A Wolf Scorned by Taylor Spratt

Amira

Ileft my bedroom and entered the hallway that connected all the bedrooms on the second floor.

The moonlight funneled through the glass window that sat on the wall opposite my door and I took a deep breath. Tonight was the night I’d finally see this curse with my own eyes.

Wolfy groaned and complained bitterly as I eyed the full moon. She wanted nothing more than to run under it for the first time.

“Sorry, Wolfy, but you’ve been grounded until further notice.”

“Why?” she growled angrily.

“Syrus won’t let us shift; he’s worried we’ll make a break for it.”

“Eat Syrus!”

“I’m right there with you. But something tells me we wouldn't be the greatest match for an alpha wolf.”

I turned and followed the hallway, passing two closed doors on my left and one that was wide open. I caught a glimpse of Miles, crouched down near the door with what looked like a water balloon in his hand.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

Miles’s head flew back so fast in surprise it hit the door hinge.

“Are you okay? I didn't mean to startle you."

“Nah, I was worried you were Callum.” Miles gave a bright smile while rubbing his head.

“What can I do for you, Amira?" His tone was bubbly and kind. He was the only guy here who'd been nothing but nice to me since I'd arrived.

“Yeah, what are you going to do with that water balloon and all those ropes?”

Miles tied the strings around the mouth of the balloon and fastened it to the upper door shaft.

“Oh this isn't a water balloon, It’s a paint balloon,” he said with mischievous glee and continued to install his balloon.

“Is this like a practical joke or something?”

“Why, it sure is. Isn't it beautiful? I designed it myself.” He took a step back to admire his handy work.

The way it was rigged, the next person to open this door would be pelted by the giant paint balloon, right in the face.

“So, whose door is this?”

“Callum’s,” he replied casually.

“Callum?” I blurted, spinning to face Miles. “You mean Callum, the same guy who keeps saying he wants to kill me?”

“Same one,” he chirped, never losing his sweet smile.

“Why? Just why?” I pressed my palm over my forehead. “Do you have a death wish or something?”

“Believe it or not, Amira, things can get a little boring around here from time to time. I see it as my job to liven things up every once in a while, and I am very good at my job.

“You had to pick the scariest guy in the house to prank. Why not prank Syrus?”

“Oh, he’ll get his turn. I have another one planned for tomorrow. You can get in on it if you want.” He bounced from side to side with eagerness. How adorable, to still be so innocent at his age. He looked to be in his late twenties, but by his power he had to at least be a hundred. Shifters typically live for hundreds of years, appearing young for the majority of their lives.

“You know, you really aren’t what I was expecting, Miles. You’re like a kid in a grown man’s body,” I chuckled, and his expression stiffened.

“Hey now, I’m all man. Okay?” He flexed his powerful arms like a bodybuilder and raised his brows. “But I still like to have fun. I mean what’s the point of life without a little fun, you know?"

“We weren’t allowed to have very much fun where I’m from. As kids we had to play in private if we didn’t want to get in trouble.” I thought of the hole and it made me sad.

“Well, that simply will not do here! You’re in the company of Miles the Magnificent now.” He gave a theatrical bow and took my hand. “Every day you are guaranteed to have fun. Just stick with me and you’ll be fine."

He was so charming, vibrant, and kind that I hung on his every word.

“Ready for your first laugh of the day?” he asked, and I nodded.

He held both hands in front of his chest to set the scene and said, “A ham sandwich walks into a bar and orders a beer. Bartender says, ‘Sorry, we don’t serve food here.’"

I laugh at the joke, more for his benefit than because I really thought it was funny. For the first time in a while I saw an opportunity to make a friend, and I desperately needed one.

“I can’t believe I’m sharing a laugh with one of my kidnappers,” I joked, but this time he wasn't laughing.

His head drooped and sadness pooled in his eyes.

“I never wanted to kidnap you.” His words were slow and laced with what sounded like guilt. I wanted to just ask you to come and help us, but Syrus… Well, you know as Alpha he always takes what he wants. It’s the alpha instinct I guess.

“That’s why I can’t wait until I’m strong enough to be the third Alpha. I’ll balance those two knuckleheads out. I’ll add a softer touch to the pack governance, you’ll see.”

I leaned against the wall by the door and gazed at the moon through the glass. “How come your pack can have so many Alphas? Isn’t that a little odd?”

Miles pinched his chin with two fingers, and his gaze explored the hallway ceiling.

“I hope I’m allowed to ask,” I said, sensing his hesitancy.

“Well, even if you weren't allowed, I’d still tell you anyway. Don’t tell Syrus I said that.” He whispered conspiratorially, and we shared a laugh.

