The Curse Read online

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Discover more Amara titles… The Emerald Lily

  Drakon’s Past

  Once Bitten

  When Danger Bites

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2018 by Harper A. Brooks. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

  Entangled Publishing, LLC

  2614 South Timberline Road

  Suite 105, PMB 159

  Fort Collins, CO 80525

  Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.

  Amara is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC.

  Edited by Tera Cuskaden

  Cover design by Cora Graphics

  Cover art from Deposit Photos

  ISBN 978-1-64063-483-1

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  First Edition February 2018

  For those who still wish upon the stars.

  Prologue

  Many centuries ago, when the full moon rose with a brilliant stain of blue, the story of our people began.

  Maurus, the great wolf spirit, had always been defiant. His obsession for total dominance made him ruthless and cruel. He craved more power, more influence, and so, against the wishes of the other sky spirits, he came to earth on the night the moon rose blue. He used his gifts to create creatures like himself. Half wolf, half human, they were shifters of tremendous power and strength, and with their help, it wasn’t long before Maurus became the most powerful and feared being in the forest.

  After some time had passed, his focus began to change. He found a mate who loved him as he was. She was one of his creations, a wolf shifter, with a name as beautiful as her soul—Svanna. Her presence calmed the beast in him, and for once, he found himself caring about something other than power.

  To prove to the other sky spirits that earth was where he was meant to be, Maurus planned to swear his love to Svanna when the year ended and the Blue Moon rose again. But one summer night, as he walked along the winding river, he was touched by a power so great that his lust for supremacy overruled his heart and drove him to the river’s end. He followed it up the mountain. There, he found another woman asleep in a cave. Instantly, jealousy overcame him. This woman wasn’t a spirit, yet her gifts exceeded his. This had to be a spiteful trick from those he had left in the sky and directly disobeyed. Anger blinded him, and without a second thought, he murdered the woman.

  When he returned to his fortress of stone, he was horrified to find his mate, Svanna, lying dead on the ground. The sky spirits had punished him in the harshest way for his deeds. Distraught, he howled for the great love he’d lost and begged his fellow spirits to reunite their souls again. They listened and promised to grant Maurus’s wish—on their terms. Maurus could only be with Svanna in death. And because of his defiance and murderous ways, all the shifters he had created must be marked and cursed to face the same fate.

  But there was hope. If the shifters found their soul’s mate and stood beneath the Blue Moon before their twenty-fifth year, they could be free of the curse Maurus put on them.

  Maurus agreed without hesitation and joined Svanna’s soul in the afterlife.

  Chapter One

  Astrid’s deer-hide boots sank deep into the snow, making the distance between her and her brother, Filip, widen even more.

  “Will you slow down a little? My legs aren’t as long as yours,” she called. Although she understood the importance of getting back before their father returned from hunting and found her gone again, she couldn’t hurdle over the high snowdrifts like him.

  Filip pressed on at the same pace.

  “Keep up, or go back home.” He glanced at her with one of his thick, black brows arched. “I told you we had to make this quick if you wanted to come. If we’re not back in time, Father will tan both our hides.”

  Father had already threatened to tie her to her tent post if she ever disobeyed and left again, but she could only stay cooped up in camp for so long before her skin began to itch. This excursion would be quick. She and Filip were safe together. All they had to do was walk the couple of miles, speak to the neighboring pack’s alpha, and go home. Father would never know she’d even left. Simple.

  An icy gust of wind squeezed through the naked trees, tossing up Astrid’s auburn locks about her face. Last night’s storm had left at least a foot of soft white fluff, and the wetness dampened her trousers, shoes, and wool socks with every labored step. The tip of her nose prickled, and she rubbed her lips together to give them warmth. If only she could turn into her wolf form at will. Then she wouldn’t have to worry about the biting cold or her muscles exhausting so quickly. She and Filip could reach Mikel’s territory on the east side within minutes. But the moon still controlled her shifting. She could only change at night.

  They reached the riverbank. Astrid peered at its shiny, iced-over surface, about fifty paces wide. Underneath, the current raced.

  Her heart skipped with fear. If she fell in, the current could take her away. She might as well suck in gulps of water to drown herself. It would be nothing compared to the torturous freezing temperatures against the winter air if she did manage to make it out alive.

  She shivered and pulled her fox-fur coat’s hood higher over her head and tighter around her shoulders.

  “We have to cross here.” Filip tapped his foot against the first boulder in the water, making sure it was stable. He shot her a sideways glance, a warning lingering behind his brown eyes. She could sense his hesitance through the invisible link they shared with all members of their pack. It was a bond that made them a family, allowed them to know each other in a deeper, more intimate way. And now, her brother’s worry washed over her like an icy touch. It drew out her own fear.

  There was at least half her height between her and the first stone, while the others after it were of different shapes and sizes, all slicked over with ice. Astrid bit the inside of her cheek, jitters overtaking her belly. She’d come this far already. There was no way she could give up now.

