The Curse (Shifter Origins)

by Harper A. Brooks

Erec’s storm-colored eyes found her. “Astrid…” His voice was a croaked whisper, but it was the sweetest sound she’d ever heard. “Astrid!” He tumbled into the river, struggling to close the distance between them. The water was up to his hips, but he didn’t seem to notice the depth or the temperature. With his desperate gaze locked on her, he pushed against the current.

  The glow of the moon bathed everything in sapphire light. In Astrid’s ears, her heartbeat echoed, having slowed down from its fearful race to a singular thump…thump…thump… She swayed forward, but Erec was there suddenly, snatching her wrist and pulling her against him. They collided, falling into each other’s arms and collapsing in a heap on the ground.

  They didn’t know what to do besides clasp onto each other tightly. Neither of them dared move. The moon’s painted light encased them entirely, and somewhere in the distance thunder rumbled. Pressed against Erec’s chest, Astrid counted each breath he drew in, afraid that one would be his last. She listened to his dying heart under her ear. Like hers, its beat was weak and too scarce. She closed her eyes, praying it would never stop.

  A gust of wind blew past them, tossing up Astrid’s hair and making goose bumps rise with the chill. It smelled of rain. With the freezing temperatures of winter, they hadn’t had rain in months. Only snow. But there was no doubting it. A storm was coming. The air was changing.

  Another blast shot around their huddled figures. As it gathered in power and speed, whirling around them like a tornado, Astrid cracked one eyelid open. What she saw made her jerk back in disbelief. The swirls on Erec’s shoulder were lifting off his skin and floating in the space between them.

  Frightened, she lifted her hands. Like Erec’s, the glowing blue ribbons around her fingers were slowly unwrapping themselves. As they peeled off her flesh, they twisted and turned in the air in front of her.

  “What’s happening?” she screamed over the roar of the cyclone encasing them.

  “I-I think the curse—it’s lifting,” he called back, eyes wide as he watched the strange luminous, dancing bands. His grip tightened on her arms, but his touch was still lost from the numbness.

  The curse’s markings whipped sideways, combining with the spinning air before shooting upward toward the moon and disappearing altogether. A second later, the wind died down, leaving Erec and Astrid shocked and flustered but completely unharmed.

  Gradually, the tingling in her limbs faded away, and the sensation of Erec’s fingers wrapped around her arms came to her. He glanced at the contact, too, as if he was feeling it for the first time.

  Then his gaze lifted to hers. “It’s over…” he said, his voice a hoarse whisper. “I can’t believe it. We made it. It’s over now.”

  That’s when she realized she was breathing hard, and her pulse was a constant drum against her temples. She never thought such simple things would bring her such relief. She clenched and unclenched her hands, thankful for the movement in her muscles again. Her skin was free of the blue tattoos, the paleness now completely smooth and unmarked, besides her freckles. She was alive. Erec was alive. They had beaten the curse.

  They were meant to be together.

  Through the pack bond, Erec’s happiness encased her, wrapping her in a beautiful and radiating warmth. Or maybe that was her own joy. She couldn’t tell. She could sense his emotions as if they were her own. His love for her rushed across their bond as strong as a river current, drowning her in heat and peace. Her wolf lifted its head and howled in triumph, and Astrid could have sworn she heard Erec’s animal echoing it through her subconscious.

  Before she could say a word, Erec tugged her against him again. His heartbeat was hammering now under her pressed ear, and his warm breath tickled the top of her hair as he breathed in and out. His cedar and smoky scent filled her nose, and she drew it deeper into her lungs, loving every part, every thing that was uniquely him.

  He was her mate, the one the sky spirits had chosen for her, the other half of her soul.

  “I love you, Erec.” The words flew from her lips with ease this time, and she didn’t dare try and stop them. She had held them back for too long. “I love you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I was scared. I was…”

  Erec’s lips skimmed the top of her head as they lifted into one of his smirks. After a few breaths, he said softly, “I know. I’ve known for a while, but I didn’t want to push you. I knew you would tell me when you were ready.”