He joined me leaning on the wall.

“Well, you see, our pack is anything but ordinary.”

“Gee, I never would have guessed that,” I teased and he playfully shoved my shoulder.

“The curse, it changed a lot. Not just our ability to shift. Blood moon shifters are rare. In the entire country there were only two known blood moon shifter packs. One of the Blood Moon pack’s Alpha was Callum’s dad and the other was Syrus’s dad. When the curse hit, neither pack was spared so both packs joined together.”

“Together we stand, divided we fall,” I said, turning to face him and folding my arms. “So how come you’re in the running to become the pack’s third Alpha?”

“The pack’s rebirth came with a new constitution. The strongest among us get to be Alphas, regardless of lineage. One day soon my power will rival that of Callum’s and Syrus’s. The Oracle said so; that’s why I’ve been selected to be the third Alpha.” Pride burst from his every word as he pushed out his chest and rolled back his shoulders.

Man, was Miles something to look at. His strawberry blond hair glinted in the moonlight like glowing gold, and his soul-deep eyes were so warm, just one look was enough to melt my every worry away.

“I bet Derick, Callum’s Beta wasn’t so happy to hear you’d be the only Beta moving up the ranks.”

“Oh, so you’ve met him, have you?” he whispered, glancing down the hallway to make sure nobody was looking. “He didn’t say anything to upset you, did he?”

“Nothing much, only that if I didn’t break the curse he’d kill me.”

“Just a bunch of hot air. I’d never let him lay a finger on you.” Miles gently cupped my cheek and looked me right in the eyes. “That’s a promise, so don’t you worry about anything.”

Warmth spread through me from his touch, and my body ached for more as his hand fell away.

“Come with me, I want to show you something.” Miles took hold of my wrist and pulled me down the hall and through an open door.

Inside the room was a king size bed with black sheets, a dresser with a few drawers and, wait a minute…Half of the room was filled with two dozen cages, housing a plethora of adorable, little furry animals.

“Oh my God. Are those rabbits?” I squeaked, falling to my knees in front of one of the cages.

“Yup.” He nodded. “I’ve also got hedgehogs, hamsters, guinea pigs, ferrets, birds, naked mole rats, and a few lizards.”

“I’ve never seen so many animals. How do you have so many?” I rose to my feet, tracing all the cages to look at the friendly creatures. They were running on exercise wheels, eating seeds, and sleeping.

“I found them all in the forest. They were injured and I brought them inside to care for them.”

I could barely find the words to describe how exciting this all was. I had only seen creatures like this in books.

“Can I hold one of them, please? Pretty, pretty please?” I jumped up and down like a child and Miles’s eyes twinkled with amusement.

“By all means.” He opened one of the rabbit cages and slowly removed a fluffy white rabbit from the wood chip bedding and placed her in my hands.

I sniffled, snugging the adorable creature against my chest.

“You're not crying, are you?” Miles asked.

“No, it’s just- it’s just that she’s so beautiful. That’s all.”

“Ha! If you like the rabbits that much. Just wait 'till I show you my lizards.” Miles maneuvered over to a large glass case at the other end of the room, his gaze awash with eagerness.

“Um, let’s just stick with the rabbits for now, okay?”

“Hey, I get it.” Miles shrugged and narrowed the distance between us. “Not everyone can appreciate a good reptile.”

I stroked the rabbit’s fur for a few moments, mesmerized by how something so pure could exist. It was so well behaved, even seeming to enjoy being petted as its eyes slowly drifted closed.

My eyes shifted to Miles and I saw he’d been watching my face the entire time. The moment our eyes met, he averted his gaze and his cheeks went pink. I suddenly felt a strange tension between us and decided to speak.

“So, how did a nice guy like you end up hanging around guys like Callum and Syrus?”

“Come on, they're not that bad.” He waved me off and I shot him a look that said, ‘you've got to be kidding.’

“All right, fine, fine I see what you mean. But you have to understand neither of them have had an easy life up to this point.”

“You're going to have to give me a little more than that, Miles.” I stroked the rabbit's fur as it shifted and squirmed in my arms.

“Well…” Miles went over to the door and shut it tight before taking his seat on the bed. "You promise not to tell anyone I told you this?”

“Scout’s honor.”

“Okay so, Syrus's mom and dad are dead. They raised him to be a powerful Alpha. His father never showed him very much love, believing it would make him weak.” Miles laid down flat, visibly exhausted by all he had to unpack. “Rumor had it, that he would even be physically abusive to Syrus at times. When his dad died and Syrus became Alpha, all the responsibility for taking care of the pack fell right on his shoulders. He was only a teenager. That couldn’t have been easy on the guy, especially with how he was raised. From then on, he felt personally responsible for curing the pack’s curse.”

