Cursed

Green Eyes

Scarlett

Strong hands ran up my body, gently caressing with every move. I whimpered at his touch as I leaned into him. My body aches to be closer, craving more of this intoxication. My hands dragged over bare muscle, and my nails left clawed marks along olive skin. His strong smell filled my nose, spicy cinnamon consuming me as I sucked in a sharp breath. Green eyes stare down at me, hauntingly beautiful.

I jolted, those green eyes creasing at the corners before they faded into blackness.

I jolted again. This time, I bolted upright as light streamed through my cracked-open eyelids. I was in the same room I had woken up in every day for seventeen years. It had changed over the years. The curtains had become sunbleached, certain patches of navy blue allowing the light to seep in, my carpet no longer stark white and fluffy. The only thing that had not aged was a timeless antique jewellery box my father had gifted me. I stared at it, tracing the floral design that crawled along its oak sides. I couldn't focus on the patterns for long; those green eyes I dreamt of every night clouded my thoughts. It had been a few years since they started. At first, they just watched me, sitting still in the corner of my dreams, until a few weeks ago. The dreams had become so vivid that they blurred the lines of reality. Those green eyes find me around every corner.

"Scarlett, you are late!" My mother yelled from the bottom of the stairs, instantly snapping me from my thoughts.

I fumbled with my phone on the bedside table. Its screen displayed the time along with a text from Sam that he was parked outside. That text came over five minutes ago, and I was very late. I sprang from bed, shovelling my toothbrush into my mouth as I hurriedly changed out of my pyjamas. After a few stumbling around for a few more minutes I was ready. My feet carried me quickly through the house and towards the front door as I yelled a quick goodbye to my mother and younger brother, Scott.

Sam sat in the driver's seat of his rusty pickup, his fingers drumming along the steering wheel. I sent him a sheepish smile as I jumped in. His head turned in my direction, a lock of brown hair falling in front of his eyes. He smiled, flashing perfect teeth. I leaned in, planting a chaste kiss on his cheek before he set the car to drive, and we pulled away.

"We are going to be so late, babe." Sam's deep voice sounded rougher than usual. I winced, mumbling an apology as he increased his speed.

I had been dating Sam for over a year now. Many people at school accepted our relationship, mostly because they were human. The wolves of the school were disgusted by it. It wasn't customary for young wolves to date before they turned eighteen, before they could sense their mate. It was even worse for a wolf to date a human. However, the wolves from my pack consider me human. I hadn't shifted on my thirteenth birthday like every other young wolf, instead, I was grieving the death of my father. The pack healer believed my grief was blocking my wolf and that it could be a few months before she spoke to me, before we completed our shift. But that never happened; my wolf never appeared. My mother removed us from the pack grounds, refusing to listen to the abuse hurled our way, but we never left the pack. Occasionally, my mother would attend compulsory meetings or visit some old friends. I had always kept my distance, especially from pack wolves at school.

The dark brick school building appeared from the fog, its sign swinging slightly as we drove past. The car park was full, but the grounds were quiet; lessons had started. I tensed at the sight, despite knowing we would be late, part of me had hoped we would make it on time. Especially when my first lesson was maths, and that teacher hated lateness, it was a detention every time. Luckily for Sam, he had history, and that teacher was very forgiving.

"Thanks, babe, for the ride. I won't need one after school as Mr Turnman will be giving me a detention the second I step foot in his classroom." I pressed a kiss to his lips and left the car, jogging towards the maths department.

The red door came into view, its glass pane showing the lesson in full swing. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. It was unlike me to get detentions or to do badly at school, and the idea that I was about to get scolded caused my palms to sweat slightly. I pushed the door open and stepped into the silent room.

"Ahh, Ms Michaels. I wasn't expecting to see you today, but seeing as you have arrived," he paused and smiled, "That will be an hour detention after school." Some students snickered, mostly the humans. As usual, the wolves just glared at me. I was dirt on the bottom of their shoes.

I sat in the empty seat at the front and focused on the lesson. My mind occasionally drifted to the forest eyes. Something deep within me purred at the thought of that dream, and I shivered. I hadn't dared think of the reason those eyes plagued my mind. Deep down, I already knew. Those eyes belong to something I am not made for. They belong to my future mate. The person I would have to reject or leave Sam for. A decision I wasn't ready to make, not for a long time.