✔️| The Gift of a Curse
The Sacrifice of the Cursed - Prologue

PROLOGUE

Writing Journals is not my thing, but I decided to follow Alec’s footsteps, and start one. The main reason behind that is my fear that no one will know our story. I want to make sure that someone anyone will one day read about our life.

Who knows, perhaps one day I will want to read these pages and reminisce these days with all their good and bad.

I have been contemplating to start one for a few weeks now, but what happened today encouraged me to finally ask Joshua for a notebook. I am not even sure what I am meant to write or how I am supposed to write or describe something I barely understand.

After all, writing such things down rather than talking about them to Accalia or Clay feels a little eccentric. However, a few weeks ago, I joined a new pack and I decided to give my alpha mate a chance. Therefore, I figured it would be harmless if I stole some of his habits to cope with the madness I experienced earlier today.

I was walking through the woods thinking about Owen and my certainty of his betrayal. It has been almost three weeks since the warriors were found dead. Since then, Joshua, Nick, and I have been watching the head warrior like hawks. We realized that when you look closely at his actions, you would notice that he is not as discreet as a traitor should be. Some of his actions and words have double meaning, and while we cannot understand or figure out what they are, it does not mean they are not there.

He is planning something, but without everyone knowing about his disloyalty, it is hard to investigate without raising questions. In addition, Alec’s trust in him does not help. If anything, it actually gets on my last nerve. Who knew that the notorious alpha can be blinded by trust…

As the sun started to set, I found myself standing at the end of the waterfall. I watched as the water fell into the lake and splashed me. I actually enjoyed it, the water was cooling off some of the anger and the frustration that I felt.

If you are this angry, then maybe you should jump into the water. Accalia advised after a couple of hours of me just watching the waterfall’s beauty. I took her tip. I chose to swim in the water with my clothes on; I figured I could run back to the house in my wolf form and mind-link Alec or Clay to bring me clothes to the backyard.

I do not know how, but as I was diving deep into the water, a bright light emerged between the rocks at the bottom of the lake. I tried to swim to the surface, but somehow I was pulled towards the light. I tried to fight, I tried to scream, but that only resulted in the water entering my lungs. It was like I was being pulled to a gravity that is much stronger than the earth’s. Despite the burning in my chest, I fought against the pull especially when my body was a few centimeters away from the rocks. I tried to hold on to other rocks, to the plants, I even tried to hold on to the water itself. Nothing worked, and my desperation to get out of the water was causing more water to enter my lungs.

When my body was about to collide with the rocks, I closed my eyes as I screamed. I expected to feel the hit, but I felt nothing. Still, I could not open my eyes because I could still feel my body being pulled towards something. I do not know how much time passed; hours, minutes, perhaps even seconds. But eventually I was not being pulled; my body was still in the water. However, I could feel the change in it. I did not know what is different, and I did not care; I only cared about returning to the surface.

Once I was certain that my body was still in one place, I opened my eyes and I hastily swan upward. Getting to the surface took less time than it did to get to the bottom. At that moment I did not know the reason behind that, but when I stood on solid ground by the water, I knew why.

I looked at the lake’s water as I wondered how in a few minutes it decreased that much. More than half of it had vanished, and it looked different, a little darker as if it was dirty.

As for the waterfall, it was not even there. It was like it never existed. I turned around to examine what else could have changed. The beautiful nature no longer surrounded the water. There were only a few large ugly trees and I noticed a huge brick wall a few feet away.

What totally took me off guard was the fact that opposite to the lake stood a castle. It was scary looking; like one of those old territories that are believed to be haunted. I could tell that the building itself used to be exquisite; the architecture indicated that much. However, its state showed that it was abandoned for at least a decade. I shiver just remembering it, although I cannot recall any of its details.

I did not understand what or how I got there, but I was sure I was hallucinating. Now, however, as I write it all down, I realize how stupid of me it was to believe that. It was lucid that I was not in the Open Wound territory anymore. I do not know how it happened, especially since the lake is almost identical o the waterfall I am used to.