“I had no idea Syrus had to go through all that. All my life, I thought life on the surface was paradise.” My eyes fell to the floor as a deep sadness rolled over me.

I also knew what it felt like to grow up in hell, living in a constant state of fear, abuse, and hardship. And just like he'd never known his mother, I'd never known my father.

I couldn't believe it, I actually felt pity for Syrus.

“And what about Callum?" I asked.

“Well I'm not originally from his half of the pack, so I don't know as much about him.” Miles peered off to the side, as if trying hard to remember. “But, what I can tell you is that he was born into one of the wealthiest packs in Dominion. When the curse struck, his parents ripped each other to shreds in wolf form, and they nearly killed Callum, too. He only survived because his uncle jumped in to save him, dying in the process. Callum hates the curse more than anyone else. That's why he’s so obsessed with breaking it, so that no one in the pack ever has to suffer like he did.”

It all made so much sense now. No wonder Callum was so cold and cruel. He’d suffered so much it had plunged his heart into darkness. I also knew how it felt to be trapped in the darkness.

“Well then, enough about us. Why don't you tell me a little bit more about yourself, Amira?” Miles resumed his sitting position, planting his hands on his knees, and leaned in to listen.

“If you're looking for a happy story, I'm afraid you're not going to find one here.” I scratched the back of my head with one hand while holding the rabbit with the other. “My mother was sold to the hole shifters while still pregnant with me. All because daddy dearest had a debt too large for him to ever repay.”

“So, you mean your father just let them take your mother away?” Outraged, Miles jumped from his perch on the bed to grip both my shoulders. His brows were so knitted with rage that a vein throbbed on his forehead.

“Well, at least that's what my mother told me.” I shrugged and nestled the rabbit higher on my chest. “But she sure didn't mention anything about her mother being a witch. So now I'm not entirely sure what to believe.”

“Ah, I see.” Miles shook his head, and his shoulders fell.

“Say, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about my grandmother, would you?” I asked.

“Nope, I’m afraid I can’t help you there.” He quickly turned his head away as if to conceal his face. Why did it feel like Miles was lying to me? What was he hiding?

“Miles…” I said, but before I could ask him anything further, a deep stabbing pain ran through my finger and I screamed.

“Ahhh, it bit me!” I threw my hand in the air and Miles grabbed the rabbit, quickly returning it to its cage.

A few drops of blood fell from my finger to the floor. Miles ran to me, scooping up my hand in his. He pulled me closer. With a face heavy with concern, he took my finger into his mouth and sucked on it.

I choked on air as I was swept away by the warm sensation of his tongue massaging and sucking on my wounded finger.

All pain left me and was replaced with a searing heat that travelled from my finger, radiating through my entire body.

His soul-deep eyes met mine, and he took his hardest suck on my finger yet. I whimpered and my shoulders jumped from the intense sensation.

Slowly, he removed my finger from his mouth and for a few long moments neither of us spoke. The desire burning in his eyes spoke volumes.

Miles leaned in closer to me, his eyes mesmerized by an unseen force. He stretched out a hand and pushed a lock of hair behind my ear. His touch sending goosebumps raising all over my back and neck.

“Amira,” he whispered my name in a deep, sensual voice, like he was savoring it, tasting it.

“The training session is about to start. You guys coming or what?” Syrus called out from down stairs, breaking Miles’s trance.

“Oh, um. Does your finger still hurt, Amira?” Miles's eyes fell to the ground.

“No, it feels way better.” I showed him my finger, trying not to feel awkward about the fact that he’d just had it in his mouth.

Miles gave me his hand and I took it in reply.

We both left the room and went downstairs to follow Syrus to the training session in the backyard. But the entire way there I could only think of one thing, if Syrus hadn't interrupted us, what would have happened?

* * *

Syrus,Miles, and I left the house and ventured into the backyard. Syrus didn't say a single word as we walked. But he seemed tightly wound, as if he was scared of something.

Once outside, the cold night air hit me like a blanket of frost. A large bonfire illuminated the open backyard. About fifty shirtless men stood at attention, all looking to Callum, who stood at the front.

“Listen well, men. Tonight, will be the glorious night that we prove, once and for all, that no curse is any match for the power of the Blood Moon shifters.” Callum glanced Syrus’s way and shot him a nasty look. “Regardless of what any naysayers may think.”

Syrus slowly strode over to Callum, taking his place beside him at the front. Turning away from the men, Syrus whispered some words in a voice so low I had to read his lips to understand it.

