Verveville's Curse

Chapter25

Willow’s pov

I stormed down the corridor, my boots hitting the stone floor louder than I intended, but I didn’t care. Anger burned in my veins like fire I couldn’t quench.

Who did he think he was?

Who was he to make me feel small, unworthy?

Some Alpha? I scoffed out loud, the sound harsh disturbing the silence. A few passing wolves gave me strange looks, but I barely saw them.

“Yes! I’ve gone mad!” I snapped, glaring at no one in particular. “He’s making me mad!”

That definitely earned me a few double takes.

“Hey,” a voice came gently from behind, followed by a light touch on my shoulder.

I spun around, still caught in the blaze of my mood.

“Kaida… you.”

“Hi, Lylah.” She smiled carefully. “Is everything okay? I saw you fuming from across the hall.”

I hesitated. She was his sister. Telling her what was clawing at my chest didn’t seem wise. But Kaida liked me, I knew that much.

“I didn’t see you at breakfast,” I said instead, trying to dodge her question.

“Oh… yes. Axel and I had scores to settle.” A faint smile tugged at her lips.

“Hm.” I narrowed my eyes at her. “Why do I feel like the ‘score’ has something to do with me?”

“You don’t need to worry,” she said, brushing it off. “Everything’s under control. Now, tell me, what’s wrong?”

“Ugh, okay fine!” I blurted. “It’s Kael. I don’t know what’s wrong with him. One moment he looks at me like he wants to devour me, the next he shuts me out. It’s like something keeps pulling him away, and I…” My throat caught. I turned away from her face. “I don’t want him away from me because I… I…”

Kaida’s chuckle was soft, but teasing. “Oh, I see. You like him, don’t you, Lylah?”

“What’s the point?” I whispered bitterly. “He doesn’t feel the same.”

“What makes you think that?” she asked. “You know he’s the Alpha…”

“And that’s exactly the problem, isn’t it?” I snapped. “He’s the Alpha. He can’t have an outcast for a lover.”

Her expression fell. “Oh, I didn’t mean it like….”

“It’s fine, Kaida.” I cut her off before the sting in my chest could sharpen. “I should just go and… freshen up.”

I didn’t wait for her reply. I walked away, my mind spinning faster than my feet could carry me. Her words clung to me like thorns, “He’s the Alpha.”

Was that really why he kept pulling away? Because I wasn’t a wolf? Because I was nothing but an outsider with broken memories?

The thought hit me harder than I expected.

I didn't know much about the Lycan history, the memory probably got lost with the rest of my memory but I knew the Alpha is fated to have a Luna as a lover.

Lunas were always werewolves, weren’t they? Never outsiders. Never… human.

Was I human?

I wasn’t a wolf. But then… what was I?

By the time I reached my room, my thoughts were tangled into a tangle of questions I couldn’t undo. I slammed the door shut and leaned against it, whispering to the empty room.

“If you’re the almighty Alpha Kael like everyone says,” I hissed into the empty air, “then you shouldn’t look at me the way you do. Not at breakfast. Not during training. You shouldn’t make me feel like you want to devour me and then act like I’m nothing.”

My hand touched my lips unconsciously, heat shooting through me at the memory.

“And damn you for licking cream like that,” I muttered, heat flaring in my cheeks. “Like you were… like you were…” I groaned into my palms. “If you don’t feel for me, Kael, then why do you look at me like you want to kiss me?”

A low groan escaped me as I ripped off my clothes and stalked into the shower.

Hot water rushed over me, but it didn’t cool the heat raging inside. My thoughts were louder than the spray.

Enough!

I wasn’t going to let him keep pulling me in, only to shove me away. I wasn’t going to let him control how I felt.

By the time I was rinsing the last of the suds from my hair, the decision settled like stamps in my chest.

I was going to confront him.

I hurried through the rest of my shower, not even bothering to dry my hair properly. I pulled on a simple dress, tugged it into place, water dripping down my back. My hair clung damp against my shoulders, and I didn’t care. My pulse was hammering too hard to notice.

I left my room, half-dressed, half-ready, but wholly set on one thing, finding Kael.

It wasn’t hard. His chambers were only a few doors down the west wing I heard. My knuckles hovered over his door for a moment.

I didn’t knock. I shoved it open,

And froze.

Kael was there.