I was torn between going to the castle to explore, no matter how idiotic it might be, and trying to replace a way to escape the hallucination. However, when I heard a noise in the water, I was forced to choose the third option which was to hide behind the largest tree I could replace.

A large sea snake was swimming in the lake. Something about it felt not right, strange. It swam for hours, and not once did it notice my harsh breathing and quick heartbeat. Regardless, something in my bones told me to make sure that I stayed out of its sight. I do not know why, but I followed my instincts.

Even from afar, I could tell that there was something distinct about that particular sea snake. But I could not pinpoint what precisely gave me chills. It swam and it moved like any sea snake would. As I watched it swim, I tried to mind-link Alec, but I could not; it was like the pack’s mind-link was gone. That only added to my anxiety. Thus, my eyes became glued to the sea snake; it could have been a threat.

If its size was overlooked, it would have passed for a regular sea snake. Its scales were colored in white and black strips, its sharp fangs emerged every time it jumped from the water, I do not know how it did that, and its black eyes were intimidating; they were filled with emotion, which is something that is not meant to be possible.

I know that animals have emotions. However, the emotions in its eyes were profound; as if they belonged to a human. That scared me even more. Therefore, I screamed at Clay in my mind. I even tried to contact Chance and Nolan even though I still could not feel the link.

A few minutes after the sun rose, the sea snake turned into a human who kneeled on the ground by the water. I should not be surprised by that since I am a person who turns into a wolf, but I have never seen or heard about anyone who can turn into a sea snake.

When the person stood up, I had to stop myself from screaming from horror and rage. I could not believe my eyes even though I was not surprised. I should have known who the person was from their body and skin complexion.

It was Owen.

I knew that he was a traitor, but I am pretty sure that the fact that he turns into a sea snake means that his treachery is deeper than we originally thought. And yet, the jerk had the audacity to look us in the eye and pretend to be one of us. I doubt he is even a werewolf!

As I looked closely at him, I noticed that his skin was dry; as if he did not just spend the entire night in the water. I know that if anyone read this, they would certainly reckon that I am demented, but I am sure that there was not even a drop of water on his skin.

When he started walking, my breathing got a little louder; I was scared that he had somehow seen me. Nevertheless, I did not move a muscle, although I wanted to run away from him as soon as possible. I have never been one to become afraid that easily, and I have never been one to run, but I could not comprehend how I saw him transform from a fish into a human.

He stopped by the closest tree to the lake and grabbed a bag from between its branches. It contained clothes. I do not know who put that bag there, and at that moment I did not care. I just wanted to put as much distance as I could between us. I noticed that along with the clothes, there was a hat that he kissed before he put it against his chest. Once he was all dressed up, he returned the bag to its original place.

Just when I thought he could not get any creepier, I saw him touch his bald head for a few seconds with his eyes closed. To my amassment, a glowing necklace appeared around his neck. He smirked before he opened his eyes and put the hat on his head.

Before, I found the hat a little bizarre. Now, I replace it a mystery. I became even more bewildered when he pulled an envelope from the necklace. He looked around him before he put the envelope on top of the bag. The despicable traitor gave the castle a longing look before he ran to the lake and jumped back into it. A few seconds later, he was gone.

For a few minutes I remained in my place behind the tree; afraid that Owen was tricking me. However, I eventually decided that I have to leave this place. Hence, I moved away from the tree and I slowly walked towards the water. But I stopped in my tracks when I suddenly had a slightly insane idea. I walked to the bag and I took the letter, put it in the inner pocket of my jacket before I recklessly jumped into the lake.

I know it sounds foolish to do so, but that is what Owen did, and something told me that the lake was my only way back to the Open Wound pack.

I swan to the bottom, until I saw the light; only that time I did not fight it. In fact, I welcomed it; I wanted to return to my new home.