I wake up to a sudden scream. As I sit up, I find Nina and me facing each other, her initial terror fading as she recognizes me.
'Magnus?' She says, slightly disoriented.
In response, I lick her face, and she recoils. ‘Gross, Magnus!’ She growls, pulling a face and wiping the saliva off. Whimpering, I lower my head and cover my eyes with my paws.
Nina's tone softens, 'Sorry, Magnus. I didn’t mean to growl. My head hurts.'
She touches a patch on her left temple, recalling the previous night's events. 'Wait, last night. You were shifting. I tried to get to you, but Moss wouldn’t let me. He forced me into his car and sped off, then you jumped onto the roof, and that’s all I remember. Did Moss crash the car?' She asks, examining the patches on her arms and legs.
In response, I whimper and rest my head back on her lap.
Nina pats my head, running her fingers through my fur, and smiles, 'Thank you, Magnus, for rescuing me,' she says gratefully.
As the atmosphere settles, Leon and Amelia burst into the room, panting. 'Nina, you’re awake! We heard you scream,' her mother exclaims.
'Sorry, I didn’t expect to wake up with an oversized wolf in my bed,' Nina laughs while I whimper my apology. She embraces my neck and hugs me, 'It’s okay, Magnus, I forgive you.'
Her father, concerned, offers, 'How are you feeling? Do you want me to send for the pack doctor?'
'I’m sore, but I think I’ll be okay. Where is Moss?' She asks, and I growl at the mention of his name.
'We don’t know. No one has seen Moss since he fled the car accident,' Leon replies.
Nina, seemingly compassionate toward Moss, raises concerns, 'What if he’s hurt from the car accident?' She says.
I growl again, puzzled by her empathy. Why should Nina care if Moss is hurt? She addresses me directly, 'I know you’re not fond of him, Magnus. I know he should not have taken me like that, but I think he was scared that you were going to hurt him,' she explains.
Unwilling to hear her make excuses for Moss, I step off the bed and retreat to my room. After ten minutes of pain, I shift into my human form, collapsing from exhaustion and pain.
I’m woken by Zak and Flint as they enter my room, and I sit up.
‘Is it going to be this bad every time you shift?’ Zak asks.
‘Yup, at least until Nina’s curse has been broken,’ I tell them.
The three of us, Zak, Flint, and I, leave my room, descending the stairs with an air of weariness from the recent events. Hank, the prospective Alpha of the Greystone pack, catches our attention as he roams the area.
‘Hank, can I help you?’ I ask him.
‘Actually, you can. I have a proposition to offer,’ Hank says, his smile holding a subtle intrigue.
‘What kind of proposition?’ I probe, with Zak and Flint maintaining a vigilant presence.
‘One you would prefer we speak about privately,’ Hank smirks, his eyes gleaming.
‘Whatever you need to say to our future Alpha, you can say to us,’ Flint asserts.
Hank's smile widens. ‘Well, sure, if you don’t mind everyone discovering Nina’s curse? I’d hate to know what would happen to her if anyone found out,’ he says ominously, his words dripping with veiled threats.
I grab Hank by the scruff of his shirt, my eyes turning an ominous black as my wolf asserts dominance. I release him abruptly as the room fills with the entrance of more pack members.
I look over my shoulder at Flint and Zak. ‘Gather Josie, May, and Nina. We will meet by the lake immediately,’ I order them and face Hank. ‘Meet us by the lake. We can discuss matters privately,’ I tell him.
Flint and Zak dash away to find the others.
We stand by the shimmering lake as the air brims with tension between Hank and me.
‘What’s going on?’ Josie asks, troubled by Hank's presence.
‘Hank knows about Nina’s curse. I assume he has some proposition to make in return for him to keep his mouth shut?’ I reveal, my gaze filled with disdain.
‘How did he even find out?’ May questions, puzzled.
‘None of us have told anyone, though?’ Flint adds, his eyes scrutinizing each of us.
Nina hugs herself and looks down, a wave of distress washing over her. ‘I-I thought I could trust him. I thought he could help me find out how to break this stupid curse,’ she sobs, and I pull her into my chest, offering comfort.
‘Who is him?’ Josie asks, her brow furrowed in concern.
‘Moss,’ both Hank and I reply simultaneously.
Zak curses under his breath.
I turn my attention to Hank, demanding an explanation. ‘Why did he tell you?’
‘Moss and I go way back; we went to pup school together far south from here. You could even say we are best friends. Moss said if anything was to happen to him, I must tell his mother about the curse,’ Hank explains.
‘What good would telling his mother about the curse do?’ I question him, my scepticism apparent.
‘I don’t know, but I know my sisters are inconsolable now that neither of them is your mate. My father expected one of them to at least be your mate and was furious when he realized either of them weren’t.’
‘Yes, I get it. I broke the hearts of hundreds of other she-wolves last night. So, what’s your point?’ I retort sarcastically.
‘My point or proposal, I shall say, is that my father still wants to find a way for you to be mated with one of his daughters, and now I have leverage over you. I have a way for it to happen,’ Hank smirks.
‘Excuse me?’ I growl in disbelief.
‘I won’t tell anyone about Nina’s curse, and in return, you choose one of my sisters to be your mate,’ he proposes with an unsettling smile.
‘What! Are you crazy? I need to find my fated mate!’
‘Nonsense. It may be unusual to choose a mate rather than wait for your destined mate, but I’ve known plenty of wolves who have had chosen mates, and most have had a reasonably happy life,’ Hank asserts.
‘My parents would never allow me to have a chosen mate,’ I retort.
‘Well then, you better not let them know and pretend one of my sisters is your fated mate after all,’ he replies with a cunning gleam in his eyes.
My wolf rages within, an uncontrollable force yearning to break free and exact vengeance on Hank. The pain is unbearable, and I collapse to my knees.
‘Magnus!’ Nina's voice rings out, filled with worry, as she swiftly kneels beside me. Her touch, warm and reassuring, calming my wolf.