  “Here, I’ll help you.” He reached one long leg across to the first stone. Perched in a split across the water, he held out his open palm to her. “Take my hand, and I’ll pull you across.”

  “I got it.” Her frantic heartbeat said differently.

  Peering down at the swirling blue ribbon-like marks on her freckled wrists, weaving in and out of her fingers, she scolded herself for her nervousness. It was only holding her back. She didn’t have time for hesitation. Or doubt. She had less than a month before her twenty-fifth Blue Moon. Time was not on her s
ide anymore.

  Her chest constricted as realization sank in, but she tried to push down her rising fears. Come on, Astrid. You were the one who insisted Filip bring you.

  Astrid drew in a deep breath, mustering up the nerve, and waved Filip’s outstretched hand away.

  “Ash, no—”

  She jumped onto the first rock. As she landed, her body rocked sideways and she struggled to get a solid footing. Filip was there suddenly, grabbing her by the arm and steadying her.

  “You got it, hmm?” Filip’s warm breath came out in white puffs with every word. “You have to be careful, Ash. One misstep. That’s all it takes.”

  “I’m fine,” she protested between gasps. Her heart was hammering in her chest, but she didn’t let that fear show on her face. “I just lost my balance. I would have gotten it eventually.”

  He didn’t argue, only extended his hand to her again. This time, she didn’t hesitate to take it. Better safe than frozen.

  With his help, she hopped onto the next rock and the next, nearly all the way across. Filip didn’t say a word, and for that, she was thankful. Allowing him to help her was hurting her pride enough.

  Filip wasn’t as protective as their father, but Astrid was beginning to notice a change in his behavior, too. Little things. An offered hand here. A little extra food at dinner there. Agreeing with Father whenever he refused to let her leave the pack on her own. She knew he meant well, but those moments irked her. She was still fully capable of doing things on her own.

  One more stone to go before they reached the other side. She leaped for it a little too eagerly. But when her boot touched the boulder’s smooth surface, it slipped, sending her toppling over. The river rushed up to meet her. She yelped, waiting for the crash and the flood of arctic water, but in the next second, her brother’s firm hand was on her elbow, pulling her up safely back on the rock with him.

  For a moment, she stood there, muscles rigid and chest heaving as she tried to make her lungs work again.

  “I should have never let you come,” Filip huffed more to himself than to her. A few drifting snowflakes clung to his cropped black hair. “This was a mistake.”

  It took Astrid a second to regain herself, but once she did, anger snapped through every nerve ending, replacing all her unease. She twisted out of his grasp. “I’ve done more dangerous things before. Most of them while with you.”

  She and her brother used to sprint to the end of the winding river, where it fell off the side of the earth, and watch crowds of birds circle the strange abandoned dwellings carved out of the rock across the ravine. That’s what she wanted again. To be treated like everyone else.

  Filip glanced away, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. His lips pulled down in a deep frown, wrinkles appearing around his eyes. Only three years separated them, but he looked so much like their father then, with his flat nose, square jaw, and worn expression, that her stomach knotted with sorrow. And a bit of fear, too. They both knew what was to come if she didn’t find her mate; speaking it aloud only made it more real, more painful.

  “Let’s just get across,” Astrid muttered, turning around. Sadness seeped into her bones. Maybe she wasn’t taking this as seriously as she should. Maybe she should be more active in searching for love and breaking the curse. But the men in their pack were more like family than anything else. Her father had always said the sky spirits would lead her to love, like it had for him and her mother, and Filip and Mila. It couldn’t be forced or hunted. Astrid wanted to believe it, that a love strong enough to break the curse was possible for her, too.

  Filip nodded but remained silent as they jumped onto the riverbank. Once they were on land, his long strides gained him the lead again.

  Every unspoken word filled the space between them, and she hurried, trying to keep up.

  A breeze rushed by, whipping cold against her cheeks. Desperate for conversation, something to take their attention away from her mistake, she racked her brain for a change of subject.

  “Will Mikel be angry to see us unexpected like this?” Astrid didn’t know much about the other wolf packs or the older alpha, Mikel, only that her father tried hard to keep peace with them and respect their boundaries. Since their group was made up mostly of young families, it was better not to pick a fight with the others.

  “He shouldn’t be,” Filip replied as they walked on. His attention stayed straight ahead. “There has been a lot of talk about Jerrick’s pack threatening the others, challenging alphas, and taking over. Father wants to make sure Mikel’s pack isn’t one of them.”

  She’d heard of the brutish alpha, Jerrick, many times when listening in on her father’s discussions with his men. When he was only sixteen, he’d won rule over his pack after challenging the previous alpha, his own father. According to stories, he didn’t even flinch when he ripped out his throat. After that, he and his pack had settled far north in the high mountains.