  She snaked her arms around his back and squeezed him hard. She had almost lost him too many times. It hurt to even think about possibly never being able to tell him all this. “I do love you. Truly. With everything I am.”

  “I love you, too, Astrid,” he said. “But you knew that already.” Chuckling, his fingers caught her chin and tilted her face up toward his. He captured her lips for a mind-blowing kiss, one that spoke of every fear he had of losing her and every hope he had for their future. It was enough to leave her breathless and her chest pounding.

  When they pulled away, Astrid peered up at the moon. It still radiated like a sapphire gem in the night sky, its light pushing through the dense clouds. Thunder rolled again, louder and closer this time, and the scent of rain intensified. Her wolf perked up in worry.

  Remembering what had happened before when she had tried to change, she reached deep down to her animal. The power of the shift slapped against her so quickly, she had to force it to stop before it bolted throughout her body and took over. The change hadn’t come that effortlessly before. Now without the curse, the moon didn’t control her shifting anymore. She could reach her wolf whenever she pleased.

  She was free.

  A wolf’s howl resonated from the forest beyond the river, capturing both her and Erec’s attention. They recognized the tones right away. It was a cry of the hunt, of a predator catching its prey. Of war.

  Whether it was from one of Jerrick’s men or their pack’s warriors, Astrid couldn’t tell, but the night certainly wasn’t over yet. They had to get to Jerrick’s camp and join in the battle. After seeing the dirty way Jerrick’s men fought, their pack was going to need all the help they could get.

  Erec’s worried glance reminded her that he had missed out on a lot during his imprisonment and wasn’t aware of the plan. She told him all about Filip’s injury, the surprise attack on Jerrick’s pack, as well as her part in it.

  When she finished, he said, “There’s a reason your brother is the alpha. Jerrick wouldn’t expect to be hit first.”

  “Filip and I got the idea from you,” she replied. A drop of rain hit her cheek, taking her off guard. Soon after, another one landed on her forehead. “I just wish he was going to be there to lead us during this…” They needed his guidance now more than ever. Not to mention his presence was usually what eased her worries.

  “It was smarter to leave him behind. From what you said about that knife and the bleeding, it sounds like he needs to rest more than anything else.”

  “I know…” Thunder boomed.

  “He’ll be happy to see you beat the curse after,” Erec said. “That is if we survive this battle.”

  Astrid slid off her fur coat and shucked off her boots at the same time. “He knew you were my mate before I did, you know.”

  “Oh?” Erec’s fingers fumbled with the tie of his pants. “I always liked him.”

  Astrid smiled as she tugged the knitted shirt over her head. When she pulled off her stocking, an icy breeze nipped at every inch of her exposed skin. She turned around to see Erec completely naked, too. Sweet Moons, he was glorious to look at. She bit her bottom lip, knowing now was not the time to be distracted.

  Erec’s gaze roamed her body as well, and his desire was a fiery caress through the bond, but he shook his head to refocus himself. Maybe it was because of the newly strengthened link between them, but she knew what he was thinking in that moment. It was the same thing she was considering herself. If they somehow managed to make it out of this seemingly endless night alive, they weren’t going to l
eave their bed until the next Blue Moon.

  “We beat the curse just to possibly die again?” he teased. “Seems unfair, don’t you think?”

  “You said you wanted to die on your own terms, right?” she said.

  He lifted an eyebrow, impressed. “That’s right, but I don’t plan on it happening anytime soon.”

  “Good. Me neither.”

  The air around them sparked with electricity as they both started to shift. Like lightning, the power rocketed through every muscle and nerve. Even as Astrid’s body realigned and reformed its shape, there was no pain, just a feeling of absolute serenity and completeness. Now on four legs, the rain began to fall harder, pelting her back and turning the piles of snow around them into muddy slush.

  Shaking out her fur, she faced Erec’s golden wolf form and nodded toward the river. He snorted in acknowledgment and took as much of the clothing as he could in his mouth.

