A Reincarnated Curse: The Beginning

Chapter 10

“What are you doing here!?” Alex yelled as he raced in picking Raphael up by his throat.

“Alex! Stop it! Why are you here?” My heart started racing. I should have been more concerned than I was, for the well-being of Raphael.

“Why am I here? Why is he here!?” Raphael was struggling to breathe let alone talk.

“Look at me Alex, put him down!” He turned his head to me and dropped Raphael.

“You need to explain to me why you are here.” I yelled at him.

“I…I felt you, you were…it felt like you were…” Grabbing my face he held his head down. “What are you doing to me?” He put his other hand on the other side of my face and pulled me to him as he hung his head.

“Well, I think I will just see myself out.” Raphael said as he stared at the two of them. I realized he was watching us… again. His betrothed with another man, and he could not do anything about it. I pulled away from Alex and walked Raphael out the door.

“Just be careful, He isn’t Alessandro, he is a different person entirely.” He said as he smirked at Alex.

“Thank you for tonight and thank you for your concern. I’m a big girl though, I can handle myself.” I said as I closed the door. I waited a minute before I turned to look at Alex. He was not at school and yet he came all the way to my house in the middle of the morning. I turned to look at Alex and saw him looking at me already.

“Do you…are you hungry? or thirsty…I can fix you something to drink.” I said as I motioned toward the refrigerator.

“No but thank you. I should…I should go.”

“Wait, why did you break up with Lorraine? Now she is calling me a homewrecker, just to add to the list of names everyone calls me already.”

“I think you know the answer to that.” He said as he walked over toward me. I started to back up but before I could he was right in front of me.

“What are you doing to me?” He bent down to kiss me, and I turned my head.

“I am not doing anything to you. Why are YOU doing this to ME?” What did he mean; what I was doing to him? I am not doing anything; he is doing this to me!

“I want you, and I think you want me.” He said to me with the most intense look on his face.

I wanted to turn away, but I could not move. He was wanting to embrace me, and I wanted to let him.

“We can’t do this. This, can’t happen.” I said as I unsuccessfully attempted to sound confident in my decision.

“Why not? Maybe we should, maybe it will end differently this time. This is why you cursed the town, for this, for us.” He grabbed my waist and pulled me to him. “I am tired of fighting this; aren’t you?” He said as his grip tightened around me. No. I wasn’t tired of fighting this. I will continue to fight this. I hope. I thought to myself.

It took every bit of strength I had in me to pull away from him. “I just don’t think this is a good idea. These feelings aren’t our own.” I said, trying to convince myself, more so than him.

“Yes, they are, in a matter of speaking. Our past lives, who we were then, is much of who we are now. Since I first saw you a couple weeks back, I have not been able to stop thinking of you. I can’t fight this anymore and I don’t want to.” He sounded so in control of his emotions and his words as if he had thought about it heavily.

“Why were you not at school yesterday?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

“I had some prepping to do for my ascension. I turn eighteen and I am to ascend the throne in a month. You will be there, won’t you?” He asked as he smiled.

“Wow, ascending the throne. King Alex?” For a moment I wished that we were just a regular guy and a regular girl. I had almost forgotten that he was to be king, and that I was going to be a queen to my people. This is just a lot to take in and accept. Every girl wishes to be a princess when they are young, so why did I have this feeling of dread about it in the pit of my stomach?

“Yeah, I believe I will have to go by Alessandro for official purposes. You didn’t answer me; will you be there?” He said as he looked at me with a decided look on his face.

“I will be there.” I said smiling.

We both sat down on the couch laughing and carrying on, I lost all track of time. Realizing it was so late I stood up.

“It is getting late; I have to get some rest. Will I see you at school today?”

Standing up and taking the hint, Alex walked over to the door. “Yes princess, I will be there. Goodnight Katerina.” He said as he kissed my hand.

I needed to find out why I was always feeling like my energy was being drained every night. Every day I feel as if I had run a hundred miles. I crawled into bed and closed my eyes. Much like every night, I dreamt of Alex. He was on my mind while I was awake, and I thought of him every night while I slept. I wonder how long I could fight it, especially knowing he intended on having me.

Alex

All I could think of after leaving was her intoxicating smell. Her lips on mine, her fingers in my hair. I ran as fast as I could until I reached my house. I still could not describe what I felt for her. It was too much to be put in simple terms. I yearned for her.

But not just to have her. I yearned for her touch, her kiss, her smell, hell I even yearned for her to simply look at me. I felt vulnerable around her. I felt like the more time I waited to do something about this curse the more I was losing myself, or maybe I was finding myself. Maybe they were one in the same.

All of this was still so confusing. The way she made me feel. The way her very essence made my insides tremble. It was as if I would rather die than to never see her again. I needed to get it together. I had to find a way to stop this.

The more these feelings emerged, the stronger I had to fight them off. The stronger I had to fight, the less willing I was to continue fighting. I was truly in a battle within myself to just control myself. I walked over to my bed and I felt a pain strike through me. It was fear. I was not afraid, so why did I feel this? As soon as I thought it, her face popped into my mind.

“Katerina!” She was afraid, and sad. Why? What was happening? Before I realized it I jolted out of my room, down the corridor and out the castle gate. I had to check on her. Moments ago, she was fine. What could have happened?

“Katerina! Open the door! Are you alright?” I yelled as I knocked on her door. She unlocked the door and I busted in looking around frantically.

“I am fine, but why are you here? Why would you think something would be wrong with me?” She asked with a confused look on her face.

“I am not sure; I had a gut feeling and I felt as if you were in some type of danger. It was as if…you were afraid, and I could feel it.” I said as I looked around and then to her noticing that she was perfectly fine I sighed with relief.