  “Father thinks Jerrick wants to be the sole alpha. Rule over all our kind.”

  There was no way their father would let that happen. Let alone every alpha. Too much power in the hands of one man was dangerous.

  The smoky scent of a snuffed fire filled Astrid’s nose. They had to be close.

  “Mikel’s camp should be up here.” Her brother answered her thoughts. The trees thinned ahead, and their sparse stick-branches allowed the sunlight to spill into the woods. The rays reflected off the whiteness of the snow and made the ground twinkle. A short hill, blanketed in a thick layer of white, blocked their view of what lay beyond. “Just over this.”

  Filip began the climb up, and Astrid followed a few steps behind. “We need to find out more information about what’s going on for Father,” he said as he neared the top. “Then we can leave. Hopefully all rumors—” But his words died the moment he reached the snowy knoll’s peak. He stared down at something she couldn’t see.

  “Filip?” Confused, Astrid bounded from one of his deep footsteps to the other.

  He whipped around, his cheeks pale and his eyes full of fear. His panic was so strong, it traveled along their pack bond and shook her core. “Turn back, Ash. Now.”

  It was too late. She had already reached the crest.

  Gazing down at the small valley below, her chest constricted. She had expected to see a camp much like the one they lived in, with temporary cabins made of canvas and hides, and scattered fires with people hovering over them, cooking or telling stories. Instead, smoldering piles of wood and ash dotted the freshly fallen snow. Along with the scent of fire, the pungent stench of seared flesh smacked into her, stinging her eyes. No men or women. No movement of any kind. Astrid’s pulse raced.

  The wind whistled through the wide-open vale.

  “We need to go.” Filip’s firm hand was on her arm, tugging her back down the hill, but her knees locked her in place. Black mounds peeked out of the white snow.

  “W-What is that?” But before he answered, she spotted a soot-covered foot sticking out of one of the piles.

  Nausea racked her gut as her gaze swept over the others. Bodies. There were about a dozen of them on the surface alone, blackened and charred. People turned to cinders.

  Dead. Mikel’s pack was dead.

  Please don’t let any of them be children. Thinking about it made her dizzy.

  How many lay underneath the snow, out of sight, covered by the recent storm?

  “What monster would do this?” She choked, her throat tight. “All those innocent people…”

  “Jerrick.” Filip’s voice shook with rising panic. “His pack may be nearby. Ours might be next.” He turned and rushed down the hill. “We have to tell Father.”

  “We should check for survivors,” she shouted to his turned back. “Maybe someone ran into the forest to escape. They might need our help.”

  “We can’t risk it, Ash. We need to go back.”

  He was right. Jerrick’s pack had to be close, and if they had done this to Mikel’s people, she didn’t want
to think what they’d do if they found them wandering around. It was smarter to leave before they were caught, but she couldn’t stop the sinking feeling inside.

  Throwing one more glance over her shoulder at the wreckage, movement caught her eye. A mound of white trembled.

  Astrid spun and dashed down the hill. The steepness had her stumbling; she caught herself near the bottom and rushed forward, gaze focused on the hump dusted with ash just ahead of her. A muffled whimper teased her ear. She barreled toward it.

  “Astrid!” Filip’s voice echoed behind her.

  “Someone’s here!” When she reached the mound, she dug as fast as she could, tossing handfuls of snow at a time. Her fingers were numb, but she didn’t stop. Almost a foot in, blond hair popped through the whiteness.

  Heart slamming against her ribs, she fervently scooped away more piles. Suddenly, Filip was at her side and joined in. He cursed.

  “Quick! Get ’em out of there.”

  A face as pale as the snow around it appeared, eyes closed and lips blue, followed by more amber hair and a long, muscular arm. Cobalt spirals swirled around the shoulder, and from what she could see, across the right upper chest.

  Moving fast, her brother grasped the body by the elbow, anchored his boots in the ground, and yanked hard. The stranger slid out of the snow.

  Astrid’s eyes widened.

  It was a man. A handsome, naked man.

  Chapter Two

  Erec shot up, his skin sticky with sweat. His foggy head whirled. Where was he?

  Struggling to catch his breath, he looked from side to side. Canvas walls surrounded him, and the flickering of a dying candle bathed the small space in orange light and tall shadows. He spotted an open trunk filled with animal furs and clothing, and a colorful, half-completed tapestry stretched out on a nearby loom. A pair of snow-covered boots sat in the far corner on top of a mud-stained fur rug.

  The hair on his arms raised as his inner wolf hovered close to the surface, ready for another attack, but when Erec sniffed the air, he caught only the fragrant scents of lilacs mixed with the crisp, soothing midnight breeze and wolf fur. There were no sounds of chaos coming from outside, no snarling wolves, crackling fires, or screams. Nothing besides his own erratic breathing and the thudding of his pulse against his eardrums.