✔️| The Gift of a Curse {1}

~ 24 ~

It did not feel right; to be celebrating while Caroline's body was rotting in the morgue. Owen found her body about two hours after I marked Shadow. I refused to see her especially after I learned that her injuries matched the ones Nolan got only a day before my mate arrived.
After my little moment with Shadow the day before, I ordered Owen to have a group of warriors search the entire territory for her. Alas, Owen found her dead body. I feel horrible for it, but I am almost glad that she had no family. I do not know if I can handle more angry family members; I have had enough with Doctor Lewis' family.
I am also glad that Caroline's will states that she wanted to be cremated. Thus, no funeral will be held. Still, Amoux and I felt responsible and angry over one of our people being dead. The thing that both scares and angers me the most is the fact that if someone managed to somehow trick the barrier spell to enter the territory and murder Caroline then it is possible she got kidnapped from the cabin. The thought of these people being near Amara... I do not know how I feel about it. I just know that I cannot allow anyone to harm her.
The circle and I decided to keep her death between us; we cannot afford to spread chaos within our pack until we learn what exactly what we are up against. It is against my beliefs, but I know that I will tell them everything when the time is right. Thus, I forced myself to push both my emotions and my thoughts into the back of my head and focused on the ceremony.
I felt nervous as Shadow and Clay stood before me waiting for me to declare them members of the pack; the whole pack was waiting. I could feel the sweat forming on my forehead and my hands.
I cleared my throat before I looked at my pack that was surprisingly eager for the ceremony. Some of them still gave me tense and reluctant looks, but for the most part the ceremony was beautiful thus far.
"I now pronounce you official members of the Open Wound Pack." I watched the two friends as the pack's mind-link opened to them. To my surprise, they both took the overwhelming sensation with grace. I smiled at that, but I still could not face Shadow; not after what I did to her.
Right after I marked her, I made sure that she was okay and ran out of the room. Both Amoux and I could not believe what we had done. Hence, we ran away from her. A few minutes later, we were sitting at the waterfall's peak. We spent hours staring at the water as it fell from the waterfall and ended up in the lake.
"The Open Wound pack thanks you for your help and welcomes you with open arms." I finished as the pack cheered for them.
She tried to hide it, but I could see the discomfort in Shadow's eyes. According to Nick, she was still freaking out over what happened. He told me that after I left, she told him and Clay that Accalia has recovered and contacted it her. As a result, her body reacted the way it did.
Both Nick and Josh tried to figure out why it happened, but could not find anything. Nonetheless, I am not worried; I know they will figure it out eventually. I just hope they do it before it is too late.
It is good to finally be able to communicate with you without a pen and paper. Clay's voice appeared in my head. I turned to him and gave him a smile.
I think I will always remember that moment. It was not special, but ever since I met him, I had wondered how his voice sounds like. At that moment I had the answer. Also, I have a feeling that Clay is someone who will become a brother to me in the future. Even though I gave both him and Shadow my word that I would release them from this pack if they ever asked me to, I still hope that when our pack is safe and sound they will choose to stay here.
I did not want them to join the pack, not with the magical barrier keeping the pack inside. However, logic prevailed.
Once all three of us stepped down from the stage, I looked around for Shadow just to make sure that she was okay. Ever since I marked her three days before, my protectiveness increased. It is so profound to the point where I cannot breathe probably without ensuring that she is not at least ten feet away.
I tried to hide it; I did not want to give her one more reason to despise me. Thus, I willed myself to act casual in front of the pack. Whenever they asked about her I would claim that she was still weak from the silver gas.
I had tried to postpone the ceremony, but Clay said that Shadow wanted to go through with it as soon as possible especially since by then they had mentally cut all ties with their old pack. I believe she wanted to do it before she changed her mind.
Almost an hour after talking to countless people, and apologizing for my bad deeds in the last few weeks, I decided I could not bear it anymore. Thus, I excused myself and followed my mate's scent.
She was sitting on a bench in the Cypress field. The trees' twigs wrapped around the bench's wood in a beautiful way.
I could hear her panting. With small steps, I walked towards her until eventually I was standing right before her.
"Alec?" She looked at me with beautiful green panicked eyes.
"What is wrong?" I ventured by asking since she did not slap me in the face. I sat next to her and patiently waited for her reaction; I was about to find out how she felt about what I did.
Even though I was shaking from the anticipation, I still could not stop staring at the spot between her neck and shoulder met where the mark was. It was beautiful, it consisted of a moon in its waxing crescent moon phase and my full name printed between the moon's two ends. As I stared at it, all I could think about is how our souls and minds merged while my fangs were in her flesh. I do not know how that is possible with my curse, but I will never forget the utter bliss I felt as I pulled my fangs out of her neck.