The Mate Curse

Aria’s POV The sky was dark, but not quiet. The soft glow of the moon lit up my room, casting pale shadows on the walls. It felt like the whole world was asleep, and yet I couldn’t stop painting. Not tonight. My brush moved across the canvas, but no matter how many strokes I made, something wasn’t right. I could see the moon in my head, but it wouldn’t come out the way I wanted. It was like I was trying to capture something that wasn’t even real. I glanced down at my hand, covered in paint, the white and silver smudging across my skin like it belonged there. The night was colder than usual, even though the window was closed, and the air felt thicker. I wasn’t sure why, but I felt like I was being watched. Every now and then, I’d glance over my shoulder, expecting someone to be standing in the doorway. But no one was there. My blood seemed to hum under my skin, something strange and electric, like I was plugged into something bigger than myself. My birthmark, the one on my wrist that no one had ever really noticed, started to tingle. I pulled my sleeve down over it, hoping it would stop. It didn’t. “Just finish the painting,” I muttered to myself, but the words didn’t help. The feeling didn’t go away. I shook my head, trying to focus, but my eyes kept drifting back to the moon in the painting. It was supposed to be silver, like the moon I kept seeing in my dreams. I could almost hear it calling to me. I painted, but it was like my hand wasn’t my own anymore. It just moved, like it knew what to do. It was both frustrating and calming at the same time. Then, it happened. I didn’t even realize I’d fallen asleep. One second I was looking at the canvas, and the next, the world around me went blurry and I was standing on soft grass. The air was cool, too cool. The sky above was so dark, but the moon was so bright it hurt to look at. It was massive, hanging low in the sky, and it seemed like it was watching me. My heart started to race, like it knew something was coming. I tried to move, but my feet were stuck to the ground, and I couldn’t look away from the moon. The sound of wind filled my ears, but it wasn’t the kind of wind you hear on a normal night. It was… louder, sharper, like it was trying to say something. And then, I saw him. A figure standing in the distance, shrouded in shadows but with the moonlight catching his face. His eyes—silver, glowing almost—met mine, and I felt like my whole body had been yanked forward. Like I was being pulled by an invisible string. My legs felt weak, but I couldn’t look away. He was tall, bigger than anyone I’d ever seen, and the way he stood—so still, like the world didn’t matter to him—scared me. His eyes never left mine. It was like he knew me. And I knew him. But how? I wanted to run. I should run. But I couldn’t. My body refused to move. Then the ground beneath me started shaking, just a little at first. But then it grew stronger, and I stumbled, my heart hammering against my ribs. I looked back at him, but he wasn’t moving, just standing there, staring. His presence was overwhelming, and I felt something in my chest twist, like I needed to go to him. The sky cracked open, and something—something dark and terrifying—swept across the sky. A storm. No, not a storm. Something else. My hands trembled. I tried to move, to run, but my feet wouldn’t cooperate. I looked back at him. And I swear, I saw him smile. I woke up with a gasp, my heart pounding in my chest. The sheets were tangled around me, and I was sweating, as if I had been running. I rubbed my eyes, trying to get rid of the fog in my mind. The room was dark, quiet again. But the feeling didn’t go away. It followed me, lingering in the air like a bad smell. I looked down at my hand, still trembling, and noticed the paint smeared all over it. I didn’t remember painting. When had I even fallen asleep? I felt dizzy, and the moon outside my window, so bright it almost glowed, was making everything worse. I pushed myself up, sitting on the edge of my bed. My head spun as I looked at my wrist, where my birthmark lay hidden under the sleeve of my shirt. But tonight, I could feel it—pulsing, like it was alive. I couldn’t stop the chill that crawled up my spine. I didn’t understand any of this. I didn’t understand why I kept having dreams like this, or why the moon made me feel like I was someone else. There was a knock on the door, and I jumped, startled out of my thoughts. “Aria?” Lena’s voice called through the door, light and teasing. “Are you going to paint all night, or do you actually want to come outside with me?” I didn’t answer right away. My throat felt tight, like I couldn’t speak. I didn’t know how to explain any of this to her. She’d probably just think I was crazy. The knock came again, louder this time. “Come on, Aria. You’re making me look like a bad friend.” I grabbed the doorknob, feeling an odd reluctance in my chest, but finally opened it. Lena stood there, grinning, wearing her oversized sweater and leggings, her hair messy from the wind. She had a Starbucks cup in one hand and a half-eaten sandwich in the other, as usual. “What’s going on with you today? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” I just stared at her, still processing everything that had happened. My mind was a blur. “Nothing,” I said finally, my voice too soft. “Just a weird night.” Lena raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I can tell.” She glanced at the painting on my easel. “Wow. That moon looks… intense. What is it about the moon that keeps pulling you in?” I shrugged, hoping she wouldn’t notice how my hands were still shaking. “I don’t know,” I said, but it was a lie. I didn’t know. But I could feel it, deep inside—something was changing, and it had everything to do with the moon. And with him. Lena wasn’t paying attention. “Alright, enough with the deep thoughts. Let’s get out of here. I swear, if I spend another night at your place, I’m going to start writing poetry about the moon or something.” I couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Okay, okay. I’ll go with you. Just—give me a second.” I turned back to my painting one last time before I grabbed my jacket. The moon glowed outside, just like in my dream. And I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching me from the shadows. The wind outside howled when I stepped out of my apartment, carrying a whisper with it. “Aria…” I stopped in my tracks. My breath hitched in my throat. I looked around, but no one was there.