“It's not too late to back out now, Callum. Someone could get hurt. We have Amira now,” Syrus said. Ignoring him, Callum jerked his head away impatiently.

“First group move forward. Let the training sessions begin,” Callum ordered before saluting the men.

On his orders, the three men in the front shifted at once. They morphed into black-haired wolves, falling to the ground on four paws.

The scene went silent as a graveyard as we waited for the curse to take effect. My heart rate steadily increased as the wolves began growling menacingly at Callum and Syrus.

Their eyes, transformed by a feral rage, turned red as blood. Their paws jumped about over the grass as if the inner men were struggling to stay in control of their wolves and restrain themselves from attacking the Alphas.

Ordinarily, one’s inner wolf did not fight their human half. It was a symbiotic relationship between man and beast, one that was a shifter’s greatest joy and blessing.

But what I saw now were three wolves, fighting a dark madness and on the brink of a murderous rampage.

The wolves growled, scratching at the ground and baring their fangs. Saliva dripped from the wolves' mouths as they seemed to lose themselves further in carnivorous insanity.

“Hold steady, and remain calm. You're doing an excellent job,” Callum spoke to the wolves, coaching them and cheering them on. He clapped his hands rhythmically as if to ground the wolves and help keep them in control.

“Good, men, keep in control. Just remain calm and still. Breathe.” Syrus joined in, clapping rhythmically with Callum, coaching the wolves.

It seemed to be helping because, while the wolves were growling, they hadn’t actually moved or been aggressive, at least not yet.

A smile tugged at Syrus’s lips and hope warmed his eyes as he watched the wolves remain in relative control. His eyes moved over to where Miles and I stood a few feet behind, and beamed at us.

Maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe there was a way to train the wolves out of the curse’s influence. Maybe there was hope that, even if I didn't have the power, they could break their own curse.

After a few more moments of coaching and relative calm, Callum busted out in a triumphant laugh. “You see, Syrus? See what good training can do?”

Before Syrus could congratulate him, Callum’s attentions whipped back over to the wolves who were now shrieking in a way so terrible you’d never expect wolves to be able to make such a noise. Their eyes went from red to a vibrant purple as the curse seemed to sink its claws deeper into them.

Without a moment’s warning, the three wolves sprang for Callum and Syrus, jaws opened, ready to rip them to shreds.

Callum and Syrus fought them, kicking and punching them off. The crowd of men watched in horror, rule-bound not to interfere with an Alpha’s fight.

Syrus threw one of the wolves, while Callum wrestled with the other two on the grass. Syrus yanked one of the wolves away from Callum by its pelt and threw it into the air.

It landed on its feet and after shaking its head, it set its sights on where I stood. Eager for an easier target, it launched its massive body toward me, kicking up the grass behind it as it ran.

I shifted to the balls of my feet and raised my fists, ready to take him on. The wolf was two feet from me when Miles shoved me behind him and took the large animal into his mighty grip.

He squeezed the air from the beast with all his might and the animal collapsed in his arms. He set it on the ground and the wolf shifted back into his human form, lying naked and unconscious on the grass.

My heart broke watching the man lie there, covered in bruises. This was not what Goddess Selene intended, even if they weren’t her followers. No wolf should ever have to suffer like this just for doing what came most naturally to us. I had my differences with this pack, but nobody deserved this.

With an audible noise, Callum punched the final wolf, and all three men lay naked on the grass.

A bleak hopelessness hung on the face of every man in attendance as they watched their precious plan go up in smoke.

“There will be no more training tonight. Take these men to the infirmary,” Syrus ordered. Six men came and carried the injured away.

Syrus gripped his arm as blood slowly trickled down it. He glared over at Callum, who was brushing the dirt and blood from his own shirt.

Callum, with his ego thoroughly bruised, could only look away from Syrus and grit his teeth, trying to hide his shame.

“The Oracle returns tomorrow, Syrus. Then we will just see how powerful your half-breed really is,” Callum spat, before storming through the back door and disappearing inside the cabin.

“That's all for tonight, men. Go back to your homes,” Syrus ordered, and the crowd slowly dispersed in the dark of night.

Syrus and Miles both turned to silently gaze at me. Their expressions were somber, but there was a glint of hope in their eyes as they watched me. Now they looked to me as their savior. I was their last and final hope. Their entire futures were riding on me.

What in the hell had I gotten myself into? And just what would this Oracle say to me tomorrow? Did I truly have powers or would she simply declare what I've known all along? That I was no more powerful than your average wolf.

Then, what would they do?