Cursed

Restless

Scarlett

The blank ceiling of my bedroom hadn't changed for the past two hours. It was still off-white. I had tried to sleep, but my wolf wouldn't let me. She whined every time I closed my eyes, which led me to stare at the ceiling. I rolled onto my side, my wolf's presence building. She was growing more restless every minute, and so was I.

"What is wrong?" I asked her. She whined in response. I sat up in my bed, my eyes finding the broken alarm clock on my bedside table. It was almost midnight. If I didn't sleep soon, I would miss school again. 

I had debated calling Sam to tell him. But I couldn't pick up my phone. No matter how many times I tried, my hand seemed to freeze, hovering just above the small device. I opted for telling him in the morning. Hopefully, I would be able to give him an explanation that didn't hurt him too much. I couldn't just tell him I had found my mate. That information to a human is too dangerous. Wolves must always protect each other, never revealing another to the humans. No matter if all those wolves looked down their noses or spat at you for never shifting. I protected their secret despite their distaste for me. When I was younger, I had hoped my wolf would come. I wanted so badly to fit in. That never happened, so I just hung awkwardly in between the humans and the wolves. 

I clambered out of bed, leaving my dark memories behind. My feet thudded across the rough carpet as I looked out of my bedroom window. The moon brightened the night sky, its crescent shape drawing me closer. I reached for the clasp on my window, opening it to breathe in the night air. Finally, my wolf stilled a bit, her ears pricked up as the air rushed in. I sucked in a deep breath, the smell of damp grass filling my nose. Before I could stop myself, I was sitting on the window ledge, looking down at the ground. It was a big fall. Still, I threw myself off, landing awkwardly on my feet. 

My legs pumped as I ran through the forest that backed onto my house. My wolf howled in excitement as we moved faster. I laughed too, enjoying the wind that whipped through my hair. My feet stood on rocks and broken sticks, but I felt no pain. Only freedom. For the first time since detention, my mind was blank, there were no gnawing thoughts about my mate. Those dammed green eyes. 

My body came to a sudden halt as my wolf sank back into my mind. Before me was a large stone building with huge wooden beams. The building was three stories high with small balconies jutting out from its stonework. My eyes latched onto the porch that wrapped around the front of the building, idly watching the swinging chair rock in the night breeze. My heart hammered in my chest as soon as the recognition hit me. That was the alpha's house. I had allowed my lovestruck wolf to run us to his house. 

I grumbled my distaste for the situation, but my wolf sent me a large grin. Just as I was about to turn and run back, the front door opened. I froze. Muscles rippled with each step Alpha Cole took onto the porch. He wore a pair of joggers hanging loosely off his hips, and his dark hair was swept back as if he'd been running his fingers through it. Those green eyes glowed in the moonlight, latching onto my own. My wolf purred at the situation. 

"Hello there, little one." His voice was like a smooth, rich coffee. I grasped my fingers together, wringing them around one another. 

"I should get back." Those were the only words that left my mouth as I stumbled over my own feet trying to disappear into the woodlands. A small growl halted me midstep. 

"Not so fast. Come here." I obliged. Quickly walking up the steps and joining him on the porch. The breeze rushed through his hair, sending a strong cinnamon smell in my direction. My wolf stirred, aching to be closer to what belonged to her. But I stayed still, not closing the gap between us. Coles' eyebrows pinched together. 

"Now what are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" His breath fanned my face as he stepped impossibly closer. I tried to shuffle back, but his hand shot out and held my upper arm. Fireworks exploded across my skin, sparking down to my fingertips. I gasped at the sensation. 

"I was..." I fumbled over my words, not sure how I ended up here. Cole raised an eyebrow. 

"I'm not sure why I'm here. Sorry." I muttered my apology under my breath, trying to ignore the continuous sparks running along my skin. Cole hummed before releasing my arm, but he didn't step back. 

"Well, it is late. You better come in." I froze at his words. As much as my wolf purred and scratched to obey, I knew this was a bad idea. It wasn't like I hadn't done anything with a guy before. Sam and I had been together for long enough to go the full mile. This was different. I was technically still with Sam, but I couldn't keep my eyes off the man standing half-naked before me. The two of us were bonded in a way Sam and I never would be. 

"I can't. I must get home." Cole went to protest, but I had already sprinted down the stairs and backed away into the cover of the forest. His green eyes held mine as I turned and ran. 

This time, the wind bit into my skin. All the rocks and sticks that dug into my feet made me wince and hiss. The trees reached for me, their long branches slashing across my cheeks. I could feel the small swells of blood that decorated my skin. 

By the time I reached my house, the wounds had healed over, and the sun had started to rise. I snuck through the front door, stopping in the kitchen to rinse away the worst of the blood before creeping back to my room. I allowed sleep to claim me, hoping this day had all been one messed-up dream.