Cursed

Shattered

Scarlett

Chaos erupted around me. Screams and snarls tore through the air. Followed by the sound of wolves shifting, bones cracking. Cole halted by my side, his eyes pitch black. Then he was gone, his voice commanding attention as he barked orders at nearby wolves. Within seconds, he shifted. His bones breaking and realigning, his skin covered in inky fur. The coat of his wolf was so dark it was almost iridescent under the moonlight. 

Cole barrelled forward, diving into the mass of matted fur and blood. He crashed through rogues, teeth tearing into their throats, claws splitting their skin. The wolf was an alpha, a bloodthirsty alpha. He fought every rogue that got in his way, killing each swiftly. 

I just stood there.

My bare feet were buried in damp grass. My hands clutching one another, fingers twisting together. I saw everything, it blurred together. Wolves battling, their crimson-coated fur glinting in the moon. Pups rushed into the pack building, elders gathering them into their arms and disappearing behind oak doors. A female wolf stood, back rigid ,facing the rogue before her. She screamed as it lunged. 

I screamed at my body to move, to run to her. But I couldn't move, I couldn't even blink. 

My wolf didn't stir. I reached for her, searching for her presence in my mind. She was gone. There was nothing but an empty blackness. I begged for her, crying for her to help. There was nothing there. No matter how far I searched, it was nothing but coldness. 

"No. Please, I need you." I choked out. My wolf didn't so much as twitch. 

Fear consumed me. It ate away at my soul, turning my legs to stone and my breath to ash. My mind darkened. The vast darkness where my wolf should be taunting me. My chest burned, and tears rimmed my eyes. No matter how hard I pushed, I could not move. My fingers wouldn't even twitch. 

Then a child caught my attention. 

The boy ran out of the chaos. His shirt was torn, streaked with blood. There was only one shoe on his small feet, the other nowhere to be seen. His tear-streaked face met mine, recognition flashed across his chubby face. Those small legs pumped towards me. They weren't moving quickly enough, not as a rogue stalked towards him. 

I could save him. I should. But I can't. My legs won't budge. My arms won't open to encase him, to protect him. My throat burned, my stomach sank. The rogue was almost upon the boy. 

A flash of black fur shot across the grass area. Coles' giant wolf leapt before the rogue. His body hid the boy from view. The rogue faltered, debating turning from the monster before him. Cole didn't allow him the time to decide, he lunged, sharp canines piercing flesh. The rogue howled before gargling. It's blood choking him. Cole continued to tighten his hold, waiting until the rogue fell still. The mangled body dropped to the floor. The black wolf turned to the boy, nudging him with his large head before allowing a lady to gather him up and disappear into the pack house. 

Coles' dark eyes met mine. They were swarming with emotion, but only one stood out. Disgust. My heart froze. Cole bared his teeth in my direction before he turned and dove back into the chaos.

The battle seemed to rage around me for hours. I didn't move once, part of me hoping a rogue would take their opportunity. That they would kill me. Yet every time one got closer, another wolf killed them. After the chaos had died down, my knees buckled. I collapsed to the damp grass. My fingers grasped the blades. 

Pack wolves walked past me, ignoring their Luna. The shame consumed me. No one found me worthy of even a single glance. 

Cole approached, his footsteps storming in my direction. I looked up, his eyes green again. My hand reached out for him, seeking the comfort of my mate. Cole looked at my extended hand, but he didn't take it. I dropped it back to the grass, pushing myself to my feet. 

"You watched them die." Coles' voice was cold, void of emotion. "You did nothing." My bottom lip trembled slightly, all sensation returning. I reached for my wolf, her presence sat in a dark corner of my mind. 

"They look to you for protection." His voice grew venomous. Each word spat in my direction. I wanted to explain, to defend myself. My words lodged themselves in my throat.

"I, Cole Black, reject you, Scarlett Micheals." His words severing our bond in two.

My heart shattered into a million pieces. My wolf howled, deep in my soul. It was a cry of such pain that my ears bled. My hand clutched my chest, pain burning through every fibre of my being. I couldn't see, couldn't breathe, couldn't cry. My wolf withered, curling up and whining. The pain consumed both of us. Cole stared at me, emptiness in his eyes as he watched the blood that trailed down my neck. 

For the first time in hours, my legs moved. They pushed away from Cole, carrying my broken soul with them. My heart thundered in my chest, aching to return to its mate. I tried to swipe the tears that fell, but there were more than I could clear. My legs burned as I ran quicker through the woodlands. Sharp stones slicing my bare feet, but I welcomed the pain with open arms. 

It took only a few minutes to reach the pack border. I skidded to a stop, my hand pushing through the invisible barrier. I didn't hesitate, pushing my whole body through. The searing pain erupted into a scream from my chest. The sky thundered above me, lightning striking a nearby tree before the rain fell. It was unrelenting, just like my screams. It wasn't until my throat was raw and my tears had dried that I stopped. I hadn't realised that I was curled into a ball, rain soaking through my clothes. The pain didn't subside. My body screamed in protest. I clambered to my feet, needing to be as far away from the pack, from Cole. 

With a shattered heart and a bleeding soul, I disappeared into the depths of the woodlands. My wolf whimpered quietly, nursing the broken bond. Pain became the only comfort I had as I ran.