  Astrid went over to her spear, placed it securely between her jaws, and braced herself for the jump. Erec was by her side the next second, matching her movements. Wasting no more time, they ran full speed toward the riverbank and launched themselves over the icy depths, ready for whatever it was that lay ahead.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The scent of blood rode heavy on the wind and the sound of metal clashing rang out in the distance. The deeper into the forest they traveled, the more intense the stench and noises became, reminding Astrid that they were about to enter a war.

  When they came upon the cage on the outskirts of Jerrick’s camp, they stopped. The grunts of man and ferocious snarls of wolf echoed over the drumming rain. Angry shadows flashed just beyond the trees.

  The power of the shift pushed through her muscles again, and within seconds, she stood on two feet. Erec dropped the pile of clothing by her feet, and she dressed quickly. After pulling on her boots, she tied her mass of red hair away from her face.

  Still a golden wolf, Erec pressed against her legs and stared at her. She guessed this was his way of telling her he would be going into battle in this form since he couldn’t speak, and having seen his raw power and skill while fighting Claus as a wolf, it was a good idea. As for her, she was more comfortable with her spear in her hand.

  She picked up her weapon and looked over the staff’s intricate carvings and beautiful stone tip. Was she ready to finally face the man who had killed so many innocent people and was responsible for what had been done to her brother? Was she ready to willingly walk into the fire and risk her life to stop the monster who had almost destroyed her and Erec’s lives?

  She gritted her teeth, the answer to her questions coming in the forms of fierce determination and certainty. Not fear. Not worry. She’d been through too much in these last few weeks not to be ready now. Death had been a close reality for her only minutes ago.

  Jerrick didn’t scare her anymore. He couldn’t.

  Astrid gripped her spear. This ended right here. Tonight.

  “Let’s finish this,” she said confidently, and gave Erec a stiff nod.

  He snorted in agreement, then bounded through the trees, toward the commotion ahead. She followed close to his heels, heart pounding.

  The second they burst into the campsite, they were thrown into mass chaos. Men, women, and wolves fought with fists, blades, and teeth. There were cries of pain, shouts of victory, and the constant pound of rain against the ground.

  And blood. So much blood.

  It painted whatever was left of the snow a dark red. Here, the air was so thick with the scent of it, Astrid tasted the metallic tang on her tongue strong enough to make her gag.

  Erec wasted no time and leaped onto another wolf’s back, tearing into his neck. More blood spurted, and Astrid choked back bile. Henrick was close by, yelling a battle cry and swiping his sword at two more fearsome-looking beasts who were trying to close in on him.

  She tried to find her father among the brawling warriors, but the rain was falling too hard to see anything beyond a few feet besides shadowy figures. She attempted to reach out across the pack bond, but the connection was congested with the overwhelming emotions of her fellow fighters. Pain, fear, rage, delight—she felt it all. But none specific to her father’s aura.

  An unseen force struck her from the side so swiftly and suddenly, she was flying off her feet before she realized what had happened. She hit the ground with an audible thud, her shoulder getting the brunt of the fall. All the breath left her lungs, and she grunted as pain shot through her arm. A flash of silver caught her eye, and she rolled just as the blade of an axe struck the wood of a stump dangerously close to her head. Pulse thundering against her eardrums, she stared at her distorted reflection in the weapon’s shiny face.

  She scrambled up to see a round, grubby-looking man about to reach for the axe’s handle again. Kicking out, the sole of her boot met the cap of his knee. There was a gross popping sound, and he collapsed, clasping his leg and cursing her loudly. Taking the opportunity to jump to her feet, she grasped her spear and stabbed him in the center of the chest. The blade pierced the skin, muscle, and bone too easily, like a heated branding stake slicing through ice. It was equally as effortless pulling it out as well.

  She shivered.

  Movement zipped past her left. She jerked around as a silver blur charged her. The wolf leaped into the air, jaws aimed for her throat. She threw herself sideways, twisting and spinning her weapon. The tip sliced through skin and tissue midair, and when the beast hit the ground, its momentum sent it forward still, launching it into the base of a tree. White bone peeked through the slash down its chest, and crimson blood poured.

