Chapter 3
1494 Words
Joe was cursed.
He’d suspected it when he left his pack two years ago, but now he was sure. He was paying for the sins of his family. The Moon Goddess had cursed him, the last surviving member, for what they had done.
He was locked in a cell at the Werewolf Council.
Cursed.
He’d been dosed with wolfsbane and cut off from his wolf, Archer.
Cursed.
He was struggling with memory loss and getting beaten to hell for it.
Definitely cursed.
But what sealed it was when she came running into the room.
He didn’t know her name, but she looked almost unreal, backlit by the hallway lights as if she didn’t quite belong in the concrete cell. Auburn hair spilled over her shoulders, soft and wild. Her green eyes were so bright they seemed to glow in the dim space. The scent of rosewater and mint reached him, sharp and intoxicating, and his heart slammed painfully against his ribs.
He didn’t need Archer howling in his head to know.
Mate.
She stood there staring at him, mouth slightly open. Joe hadn’t showered in weeks. His hair was long and matted, his beard thick. Half his ribs were probably broken.
Cursed. Completely cursed.
He’d dreamed of finding her for years. Finding his mate had been the reason he’d left his pack, convinced she was the only thing that could help him move on from the woman who’d shattered him. He’d believed she might even be the key to breaking whatever curse clung to him.
But the moment he saw her, he knew he was going to lose her.
“What the f**k are you doing down here?” a deep voice boomed. “Did I give you the f*****g signal?”
The man loomed over her, glowering. Joe wanted to tell him to stop yelling at her, to leave her alone, but he could barely breathe, let alone speak.
“What is your issue, Anderson?” The man stepped closer.
She didn’t look away from Joe. She seemed frozen, just as stunned as he was. Goddess, he wanted to know what she was thinking. Was she taking in how filthy he was? Could she smell the rank scent clinging to him? Was she wondering why the Moon Goddess would do this to her?
Hell, Joe was wondering the same thing. What sin had she committed to be punished with him?
The man stepped out of the cell and grabbed her arm. “What the hell?” He tugged her toward the door. “What is wrong with you?”
“I… I…” Her voice was thin, strained.
“Goddess, just spit it out,” the man snapped.
“Don’t hurt him,” she whispered.
The words twisted something deep in Joe’s chest.
He closed his eyes. He wanted to tell her she couldn’t protect him. That his fate had been sealed the moment he’d driven a silver knife into his father’s throat. He wanted to apologize. She didn’t deserve this.
“Go back to the office,” the man said, sounding more confused than angry now. “Just go. We’ll talk when I’m done.”
She left, taking her rosewater and mint scent with her.
The man stood on the other side of the bars, cracking his knuckles as he stared at Joe. Joe still hadn’t moved. He wasn’t sure he even could.
“What’s your name?” the man asked.
“Joe.”
“Joe what?”
“Joe Rutter.”
“Alright, Joe.” The man shifted. “Tell me what happened in the woods with the warriors.”
Joe tried to sit up, but pain flared through his side. He hissed and slumped back against the floor.
“I already told you. I don’t remember anything. My memory hasn’t been great lately.”
The man studied him for a long moment. “What do you remember?”
Joe decided he didn’t like him. That probably had something to do with being thrown into a wall, but mostly the guy was just an asshole.
“I was running,” Joe said quietly. “My wolf was. I let him take over longer than I should have. I didn’t shift back for weeks. Maybe longer. I’m not sure.”
“Your wolf can go feral if you do that,” the man muttered, like Joe was stupid.
“I know,” Joe replied flatly.
“So why let him have control that long?”
Joe met his gaze. “What did I have left to live for?”
The man frowned, rubbing his chin. “Do you really expect me to believe you don’t remember the warriors?” He stepped closer.
“I don’t expect anything from you,” Joe said. “But I’m telling the truth. If I could talk to my wolf, he might remember. He might know what happened.”
“I’m not flushing the wolfsbane from your system,” the man scoffed. “You’d be far stronger with your wolf. And if he’s actually going feral, letting him loose would be reckless. Even if I trusted you, he could force a shift and do Goddess knows what.”
Joe closed his eyes. Wolfsbane was a cruel poison. In small doses, it severed a wolf’s connection and blocked healing. In large doses, it killed. He’d seen a man nearly die from it once. It wasn’t quick or kind.
“When was the last time you were part of a pack?” the man asked.
“Two years ago.”
“Why’d you leave?”
That question carried weight. “A new alpha took over. I didn’t fit anymore.”
“Which pack?”
Joe opened his eyes. “It doesn’t matter. I won’t go back.”
“If your old alpha could vouch for you, I might believe you.”
Joe studied him. “You don’t trust me, but you’d trust an alpha you don’t know?”
“Depends on the alpha.” He paused. “Which pack?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“So he won’t vouch for you,” the man said, like it was already decided.
Joe hadn’t been banished. He’d left. And the alpha probably would vouch for him. Joe had saved his life once.
“I don’t know what he’d do,” Joe said finally.
“You said the new alpha took over. I assume he kicked you out.”
Joe snorted. “He asked me to be his beta.”
The man laughed, sharp and disbelieving. When he looked back down, his smile was cruel. “You expect me to believe that?”
Joe shifted, pain flaring again. He didn’t know why he’d said it. It didn’t matter. To this man, Joe was just a rogue.
“I don’t care what you believe.”
“Abby,” the man called, looking at the camera in the corner of the cell. “Look up Joe Rutter. See if you can tie him to a pack.”
She was watching. The realization hit hard.
“Is that her name?” Joe asked before he could stop himself.
The man looked back at him. “What?”
“The woman. Her name is Abby?”
The man studied him. “Why does it matter?”
Joe opened his mouth, then closed it. He couldn’t tell him. He couldn’t embarrass her like that. She was probably going to reject him anyway. The least he could do was protect her from the shame of being associated with him.
“No reason,” he said quietly. “Just curious.”
The man’s jaw tightened. He knelt in front of Joe, bringing them eye to eye.
“You’re curious about her name,” he said softly, “but you never asked mine.”
Joe raised a brow. “Feeling left out?”
The man smirked and leaned closer. “What happened when she walked in?” he whispered, low enough that Joe was sure the microphone wouldn’t catch it.
“You yelled at her.”
“Why did she come down here?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you know her?”
“No.”
The man leaned back and tapped the spot where Joe’s neck met his collarbone. The place mates marked one another.
“You’re not mated,” he said.
“Your observation skills are impressive.”
The man smiled. “You’re funny.” He stood. “I’ll be back.”
“Wait,” Joe said.
The man paused at the door. “What?”
“What’s your name?”
He studied Joe with cold eyes. “Lucas Watts. Lead investigator for the council.”
Then he left.
Once alone, Joe dragged himself into a sitting position, groaning. His chest heaved as he stared at the camera.
Could she see him? Could she hear him?
He watched the lens, wishing he could see through it. Wishing he could look into her green eyes again.
- Writer