What did I feel and why did I feel it if she is fine? I felt like she was hiding something from me. But why?

“It was nothing I found-” She trailed off.

“You found what?” I asked curiously.

“Nothing, it was a spider, but what do you mean you felt me?” A spider. That was a lie. Why is she lying to me? For what reason?

As I walked closer to her, I responded, “All I know is I felt a sense of fear, and your face came to my mind, I don’t know how I felt you though, I have never drunk from you.” I know why I said this to her. I wanted a reaction from her. I wanted to know how she would react knowing what us drinking from someone meant. In a way I was trying to see how accepting she was of me.

“What? What do you mean? Drank from me?” As she spoke and her eyes met mine I saw a tinge of jealousy in those emerald eyes of hers.

“When we drink from someone, we feel them, we know where they are and what they feel.”

“So, you drink from someone and you feel them forever? That seems tiresome.”

“No, it doesn’t last forever, unless-” I stopped mid-sentence. What would she think of me if I told her?

“Unless…what?” She asked with curiosity.

“Unless we share our blood as well. What I mean is, if there is an exchange of blood, there is a permanent bond between us and another person. That hasn’t happened between us.” I looked her over as I spoke, the thought of tasting her blood was enough to arouse me. My mouth started to water at the thought. I saw the blood rush to her cheeks. “It normally only happens during a more…intimate moment.” I said as I brushed the hair from her shoulders eyeing her neck. Am I trying to seduce her? Stop it! I thought to myself.

“Then, maybe, in our previous lives we did.” Just as she blurted it out, it made me smile. I kept looking her over, trying to find something about her that I did not like. ANYTHING. Everything about her aroused me, and made my heart beat even faster the longer I looked at her. Even in her Pajamas. I found myself staring at her.

“Oh my God! Get out, don’t look at me!” She yelled as she attempted to physically push me out.

“Why not? I like your night clothes.” I said laughingly, with a smirk on my face.

“Why would you do that!?” She yelled as she was trying to push me out.

“Why would I do what?” I responded playfully.

“Oh yeah, I’m a witch.” She said as she smiled at me and spelled me out the house. I called in, “I am glad you are okay. That is really what I came for, nothing more.” I said reassuringly, as if I were trying to convince myself. As I listened in through the door I could hear her heart still racing.

“I am glad to know I have that effect on you.”

I needed to think about everything. I had my Ascension coming up soon, and I needed to do something about this curse. Did I even still want to do something about it? At this point I was not sure. I needed some time away from her. I will not go to school tomorrow. Maybe a day away from her would do me some good. For now, though, I needed to clear my mind.

When I got home, Lorraine was in my room waiting for me. Before I opened the door I could hear her heart. She was the only one brave enough to enter my quarters without an invitation. I opened the door and sighed at the sight of her. I used to care for her. I may not have been in love with her, but still, I felt something for her. Now it seemed that all of that never even existed. It had all been swallowed by my feelings for Katerina.

“I have been waiting for you, where were you?” She asked as she pouted with knowing eyes.

“Out.” Was all I could say. I did not want to hurt her.

“With her?” She asked as if she already knew the answer.

“Lorraine, can we not talk about this again? I’m tired.” I responded as I laid back on my bed covering my eyes with my arm.

She walked over crawling on top of me straddling her legs on either side of mine. “Okay, let’s not talk.” She moved my arm grabbing my face in her hands leaning in to kiss me. Before I realized it I threw her off of me and moved to the other side of the room.

“So now you don’t even want me?! You were with her after all!” Lorraine looked at me accusingly. I was with Katerina. But I did not want to hurt

Lorraine. I also did not want to lie to her. I was not a bad person; this was all just so confusing. The one thing I was not confused about was that the only woman I wanted, in any aspect, and in any life, was Katerina.

“Look, I don’t want to hurt you and I don’t understand any of this as it is. I have a lot on my mind right now, and I think we should take a break.” I said to her and looked towards her. She looked like I killed her puppy. It hurt me to hurt her like this, but I could not lie to her and I damn sure could not lie to myself anymore.

I remembered what Katerina said to me. “We can’t do this; you have Lorraine, and it isn’t fair to her.” The second she spoke it, I already decided to end it with Lorraine I just wanted to find a better way to do it. Lorraine is just so persistent, and I cannot do it anymore.

“Fine! Do not even look at me when you see me from now on! I hate you!” She responded as she spelled herself out of my room and finally I was alone. I fell back on my bed and closed my eyes with the image of Katerina burned into the backs of my eyelids.

The entire next day I had to hear lectures from my father about how I am the legacy of the Vortigen name, and I have responsibilities. He told me I needed to let go of my witch lovers and find a nice vampire girl to carry on the family legacy. I do not like any of the vampire girls. None of them are my mate obviously. I believe Katerina is my mate, but I dared not say that to him.

As the day went on everything was fine until it was not. I felt her. She was angry. It lasted only moments, but I could feel it. I do not know who was brave enough to piss her off but kudos to them. As soon as I thought it, I realized it was more than likely Lorraine. She would have the nerve to make Katerina angry. I chuckled to myself at the thought.

The day passed rather fast and as the moon reached it is peak and started to move lower to set I thought about what Katerina must be doing. She must be walking home. I wonder if she thought about me as much as I thought about her. I should BE so lucky. Just when I went to lay down and close my eyes I felt something like a stinging sensation.

It was fear, confusion, and vulnerability. Her face popped into my mind and without thinking I jolted off my bed and out of the castle. What was going on? She had to be home by now. What could have possibly happened at her own home? It seemed like I was making a habit out of showing up unannounced at her house. As soon as I got there I heard voices.

That SNAKE! I thought to myself. What was he doing here, and at this hour? It sounded like he was leaving so I braced myself, the second he opened the door I was going to burst in.