Luna Cursed

Six

Trace stared at the green liquid wondering what was in it contemplating and digesting everything the old woman had told her. As she stared a soft knock came on her door frame making Trace look up from her bed. In the door frame was the sliver eyed sun kissed Alpha.

Mate. Her inner self- whom she suspected to be her inner wolf whispered.

His eyes flitted over her as he stood there awkwardly. "I wanted to make sure you where ok. I mean-"

"It's ok, come in and have a seat um... "Trace said searching for a name.

"Quinn." He offered with a small smile before sitting next to her.

"Ah."

"And you're Tracie?"

Trace winced. "Trace please. I don't know why Patrick insists calling me by my full name, almost no one else does."

"Ah." They were both silent for a moment, Trace staring at her cup and him staring at his hands. Trace knew this wasn't how most mated pairs started, usually they were over joyed to find one another not... awkward. "So Isadora set you up with something to fix it?"

"Oh the white haired old lady?" Trace flushed realizing what just came out of her mouth- it was rather rude to refer to the witch as an old lady, let alone after the woman had helped her. "Uh ya- sort of." The new Alpha Quinn tilted his head at her curiously as Trace played with her fingers around the cup. "You're going to regret being mated to me." Trace told him honestly with a sad note in her voice.

"Why's that?"

"It's complicated." Trace muttered.

He smiled softly touching her arm. "I think I figured that out when you almost mauled my second."

An electric shock went up her arm at his touch- it wasn't entirely unpleasant. In fact Trace wanted nothing more than to suddenly burry her face into his chest and let him hold her. Her mind seemed to be waring with her body however. Trace never had even considered a mate and though she liked the idea of an eternity together with someone she never liked the idea of only having one mate and no choice or say in who that person was.

Without another thought Trace pulled away from the contact. Hurt flashed through Quinn's eyes momentarily making Trace feel bad but he didn't push as Trace continued to stare into her cup trying to avoid any and all eye contact. Clearing her throat she managed to speak without her voice wavering. "You don't quite understand. I can't shift without this- and it's only a temporary solution. Did... did Patrick tell you everything about me?"

Quinn furrowed his brow. "He mentioned a girl unable to shift and possibly a claimed wolf, but Isadora only told me you weren't claimed before she left."

Trace sighed. "Well before tonight that's about the jist of it. Patrick found me when I was almost thirteen. In a few days I'll be eighteen. My parents were slaughtered by vampires and before he found me I was bitten. I ended up in the woods somehow; there was a flash of light which is what made Patrick and the pack change course to investigate. They were only on a hunting trip with some of the new shifted wolves, it was by chance they were even going by.

"Isadora just told me though that my mother was never a wolf. I don't remember that. She showed me things that I didn't remember at all. I didn't even know my dad was a claimed-"

"Well most people don't, only certain magic users can see their marks." Quinn said helpfully. "Also your mother not being a wolf isn't an issue, if anything that's actually pretty unique. It's rare if not impossible to breed with someone that isn't a shifter like us, let alone if you aren't mated."

"Quinn." Trace said softly. "The vampire that caused my parent's death? I have to find him."

Quinn furrowed his brows. "I didn't peg you for a vengeance kind of girl." He said slowly. "But if that's what you really want-"

"No, oh god no." Trace giggled shrilly as the fear creeped back into her bones. "No. Isadora said I needed to find him. He's a link to what I...am."

Quinn's lines deepened as he stared as if she had grown an extra head making Trace wish she had worn her hair on the other side to hide her face. "You're a wolf. I smell it; the pack smells it- I don't understand."

"I don't either." Trace said softly. "But Isadora said this is a temporary solution. Her tone suggested..."

"Suggested?" He prompted trying to get more information from her.

"It seemed like it might get worse. That something really bad would happen."

Quinn's jaw clenched a few times, silence wafting about the room like a heavy blanket as he tensed several times and relaxed processing this information. "Did she say that completing the mating bond would be an issue?"

Trace looked over at him sharply. "Isn't that kind of a low priority right now?"

Quinn lifted his hands. "Sorry that's not- ah. I'm bad at this sorry. I just thought if I could feel your attacks coming then I could try to shoulder the burden or something. That wasn't a romantic notion or like I wanted to get into your pants. I mean I do you're incredibly sexy but- ah..."

Trace flushed a deep crimson- she had never been called sexy in her life and now an Alpha lusted after her. She should feel like the luckiest girl in the world and jump his bones, and on a physical level she did. On a mental level she had just met this stranger. She wasn't a hoe.

At least that's what she kept having to remind herself.

"Well, I'm pretty excited to go all wolfy." She said holding up the concoction.

Quinn grinned. "Well let's play it one step at a time. We'll figure it out together. First rule of shifting though- if you're going to do it maybe you should be outside; not in your room."

Trace laughed lightly looking around at her small but quaint room. Destroying it seemed like a bad idea. Quinn held out her hand and Trace put her's in it smiling, the familiar zing going up her arm as he pulled her up and lead her outside.

I'm not a hoe bag, I am not going to have sex with him, I am still a virgin and it's way too soon. I am not a hoe.

Her inner wolf seemed to snicker at her slightly. Mate it insisted suggestively.

Trace shuddered. She may not be a hoe, but her inner wolf seemed to have other plans.

No. We are not hoes. We want him to respect us. Her inner wolf seemed to reluctantly agree with this, satisfying them both with the internal conversation.