Chapter 2
1111 Words
You can use the episode title: #MBTACChapter2 to express your opinions on this chapter in any social media accounts. I’m excited to know how you’re feeling about this chapter. Enjoy!
—
When I woke up the next morning, the bookstore was unnervingly quiet. The usual creaks and groans of the old building were absent, replaced by a stillness that made my skin crawl.
Nimbus was nowhere to be seen, and Timothy—well, he was still on the couch, his glowing scars dimmed to faint traces of light. For a moment, I let myself believe that maybe the events of last night had been a stress-induced fever dream.
But then Timothy stirred, groaning as he shifted under the blanket I’d thrown over him. Nope. Not a dream.
I sighed and approached cautiously, my arms crossed. “So, you’re still alive.”
His amber eyes flicked open, locking onto mine. There was a wariness there, like he wasn’t sure whether I was a threat or an ally.
“Barely,” he muttered, his voice gravelly but stronger than last night.
“Great. Care to explain what the hell is going on, or are you going to keep playing mysterious stranger?”
He sat up slowly, wincing as he moved. The blanket slipped from his shoulders, revealing his bandaged torso. “You shouldn’t have gotten involved.”
I threw my hands in the air. “Oh, come on! You’re the one bleeding out in the middle of the woods, glowing like a freaking Christmas ornament. I didn’t exactly have a choice!”
His lips quirked in a faint smirk, but it disappeared almost as quickly as it came. “You don’t understand what you’ve brought on yourself.”
“Then enlighten me,” I snapped.
He hesitated, his gaze drifting toward the window. The fog still lingered outside, thicker than usual, as if it was waiting for something.
“It’s a curse,” he said finally, his voice low. “The scars, the wolves, all of it. My pack was betrayed centuries ago, and we’ve been paying for it ever since.”
“A curse,” I repeated, my eyebrows shooting up. “Like, actual magic?”
He nodded, his expression grim. “Magic older than anything you’ve ever seen. And it’s killing me.”
I stared at him, my mind reeling. “Okay, let’s say I believe you—which, for the record, I’m still on the fence about. What does this have to do with me? I was just chasing my stupid cat!”
At the mention of Nimbus, the fluffy traitor sauntered into the room, jumping onto the counter like he hadn’t just led me into a nightmare.
Timothy’s gaze flicked to the cat, then back to me. “You shouldn’t have found me,” he said again. “The curse doesn’t just affect my pack—it spreads to anyone who gets too close.”
“Well, that’s just fantastic,” I muttered, pacing the room. “So now I’m cursed too? Great. Wonderful. Anything else I should know?”
He leaned back against the couch, exhaustion creeping into his features. “You might start seeing… things.”
I stopped pacing, my stomach sinking. “Things? What kind of things?”
“Shadows that move when they shouldn’t. Voices in the fog. Nightmares.”
My blood ran cold. “Are you serious?”
“Deadly serious,” he said, his amber eyes piercing. “And that’s the least of your worries. The wolves that attacked us—they won’t stop. Not until I’m dead.”
“Why you?”
“Because I’m the Alpha,” he said simply. “And because the curse is reaching its final stage.”
I sank into the chair across from him, my mind racing. “So, what? You’re just waiting to die?”
His jaw tightened. “Not if I can stop it.”
I stared at him, trying to make sense of the situation. None of it felt real—curses, glowing scars, supernatural wolves—but the evidence was right in front of me. And the look in Timothy’s eyes told me he wasn’t lying.
“Fine,” I said, leaning forward. “Let’s say I believe you. How do we stop this curse?”
His lips pressed into a thin line. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” I repeated, throwing up my hands. “You’re the Alpha, and you don’t know how to fix this?”
He glared at me, his eyes glowing faintly. “It’s not that simple.”
“Of course it’s not,” I muttered, slumping back in the chair.
Nimbus meowed, jumping onto my lap like he’d decided to insert himself into the conversation. I scratched behind his ears absentmindedly, my thoughts a tangled mess.
“I need to find the one person who can break the curse,” Timothy said, his voice softer now. “My fated mate.”
I froze, my hand stopping mid-pet. “Your what now?”
“It’s part of the curse,” he explained, his gaze steady. “The only way to end it is to find the one I’m bound to—the one who can balance the power of the curse with their own.”
“And you think that’s me?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But the fact that you found me… it means something.”
I let out a hollow laugh. “Great. So I might be your magical soulmate, or I might just be the unlucky i***t who tripped over you in the woods.”
Timothy didn’t respond, but the intensity in his gaze made my chest tighten.
“What happens if we don’t break the curse?” I asked quietly.
He hesitated, his expression darkening. “I’ll lose control. The curse will take over, and I’ll become…”
He didn’t finish the sentence, but he didn’t need to. The memory of the wolves in the woods flashed through my mind, their glowing red eyes and shadowy forms.
I swallowed hard. “Okay. So, we figure this out. Together.”
Timothy raised an eyebrow. “You don’t even believe me.”
“Maybe not,” I admitted. “But I’m not about to let you die on my couch, either. Besides, Nimbus seems to like you, and he’s usually a good judge of character.”
Nimbus purred, as if to agree.
For the first time, Timothy’s lips quirked into a faint smile. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make me think that maybe—just maybe—we stood a chance.
—
To be continued...
- Writer
