The Curse

by Harper A. Brooks

  More specifically, back to her brother.

  Mila had said his injuries had been too great; he had died peacefully in his sleep. Although months had passed, the guilt of not being with him in those final moments was crushing. She missed him so much. The pain of losing him was still a twisting dagger in her chest.

  When they were young, they would run up the river in their human forms or as wolves, just like she was now, and chase the wind until they reached the waterfall at the very end. There, they would sit, talk, and watch the birds circle the canyon below. Tears sprang up in her eyes, knowing she would never be able to share that with him again.

  Memories—that’s all she had now.

  Astrid shook her head, forcing the tears back, and concentrated on running through the tall river grass. She should be happy the worst was behind her. Erec was alpha; they both were alive, and the threat of Jerrick was gone. His mother, Eva, had joined their family. Erec had seemed a bit hesitant at first, but he was enjoying having a mother in his life again.

  Even her father was doing a little better. His illness was still there. Astrid didn’t think he’d ever be the same again, but she had noticed his forgetful moments were becoming fewer in number. Maybe that was her just being hopeful, but no matter what happened, she’d make sure to help him remember all the wonderful stories of their pack, of her, Filip, and their mother.

  Everyone in the west-side pack was finally safe now. With some encouragement from Erec, Henrick had left with some of the other survivors to start his own pack. It was Erec’s idea to start regrowing their kind’s numbers again. It wasn’t fair for one pack to control most of the land, and now they had a strong ally again to the east. The future looked hopeful. She should be optimistic.

  I wish Filip were here to see all of it.

  She didn’t want to go back to Svanna Rock, not yet anyway, so she curved with the bends in the river and headed farther west. The sudden sound of another set of paws pounding against the ground snapped her attention to her right. Cedar and smoke, a flash of blond fur, and the otherworldly nudge of her mate’s aura confirmed it was Erec. He was running parallel to her, his wolf like a gold phantom among the trees. He was enjoying the chase; she could feel the excitement vibrating from him.

  Now that her wolf had fully accepted him as its soul’s mate, his presence was enough to send her heartrate skyrocketing and her spirits lifting. Maybe he had sensed her sadness and had decided to find her. It wasn’t a far-fetched concept. Not anymore. A lot of things had changed since the Blue Moon. The enhanced connection took some getting used to. Things like shared dreams and sensing when he was in trouble were just two. It was as if she and Erec were now one—a single soul—instead of separate beings.

  Or maybe she had just been away from Svanna Rock long enough to worry him. That was possible, too. Either way, she was happy he had come for her. She could use the company.

  As they continued to dash downstream, Erec closed the distance until he was running alongside her. Their footfalls fell in time, and every once in a while, he teasingly nudged her with his massive head, pushing her closer to the water. She snapped at him and shoved him back. His tongue flopped out of his mouth, and even in his animal form, she saw the smirk hidden underneath.

  When they entered the familiar clearing, they slowed to a trot, continuing to rub against each other, nip, and play. Ahead, the earth ended sharply, dropping off into vast nothingness. On the other side, a series of large twisting structures had been carved into the canyon wall, an abandoned city once great enough to hold hundreds—maybe thousands—of people but now only occupied by foliage and crumbling stone.

  They stopped at the waterfall, close to the dangerous cliff, and looked out. Millions of blinking stars dotted the night’s blackness, and the moon, round and full, stared back like an old friend. Erec started to shift first, and Astrid followed soon after. Once smooth skin replaced the fur, gentle hands wrapped around her middle and pulled her back. Her bare back pressed against his chest, and together, they sat in the grass, taking in the clear night and holding each other close. They said nothing for a long time, just sat in silence, enjoying the nearness and the sound of their heartbeats synced as one.

  Finally, Erec let out a loud, contented sigh.

  “It’s beautiful tonight,” he said, his tone soft yet careful. “I’m glad you let me join in your run.”

  She smiled, but there was a heaviness lingering in her chest. As much as she wanted to put all the pain behind her, the loss of her brother was too fresh. Being here, at the exact place they used to come to when they were young, made his death even more real. They would never be able to visit the waterfall together like they had done so many times before. It had been their special place to run to, their little hideaway. She’d never hear his voice again, hear him call her Ash or tease her.

  There was no hiding her grief from Erec, not with their bond, but she forced humor into her voice anyway when she replied, “I didn’t really have a choice, did I?”

  He hesitated, most likely reading her true emotions, but he didn’t say anything about it. He continued on as before. “I’ve passed here many times, but I’ve never thought to stop and take it all in. It really is amazing.”

  She realized what he was doing. Just like before, he was being patient and waiting for her to reveal her feelings in her own time. But if she had learned anything from withholding her thoughts over the last couple of months, it was that every day was precious. Tomorrow was never promised.

  “I used to come here a lot with Filip,” she confessed, her throat tight.

  Reflexively, she touched her forearm, the one that had been severely mangled during the fight with Jerrick. Although she’d been lucky it had healed up, it would never be the same again. Jagged scars lined the skin and the muscles twitched painfully whenever she moved her fingers, a constant reminder of the night she wanted so desperately to put behind her.

  “We used to race along the river and sit at the edge, like this, to talk. More so before my mother died and my father became too overbearing, but sometimes, we’d manage to escape…”

  “It’s why you’ve been visiting here the last few nights.” It was a statement, but one of understanding.

