Breaking the Curse of the Lycan Prince

They speak of love in three distinct forms.

The love you'd take a life for.

The love you'd give your own life for.

And the love you'd sacrifice everything to keep alive.

Yet, a cursed soul like mine was never meant to embrace any of these in my tale of love. My heart is a barren wasteland of emotions, and the mere mention of love grates on my nerves, setting off a seething anger that churns my stomach until I feel sick.

How can people willingly surrender to love when it holds the power to shatter them in an instant?

In this world, love should be banished, and that's precisely what I intend to do once I ascend to the throne as the Lycan king. I'll fashion a realm where romance, and all its kin, are outlawed, with death as the consequence.

Love had wrought havoc upon me, leaving me broken into irreparable shards. Its agony is all-encompassing, akin to an unending, relentless fire that burns without consuming, leaving you perpetually tormented.

Damn it!

I'm a freak of nature. My life unfolded as I watched two of my mates perish in my arms at the hands of my savage, cursed beast. For three years, beginning when I turned 20, and continuing now at 23, I've been a serial killer of my own mates. A hidden curse has transformed me into a monstrous executioner.

During every full moon, I morph into a ferocious creature under the control of my Lycan beastly form, and I relentlessly pursue my mate like a hunted prey. I revert to my normal state only after I've committed the gruesome act, consuming her heart. It's a horrifying ordeal, for I remain fully aware of my actions, haunted by her screams, cries, and pleas that never fade from my memory.

The ghastly specters of their horrific deaths linger, a relentless torment. The vivid memories of tearing their flesh and plucking out their eyes replay in my mind, serving as a grim reminder that I am a heartless murderer, compelled to destroy the mate who once ignited love within my cold heart, each full moon of the year.

The moon goddess was well aware of the curse that plagued me, and yet, she continued to bind me to my fated mates. I resented her for this cruel twist of fate. These radiant young women entered my life like a breath of fresh air, a momentary respite in the midst of life's tempest, a brief light that brightened my world and made me feel almost normal. But it always ended within a year, for I would inevitably become their assassin, no matter how they sought refuge.

During those three dreaded full moon nights each year, I would be confined to a cave, bound and chained, forced to endure the most excruciating torment of my existence. My body would transform into the ferocious form of my Lycan beast, and I would feel as though I were consumed by agonizing flames. Yet, one way or another, I would break free and track down my mate, for her death was the only way I could return to my human state.

This must be one of the most wretched ways to exist. After having taken the lives of three fated mates, I noticed a terrifying transformation within myself. I had become extraordinarily powerful, yet I had also become a relentless force of destruction, a cruel entity devoid of compassion.

Love had become a mocking word that echoed in my ears. I could vividly recall killing couples simply for sharing a kiss. I resided in the abyss of my own dark heart, devoid of the emotions that others took for granted. Not even intimacy could provide solace. My parents feared me, and they struggled to remain near me, but I had never desired close company. I loathed being around people, as their gazes served as constant reminders of my heartlessness and malevolence.

The only purpose I served in the kingdom was on the battlefield, where I harnessed my formidable powers to vanquish our foes, sparing our warriors the effort. However, my brutal methods left a gruesome aftermath that haunted the memories of all who witnessed it.

Now, another year had begun, and the impending full moon approached. It marked yet another year of facing the most agonizing moment of my life when I encountered the beautiful, innocent girl who would ignite a profound and overwhelming love within me, only to meet her grisly end at my hands.

Can you fathom the kind of existence I lead? Do you understand how terrifying it has become? Everyone flees from me, and now parents in the kingdom conceal their daughters from my sight, for if the mate bond ever connected me to one of them, her fate was sealed. I was a curse that should have never been unleashed upon the world.

I am Atticus Wagner, the Lycan prince of the Mystic Shadow Pack. At 23 years old, I am on the verge of turning 24, marking the fourth year of this nightmarish existence. I can't help but wonder whose turn it will be this time.

A knock abruptly interrupted my thoughts, and I swiftly turned to face the source of the sound.

"Son, please, we need your presence in the palace," my mother's voice quivered as she entered. I couldn't blame her; my anger issues had become increasingly uncontrollable.

"Tell me why," I responded bluntly, inwardly chastising myself for my harsh tone with my mother. I could still recall the days when I was a normal young man, and those twenty years felt like precious memories that taunted me when I realized they were gone forever. It was as though I could never return to my old self. Now, I was a freak feared by everyone.

"We've summoned a powerful sorcerer who has promised to find a way to rid you of the curse," she explained briefly, her voice trembling with nervousness.

"Okay," I shrugged, and the next thing I heard was the rapid retreat of her footsteps as I rose from my bed. She must have been trying to put some distance between us.