  The bright spark of lightning ignited the camp in white light, momentarily breaking the blueness from the moon. Soon after, thunder cracked strong enough to shake the ground at her feet. The rain was relentless. It soaked every inch of her, but adrenaline raced through her bloodstream, shaking off the cold.

  She rushed into a crowd of brawling figures, dodging blows and dirty, reaching fingers and slashing the spear at anyone who came close. At the center of the mass was Dana and another woman warrior from the prisoner group with a mess of brown hair. One of Dana’s eyes was badly blackened and the other had blood sliding down her arm from a severed finger, but both females were fighting with everything they had. And from the look of the number of dead foes at their feet, both wolf and human, they had been holding well for themselves for quite a while.

  The brunette dropped to the ground and shifted shape, her clothes ripping at the seams. Covered in brown fur, she snarled and ripped into the hind leg of an enemy wolf that had been getting too close to Dana’s back.

  As Astrid plunged her spear into an unsuspecting man’s side, teeth sank into her left calf. Pain erupted through every nerve ending. She yelped, crumbling to her knees. When she glanced over her shoulder, piercing yellow eyes stared back at her. She remembered those eyes. And the light gray shade of its coat.

  It was the same wolf that had chased her away from Erec’s cave. The one who had bit into her leg. Just like this.

  Red glistened on its muzzle and the tongue hanging from its mouth. Her blood.

  Again.

  Rage flared in her chest. “Back for more?” She spun the spear’s staff in her hand. “Didn’t learn last time, did you?”

  It growled in answer, its upper lip curling over razor-sharp canines. Then, it came at her.

  Astrid rushed to stand, but her wounded leg gave out. Powerful jaws clamped down on her arm, and instinctively, she dropped her spear. White-hot pain zigzagged from her elbow to her fingertips. Her vision blurred from the strength of it.

  Reflexively, she punched at its massive head, but the wolf didn’t let go; it only locked eyes with her, challenging her, mocking her, and bit down even harder.

  Bones snapped, and she cried out, the shock of agony threatening to make her faint.

  Her uninjured hand raked the ground for something close to help her. Anything. When her fingertips brushed something sol
id—wood—a handle, she praised her luck and clutched it. A small knife.

  As she lifted it, ready to strike, the icy nails of absolute dread raked along her insides, forcing her to hesitate. Tremors slid across her skin, and the hair at the back of her neck rose in warning.

  She felt the tight pull of fear in her stomach.

  Something had happened.

  Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

  With her brother.

  The gray wolf’s foul-smelling breath filled her nose, snapping her back to the danger at hand. Not wasting another second, she rammed the knife into the wolf’s skull. It released an earsplitting wail and threw itself backward, dragging its teeth across the tender flesh along her arm before letting go fully.

  Snatching her spear, she climbed to her feet. The pain in her calf was bad, but it was nothing compared to the mess the creature had made of her arm. Her muscles were shredded, the bones undoubtably broken, too. There was nothing she could do but let it hang awkwardly at her side. Even with her fast healing abilities, who knew if it would ever be the same again.

  If only it hadn’t been her dominate arm. Using her weapon with her left hand was going to be a challenge. Not to mention her leg was going to be slowing her down, too.

  The wind was knocked out of her in the next instant. Like someone had socked her full on in the stomach. She crouched over, her mind fogging. Then the tears came rushing forward. Along with the shuddering of uncontrollable sorrow.

  Astrid stumbled forward, panting, gasping as she tried to suck air into her lungs. When her palm brushed against the roughness of bark, she threw her back against the tree before she lost her footing completely.

  Then, as quickly as the sensations had hit, they left and there was only emptiness. Complete and utter emptiness.

  No. No. No. No!

  Filip is dead.

  The words echoed in her head as clear and as loud as a drum. He’s dead.

  But she knew it was true. She knew it. The tie that had bound them as siblings had been severed.