CURSED BLOOD

CHAPTER3

CALLUM’S POINT OF VIEW

I stare at my healed palm, then at my wife – Camilla. As much as I'd like to immerse myself in this marriage, I have pending issues most importantly – who has been killing wolves with an untraceable venom. I walk to my office to study everything we know about this venom.

We find our brothers and sisters murdered, their bodies abandoned just outside of the city’s border, a display for everyone to find. Whoever this person is, has a certain vendetta against us, because I wonder what kind of motivation one has to attack the most powerful species.

Immediately the venom hits the bloodstream and the vein. It targets receptors and enzymes found only in Werewolves, disrupting crucial biological processes like cell membrane receptors and metabolic pathways leading to rapid cell death within seconds.

One of the many mysteries is we never find the mode of delivery – how they get infected. Perhaps a bite - Vampires? but the vampire species is a myth even to us supernatural. I would be happier if it was Vampires because then, we’ll know what we’re facing.

Perhaps it is magic – Witchcraft. That is a tricky thing in itself because my kind drove out Witches and Humans. They were eventually able to come to a compromise with the Humans. The men feared women with that kind of power associated with witchcraft, so they were all burnt at the stake a very long time ago, and the possibility of witchcraft, eradicated.

Everything is a dead end. My forehead creases and my eyes squint. I’m unable to find a clue, and I know it’s right there in front of my face, but I just can’t see it. If only I could look beyond the physical then I just might find out who is killing my people and why.

“Cal.” I hear, and turn to see Camilla standing by the doorway, looking good enough to eat. The mere sight of her stirs something in me that I try to ignore but I can’t.

I watch her take deliberate steps towards me, her red hair catches the sun and I think of running my hands through her lush strands.

“Camilla, do you need something?” I ask, and she shakes her head.

“Maybe I could help you with work.” She says in a near whisper, looking everywhere but me.

“It’s a danger to us all”, she continues, catching my eyes this time. “All hands on deck will help hasten it.”

“No, but thanks,” I say with a head shake willing her to leave so I could concentrate.

“We could eat breakfast; I could make you whatever you like.” She persists, fiddling her hands, and I see the scar on her palm, it makes me feral.

“I’m good, I would grab something on the way to work.”

She nods “Maybe to – ”

I cut her off “I don’t need anything from you, you’re distracting me. I need my focus on this, my people are dying. What do you want?”

Her eyes widen, and she glares at me as I see a glimpse of anger or is that hurt?

“Forgive me for wanting to spend time with my husband – A husband who has only kissed me once, a week ago. What is my role here? Sit and look pretty? A part of your house furniture? Am I to entertain your guests? Tell me, Callum.” She says in an angry tone, her nostrils flaring and her face red.

“I want you to know your place. You are my wife! My Luna, and that is all that is!” I lash out against my better judgment. All I want to do is hold her but I can’t bring myself to do that. I can’t even bring myself to look at her and I don’t know why.

“Do I disgust you? Why won’t you look at me, Callum?” She asks, obviously hurt and I grit my teeth.

“I’m looking at you, and I can’t help but wonder who you truly are. Human amid Wolves. Who were your parents? What do you know? Why can’t I get you out of my head?” I snap, surprising myself as I watch her eyes widen.

“Excuse me. I won’t bother you again.” She nods her head as her expression fades into nothingness, a desperate need to hide her emotions. Her shoulders slump as she walks away with slow and hesitant steps which betrays the hurt she tried masking. I hate myself but I can’t help it.

She makes me insane, and every effort I make to push her away just brings me closer to her. I try to avoid her yet all roads lead me right back to her.

I arrange my table after she’s gone and head to our room. I find her staring out the window, a book in her lap, her hair dancing around in the evening breeze, calling me out like a siren and I find it difficult to resist her.

“Eve,” I say, and she looks at me with a fierceness I delight in.

“Nolan.” She replies coldly, and I smile at the way my middle name rolls off her vixen tongue.

“There’s been a series of deaths. Wolves are dying and it has been going on for months, and every lead leads to a dead end. They’re being poisoned with a venom which kills them the second it reaches their bloodstream.” I explain calmly, watching her reaction.

She walks up to me and I look at her with pure delight.

“I'm sorry Callum and I wish I could help. If you want to talk about it, I’m here.” She says in a soothing voice that becomes my undoing.

I look into her face taking in her big brown doe eyes. I look down at her nose and at the little birthmark on it that heightens her beauty and then to her lips - kissable, I think before I bend to claim them with mine.

I bring her closer to me as I deepen the kiss and I feel her respond, kissing me back. I lick her neck and kiss it, my wolf wanting her, desperately. She takes my palm and kisses it, drawing me closer.

“I have to leave for a meeting,” I whisper in her ear and I hear her soft sigh. “I’ll be back,” I assure her as I kiss her forehead and take my leave.

Reluctantly, I leave for the meeting a few minutes later. I noticed the cut in my palm is healed on the drive.

How odd.

—

“You could spend some time together,” I tell Mom as she drops her bag, and we head to the library where she usually is but we don’t find her.

“She’s your wife, we are family, so I’ll spend the evening with her.” and I nod. Camilla is nowhere in the house so we head to the garden and there she is.

She is holding a wilted flower and mom gestures for me to be quiet. I nod, perfectly content to watch my wife. She looks really beautiful and radiant. I watch her with sheer delight as she raises the wilted flower, stares at it for a moment, and runs her hand over it, and suddenly, the flower comes to life, it blooms.

She screams, dropping it in fear, eyes wide when she sees us, and the only word I can think about is – Witch.