The clearing was bathed in cold moonlight, the air thick with the scent of pine and wet earth. Around them, glowing eyes emerged from the shadows, dozens of werewolves. Their fur bristling, fangs bared. At the center stood a monstrous beast with a scarred muzzle and eyes like molten gold. The Alpha.
Liora’s fingers tightened around her silver dagger. Bardan stood beside her, his body tense, his own blade gleaming.
“You bring a human into our territory, Bardan,” the Alpha growled, his voice a deep, guttural rasp. “And not just any human. The witch’s descendant.”
Liora stiffened. “What?”
Bardan shot her a quick glance. “Later.” He stepped forward, his voice steady. “She doesn’t even know what she is, Lorcan. Let her go.”
Lorcan let out a bark of laughter. “You’ve grown soft. The curse festers in our blood because of her bloodline. And you want me to just… let her leave?” His massive paws dug into the earth. “No. She dies tonight.”
A snarl ripped from Bardan’s throat. “Then you’ll have to go through me.”
The Alpha’s lips curled. “Gladly.”
With a roar, Lorcan charged.
Bardan shifted mid-leap, his bones cracking as his wolf form erupted in a blur of black fur and fury. The two beasts collided, fangs snapping, claws tearing. The other wolves circled, snarling, but none dared interfere. This was a challenge for dominance, and pack law dictated they let it play out.
Liora’s heart hammered. She had to help. But how?
Then she remembered the words Bardan had spoken earlier. "You’re the only one who can break the curse."
Her grandmother’s old journal filled with forgotten remedies, whispered legends. There had been a page about werewolves, about a spell woven into their bloodline. A curse of eternal hunger, passed down through generations. And the only way to break it…
Blood of the witch, willingly given.
“Bardan!” she shouted.
He barely dodged Lorcan’s jaws, his flank bleeding. She didn’t have time to explain.
Liora slashed her palm with the dagger, hissing at the sting. Then, before the pack could react, she sprinted toward the battling wolves.
“Liora, NO!” Bardan’s voice was raw with panic.
Lorcan turned, his eyes widening as she lunged not with the blade, but with her bleeding hand. She pressed her palm against his muzzle.
The effect was instant.
The Alpha froze. A ripple went through his fur, his body shuddering. The other wolves whimpered, some collapsing as if struck.
Then, Lorcan… changed.
His massive form twisted, shrinking, reshaping—until a man stood where the beast had been. Tall, broad, with the same golden eyes but now filled with shock.
“What…?” His voice was human. “What did you do?”
Liora staggered back, her vision swimming. “I broke the curse.”
Bardan was at her side in an instant, his arms wrapping around her as her knees gave out. His warmth seeped into her, his breath ragged against her hair. “You insane, reckless, brilliant woman,” he muttered.
Lorcan stared at his hands, then at the pack, now shifting, one by one, back into their human forms. Some wept. Others dropped to their knees in disbelief.
The curse was broken.
But as Liora’s vision darkened at the edges, she realized the danger wasn’t over.
Because Lorcan’s gaze locked onto hers. Not with gratitude, but with something far more dangerous.
Hunger.
---
The pack’s celebration lasted all night.
Bonfires roared in the clearing, their glow painting the faces of werewolves, former werewolves. Now laughing, weeping, embracing as humans for the first time in decades. Wine and roasted game were passed around, and more than one person knelt before Liora, pressing her hand to their forehead in reverence.
"The curse-breaker," they whispered.
But their gratitude was a double-edged blade.
Bardan watched from the shadows, his arms crossed, his golden eyes tracking every movement. He hadn’t shifted since the fight. He couldn’t. Not anymore. The realization sat heavy in his chest.
What am I now?
A hand touched his shoulder. Liora.
Her palm was bandaged, her face pale with exhaustion, but her eyes were bright. "You’re brooding," she murmured.
He caught her wrist, his thumb brushing the pulse point. "You shouldn’t have done that. Lorcan could’ve killed you."
"And you were going to die for me instead?" She stepped closer, her skirts brushing his legs. "I think I like my way better."
His breath hitched. The firelight caught in her hair, turning it to liquid copper. He wanted to tangle his fingers in it, to pull her against him and…
A growl cut through the night.
Lorcan.
The Alpha stood at the edge of the clearing, his gaze locked on them. Not with rage. With something far more unsettling. Possession.
"Liora," he called, his voice rough from disuse. "Come. Share my table."
A command, not a request.
Bardan’s fingers tightened. "Don’t."
But Liora squeezed his hand. "If I refuse, he’ll see it as an insult. And we need him to trust us."
She was right. Lorcan’s pack still outnumbered them twenty to one. But the thought of her near him made Bardan’s blood boil.
As she walked away, Lorcan’s lips curled in a smirk. Mine, it said.
---
The Alpha’s table was laden with food, but Liora had no appetite. Lorcan lounged in his carved chair like a king, his gaze raking over her.
"You’re not what I expected," he mused. "A little thing like you, holding so much power."
Liora sipped her wine. "And you’re exactly what I expected. Arrogant."
A beat of silence. Then Lorcan laughed, deep and rich. "I like you." His fingers traced the rim of his goblet. "Stay with us. Be our healer. Our… honored guest."
A shiver ran down her spine. "I have a home."
"Do you?" He leaned in. "Or does Bardan?"
Her breath caught.
Lorcan smirked. "Ah. So he hasn’t told you."
---
Bardan found her by the river later, her arms wrapped around herself.
"What did he say to you?" he demanded.
Liora turned. Moonlight silvered her tears. "That you were banished. That your family was killed by hunters after you led them to the pack."
Bardan flinched like she’d struck him.
"It’s not true," she whispered.
He couldn’t lie to her. Not now. "It’s… complicated."
The words spilled out. The hunters had cornered his younger sister. He’d tried to save her, but the pack saw it as betrayal. Lorcan exiled him, left him to roam as a lone wolf for years.
Liora’s hand flew to her mouth. "Bardan"
A twig snapped.
They whirled. Lorcan emerged from the trees, his eyes glinting. "Touching. But pack law is clear. A traitor’s blood pays the debt."
Behind him, five former wolves stepped forward. Armed with silver.
Bardan bared his teeth. "Run, Liora."
But she stood her ground, her voice trembling with fury. "You owe him. You all do. If it weren’t for him, I’d never have broken the curse!"
Lorcan’s smile turned feral. "Then let’s test that theory."
He lunged.
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments