met her olive skin. As beautiful as she was, she looked completely broken. I couldn’t imagine what horrible things could have caused this beautiful creature such obvious pain.

I sniffed the air, stopping in confusion. Travis and Dustin did the same, then returned confused looks my way. I sniffed again, harder this time. Other than the subtle hints of strawberry and vanilla, I couldn’t understand what I smelled. I returned my gaze towards the girl, who, to my horror, was staring directly at me. I stilled, focused on keeping my breathing light and steady. She blinked twice and returned her eyes to the area around me.

“Hello?” I heard her soft voice as it sent a chill down my spine. It was such a quiet sound, had I not already shifted, I might have missed it.

Dustin, Travis and I stood absolutely still, staring at the girl from where we hid. She slowly got up and took a few steps closer to us.

“Is someone there?”

My wolf told me to step out of my hiding place, to go and comfort her. She was in distress and needed help, my help. I fought the urge, not knowing what had gotten into him.

I could see moonlight reflecting off the trails of tears that had streamed down her face. I could smell the saltiness that damped her hair as the wind blew through it. But there was something else about her. Staring at her, careful to stay out of sight, I tried to figure out what I recognized about the girl. Had I seen her before? If so, surely I would remember.

She stopped twenty feet away and scanned the area. Her eyes not meeting anything in particular. She sighed a breath of frustration, or maybe relief, before she turned and went back into the cabin. We could hear her putting more logs in the fire and saw as she crossed the small room before sitting down.

“What the hell was that about?” Travis was the first to break the silence, almost gasping as if he had been stuck in a trance.

“I don’t know.” I replied with just as much confusion.

“I feel like I know her from somewhere, but I can’t figure out from where.” Dustin responded, more talking to himself than to us.

Something told me she wasn’t a danger, but clearly she was something. My wolf wanted to protect her. Normally, he was ready to kill whatever or whoever crossed his path. Especially an intruder.

“Should we call Des?” Travis asked.

I shook my head, “No, she doesn’t appear to be a threat at the moment. I’ll speak with Desmond once he gets here to see what he wants to do.”

The three of us silently waited in front of the cabin until the sun began rising in the East. Nobody spoke during those remaining hours. We all just sat and watched while lost in our own thoughts. The girl never reappeared, but her scream played on a loop in my mind.

Over.

And over.

And over again.