  Here they came again—the tears. Her vision blurred, but she fought to keep them from spilling over. “I…I can’t believe he’s gone.” Her words died out. The pain of even saying them was too great.

  “Oh, Astrid…” His sympathy wrapped around her, reminding her that she wasn’t alone. Strangely enough, it was what she needed then, that comforting assurance, and she leaned into his embrace. He squeezed her tighter. Silence stretched out again, the minutes dragging by like hours.

  As they sat there staring out while the mist from the waterfall dampened their skin and hair, another buzz of excitement raced from Erec through their bond. He pressed his lips against her ear and whispered, “Astrid, look up. Look up. Do you see that?”

  “What?” She lifted her chin and scanned the sky. The moon, stars, and grand valley below. Nothing else.

  Erec pointed toward the north.

  “There,” he said with a chuckle of disbelief. “Do you see it?”

  When Astrid followed his finger, she spotted only Vallor’s star shining brightly. Like always, its light pulsed and blinked back at her. “Vallor?” she asked.

  “Beside it. Look.” Erec’s happiness was a constant beat against her aura, urging her on.

  That’s when she saw it—another star just as brilliant had taken its place beside Vallor’s twinkling. But it was just a star. The sky was full of them. “I don’t understand…”

  “Do you remember the story I told you?”

  Astrid thought back to the beautiful tale Erec had shared that one night she had been missing her mother, about their kind becoming stars once their souls had passed. As ridiculous as it was, it was a comforting notion, to think her mother’s soul was the north star, still around, watching over her. But it wasn’t true. Just a st
ory.

  “Yes, but I—” As if to answer her doubts, the second star winked at her.

  “I know these skies,” he said. “For years, I’ve used them to track my travels and the time, and I’ve never seen that star there. Never. It’s new.”

  She glanced at it again, her heartbeat quickening with hope. Even though her mind told her it couldn’t be true, recognition rang throughout her very soul. Something mystical and unexplainable. A connection she couldn’t make sense of.

  “Filip?”

  The star’s light blinked in and out again, and Astrid rose, amazed. Erec stood beside her, lacing his fingers in hers.

  “Could it be?” she said, breathless. With that, her brother’s familiar calming presence surrounded her, as if he was there with her and very much alive. She sensed his joy, his relief, his love. It was overwhelming, and at the same time, soothing. “It’s him…”

  Was she losing her mind? But at that moment, she didn’t care. Joy flooded her as she stared up at the sky. Gaze switching to the star she had thought to be Vallor for so long, she remembered Erec saying that maybe her father’s moments of delusion weren’t what they had thought they were. Maybe Vallor had given up his place in the sky, and Father really had been talking to her mother’s spirit. Could it be true?

  She smiled as the gentle brush of another aura caressed her own, one she hadn’t felt for ten years but could never forget. “Mother?”

  The north star and her brother’s grew in size, their lights stretching out until they touched each other—two souls reuniting again.

  Astrid glanced at Erec, who was staring at her fondly. The love radiating through her pack bond was all-consuming. Not just from Erec, but from her pack family and the ones she thought she had lost. It enveloped her completely, leaving her heart full and her chest light.

  Erec closed the distance between them and cradled the side of her face in his hand. With his midnight blue eyes boring into her gaze, he whispered, “Astrid, my love. My mate. My star. If being with you and the west-side pack has taught me anything, it’s that love is strong enough to overcome. Even death.” He gave her one of his sideways half smiles. “I know that my love for you will exceed this life.”

  And she believed that wholeheartedly now. She loved Erec so much, she didn’t know how she had ever doubted he was the one chosen for her. He was the other half of her soul, the piece she had been missing for all these years.

  On the edge of the world, with the night in full bloom, Erec dipped his head and kissed her. As the passion between them built, she caught the flicker of movement nearby. There was a spark, and a silvery mist began to gather and take shape over the canyon’s steep drop. Soon, two magnificent ghostly wolves—one tinged gold, one red—appeared, gleaming under the moonlight. Their animal auras.

  Once the spirits seemed to realize they were momentarily free, they began to run together, chasing, tussling, and playing in the open air. Above them, the stars twinkled and shone.

  Astrid closed her eyes and let the calmness of the night wash over her. There was no longer any doubt in her mind. The old legends of their kind were true. Now that she and Erec had found each other, they would never be alone again.

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  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to my Titi Miracle and my father, Richard, whose personalities and appearances I borrowed for two characters this book. I won’t tell you which ones, though. Let’s see if you can guess.

  A special shout out to my best friend, Amber, and my adorable godchildren, Slade and Makynzie. I love you!

  Thank you to my good friends, T.F. Walsh and Lisa A., for all your helpful advice and for keeping me focused. You guys are awesome. I don’t think I’d get any writing done without you two.

  And finally, to my first child. My baby. I can’t wait to meet you in July but be warned. Your mommy is a weirdo (and your daddy isn’t any better).

  About the Author

  Harper A. Brooks lives in a small town on the New Jersey shore. Even though classic authors have always filled her bookshelves, she finds her writing muse drawn to the dark, magical, and romantic. But when she isn’t creating entire worlds with sexy shifters or legendary love stories, you can find her either with a good cup of coffee in hand or at home snuggling with her furry, four-legged son, Sammy.

  She writes historical and paranormal romance.

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